Pokémon Radiant Sun
by FlygonNick
Summary: A novelization of Pokémon Sun. After moving to Alola from the Kanto region, an 11-year old boy is immediately sent on a crash course in local culture through the Island Challenge, a unique rite of passage amongst Trainers in Alola. Join our newest hero, Sun, as he meets new friends and encounters exotic new Pokémon…even those from another world. Sun X Lillie.
1. Escape

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _Alola, new readers and old!_

 _So this is a new story by yours truly. If you're clicking on this, then you've probably played "Pokémon Sun" or "Pokémon Moon", you've realized that the game is fantastic and one of the best Pokémon games to come out in a while._

 _I decided to do this as a test run of sorts. This to test my hand at crafting a Pokémon adventure story, because I've always wanted to do one._

 _This is a novelization of "Pokémon Sun." As such, I will be crafting the story through the lens of writing as opposed to gameplay, adding my own touch and spin whenever I need to. Because rereading game dialogue would defeat the purpose of doing this story, things will be changed or edited accordingly to make thing flow better, and I'm taking some creative liberties to connect things as I go. This story will feature some of my own OC's as well. My update schedule for this story will be shorter chapters but frequent updates, probably twice a week, but definitely weekly updates._

 _I own only my own characters, everything else belongs to the wonderful folks at Nintendo._

 _I'll also be doing only one author's note at the beginning of chapter's, and even then they'll be much shorter than my usual ranting. As always, I appreciate feedback and support and would appreciate if you left your thoughts about it in the review section below._

 _Oh yeah, and Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone!_

 _Now, without further ado…_

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 **Pokémon Radiant Sun**

 **Act I**

 **Reprise**

* * *

 _Chapter 1: Escape_

* * *

Sun leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes as he waited for the inevitable call. The child couldn't help a small sigh, despite the exciting news that rang through the household. Recent events had begun to take a toll on him and had admittedly been wearing him down lately. Luckily, the preparations to move were serving as a successful means of distracting the child from things, to which he was grateful. Sun opened his eyes and glanced around the room, taking in the beginning of a room being stripped down, the contents being put into boxes. They had only begun getting their affairs in order yesterday, but they were already a considerable amount of the way done. On top of that, Sun's mother had arranged a video chat with the Regional Professor of Alola, which was what he was waiting for now.

Thinking he would kill a bit of time, Sun reached for a nearby flute resting on his dresser, a small white little instrument that he had purchased for himself last month, and began to play instrument after a minute of thought. He played haltingly at first, but as time passed his notes became a bit more confident and sure, and he was playing a simple song, taking his attention completely off of the dark thoughts that had consumed him lately. He wanted to get a better quality flute than the second-hand one he had now, but that would have to come later.

Just as the child finished the song and was about to try his hand at one of the scales, Sun was surprised when a small alarm began to ring on his computer. The topmost camera icon on the home screen indicated that he had an incoming message from…the Alola region's Professor Kukui!

"Finally…I was wondering when he was going to call." Sun muttered as he leaned forward, scooting up in his chair so that he was upright. The boy took a calming breath to steady his nerves before he clicked the icon and a small screen popped up, enlarging several times before a room and a man came into view. It was blurry at first, but upon the camera focusing and the camera being adjusted by the man, it became much clearer. The man before him was wearing just a white lab coat with green sunglasses and a white cap decorated with a rainbow of sorts on the front of it. The surprisingly young-looking man had bright black eyes and brown hair, as well as a small goatee on his chin.

"Hang on, now. Gimme just a sec." The man muttered, adjusting the screen one final time. The man stepped away, his bright and contagious smile transferring to Sun as he stepped back to enter the screen proper.

"Hey there! Good afternoon!" the man greeted Sun warmly. "So the day has finally come that you're moving to Alola!"

"Um…No sir."

"Huh?"

"I move in about three months. My mom just wanted me to verify my information with you…sir." Sun said with a smile, trying not to laugh despite himself at the Professor's baffled expression. The man quickly got over his befuddlement and returned Sun's smile with a cheery grin of his own.

"I could have sworn…Oh well. Doesn't matter, I guess. So…How does it feel?" Kukui asked Sun.

"How does what feel?" Sun replied blankly, confused.

"Moving to a new place! Alola is pretty far away from Kanto, you know. Totally different vibes, different Pokémon, and different people. How's it feeling going away from Kanto?" Kukui asked me, surprising me.

"It feels…good?"

"Just good? You can't just say something so…lame!"

"Sorry, Professor. My mom says I'm a bit too mellow for my own good."

"I'm inclined to agree. A bit of excitement in your life does wonders, cousin. Trust me." Kukui remarked with a grin.

"Uh…Well, I mean it's pretty exciting, moving there. After all of the bad things happening lately, it's honestly kind of a relief that we're able to leave. Plus, I hear that the age limit on training over there is 11 instead of 14, which means I can become a Pokémon Trainer in Alola." Sun's smile became a wide, eager grin then, making Kukui laugh.

"There we go! That's what I like to see, a big ol' smile. We welcome all types in Alola, Sun. If you ever need anything when you get over there, don't ever hesitate to contact me. It's my job to help others, on top of the whole Professor thing, you know." Kukui said a bit more seriously. Sun nodded in response, thankful that the Professor had said those things. Despite knowing that moving was a very good thing for his family, Sun was pretty nervous about it. He'd be starting from ground-zero, in a totally unfamiliar environment…he'd just have to adapt.

"Enough of the small talk, let's get this show on the road!" Kukui remarked, gesturing to the picture next to him. "Now, I'm not sure how familiar you are with your new home, so I'm going to take a few minutes and educate you. How's that sound, cousin?"

"Go ahead sir. I've got nothing else going on." Sun replied with a smirk, earning a laugh from the Professor. The man leaned to Sun's right and moved his hand slightly, a screen popping up in the newly created space on the monitor and showing an aerial screen shot of a series of islands with a variety of environments visible from above.

"You'll do just fine in Alola with that attitude, Sun." Kukui said with an amused smirk of his own before he continued. "You see, Alola is a region made up of several islands. Quite unlike the rest of the regions, which are usually just one large continent with maybe a small island or two." Kukui explained to Sun. "That could be the reason the region is chock full of nothin' but rare Pokémon, yeah?"

The Professor leaned back into the middle of the screen as the picture went away and held up a Poké Ball up in front of the camera, his smile widening slightly as he said, "There's no shortage of cool Pokémon out here in Alola, either. Even if they aren't rare. Such mysterious creatures…"

Kukui tossed the Poké Ball into the air and it exploded in a shower of light. Out of the ball a brown dog Pokémon that Sun had never seen before dropped onto the desk in front of the Professor and stared into the screen happily with its expressive blue eyes. Sun stared right back at the creature as the Professor said, "You find 'em all over. In the grass, in the caves, in the sky and sea… some even come from machinery and the very earth itself, and even the stars above. Pokémon are everywhere and anywhere you can find them."

The Pokémon bent down and began sniffing something, the back and tail of the Pokémon only visible as Kukui took a step back, smirking. "Here in Alola we love our Pokémon, and we depend on them heaps too. Some of us even battle with 'em, if we call ourselves Pokémon Trainers." He then looked down at the Pokémon and said somewhat incredulously, "Rockruff! Can you wait until I'm done talkin' to play!?"

The Rockruff gave a short bark in reply and hopped off of the desk, and with that the Professor continued. "All right, I gotta ask you some questions about yourself so I can introduce you to everybody!"

Sun gave a brief nod, and the Professor asked, "So which photo should I use for your Trainer Passport?"

As a series of pictures popped up on the screen, Sun tapped the center one, and Kukui asked, "You're okay with the one you chose, yeah?"

"Yes sir."

"Can you spell your name for me?"

"S-U-N." The child then gave the rest of his name, flinching slightly as he saw the Professor chuckle slightly.

"Sun, huh?"

"Yes…And please don't ask. I'm not sure how I got the name either. I blame my Mom."

"Hey, I can't judge, cousin. Ain't the weirdest name I've ever heard before." The Professor laughed again and continued the process. Sun quickly gave the man a rundown of his basic information, which he then confirmed with the Professor. The process was fairly simple, and after a few minutes the Professor had copied down the info and sent it off elsewhere for finalization and approval. The Professor then cut himself off when he realized he was rambling.

"So is that it?" Sun asked the Professor. In response, his picture popped up on the bottom right of the monitor as the Professor scratched his head, grinning as he shut his eyes. "10-4, good buddy! I'll let everybody out here know you're on your way!"

The Professor opened his eyes and crossed his arms, as he did so the Rockruff from before and a small little bird both appeared on each of his shoulders. The bird flew away after the Professor nodded before he grinned widely, revealing his pearly whites. "Sun! Yeah…that's a name that hits you like a Thunderbolt outta the sky! Woo! I can't wait to see you in person then, cousin!"

"Thanks again, Professor. I'll see you in Alola." Sun replied to the man, meeting the Professor's smile with a grin of his own. The Professor then offered Sun a parting wave, the Rockruff on his shoulder barking out its own goodbye, and with that the man shut off his camera and ended the transmission.

"Well…That's that then." Sun muttered, running his hands through his dark hair as he looked at the tropical screen background on his computer. The 11-year old cast his gaze outside and his mind wandered-

"Sun! Come help me with these boxes!"

"Well, I knew that was coming." Sun mused, laughing slightly as he went off to go help his mother pack. Unaware that elsewhere, much darker events were unfolding...

* * *

Meanwhile…

* * *

A young girl sprinted down the main walkway of a building made of white, panting as she ran as hard as she could, her steps echoing through the empty floor. She was clad in an elegant white sundress and large white hat, clutching a large Poké Ball gym bag draped over her arm.

"Have to get out…Have to keep it safe!"

The girl skidded to a halt within the elevator, even as she saw several men and women sprinting right towards her. With a small hitch, the lift she was riding on suddenly began moving upwards, providing her a brief respite. The girl took a moment to catch her breath, fear and adrenaline pumping through her as she tried to keep one step ahead of her pursuers.

She arrived at the topmost floor of the facility, which housed a beautiful environment filled with lush, green plants that bloomed with flowers and hummed with life. Pure water flowed in and out of the room, allowing all sorts of Pokémon to reside within the area in safety. It was a sanctuary of sorts.

But not to the girl. She took a quick glance around the area, quickly trying to pin down the best route out of here. As the gates shut down around her, a small pair of eyes peered up at the girl from within the bag, curious as to why the girl had taken her and where they were going.

Quietly stepping through the path, she remained as silent as she could, hoping to not drawn any attention to herself or the Pokémon she held within her bag. Sadly it was for naught, as she heard a slight chuckle behind her and whirled around to see two of the guards in white uniforms standing right behind her, pointing in her direction. With a nod, the two men began running towards her, making the young girl turn on her heel and scurry off in the other direction.

"No, no, no!" the girl hissed, tightening her grip on her bag as she willed herself to go faster.

Dead end.

The girl turned left, gritting her teeth and forcing herself to keep moving despite the pain in her legs and stomach, her endurance being taxed to the limit. She had to keep moving. Keep running.

She continued along the path, huffing and puffing but still running and running, until she saw another guard in a white uniform ahead of her with his arms outstretched and a triumphant smirk on his face. The girl gasped and turned behind her, only to see the two guards standing in her path, one of them wearing a grin on his face as the two of them approached her.

" _No…I…I failed…"_ the girl thought as the men slowly approached her.

"Nice and easy…Just hand us the bag and everything will be alright." The one behind her said in a placating tone. The girl flinched and gripped the bag even tighter, but then she caught sight of a strange light coming from within the bag. It was small at first, but quickly began growing brighter, a mixture of blue lights swirling within it. Soon the light enveloped the girl, circling around her and growing larger with each passing moment. Aqua and purple hues dyed the ominous barrier surrounding the girl as a strange hum filled the air, sending shivers down the spines of everyone present. The guards flinched and braced themselves, but then the strange wave of energy shot upwards, vanishing into the sky...

The three guards stared up in shock, bewildered at what they had just witnessed. After a few moments, one of them grabbed a walkie-talkie off of their belt and lifted it to their mouth.

"Ma'am…She got away."

" _How?"_ Came the drawling reply from the radio, though a very identifiable hint of steel lay in the voice speaking.

"We're unsure. We suspect the test subject is responsible, ma'am."

" _No matter…Let the_ hideous _little beast and the test subject run. We've got more than enough to work with as is. Sooner or later, they'll be back where they belong. Spread word to the outposts on the main islands."_ The voice ordered the three guards before they heard a burst of static from the other end. With another glance up through the skylight, the three guards began their new task of finding the wayward girl and the even more valuable test subject...


	2. Alola Alola!

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _Here's the second chapter! Oh yeah, and Merry Christmas!_

 _This thing already has a few follows and favorites under its belt. How? I literally just posted a prologue chapter and that's it._

 _Seriously though. Thanks. You folks rock._

 _Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes Dunka99 (good to see you again, mate)._

 _Let's keep this show going._

 _Enjoy!_

* * *

 _Chapter 2: Alola Alola!_

* * *

Three Months Later…

* * *

After all of the craziness that comes about when you move to an entirely new continent…One would think that they'd be allowed to sleep in, right?

Nope.

Sun's eyes shot open in sleepy alarm as a Meowth below him yowled loudly, rousing the 11-year old from his slumber that felt like 10 minutes to the child but was probably closer to eight hours in reality. Sun slowly opened his eyes, taking in his new room with a small start before realizing where he was. After a few moments, Sun hopped out of bed with a groan, glancing down at his wrinkled clothes with a sigh.

"Oh well, not like I needed to go anywhere today anyway." Sun mumbled tiredly, stretching for a couple of seconds as he glanced out of his window, an odd feeling thrumming through him. Excitement.

Genuine excitement that he hadn't felt in a while. After the craziness of the past few months, it was exciting to be somewhere completely different. The young boy stared out of his window, wandering over to his desk, taking in the clear blue skies out with white clouds overhead, the sound of waves crashing in the distance.

"Yeah…we're definitely not in Kanto anymore, are we?" Sun said quietly, a small smile flickering on his face as he felt the excitement hum through him even more intensely. It was his first day in Alola...

"Meooow!"

Sun looked back down at the floor, where the family Meowth was looking up at him with a questioning look. Meowth then made its way over to Sun and began rubbing himself against the child's leg, so he knelt down and petted the little cat, making him purr.

"You like our new house?" Sun said with a small smile, scratching the Meowth on the head for a few moments, earning a sigh of contentment from the cat Pokémon. One of the few Pokémon their family had personally owned, and the little cat was practically a sibling after Sun's mother bought him two years ago. Meowth kept Mom company and kept an eye on things, which back in Kanto, was the most important thing. Here in Alola, Sun expected the two of them to enjoy themselves quite a bit. As for Sun himself…he'd get the chance to be the Pokémon Trainer he had always wanted to be.

Sun made his way out of his room, with Meowth trailing behind him as he walked into the living room. As Sun entered, his Mom entered just a few moments later with her usual smile. She stopped, assessing her child's rumpled "just rolled out of bed look" with her hands on her hips.

"You were out like a light, weren't you?" She asked, amusement in her voice. "You ought to be full of energy by now!"

"Something like that." Sun replied with a shrug, walking over to the table and snatching up an apple, which he assumed his mother had gotten while he was out cold. It never ceased to amaze him how much she could accomplish when she put her mind to it. Sun guess that's why she was his Mom. She kinda had to be awesome.

"So Sun…" Mom began saying as Sun tore his way through his first apple and was reaching for a second. "…are you pumped to meet some Alolan Pokémon?"

"I guess…After breakfast."

"Oh, you! Someday you're going to learn to have a little wonder in your life!" Mom shook her head in mock dismay, though she knew her son was joking. Sun had grown up watching his mother as a Pokémon Trainer herself, and watched on the sidelines as his mother tore through the Gym Leader circuit with her super-powered team. That pretty much fueled his love and excitement for Pokémon, which held up to this very day. Going to this new region, filled with all kinds of new experiences and wonders, would be quite interesting to say the least. Sun's Mom seemed to be thinking along the same lines as him, as she said, "We're living in the Alola region now! The beautiful islands everyone wants to visit! I'm sure the Pokémon living in a place like this must be friendly, right?"

"I'm sure some are. But if this place has Spearow, then…"

"…Point taken. But still!"

"I get what you mean, Mom." Sun replied through a thick mouth filled with apple. He hastily swallowed, wincing, before he continued. "There's all sorts of cool stuff here. You don't have to try and get me hyped up. I'm plenty excited…I just suck at showing it."

The doorbell then rang, surprising them both.

"Was that the doorbell?" Mom said, turning to Sun. "That's got to be Professor Kukui. Why don't you let him in, Sun?"

The child made his way towards the door, but didn't even make it halfway there before the door was flung open and a vaguely familiar man strolled into the house like he owned the place. The man took in the mostly furnished house with an approving smile. He then walked over to the kitchen counter for a moment before turning around, flashing Sun an even brighter grin.

"Hey there, Sun!" Kukui greeted the boy, his voice brimming with enthusiasm. Sun stared in surprise at the man's midriff, thinking that it was a bit odd for him to not be wearing a shirt at all. Then again, if Sun had abs like those, he'd probably want to show off too. Sun also figured that since Professor Kukui lived in a series of tropical islands, he would probably be in pretty good shape. At least, it made sense to him.

"Good morning, Professor." Sun replied politely. Even if this guy was a bit…casual, he still had to respect the guy. He was a Regional Professor after all, and on top of that was a family friend as well. Sun didn't know the guy beyond the video call they had three months ago, but he seemed pretty alright.

"Professor? Come on, we're all friends here. The name's Kukui. Good to meet your cousin!" Kukui said as he extended a hand outward. Sun shook it, surprised at the man's iron-like grip.

"You gotta be tired after that long trip all the way out here to Alola! You feeling any jet lag? We sure are a long way from Kanto out here in Alola." Kukui mused for a moment, chuckling slightly as his eyes drifted to a nearby window, where the afternoon sun was blazing overhead. "It's still daytime out here, yeah!"

Mom took that moment to make her way over to pair, smiling at her old friend as she said, "Professor Kukui! Yes, we just arrived yesterday."

"Hey there, Mom! I just let myself in. Oh, and call me Kukui, would you?" the Professor replied warmly, beaming at the two of them as he threw apart his arms.

"Welcome to Alola!" the Professor said somewhat dramatically, making Sun smile wanly at the man as his mother giggled at Kukui's antics.

"Of course. I still remember seeing you battle the Indigo Gym Leaders back in Kanto all those years ago, you know!" Mom chirped in reply. That little bit of info interested Sun a bit. He knew that, in general, the Professors in each of the regions were fairly skilled battlers. Some of them were even legends in their own right, back in their prime. Sun was snapped out of his thoughts when his mother added, "I've been in love with Alolan Pokémon ever since, so I finally decided to come here myself!"

Kukui laughed good-naturedly at that. "Ha! I was supposed to be visiting there to research Kanto Pokémon moves and all. I thought I knew a thing or two about battling, but those Kanto Gym Leaders proved me wrong! Besides, you've competed in the League yourself! You know just as much as I do that they don't mess around in Kanto!"

The Alolan Professor then calmed himself and then addressed Sun. "Hey now, Sun! Let's get a move on to the next town over, cousin! Time for you to meet the Island Kahuna and get yourself a Pokémon, yeah!"

"Wait, Kahuna?" Sun asked, confused. What were those? Something like a Gym Leader? Usually, as far as he knew anyway, the local Gym Leader or the Regional Professor would help a new trainer get their first Pokémon or provide it themselves.

"Sure, sure. The Kahunas are crazy-strong Pokémon Trainers here in Alola, cousin! They're unbeatable for folks like me and you! And the Kahuna who lives in Iki Town is always happy to give any kid who wants to have an adventure their first Pokémon, yeah." Kukui explained as he leaned over and snatched an apple off of the table.

"Do you mind, Mom? I didn't quite get the chance to get breakfast this morning." Kukui asked with a sheepish smile.

"Help yourself, Kukui," Mom said with an amused look as the Professor took a bite of the red fruit.

"This already has the makings of a home. You both must have been working really hard to get everything all set up," Kukui commented as he chewed his breakfast.

"Something like that. There's a reason my son's been catatonic all morning!" Sun felt his cheeks heat up at that as his mother ruffled his hair with a giggle. Kukui laughed under his breath at Sun's dismay before Mom spoke up again.

"So…They'll simply give my boy a Pokémon? Just like that?" Kukui nodded in reply. "Then those Kahunas really are worth meeting!" Mom then put her hands on her hips and said, "Hurry and get ready, Sun! Your Bag and hat and things are still in the boxes in your room, I think."

Sun nodded before Mom added as an afterthought, "And didn't you leave your copy of _Adventure Rules_ on your desk in there, too?"

The boy nodded a second time in reply, though Kukui chimed in too. "Ooh, I bet you've got a stylin' hat that'll match mine, yeah?"

Sun looked up at the man's sleek and shiny white cap, complete with a rainbow on it. It _was_ pretty snazzy. Sun knew that his own hat couldn't compete with that kind of style. The boy simply kept smiling and made his way back to his room, shutting the door as he entered and allowing his Mom to catch up with her friend.

"Alright…" Sun muttered, walking over to the box resting by his bed and opening it, hoping that his stuff was indeed still there. His hopes were rewarded as Sun's trusty cap and bag were resting near the bottom, thankfully unharmed from the moving process. The boy quickly scrounged around for a few basic supplies, knowing that he would be coming back home later afterwards. Sun fitted his cap onto his head and slung his backpack over his shoulders. The boy started at the sound of laughter from his Mom and Kukui out in the living room and laughed quietly at that. Sun quickly made his way out of his room and walked back over to his mother, who offered him a smile as she put her hands on her hips.

"You look ready for anything, now. Have a good time out there!" Mom said to her child, stepping forward and giving him a hug, which he returned. They stepped apart and she added, "I'll be sure to have everything cleaned up and put away by the time you come back with your new Pokémon!"

"Alright mom. Don't go crazy though. I can help finish up whatever you don't when I get back." Sun said to his mother. Knowing her, she'd procrastinate on it anyway. Kukui took that moment to step forward, smiling as he gave Sun a thumbs up of approval. "Woo, that's a stylin' hat, cousin!"

Below us, our Meowth cried out, also voicing his approval as well, making the three of them crack up laughing in response.

* * *

"Your mom there. She's sure looking forward to you getting your first Pokémon, yeah?" Kukui said rather quietly as Mom went off to the side of the room with Meowth.

"Yep. She's been wanting me to go on my own adventure for years now. Ever since they increased the age limit in Kanto, she's been trying to find some loophole in the rules that would let me compete in the Indigo League, but…There's none." Sun explained to the Professor, causing his usual cheery expression to darken somewhat.

"Yes…I heard about what happened in Kanto. Those hooligans need to be put down. Someone will take care of it though. Kanto's full of tough trainers who won't stand for that kind of behavior." Kukui muttered, shaking his head in disgust. Sun silently nodded before his normal placid smile returned.

"Now…How about that Pokémon?" Sun asked the Professor, hoping to get back to a more cheerful topic.

"Now you're talking, cousin! Let's get going to Iki Town! Time for you to get a real nice Pokémon from the Island Kahuna, oh yeah!" Kukui remarked as his normal grin appeared, the man shutting his eyes as he beamed at Sun. He may have been a bit silly, but Sun had to admit the Professor had an awesome attitude.

The Professor sauntered out of the house, leaving Sun behind with his Mom. The boy turned around and was hit with a sneak attack hug from behind. Sun took it with a laugh as his mother released him, smiling at her child again.

"Seriously though, enjoy yourself out there. I'll have dinner on the table by the time you get back and we can get to know your new little friend. OK?" Sun nodded in reply to his mother before quickly running up to hug her, surprising her for a change, before jogging out the front door with a laugh. Sun made his way outside, his namesake blazing overhead and showering him in heat. The boy took in the warmth of the region, so much more intense than even the beaches of Cinnabar Island, and admired the view for a moment. Sun then made his way down the steps and walked down the path to meet with Professor Kukui, who was tapping his foot just ahead of him. The Professor seemed excited, even more than he was before.

"Now this is more like it, yeah!" Kukui yelled out. "Welcome to paradise, cousin. This is the Alola region!"

"Thank you, sir. I really appreciate the warm welcome." Sun said gratefully, appreciative that the Professor had, once again, gone out of his way to ensure that Sun's transition from one region of the world to another was as smooth as possible.

"It's my pleasure, Sun! Folks here in Alola get along by living together with Pokémon and working together too. If I didn't lend a hand, then what kind of person would that make me?" Kukui remarked before he said, "Which is why you'll be getting a Pokémon. That way you can explore Alola at your own pace with a partner by your side. You can go anywhere, yeah, as long as you got a Pokémon helping you out here. That's why we gotta get you to the Kahuna!"

"Sounds like a plan then."

"First, we're off to Iki Town! Come on, it's not far if we cut up here." Kukui said as he gestured up to the nearby path and began making his way down it. Sun stared after him for a moment and he was gone before the boy knew it.

"Really? Just…leaving me here to go down the path alone?" Sun muttered incredulously, shaking his head as he gazed down the long path. A long fence extended down both sides and there was a distinct lack of tall grass or any Pokémon. Sun even spotted a few people on the path itself. Maybe it was a totally Pokémon free area?

"Well, here goes nothing." Sun began his trek down the path, just taking in the scenery. Beautiful tropical flowers bloomed on either side of Sun as the sea breeze rustled the trees and the leaves and his hair. Sun's fear that a Pokémon would leap out at me continued to tear at him for several minutes as he trudged down the path, until…Sun realized that this was truly a path where no wild Pokémon roamed. Or at least it was monitored enough so that non-trainers would be able to walk along it without fear. Once Sun got that through his head, he stood up a little straighter and actually began to relax, taking in the sound of the distant waves crashing in the distance and the sound of the native birds chirping elsewhere.

It was a nice introduction to Alola, all things considered, Sun thought.

He continued his stride, hurrying forward so that he could see what else the new region had to offer.


	3. The Guardian Deity of MeleMele Island

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _Wow. Again, the feedback so far. Seriously overwhelming. Thanks so much, everyone!_

 _Best of all, most of it was positive and constructive feedback, which has helped me sort out a lot of issues I was having at first with this story. Unlike most of my other fics, this one is admittedly not as concrete as some of the others. However, thanks to the feedback last chapter and with some extra time dedicated to sorting it out, I should have everything under control here._

 _One of the things mentioned was me focusing heavily on the in-game script for dialogue in this story. Since this is a novelization story,_ _ **I at first figured that this would be just something I have to do for a story like this.**_ _After getting some feedback on this, however,_ _ **I've decided to try and do more original dialogue and see how much better that works out.**_

 _On top of that, I've added a bit of extra detail and a POV shift to the previous two chapters. So now the story will be told in third-person, because I remember now why I don't usually do first person. Easy to forget some details to it. Major thanks go to WargishBoromirFan, SpoonyAzul, and Minaethiel for helping majorly with the fixes and for putting up with my nonsense. You all are fabulous._

 _Shoutout to the people who reviewed since the last update, which includes Dunka99, as well as four new reviewers known as Sai Og Sus, Iron-ninja, JC785, and Sneakybutterman. Thanks for the support and feedback._

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 _Chapter 3: The Guardian Deity of MeleMele Island_

* * *

Sun continued his trek (alone, mind you), through the wilderness that apparently wasn't really all that wild. No Pokémon ran up to confront him or anything. It was just a simple path that led from one town to the next. It was admittedly very relaxing, Sun realized, after he finally got over his initial fears. Just walking along the trail and listening to the sounds of nature around him. He hadn't done that all too often back in Kanto, and even when he did it was with one of his parents equipped with a full team of powerful Pokémon. Sun started as two boys ran past, waving to him as he walked by, laughing cheerily.

"It certainly isn't anything like home." Sun murmured, gazing around at the gorgeous blooming flowers of red and yellow around him, feeling a small pang within him at realizing that this was really it. He was here now, and probably wouldn't be going back to Kanto for a long, long while, if ever.

"Hey! You!" Sun was snapped out of his reverie as he spotted another local, this time a man, who waved at him.

"Alola! You don't look like you're from around these parts." The older man said with a knowing smile.

"I just moved here from yesterday, sir." Sun replied to the man, his usual smile leaping into its proper place.

"Well, sonny, allow me to welcome you to our _sunny_ little paradise." Sun fought the urge to laugh at the pun. Bad jokes like that always got him, no matter how terrible. "There's all sorts of wondrous things for a child like you to explore here." The man said with a little laugh, chortling to himself while Sun just remained politely silent.

"I'm actually on my way to get a Pokémon from the Kahuna." Sun replied to the man, earning a nod in response, as if this was all expected.

"Ah, old Hala. He'll get you all sorted out. Keep on smiling, my boy, and good luck to you." The man gave Sun a thumbs up and a bright grin, which Sun returned with a wider smile and a thumbs up of his own. Sun continued his trek, feeling a bit more lighthearted than before.

Sun reached the top of the hill after about an hour, which rewarded him with a view of mountains rising in the distance with the ocean below them. The young Kanto native looked at the picturesque view in front of him for a few minutes, taking it all in.

Sun's smile slipped away, replaced with a thoughtful frown.

Memories of home hit Sun like a train, and not all of them pleasant. There were many reasons for their move to Alola, and Sun had to admit he had been getting pretty down lately regarding what was happening back home.

Despite that, he knew he had to work past whatever he was feeling. He wasn't sure what it was, but he knew he had to keep a positive attitude. He and his mother would be happy here, in Alola. They were safe, and in a beautiful new place with friendly locals. Within all of the excitement, some nervousness had wormed its way into him…with a little bit of relief being there as well.

"Just keep on smiling, Sun. Stay positive. No use in letting the small things get to you, right?" Sun muttered as a small smile finally returned to him. He wasn't sure if any of what he feeling was small, but he knew it was something that he could overcome.

Sun tore his eyes away from the quaint sight ahead of him and continued down the path, where Professor Kukui came into sight after about twenty minutes.

"So, Sun! You're lovin' Alola already, yeah?" Kukui asked the child as he finally reached him. Kukui's smile took a slight dip at the glare Sun shot at him.

"You seriously made me walk through an entire route all by myself, while I have no idea where I am or where to get where we're going. With all due respect, sir…that was _really_ stupid." Sun said to the Professor, who nervously laughed in response, scratching the back of his head.

"…Would it help if I said sorry?"

"It's a start."

"You are disturbingly mature for a kid your age, aren't ya?"

"Yeah…My mom says the same thing. I personally blame the pop music. Now…about that apology?"

"Sorry, cousin. You'll get used to things here in no time, though. I'm sure you'll feel a lot better making your way around places on your own once you get a Pokémon." Kukui assured the boy, which actually did make Sun feel better. Maybe that was it. Maybe just being in a new place had him unsettled. Sun really hoped that having a Pokémon of his very own would maybe give him some of peace of mind.

"Apology accepted. Just…don't do that again, sir. _Please_." Sun said to the Professor wearily. The man shot the boy a smile in response, which Sun returned after a moment. He usually tried not to let small things like that get him down too too much. Plus Kukui apologized, so it was all water under the bridge now as far as Sun was concerned.

"Come on. It's just this way." Kukui said as he began walking further down the path. Sun kept pace with him, glancing down at the few Pokéballs clipped to the Professor's belt.

"And if you look to your right, you'll see that an excited Alolan Trainer's come to us!" Kukui spoke up as a small child sprinted up to them, grinning from ear to ear.

"Professor Kukui! You've gotta recommend another move for me sometime! Please?" the child begged the Professor, holding a single Pokeball up to him.

"Why? You already know what moves you want to use, don't you?" the Professor asked, confused. "Come find me next time your Pokémon learns a new move, and then I'll battle you. That way you can see the moves in action and learn firsthand."

Sun blinked in surprise at the level of patience the Professor was showing. Kukui was a Regional Professor that probably had a lot of better things to be doing, yet here the man was, promising to battle a little kid just to help him learn more about moves. The Professor said goodbye to the child and Sun offered the kid a wave as they continued strolling down the dirt path.

"Yep, it never ends." Kukui remarked, as if reading Sun's mind. "But when you're in a position to help others learn and grow, it never stops being rewarding, cousin."

"I never said it wasn't. I just don't think I have nearly as much patience as you, Professor." Sun admitted sheepishly, earning a cackle of delight from the man. They passed by a young woman standing in the middle of a large patch of very tall grass, a Pikachu on her shoulder. The mouse leapt into the grass with a cry, sparks trailing from its cheeks as the girl's command.

Kukui pointed at her, asking "See that girl over there? If you had a Pokémon with you, you could dive into the tall grass there and catch a few Pokémon there to add to your team. Or, you could have your Pokémon battle the other Pokémon lurking in the grass to get your Pokémon some battle experience."

The duo continued their trek, where the Professor kept up a running commentary about Pokémon training and how Alola would be a positive thing for Sun. The young boy quite agreed with him on that, and was actually getting pretty hyped up to get his first Pokémon. He wondered if it would be an Alolan starter Pokémon, or if this Kahuna would be assisting him in catching his own. Kukui and Sun passed by two trainers battling it out in the grass after about an three hours after leaving Sun's house. Sun noticed that the two trainers were using two Pokémon he had never seen before. One looked like a strange mongoose of some kind while the other…

"Is that thing…is that a Meowth!?" Sun asked as he jogged towards the edge of the grass, watching the two Pokémon dash back and forth in the grass, furiously fighting with one another. The Meowth in question looked like nothing Sun had ever seen before, with dark grey fur and a strange expression on its face, standing effortlessly on two legs as it suddenly leapt into bare area next to its trainer. The other Pokémon doing the same a few moments later. It seemed like both Pokémon were sporting some damage, with dings and scraps covering their bodies.

"Come on, Yungoos!" The small boy on the left with the strange mongoose-like Pokémon yelled out. The Pokémon crouched lower on the ground, hissing at the opposing Meowth through the thick grass.

"Yep. That Pokémon there is a totally different version of the very same Pokémon you've got living with you at home. That, Sun, is what is typically known as a regional variant." Kukui began to explain before both of the trainers realized who was watching them.

"Professor! How's it going?" the child waved at them. He then spotted Sun and pointed at the other boy, yelling out, "Are you the new kid who just flew in to Alola?"

"Uh…Yeah. The name's Sun. Nice to meet you." Sun remarked as the child quickly stepped through the grass, beaming up at him.

"I'm Kerry. Nice to meet you too! If you ever have time, let's have a Pokémon battle sometime! OK?" the kid said to Sun, extending his hand outward. Sun laughed slightly at the kid's enthusiasm, but shook his hand regardless of the fact that he currently had no Pokémon.

"Having Pokémon gives you a whole new way to communicate with other people, see?" Kukui said quietly as the kid ran back through the grass and continued his Pokémon battle. Sun watched the fight begin once again, only to be pushed along the path by Professor Kukui.

"Come on, Sun! Let's get moving! Iki Town is right over there!" Kukui said cheerfully, shoving Sun along despite his protests of wanting to see a Pokémon battle between two Pokémon he had never seen before. After realizing that he was too far away to see more, the boy simply let himself be shepherded along by the man towards a nearby town ahead of them.

* * *

Iki Town:

* * *

"And we're here! This right here is Iki Town!"

"I assumed that much, sir." Sun replied, panting slightly from the trek to the place in general. It seemed like a pretty nice little town, Sun thought, with houses neatly lined up around one section of the hill all decorated in various patterns but with the same general theme. The town gave off a vibe of ease yet reverence, as if one was supposed to be on their best behavior here or be scorned by the gods themselves. Little did Sun know that he got that feeling for a very good reason.

"Seems really quiet here." Sun piped up after a beat, looking around. That sense of overwhelming excitement had nestled in firmly and was gnawing away at him yet again, now that they had arrived at their destination.

"Well, this is the place that people come to worship the Pokémon that watches over Melemele Island, you know. Our guardian deity, Tapu Koko." Kukui replied with a laugh and a shrug.

"Wait…You worship a Pokémon here? Is it like Mew or Arceus? Or the legendary birds?" Sun asked the Professor, who shook his head.

"Nothing quite like that. See, Tapu Koko keeps us all safe and happy. It watches over us all, and protects the people of the island. We in turn praise it for its efforts. Unlike those legendaries, Tapu Koko can be actively seen from time to time travelling around the island." Kukui explained cheerfully as he glanced around the town, his cheer giving way to confusion.

"What I don't get…is what exactly is going on right now. We were supposed to meet everybody right here, weren't we?" Kukui muttered, placing a hand on his chin.

"Maybe they're all back there on Mahalo Trail." Kukui said a bit louder, thinking out loud from the looks of it. Sun just remained quiet while the man sorted out a plan of action. "That _is_ where the ruins of Tapu Koko are, yeah…yeah that makes sense."

Kukui turned back around, grinning at me once again. "Sun, do me a solid and go find the Island Kahuna!"

"Wait, why? I don't know where I'm going." Sun asked the man, who shook his head in response.

"Because I have to wait around here to make sure we don't miss each other. The town's layout is real simple, see? There's no way you can get lost. I swear…unless you're Lillie." Kukui muttered the last part in an undertone Sun barely heard before the boy was waved off dismissively. Sun was tempted to argue, but decided that he would be safe enough in a town and it really wasn't that big of a deal.

"If you're sure, sir. What does the Island Kahuna look like?" Sun asked.

"The Island Kahuna? You can't miss him. He looks just like a Kahuna!" Kukui said very _unhelpfully_. Sun stared at him, his expression as deadpan as he could make it, until Kukui laughed nervously again. Sun stared at him for a little while longer before he turned around and marched off towards the large stairway in the middle of the town, determined to find the Kahuna after all of the trouble he was being put through just to get a Pokémon.

"Usually I'm so much more patient than this." Sun muttered as he looked around the town, stepping through the dirt paths and making way towards what seemed like the center of the town. Sun wondered what the deal was with the large stage-like platform in the middle of the clearing when he saw strange sight just a few hundred feet ahead of him. He spotted a young girl, wearing a white dress and hat, patting a squirming bag draped over her shoulder. Sun could faintly hear her in the distance.

"…really? You want to go…up to the ruins? I don't know what you'll hope to find there…" the girl's voice trailed off into nothingness as the wind picked up and the girl made her way down a dark path that led further into the jungle next to the village.

"Well…She certainly stands out. Maybe she's the Kahuna. If anything, I can get directions from her or something." Sun reasoned after a moment, grinning a bit at the thought of getting this little side-quest done with so he could get a Pokémon.

His first Pokémon.

Sun couldn't help the thrill of excitement that came over him then. Despite the events of the past few months, his excitement was more evident than ever. Sun snapped out of his reverie by the sound of a familiar bird cry echoing out from within the jungle.

" _So there are Spearow in Alola…maybe after I get my Pokémon I can catch one. It'd be nice to have a Pokémon that I can find back home with me."_ Sun thought before he began making his way across the town and walked through the archway that led into the jungle that the girl had went into.

* * *

Mahalo Trail:

* * *

The path that Sun found himself seemed quite unlike the one he had been traveling before. Steep rock walls surrounded him on both sides, trees towering overhead in a way that made the space before him seemed more confined. Lush greenery was visible at the top of the rocky walls, though Sun himself was standing on a dirt trail that winded through the area. Strange statues were placed into the ground every thirty yards or so. Sun couldn't tell what they were supposed to be.

"Alright…Just follow the girl. Easy." Sun muttered as he began jogging through the path. The boy was nervous once again, more so than before, because he could hear the Pokémon around him. And there was no one else around, which fueled his unease even further. He sprinted up a few wooden staircases every now and then, but for the most part the boy steadily made his way down the winding trail while trying to stave off his own nerves.

After about an hour of walking/jogging/panting, Sun finally caught sight of the girl. She was struggling with the bag that she was carrying, and seemed to be talking to it from what he could tell.

"You can't come out! We'll get in trouble if anyone sees you!" The girl said to the bag, sounding even more nervous than Sun did. The boy nodded to himself and put on a burst of speed up the nearest staircase, but he watched the girl go even further down the trail.

"Hey! Wait!" Sun shouted out to the girl, but she was already out of sight within a few moments.

"Darn. I'm getting my work-out for the week done just after this afternoon." Sun muttered as he leaned against a rock wall, laughing a bit to himself at how out of breath he was. He rested for a moment before continuing his trek, hoping that the girl would just stop already and let him catch up with her.

To Sun's surprise, after about twenty minutes, he caught sight of the girl once again, but she was only about thirty yards ahead of him in a clearing. She was running towards a rather rickety bridge that was dangling over a massive chasm next to a waterfall, meaning a long fall and a rocky landing for anyone unlucky enough to fall down into the pit of doom.

"Hey! You!" Sun shouted at the girl. Sun then realized that the girl wasn't running…she was being dragged forward.

"W-wait! Stop!" The girl said pleadingly to the bag that was dragging the stumbling girl forward. The girl let out a yell, clamping both of her hands down on the bag for a few moments before something leapt out of the it with a cry. It was a strange-looking Pokémon, with a dark purple and blue cloud-like body and a very expressive face.

"No! Please, get back here!" The girl shouted, holding out a hand as the Pokémon bounded forward with a joyful cry. Sun took a few steps forward, wondering what he should do, when he heard a familiar cry yet again, this time recognizing it instantly.

Three dots in the sky caught Sun's attention almost instantly, sending a pang of horror through him. Three Spearow, all heading this way with malice gleaming in their beady eyes. They soared overhead before darting towards the strange Pokémon on the bridge, which caught sight of the trio of birds and let out a fearful cry. Within seconds the birds were upon the Pokémon, swooping around it and smacking it with its wings, though Sun knew it was only a matter of time before they would use their sharp beaks and begin doing some serious damage. The Pokémon from the bag cowered on the battered bridge, crying out quietly as the merciless birds above cried out with glee.

Sun grit his teeth, torn between anger at what those Spearow were doing to a defenseless Pokémon and worry about the Pokémon itself. It clearly wasn't strong enough to fend off those Spearow…It needed help. The Kanto native quickly made his way forward, where the girl finally took notice of him, turning around with a bewildered and panicked look on her face. Sun blinked momentarily in surprise, taking in the girl's appearance properly. She looked to be about his age, with long blonde hair and bright green eyes.

"Ah…" The girl seemed torn, as if she had no idea how to handle the new addition to this stressful situation. Sun looked past her, seeing the Spearow circling the strange Pokémon on the bridge, before returning his attention to her.

"Who are you?" Sun asked the girl, trying to think of some kind of plan to help the Pokémon while he was speaking, his mind racing a mile a minute.

"Never mind me…You have to help it! Please! Save Nebby!" The girl pleaded, terror seeping into her voice as she stared at Sun intensely. She then turned back towards the bridge, where Nebby was trying to flee back towards them. The Spearow would have none of it though, and swatted it further down the bridge with their wings.

"Pe-e-ew…Pew! Pew pew!" the Pokémon cried out, shaking as the Spearow cawed above it.

"Those Spearow are attacking it!" The girl explained to Sun. "But…but I'm too afraid to go out there…My legs feel like they might give out…"

The girl certainly seemed shaken, and was noticeably trembling. She looked like she absolutely had no idea what to do, and was on the verge of tears. Sun nodded to her, flashing her a reassuring smile that surprised her. He may have been outnumbered and outmatched, but there was no way he'd stand by and let a Pokémon suffer like this. He was even pretty scared but...This just seemed like something he would have to gather his courage and do.

"Just stay here. I'll go grab Nebby from the bridge. After that, we make a break for Iki Town. OK?" Sun said to the girl, who nodded quickly.

"T-thank you. Please, just save Nebby!" The girl said to Sun, who was already moving towards the bridge. He froze for a moment at the foot of the bridge, eyeing the massive drop beneath him that indeed led to a series of rocks below. On top of that, the rushing water flowing through the rocks made the drop even more deadly. He'd have to be very careful…

Sun began moving, steadily but carefully, as the Spearow continued to dive-bomb Nebby from across the bridge. One of the spiteful birds caught sight of Sun, letting out a warning cry to the young boy. Sun felt his smile widen a bit as he continued forward, despite feeling the fear and worry pound through him.

And then the bridge shook.

Sun tumbled forward as the girl behind him let out a horrified gasp. Sun barely managed to catch himself in time, grabbing the railing of the bridge to stop himself. The boy looked ahead, nodded to himself, and kept going. Twice more the bridge heaved, nearly sending Sun into the depths below, but still the child continued forward.

Finally, Sun managed to reach the strange Pokémon and crouched over it, falling to his knees protecting it from further harm as the Spearow cried out in protest. As Sun grabbed the Pokémon and prepared himself to charge back down the bridge towards the girl, one of the Spearows lunged at him with a caw.

Sun ducked down as far as he could, but the Spearow still managed to rake his shoulder as it passed by, tearing away the bit of the fabric and slicing into the boy's skin. Sun fought back a yell of pain, huddling down further but looking up to see the two other Spearow darting towards him as well, prepared to do even worse damage to him.

Beneath Sun, however, the strange Pokémon he was protecting began to glow. Before the child knew it, a massive swirling vortex had engulfed the two of them, briefly knocking away the Spearow but also destroying the bridge in the process.

"NO!" Sun heard the girl scream in horror as he and the Pokémon plunged towards the water below. A fall that would definitely not be something he could go through unscathed. He grit his teeth and clutched the Pokémon harder as the Spearow above the laughed at the doomed duo plummeting to their demise…

Suddenly, a streak of lightning erupted from the skies, despite the lack of a storm above. The lightning shot towards the bridge, coalescing into a Pokémon that spun around, smacking away all three Spearow and soaring beneath Sun, snatching up the child just before he hit the water. Before Sun could do more than realize what had happened, the Pokémon had flown back up to the bridge and gently dropped off both him and Nebby onto the cliff once more. The girl, Sun, and Nebby all watched the Pokémon as it suddenly kicked off of the ground and flipped into the air, landing gracefully a couple of yards away. The Pokémon was orange and blank, with strange yellow wing-like appendages on its arms, which ended in two long black claws.

"It's…the Guardian Deity…" the girl whispered, sounding half-amazed and half-horrified. Sun simply stared at the Pokémon, feeling nothing but childlike wonder.

"What…what are you?" Sun muttered, staring down the Pokémon as it crackled with lightning, sheer power radiating from it. The air hummed with a strange power that couldn't be described, but could be felt very clearly. The girl next to Sun muttered something else, but that was ignored, since he was too in awe of the strange being before them.

"Ko…" it replied simply extending a hand towards the boy. Sun felt the air actually shudder with energy as lightning began forming in the creature's hand, making his hair stand on end. It stopped as quickly as it started, and after a few moments the creature took several steps forward and held out its hand towards Sun, sending a small levitating object towards the boy.

Sun looked at the object in question, a strange rock of sorts, and looked at the Gaurdian Deity in confusion. The Pokémon simply nodded before Sun slowly reached out and grabbed the object, fighting a shiver as he felt something he couldn't identify roll through him.

Tapu Koko nodded slowly, it's eyes drifting from Sun, to the girl, and then to Nebby, before it let out a cry. Lightning crackled to life around it as it leapt into the sky and soared away into the heavens. The trio stared after the protector Pokémon for a few moments before the girl suddenly let out a sigh.

"Thank goodness…" She turned to the small Pokémon named Nebby and said, "You tried using your power again…didn't you? Oh Nebby…You know what happened the last time you used it. You couldn't move for ages after that. I don't want to see you like that again!"

The Pokémon cooed and leapt towards the girl, who caught it in her arms. Her stern and worried expression faltered and she sighed, her expression now downcast.

"No…I shouldn't say that. I'm sorry Nebby…" The girl muttered, patting the Pokémon on the head. "I know you were trying to save me that time…And I couldn't even help you in return."

"Pew!" The Pokémon protested, nuzzling the girl with a happy smile. The girl looked at the Pokémon with a smile of her own for a moment before she suddenly gasped again, looking at Sun.

"You're hurt! I nearly forgot!" Sun looked at the girl in surprise as she dropped to her knees and began fumbling with her bag, setting Nebby on the ground. To Suns surprise, the girl pulled out a first aid kit out of her bag and asked Sun to move his shirt so that she could put few bandages over the scratches and clean and sterilize the cut, which thankfully weren't very deep. Sun did so and had the scratches properly dressed and all taken care of.

"Please, forgive me. I am so grateful to you for helping us out of that dangerous spot. Thank you so much. I'm so, so sorry you got hurt because of me." The girl said to Sun, a mixture of relief, exhaustion, and fright evident in her voice.

"Don't worry about. Nebby's safe and I'm still fighting fit. Everything worked out." Sun replied to the girl, giving her a bright grin that seemed to catch her off guard. Sun then realized something and slapped his hand to his forehead, saying, "Wait, I'm an idiot."

"Why?" The strange girl asked, startled that Sun had suddenly slapped himself.

"Because I followed you into the forest, thinking you were the Kahuna. When I asked about what the kahuna looked like, I was told 'he looks like a kahuna.' _He_. Meaning that can't be you." Sun replied after a moment, shaking his head in disbelief that he had been so stupid.

"It's an easy mistake to make if you've never met someone before." The girl said with a small smile, her expression relaxing.

"I guess. Still makes me feel really silly." Sun replied to the girl, earning a small giggle from her in response. The boy looked back up into the sky, in the direction that they Pokémon had flown off into it, and thought about why it had showed up. It had saved his life…

Sun looked down at the strange stone that Tapu Koko had given him. He felt a strange force from within the stone, as well as a feeling he couldn't identify. It felt warm to touch.

"Um…Excuse me?" Sun looked at the girl, who had spoken up again and had walked towards him.

"If you could…Could you please not tell anyone about this? About seeing Nebby?" Sun blinked in confusion before the girl added, "It's…it's a secret, OK?"

Sun nodded in response, but before he could say anything the girl turned around and addressed the Pokémon below her. "Come on. Into the bag, Nebby."

Nebby let out a disappointed noise but flew into the bag regardless. The girl made sure it was secure before looking at Sun, suddenly looking a bit awkward.

"Um…"

"Yes?"

"I'm worried we might get attacked by some wild Pokémon or…or something." The girl's expression turned odd for a moment before it passed, making Sun think he just imagined it. "I know it's too much for me to ask, but…Do you think you could give us an escort back to town?"

"Of course." Sun replied, making the girl sigh with relief. With that, the duo made their way back down the trail with the mysterious Nebby in tow.

"I'm so sorry about all of this." The girl said again after a few minutes of walking.

"That again? Seriously, it's no problem. I was more than happy to help you out back there, alright?" Sun said firmly to the girl, his smile growing somewhat. The girl looked at him for a few moments before a smile appeared on her face, relief evident on her face.

"See? Cheer up." Sun said to the girl with a laugh. "Your Pokémon is safe and sound, and we're on our way right back to Iki Town. No worries."

Sun slowed down his pace so the girl could catch up to him, though now she was beaming at him. "Right…Thank you."

"You're very welcome." Sun replied back cheerfully. He then reached into his pockets and took out the strange stone that the Tapu Koko had given him and looked it over. He had never seen such a thing in his life. The boy wondered if it did anything, and began rolling over the stone in his hands, thinking about it.

"I wish I could stay positive like you seem to be able to. I admire that kind of attitude." The girl said after a minute or so of silence, looking at Sun again. The boy stopped messing with the stone and slipped it into his pocket, looking at the girl for a few moments. Sun thought about how best to respond, how to explain to her one of his oddest habits.

"Is…is there something wrong?" She asked haltingly, almost as if nervous.

"Sorry, just trying to figure out how to respond." Sun admitted sheepishly, though he did just that few moments later. "You see, sometimes its better just to smile, because it makes the world a bit lighter. You know? Like…having a bad-attitude doesn't help anyone. Frowning doesn't do any good. Smiling, though, has a habit of making other people smile. Right? It never hurts to keep a good-attitude. Even if you're not feeling like it. Negativity just drags you down. So I just try and stay positive and keep on smiling as much as possible." Sun said to the girl, his smile becoming a bit more genuine than before as he finished speaking. The blond girl stared at Sun for a long while, at his near perpetual smile, before her own shy smile returned.

"I'll keep that advice in mind. Thank you."

The two children made it back to Iki Town with no further issues, though Sun and the strange girl did hit it off pretty well as they continued talking. She was a fairly introverted and skittish young lady it seemed, but was a bit like Sun in a few ways. One of which was being very well-read and another was having a love for Pokémon. The girl had apparently been researching the ruins before trekking out here and she even told Sun a brief history of the area during their walk back to society.

" _It's a shame I hadn't known someone like her back in Kanto. Not like I had a whole lot of friends there to begin with, though."_ Sun thought with an inward shrug. He wished she would introduce herself though, because he had forgotten to ask her what her name was and doing it now would be kind of awkward.

Eventually the duo returned to Iki Town, feeling a bit of relief that they were out of danger now. Sun's shoulder stung a bit, but otherwise didn't bother him too much.

"Hey Sun!"

The boy and girl looked off to the side and saw Professor Kukui standing across the way, waving at him. The Professor was all smiles, oblivious to the situation the pair had been through.

"Looks like you missed the Kahuna, yeah? No worries! I found him instead!" Kukui laughed before he took notice of the girl standing next to Sun. "Looks like you found my assistant though."

The children quickly made their way over to the Professor, who looked at the pair with a bright smile similar to the one Sun wore.

"Looks like you've already met…obviously, but just for the sake of formality, this here is my assistant." Kukui said, gesturing towards the girl who nervously nodded.

"Um…yes! You can call me Lillie." The girl replied, fidgeting slightly with her bag.

"Nice to formally meet you. I'm Sun." The boy replied, extending a hand towards the girl, who looked at it for a moment before hesitantly reaching forward to shake it.

"So you're an acquaintance of the Professor as well? Well, it's nice to meet you." Lillie asked Sun quietly, smiling slightly.

"See, Lillie, Sun just moved here to Alola from Kanto. Today's his first day out and about on the island. And…wait, what happened to your shoulder Sun?" The Professor was suddenly serious, walking forward and spotting the blood that was on Sun's shirt.

"We had a situation out on the trail with a few Spearow. its fine, sir." Sun said to the Professor, who insisted on checking the bandages. While he was doing this, the trio could hear a commotion happening from across the town.

"Spearow huh? Yeah, that'll do it all right. Looks like Lillie got you patched up good. That should hold until we get you back home." The Professor said as he stood up again, looking a bit relieved as he smiled at the children again.

"Have I missed something?" a new voice spoke up. The trio turned around in surprise and beheld a rather large, older man standing before them, wearing a bright yellow coat over a blue shirt with strong, tanned skin and an impressive white mustache. He wore a white, knotted belt above his white cargo pants, complete with sandals.

"Naw, but…Where'd you go off to, Kahuna? I thought we were meeting here." Kukui asked the man, who stepped forward and shook his head.

"Hmph. I am the Kahuna of this island, Professor. Whenever there is a problem on the island, it is my duty to resolve said problem." Hala said to the other man before looking up into the sky.

"Though…I believe I may not have been the only one. I, for whatever reason, thought I saw Tapu Koko flying about…" Hala murmured, his voice trailing off for a moment.

"Actually…um, yes, Kahuna Hala. Nebby was being attacked on the Plank Bridge by Spearow when this boy helped it get away." Lillie began explaining. "But then…the bridge collapsed. I…I thought that the both of them w-were going to fall into the bottom of the ravine. And that was when…when the island's Guardian Deity swooped in to save them!"

Kukui chuckled, putting his hands on his hips and grinning. "Now that's something you don't hear every day!"

"Although it is said to protect us, the truth is that in reality, Tapu Koko is a rather fickle creature. And yet…" Hala smiled a little. "Our guardian was moved to save you."

Hala turned to Kukui and laughed a little. "Kukui, my young boy, I think we have cause to celebrate! It seems like I should entrust such a brave and kind young boy with a Pokémon of his own. I imagine we'll make a fine trainer out of him!"

Sun's heart leapt as he heard those words. The older man stepped forward, extending a hand towards Sun with a hearty smile on his face now. "I am glad to meet you, Sun. I am Hala, the Kahuna of MeleMele Island. Welcome to Alola!"

"It's an honor sir. And thank you." Sun replied, shaking the hand of the man with a wide, eager grin on his face.

"Professor Kukui told me of your coming. I am glad that we were able to meet today, my boy." Hala said with a small chuckle before he reached into his coat and drew out three minimized Pokéballs.

"Come, my Pokémon! Let's have a look at you!" The Kahuna called out, tossing the three balls into the air and releasing three Pokémon onto the stage.

"First is the Grass-type Pokémon, Rowlet." Hala explained, gesturing towards the small brown and white owl with a bow tie-like leaf on its chest. The Pokémon hooted cheerfully, rotating on the spot and flaring its wings. Sun couldn't help but grin at the display.

"Next is the Fire-type Pokémon, Litten!" Hala continued, indicating the rather bored black and red cat that growled quietly as it was addressed. Sun was a bit put off by this, but remembered that Pokémon were just like humans in many regards. One of them was that they all had different kinds of personalities.

"And last, but certainly not least, is the Water-type Pokémon, Popplio." Hala concluded, as the blue seal-like Pokémon with an adorable pink nose barked happily, leaning forward and clapping its tail-fins together.

"So, Sun…Which Pokémon would you like to choose as your partner?" Hala asked the boy, who regarded the three Pokémon silently. There were of course pros and cons to each of them, and if he was being honest he liked all of them.

" _Well…as much as I like cats, I kind of want something different, so I'll pass on Litten."_ Sun thought to himself, admitting that he didn't quite like the bored attitude of the cat Pokémon. He then looked to Rowlet and Popplio, both of which were looking at him with anticipation.

" _Popplio would be more useful, I think. Since we're surrounded by water, it'll be really good to have on hand."_ Sun reasoned to himself.

 _"That said, I've always really liked Flying-type Pokémon, and Rowlet looks really cool. Man, this is a tough one."_ Sun thought, his smile faltering somewhat as he struggled to choose. He decided, in the end, to choose practicality over fondness and go with Popplio, the Water-type.

However…

As Sun stepped towards Popplio…something happened.

Something that couldn't be explained.

Something that would forever haunt Sun for the rest of his life.

The Rowlet flew up to the boy and began pecking him right in the face.


	4. Partners

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _And once again, you lot astound with me how much you rock. Seriously, thank you so much for the praise and support._

 _I'll admit, I grinned the entire time I wrote this chapter. I was so hyped I wrote the entire chapter in about 8 hours of nonstop writing on New Years Day. THIS is how I want to feel when writing a story. This is what will keep me writing long after I've joined up in the Air Force. The fact that people care enough to do what you all have done and shown me so far. Good show, everyone._

 _Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes Dunka99, Sneakybutterman, as well as two new reviewers known as Tomoe Mami and Cottonmouth25. Thanks again for the support and the feedback. You all are quite awesome._

 _Two quick notes before we start._

 _One, I am really happy people liked how the last chapter ended, because I thought it was freaking hilarious._

 _Two, I'm aware that Sun's dialogue and thought process is probably not that realistic when compared to what an 11-year old today would have. Shoutout to Dunka99 for mentioning this because it's a really good observation and it's something I was going to address later on._

 _My defense for that is that a solid chunk of important characters in the show and games are all very young and in positions of power/authority. Hell, two of the Kahunas in this game talk about how young they are in the game. The MC in this game is expected to become Champion at 11, having had the intellect and skill to defeat some very powerful and very intelligent people (trying to avoid spoilers). So...Yeah, maturity and intellect and all that stuff really doesn't quite work in real life how it works in stories, especially ones based on anime and anime-based games._ _That said, Sun is still a kid. A very mature kid, yes, but he's still only 11. He'll make mistakes, have stupid thoughts, and still be a kid._

 _Anyway, enough rambling. Onto the chapter!_

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 _Chapter 4: Partners_

* * *

Sun yelped as the owl Pokémon frantically pecked at him, making this the second time that day that a bird made the young boy bleed. Lillie gasped in horror while Hala and Kukui tried to return/pacify the Pokémon respectively. All attempts to calm the crazed bird failed. After about a minute of freaking out, the bird suddenly flew higher into the air and tackled Sun in the chest, sending him toppling to the ground. Just as Hala pulled out a Pokéball to return the bird, the Rowlet fluttered down to Sun and nestled itself calmly on his chest with a satisfied hoot.

"…Can someone explain why an adorable owl just beat the crap out of me?" Sun asked weakly from the ground. To his horror, the Rowlet's head slowly rotated 180 degrees and it stared at the boy with unblinking eyes before cooing softly. Its head then slowly spun back to its regular place.

 _"Well...That was horrifying."_ Sun thought as he remained perfectly still, lest the bird eat him or something.

"Well, I…honestly think it's because he wanted you to pick it, Sun." Kukui said with a thoughtful frown. "It saw you were going for Popplio. Maybe it wanted to show you that it was the proper choice for you. You know, show you its strength. That it was worth of being your Pokémon by demonstrating that it was strong."

"Well…Considering he just pummeled me into the dirt, I can absolutely agree with that last bit," Sun muttered darkly.

"Rowlet, is this true? Did you attack this poor boy because you wanted him to pick you?" Hala asked the bird gruffly, his tone disapproving. The Rowlet simply closed its eyes and gave a hoot in response.

"Seems that's the case, Kukui. Though he also said it's because it thought that spooking the boy would be funny as well. That one's got an…interesting personality to say the least," Hala said with a small sigh.

Sun, meanwhile, considered the bird on his chest. He had been just about ready to pick Popplio, the Water-type starter, but…He had also seriously considered Rowlet. It apparently really wanted Sun to pick him. Pokémon were usually considered to be pretty smart in general, with some being vastly more intelligent than humans. If this Pokémon wanted to be his so badly…who was he to refuse it?

"Hey…So what if I decided to go with Rowlet instead?" Sun said to the older men, who looked down at him in surprise.

"Sun, my boy, you're taking a bit of a risk. Are you sure that you want to have a Pokémon that just _attacked_ you?" Hala asked Sun, sounding bewildered. Sun privately thought that was a bit much, considering that Professor Kukui had been pretty careless so far with him, and Sun didn't see anyone rushing to his aid to protect him from that man. Besides, Sun really liked birds. Surely he'd be able to control an overexcited owl.

"Yeah. Why not? He's apparently really set on being who I pick, and I was considering him anyway." Sun said with a bracing smile, which faltered when the bird tried pecking at him again.

"Hey, stop it!" Sun snapped at the Pokémon, his smile slipping away. The Rowlet's expression somehow became a bit smug, but the Pokémon did fly off of Sun's chest and back onto the stage, where the Litten and Popplio were staring at it in horror. The bird's head rotated 90 degrees so that it was staring directly at them, which made both of the Pokémon scoot away from the strange bird. Kukui helped Sun to his feet and had Lillie help treat the new cuts that were on his face. After a few minutes, Hala returned the other two starters, leaving Rowlet alone on the stage.

"Sun, if you are truly sure…then go upon the stage with Rowlet. Only when you have chosen each other, can you truly call yourself partners." Hala said almost gravely, obviously not approving of Sun's choice. Sun realized that his call probably wasn't a very good one, but he also considered that the bird wanted to go with him for a reason. It wanted him to be his trainer. So…maybe he would chose it as well.

Sun made his way onto the stage, limping slightly as the others watched on silently. All of the walking beforehand and then being assaulted had worn him out. He was looking forward to falling into his bed and passing out once again when he returned home. But for now he got onto the stage with the excitable owl Pokémon that was staring him down now.

"Sun, you have decided to choose Rowlet. Now we shall see if Rowlet truly chooses you." Hala said from his position between the two of them, one hand resting on a Pokéball on his belt so that he could intervene if needed. Sun smiled and bent down, putting his hands on his knees as Rowlet stared at him.

"Koo…" Rowlet chirped, cocking its head for a few moments before nodding to itself. The owl Pokémon suddenly flew forward and hooted happily at Sun's feet, causing the boy to grin widely as he lifted the bird up into his arms.

Where it promptly pecked him on the nose.

"Will you stop that!?" Sun demanded as he held the bird out of harm's way (his own). Rowlet hooted in amusement a few times before calming down, flying out of Sun's hands and landing gently on his head.

"So. It looks like little Rowlet had accepted you as well, Sun. Though I suppose that it was obvious." Hala said with a small sigh, though he smiled a bit despite himself. He handed Sun the bird's Pokéball as Kukui chuckled quietly nearby.

"Having accepted one another, despite the assault, I'm sure you'll both be friends for life." Kukui said cheerfully as Rowlet's head tilted towards the Professor, who took a step back out in response. Mainly fear.

"So, Sun, do you know what you're going to name your new Pokémon?" Lillie asked timidly. Sun crossed his arms, looking up at the bird on his head, who stared down at him.

"Hmm…I really should have thought of that earlier. I…Really don't know. Any ideas?" Sun asked the trio around him.

"Some trainers usually have some sort of naming system to what they name their Pokémon as. That said, a lot of trainers just choose whatever comes to mind. Some pick things that are important to them, like colors, people they idolize or things they like. Things like that." Kukui said helpfully, making Sun think.

" _People who are important to them…"_ Sun thought for a few moments, a name coming to mind. Sun reached up to pet the bird on the head, receiving a hoot of pleasure in response.

"How does the name Oliver sound?" Sun asked the Rowlet. The bird flapped its wings and hooted again in approval, making Lillie and Kukui grin happily.

"Looks like he approves. Oliver it is!" Kukui said with a laugh.

"It's so nice to meet you, Oliver!" Lillie said as the bird looked at her. Oliver hooted in response and flew from Sun's head over to Lillie's head, making her shriek in surprise before she realized that the bird had simply chose to roost on her head and was sitting calmly on her hat.

"I think that means that he thinks that its nice to meet you as well, Lillie." Kukui snickered, causing Hala and Sun to crack up laughing while Lillie smiled nervously.

"Pew!" Lillie yelped in surprise, scaring Rowlet off of her as Nebby suddenly let out a cry from the ground. Sun wondered how it escaped from its bag with no one noticing. Rowlet flew back to Sun, who held the owl in his arms with a smirk as Lillie looked down at Nebby with a confused look.

"When did you get out again?" Lillie muttered. "I know that Kahuna Hala and the Professor said that they would help keep you safe from harm, but you should still stay out of sight and in the bag, where others can't see you. You know it's safer that way."

Lillie then turned to Sun, her expression becoming a bit brighter as she said, "I think you both chose well. Make sure to take care of Oliver, Sun!"

"No worries." Sun said to the girl as she helped Nebby get into the bag again. Oliver hooted in agreement with the boy.

"Well, we all know what this means, right?" Kukui asked the others before turning to Sun. "You're a real Pokémon Trainer, now that you've got a Pokémon of your own. And here's a lovely little gift from me to help make it special, cousin."

Kukui reached into his lab-coat pocket and pulled out a small red device with a dark screen. He handed it to Sun, who looked at the object with confusion.

"This is what we call a Pokédex. It's a high-tech tool that can automatically record information about any Pokémon that you meet. On top of that, it has all of your personal information stored on it already, which includes Pokémon you've captured. Your new partner, Oliver, is already registered to you on it. Check it out!" Kukui said with his usual cheery grin. Sun looked at the Pokédex for a moment before the Professor snapped his fingers. He then dug into his other pocket and pulled out a small booklet.

"And this here is a Trainer Passport that I had put together for you." Kukui explained, offering the booklet to Sun.

"There you go. All set! Now, why don't you head on home and introduce your new friend to your Mom, Sun?" Kukui said to the young boy. Sun looked up at the grassy owl sitting on his head and slowly nodded.

"Sounds like a good idea. I think after all of the excitement today, a bit of rest would be nice." Sun looked over at the Kahuna, grinning at him.

"Thanks again, Kahuna Hala." Sun said to the older man, receiving a smile right back at him.

"I may have some misgivings, but I can tell you're something special, my boy. Good luck. And have a safe trip back home." Hala said with a small wave of his hand. Sun then looked at Lillie, who fidgeted nervously for a moment.

"Umm…It was nice meeting you, Sun. Thanks again for all of your help." Lillie said quietly, smiling at him.

"Same to you. Make sure to keep an eye on Nebby. It seems like a troublemaker." Sun remarked, his smile becoming a smirk as Lillie shook her head in mock dismay, though she was smiling nevertheless. Nebby chose that moment to wriggle in the bag, cooing loudly.

Sun then turned to Professor Kukui, who had his palm raised into the air, a silly smile on his face. Sun looked at it for a moment before he high-fived the Professor and began making his way out of the village.

"You all take care. Have a good night!" Sun said to the trio behind him as he began making his way back home. The boy looked up at his partner, whose head was swiveling around in all directions like crazy.

"Let's find out a bit more about you, huh?" Sun muttered, powering on his Pokédex. After flicking through a few menus, he found the information on Rowlet, which he picked on from the selection screen. The Pokédex surprised him by speaking in a smooth male voice.

" _Rowlet. The Grass Quill Pokémon._ _This wary Pokémon uses photosynthesis to store up energy during the day, while becoming active at night."_ Sun nodded slightly as the voice added after a moment, _"For additional information, please use the scan feature to access personal information on your Pokémon."_

After a minute or so of fiddling with the device itself, Sun found the scan feature and used it on Oliver, who was still on the boy's head and had made himself at home. The Pokédex quickly loaded a new batch of info and read it aloud for Sun.

" _This Rowlet is male with the Ability Overgrow. It is a Grass/Flying Pokémon. It currently knows the moves Tackle, Leafage, and Growl."_ Sun frowned for a moment, as he didn't recognize the move Leafage at all. He quickly looked it up on the Pokédex and saw that it was an offensive low-power Grass-type attack. As Sun tapped his Pokédex once again, he was broken out of his searching by the sound of a new arrival.

"Hey!" Sun's head snapped up as he saw a young boy with tanned skin about his age sprint towards him, an eager grin on his face. He was wearing a black t-shirt, bright yellow shorts, and had an orange backpack on his back.

"You and me! Let's have a Pokémon battle!" the boy said excitedly, offering him an even wider smile.

Sun grinned back at the boy, thinking about it for a second, before replying, "I'm game. Let's battle."

A cackle of mirth came from behind Sun, who turned around to see Hala, Kukui, and Lillie walking towards him. Hala stepped past Sun and over to the other boy, clapping on him the shoulder fondly.

"Where's the fire, boy? And what kind of Pokémon battle would you be having if you don't even give your name to your opponent first?" Hala said to the other boy, who replied by grinning cheekily and putting his hands behind his head and looking at Sun, who was trying not to laugh at the situation.

"Fair enough. My name is Hau. And my partner is my Popplio, Cassy." Hau said to the boy, extending a hand towards Sun. The Kanto native stepped forward and shook the other boy's hand.

"I'm Sun. And this Rowlet here is my partner, Oliver." Sun replied, pointing to the bird resting atop his head. Oliver hooted a greeting to the boy.

"Your Rowlet looks really cool, Sun!" Hau exclaimed excitedly.

"Thanks. So, are you ready to do this?" Sun asked the other boy. Hau replied by sprinting back an acceptable distance.

"Yeah! Let's battle!" Hau yelled out. "I couldn't wait for you to find your way to Iki Town, so I've been looking all over for you!"

"Blame the Professor. He's the one decided the new kid would be fine walking through the wildness by himself." Sun replied as he put away his Pokédex into his backpack.

"I'm standing right here you know." Kukui said in a dull voice, ignoring the pointed look Hala and Lillie were giving him for allowing a defenseless child under his supervision to run around on a route alone for any length of time.

"I know Professor. I just want to make sure you don't forget it," Sun replied with a smirk.

"Um…" Sun looked over at Lillie, who was looking at the ground. She fidgeted for a moment before looking up at Sun.

"I…I really don't like to see Pokémon battles where Pokémon can get hurt…But I'll watch for you." Lillie looked as though she were blushing pink for some reason, at least as far as Sun could tell, but he could have imagined that as Lillie looked down at her bag again and began messing with it. Sun was tempted to ask if she was alright, but Kukui decided to scare the daylights out of him by clapping him on the shoulder, which had the added effect of scaring Oliver and making him flutter angrily onto the ground.

"Oh yeah! Your first battle already!" Kukui cheered, laughing good-naturedly with his slight annoyance forgotten. "Basically, just have your Pokémon throw down some moves and see who wins. It's as simple as that, cousin!"

Hala then spoke up, from a halfway position between Hau and Sun. "Sun. I appreciate that you're willing to take on my grandson here. I expect a no-holds barred battle from the both of you!"

"I'll try my best." Sun said to the Kahuna, grinning determinedly as he knelt down to Oliver.

His partner.

His Pokémon.

"You ready to get your first win?" Sun asked Oliver. The Rowlet hooted in reply before turning around, facing Hau, who was doing some stretches.

"All right! This is gonna be great! I'm so pumped!" Hau yelled out, his grin somehow getting even wider. Sun had a feeling he was going to like this guy.

"Very well, then. Let the Pokémon battle commence!" Hala called, acting as the referee between the two young trainers. Hau finished stretching and snatched up a Pokeball from his belt, tossing it into the air and catching it with a practiced ease.

"Cassy! Let's go!" Hau called out, releasing a Popplio onto the field. The seal Pokémon barked out a cry before crouching low to the ground.

"Oliver, let's do this." Sun said, becoming a bit more serious. Despite the fact that this was just a battle for fun, he still wanted to win. He had no experience, but from the looks of it Hau was a beginning trainer as well.

" _Ugh…Just stop thinking and act! You've got this!"_ Sun thought as he pointed at the Popplio.

"Oliver! Use Tackle!" Sun commanded. Oliver obeyed and soared forward, hooting at the other Pokémon.

"Hehe! Hit them with a Pound!" Hau shouted at his Pokémon, which bounded forward and met Oliver in midair, making both Pokémon smash into one another and fall to the ground with pained expressions.

"Hit it with a Growl! Make it back off!" Sun said to Oliver, who responded by hooting angrily at the Popplio. Cassy's eyes widened in terror and she frantically began backing away from the rather scary bird.

"Oh come on, Cassy. He's not that scary." Hau said with a laugh before Oliver's head turned to towards Hau, whose smile took a noticeable hit as the bird gave him a look that the word horrifying couldn't cover.

"OK, maybe I was wrong. Hit him with another Pound!" Hau instructed the Popplio. Cassy hesitated a moment before launching herself forward, smashing into Oliver again. The battered Rowlet took to the air with a pained expression, which made Sun's heart sink. He needed to wrap this up and quickly too.

" _Aren't Water-types weak to Grass-type moves?"_ Sun realized after a beat, mentally kicking himself. He then called up to Oliver and said, "Oliver, use Leafage and keep your distance!"

"Hit it with a Pound before it gets away!" Hau yelled out. Cassy the Popplio leapt into the air, colliding with Oliver for a third time and making the Rowlet tumble for a moment in the air, hooting in pain before it suddenly flared out its wings. A series of leaves suddenly flew out of the bird, hanging in place for a moment before the Rowlet spun like a top in midair, willing the glowing leaves to shoot towards Cassy as they spiraled around in a circle. The Popplio howled in pain at the super-effective attack, crashing onto the ground with a whine of pain. Hau didn't seem phased at all, but Sun felt nothing but excitement pouring through him.

"Hit Oliver with Pound one last time!" Hau commanded his panting Popplio. Cassy shakily rose up off of the ground and launched itself at Oliver, knocking him completely out of the air and onto the ground.

"Leafage, Oliver!" Sun called out as the bird rose to it's feet, panting now. The bird spun around once again and unleashed another barrage of leaves that soared forward and rushed past Cassy, making it cry out in pain. Cassy the Popplio collapsed onto the ground with a dazed expression, but after a few moments remained where she was, obviously unable to battle further. Sun blinked in surprise before his smile widened in triumph.

"We won!" Sun ran forward and hugged his Rowlet from behind, laughing as he picked up his Pokémon. Oliver hooted in joy as well as Hau clapped excitedly across from them (after having returned his Pokémon), making a cheering noise as he did so. He then scratched the back of his head sheepishly. This lasted all of a second before Hau began dancing in place, pumping his fists into the air with sheer excitement.

"That gave me chicken skin!" Hau yelled out, unable to contain his sheer excitement. "You said your name was Sun, right? Your Rowlet was awesome! You were awesome!"

Hau then put his hands on his hips, shutting his eyes as he laughed a little. "Now that settles it! I'm going all out next time! You better believe that, after giving me an awesome battle like that!"

Sun was about to reply when a bright light caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. Hala reacted first, stepping forward with a curious expression on his face. Sun looked down at his pocket and pulled out the strange stone he had received earlier from Tapu Koko, which was now glowing faintly.

"Sun…Would you be so kind as to give me a look at that sparkling stone you have there? I promise, I just wish to examine it." Hala said to the young boy. Sun nodded, handing the stone over to Hala, who's brows furrowed in surprise.

"Could…could it be!?" Hala muttered, noticing the glow of the stone fading the moment it left Sun's presence.

"Tutu…isn't that a…" Hau trailed off, looking at the stone with wonder and a little bit of envy. Hala simply nodded before looking at Sun.

"My boy…You were rescued at the Plank Bridge by Tapu Koko. Is that not correct, Sun?" Hala asked the young boy.

"That's when I got the stone. It gave that thing to me…I don't know anything else about it though, sir." Sun replied to the Kahuna. To his surprise, Hala chuckled at the boy's response, as though the new development brought joy to the old man.

"So…Tapu Koko even saw fit to give you a stone…Perhaps, Sun, you were brought to these wonderful islands because this is where you were meant to be." Hala said with a wide smile, his mustache wrinkling a bit. The man then said, "Sun, would you mind if I borrowed this stone for now?"

Sun hesitated at that. After all, he was given that by the Guardian Deity of the island itself. It was pretty special, and it was his…wasn't it?

"Fret not, my boy!" Hala replied, seeing Sun's expression. "I will return it to you the next time we meet. It would seem as though you have the makings of a fine trainer, Sun. I would like to personally ask you if you would do us the honor of joining in our festival at the end of the week, five days from now."

"Festival?" Sun asked, confused.

"I'll tell you all about it, don't you worry. For now, though, I say we start getting you back home. It's getting late and we don't want your Mom to get worried." Kukui said to the boy. He then gave the Kanto native a sheepish grin and said, "Don't worry. I'll be there to get you back home safe this time, Sun."

"Thanks sir…but just so you know, I have a Pokémon. I should be fine now, right?"

"I'm aware. It just makes me feel better for messing up earlier. Just give me this one, cousin," Kukui said to the boy. Sun shrugged in a way that made Kukui give him an amused grin while the others watched on with smiles. Kukui then turned to Lillie and said, "You too, Lillie. We don't want to go losing you and your little friend twice in one day, now, do we?"

"Of course, Professor. I'll keep an eye on…huh?" Lillie peered into her bag with a confused look on her face while everyone else stared at Nebby. The Pokémon was outside of the bag and had escaped once again, floating at Lillie's feet.

"Pew!"

"Oh, you! Would you not try to escape the very moment that I told you not to wander off?" Lillie asked Nebby, which simply cooed in response as everyone else began laughing at the development.


	5. The Violin Girl

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _So last chapter had my first notable change from the original game. In the games, the festival honoring Tapu Koko was the day after the MC gets their Pokémon. For the sake of the story, however, it will be one week. It's just a bit more realistic and gives the character time to bond with their Pokémon to the point where they're good enough to be considered worthy of battling in the ceremonial battle at the end of the festival._

 _Also, I wanted to actually share with you all a fun fact about this story. As I write it, I'm doing a run-through of Pokémon Sun where I catch the same Pokémon and make the same choices as Sun does in this story. Just something fun that I'd mention. What happens in this playthrough may have an impact on the story, but we'll see on that one._

 _Speaking of, I'd like to answer the question on the status of Sun's team. Yes, I have already decided what Pokémon are joining his team._ _I'm trying to keep a lot of factors into account while creating a viable team that can handle the forces that Sun will have to deal with in the story. I believe I have done just that, but you'll have to read on to find out more._

 _And to answer another question. Why didn't I just make Sun older if I wanted a mature character? Because the characters in the game are 11. Making them older would mess with that, even if it would make more sense and be more realistic. Plus, I liked the idea of writing for a mature and snarky 11 year-old that has to deal with the wacky characters and events in this story. I wanted to have a character that was fun for me to write, you know? And I am having fun with this and writing this story. And, as you'll see later on, Sun isn't nearly as mature as he believes. As I said before, he's still a kid._

 _Onto some other topics. I am aware that the backstory to Sun and his mother moving to Alola is vague at best. Trust me, I know. But since this is a story about the character's journey through the region, I decided to delve into any and all possibilities for a family to head to a brand-new region. Those of you who have experience with the spin-off Pokémon games may recognize a few familiar names down the road._

 _Anyway, shoutout to the wonderful folks who've reviewed since last update, which includes Dunka99, Tomoe Mami, Sai Og Sus,Cottonmouth25, and a new guest reviewer that goes by the name someone._

 _ **I will admit, this chapter will be one either people dislike or enjoy greatly. I had some trouble with it, but I think it came together in the end. The character that appears in this chapter was always a hard one to write for, just because her personality is…well, I'll let you all see it.**_

 _Either way, here it is. Enjoy._

* * *

 _Chapter 5: The Violin Girl_

* * *

The trek back to Sun's new residence was a rather pleasant one. Kukui led the way, strolling down the road ahead of Sun and Lillie while keeping up a constant chatter about this and that. Meanwhile, Sun and Lillie were watching Oliver the Rowlet hop from one of their heads to the other, hooting every now and then. If Sun knew better, he would have guessed that the bird was playing some kind of game.

"You having fun there?" Sun asked the Rowlet from atop Lillie's hat. The bird's head turned his way, hooted at him in reply, before rotating around in the other direction.

"I'll take that as a yes." Sun said dryly, shaking his head as Lillie laughed quietly. The girl had been fairly quiet since they had left, but then so had Sun. He was surprised at how well his earlier interactions with Hau and Lillie had went earlier. He usually wasn't very good with interacting with children his age too well. Adults were a bit easier, for some reason. He blamed his father for that.

"So…Sun?"

The boy was snapped out of his reverie by Lillie. Oliver chose that moment to fly over to the boy, landing on his head as the girl watched the bird warily.

"How's it feel? Being a Pokémon Trainer?" Lillie asked haltingly.

"It's…I don't know. I shouldn't feel any different, but just the thought that I have a Pokémon of my own feels weird. It feels…right. I really don't know." Sun admitted, looking up at Oliver, only to see two black eyes and an owl-ly head looking back at him, making him flinch.

"Ah…I'm not sure I could do it." Lillie said quietly, looking away from the boy and out towards the setting sun.

"Do what?"

"Be a Pokémon Trainer. I hate seeing Pokémon getting hurt, see…I was raised to help protect Pokémon however much I could. To keep them safe. It just feels wrong, thinking of myself in that position…But…" Lillie trailed off, shaking her head.

"Hey, um…Don't stress out about it too much. No one's pressuring you to become a Pokémon Trainer. You could do something else." Sun said to the girl, making her look back at him in surprise.

"There's all sorts of stuff out there for people that love Pokémon. Coordinators. Performers. And those are just the popular ones in the other regions. You can be whatever you want to be." Sun said with an encouraging smile. Lillie looked at him oddly for a moment before returning his smile with one of her own.

"Thank you, Sun. I appreciate that."

"You're welcome."

The pair shared a silence for a time before Lillie said, "What are you going to do next?"

"Huh?"

"I mean, you have a Pokémon now. Are you going to train? Explore the island, now that you can navigate it safely?" Lillie asked Sun, whose expression became troubled. Lillie raised an eyebrow as Sun shook his head.

"I honestly don't know…I mean, I just got here. I haven't even had a chance to get used to this. If I just started exploring, then I'd be leaving my new home. My Mom. Meowth. It just…feels weird even thinking about it. But on the other hand…I'm so curious about what this place has to offer. I could learn so much. I want to explore this place, Lillie, but something is holding me back. It's a really confusing feeling." Sun explained quietly, looking away from the girl and out towards the path ahead of them. Now that the question had been asked, he now felt a new feeling bubbling within him. He felt torn between wanting to stay home and get comfortable with his new life in Alola…and learning about the island by trekking around it. The feeling within him continued to grow, and with it a feeling of discontent, now that he had realized it.

"You sound like you need time to think." Lillie noted after a few moments, to which Sun nodded.

"It's a lot to take in at once. Once you get a Pokémon, everything changes." Sun remarked as he gestured to the bag Lillie was holding. The girl nodded in understanding, smiling slightly at that.

"I do have another question though." Sun said to Lillie. "How did Hala understand what Oliver was saying back there? When the Kahuna asked why he attacked me."

"Oh! I can answer that. Um, apparently over time, some people are able to understand Pokémon speech to a degree. It tends to happen to people who spend a lot of time with any one kind of Pokémon. They recognize patterns in a Pokémon's speech over time, gradually allowing them to more or less understand what they're saying. That said, it takes a great deal of time for someone to naturally begin understanding what a Pokémon says," Lillie explained to Sun as the boy looked at his starter.

"So…Since Hala probably spends a lot of time around the starter Pokémon of the region, he can understand them fairly well." Sun concluded, making Lillie nod in confirmation.

"That's really cool. I wonder if someday I'll be able to understand what Oliver says." Sun wondered aloud as he looked at Lillie.

"That's something the Professor and a friend of his from Unova are working on right now, actually! Professor Kukui has been developing a special device that allows a Pokémon to talk to humans through the Pokédex. And the Professor's friend helped create a Pokémon translator over in the Unova region that allows us to understand Pokémon speech." Lillie said with a small grin, excitement on her face.

"Really? That's incredible! Man…isn't science something?" Sun mumbled in wonder, amazed at the thought of being able to communicate with Pokémon in such a manner.

"It'll be a long time before they become available to the public. They're incredibly expensive to develop, from what the Professor says. Only a handful of Pokémon Trainers have them at the moment," Lillie said to Sun, her smile fading somewhat. Both of them were snapped out of their conversation when Oliver let out a hoot, surprising them. Oliver took that moment to then flutter ahead of Sun and fly off towards Kukui, who was on hour 3 of his monologue that Sun and Lillie had not been paying attention to. Sun because he was too busy trying to take in the beautiful nature path (now that he was armed with a Pokémon and felt no fear whatsoever), and Lillie because she had heard most of the Professor's ramblings on this path before.

"So what's it like?" Sun asked as his new home came into sight.

"What's what like?" Lillie asked.

"Working with the Professor. I mean, he's a bit weird, but he seems really nice. Do you learn a lot from him?" Sun asked the blonde-haired girl. Lillie opened her mouth to reply when she was cut off from the man in question.

"You two haven't been paying attention to me at all, have you?" Kukui asked, standing much closer to them now and looking amused.

"…I blame Oliver."

"Sun, how is it the Rowlet's fault?"

"Because…reasons."

"Reasons?"

"…Yes?"

Lillie looked back and forth between the two males, wondering just what was going on. Oliver chose that moment to land on Sun's shoulder and then peck him in the head, making him yelp in pain.

"I don't think Oliver agrees with you there, cousin." Kukui chuckled, watching Sun glare at the bird. Oliver hooted innocently as Sun shook his head in dismay.

"I'll chalk this one up to you both having had a really exciting day. Next time…just let me know. I'll save my oxygen." Kukui said with a laugh, turning around and continuing his walk towards Sun's house. The trio arrived a few minutes later at their destination.

"So, are you two going to go back to Iki Town now or…?" Sun trailed off, unsure.

"Oh no, the Professor's lab is about an hour's walk from here, down by the beach." Lillie answered, shifting her bag to her other shoulder.

"Yep. No finer place to learn about Pokémon, if you ask me. Anyways, Sun, it was nice meeting you in the flesh. You rest up so you can Tackle tomorrow, alright?" Kukui held out his fist, which Sun stared at for a moment before slowly raising his own and tapping it hesitantly. Kukui grinned in response to that, making Sun grin as well.

"Can do, Professor. And thanks again for everything." Sun looked over at Lillie and said, "It was nice meeting you, Lillie."

Lillie smiled at that and said, "Likewise, Sun. Thanks again for your help back on the bridge."

"It was nothing. I did what anyone else would have done in my position." Sun said dismissively, though he smiled a little wider at the praise regardless.

"Maybe. But you still helped saved Nebby, and that means a lot to me." Lillie replied, extending a hand to Sun. The boy took the hand and shook it, and with that the trio went their separate ways.

"Have a good night!" Sun said to the duo as they waved him off, making their way down a path facing away from his house.

Sun turned around and knocked at the door and heard his Mom reply, "It's open!"

"Welcome back, Sun!" Mom said cheerfully as the boy entered the room. Sun saw his Mom dancing slightly as she made her way through the kitchen with a practiced ease as she prepared dinner. "So! What kind of Pokémon did you get? Don't keep me waiting!"

"Kooo!" Oliver hooted a greeting, his head spinning around and taking in the new environment. Sun noticed with a bit of amusement that not a single box had been unpacked in the time that he had been gone.

"A Rowlet? That honestly doesn't surprised me. You've always had liked birds, huh?" Mom asked her son as he shut the door behind him.

"Absolutely. Say hi to Oliver, Mom. Oliver, say hi to Mom." Sun said as the bird ruffled its feathers for a moment, considering its actions before it flew over to Sun's mother and landed lightly on her outstretched arm.

"Aww! I think I'm falling in love! So why did you choose this little sweetheart?" Mom cooed, giggling as Rowlet nuzzled her face with a cheerful hoot.

" _That bird is evil one minute and a sweet little angel the next. What did I get myself into?"_ Sun wondered for a moment.

"I guess because it was cool. It really chose me, rather than me choosing it." Sun remarked, gesturing to his face and the bandages covering his cuts.

"Well, you certainly chose right! Because I'd say that this little charmer right here is definitely cool! And so cute too!" Mom laughed as she ruffled Sun's hair affectionately. Oliver took that moment to flutter down to the ground, where our Meowth had been watching the proceedings with interest.

"The two of you really do look great together though. I feel so much happier just looking at the pair of you." Mom said with a wide smile as Meowth and Oliver greeted each other with a meow and a hoot respectively.

And with that, the family and its newest member settled in for the night after dinner. Mom inspected the injuries that Sun had received earlier, and while alarmed that he had been in such danger, was glad that he was taking the injuries like a champ and made sure that the wounds would heal properly. She was surprised that Oliver had been the one to attack his face, but Sun explained that it was because it was trying to show how good of a partner it could be. Mom didn't quite agree with that, but her resolve broke when Oliver landed on the kitchen table and hooted triumphantly.

Sun may not have liked the owl's methods…But they got results.

The boy didn't stay up for much longer than that. Sun collapsed onto his bed, threw his covers over himself, and was asleep instantly. Oliver was given a makeshift bed of cushions, which the bird nestled down into for the night. The bird watched his new slumbering trainer for a while before shutting his eyes and falling asleep himself. The newly formed team slept quietly and soundly, exhausted by the events of the day…

* * *

Sun woke up with a slight groan, his eyes edging open as he tried to cling desperately to sleep. The boy tossed and turned in his bed, attempting to get into a more comfortable position so that he could drift off once again, but he found that he couldn't do it on account of a faint noise that could be heard just within his range of hearing. It bothered him just enough to where he couldn't fall back asleep.

Sun slowly sat up, groaning and he shook his head. He looked over at the small pile of cushions across from the room and could make out the form of his starter sleeping soundly…or so he thought.

"Coo."

"Woke you up too, huh?" Sun muttered as Oliver opened both of his eyes in the dark, the whites of his eyes gleaming. Sun rolled out of bed and fell onto the floor with a grunt. The boy took a moment to push himself to his feet before he shook his head to wake himself up more. As he did so, he began to pick up on the sound that had awoken him…

"Is that…a violin?" Sun muttered, confused at the sound and becoming a bit more aware now as his interest was piqued. He may have been still learning how to play a flute, but a violin was something he had envied other people for being able to play. To him, it seemed like such a challenging thing to play on, as opposed to the flute. Curious, the boy flipped on a light in his room and got dressed. He slipped out of his room, with Oliver fluttering up to his head and landing on his familiar perch.

Sun crept through the house, careful not to make a peep while he maneuvered through the living room. The sound of the violin was much louder in here, and seemed to be coming from somewhere outside. Sun nodded to himself after a moment and made his way to the door, opening it and stepping into the night air.

Sun found the violin player not twenty steps away, frantically slicing into the instrument as though their life depended on it. Despite the moonlight shining down overhead, Sun really couldn't tell much about the violinist from this angle other than that they were a girl and that they were facing away from him, towards the ocean. Sun took a step forward, but then caught sight of the ocean and remained still for a few moments. He took about a minute to enjoy the view of the ocean at night, something he hadn't seen in years. The moon overhead reflected on the inky black surface, making it glimmer as the water flowed beneath it, giving it a strange beauty in the night. Sun tore his gaze away from the water and made his way down the steps, and began walking towards the girl when she suddenly spoke.

"Hello there. Nice night, isn't it?" the girl said without so much as a glance in Sun's direction, stopping abruptly in her song. She continued staring out at the ocean when the breeze suddenly picked up. Sun winced slightly as the cool wind hit him, but he moved forward and walked up beside the girl regardless. Sun was about to speak up when the girl suddenly whirled around, putting a finger to his lips, before pointing at the moon. The girl turned back around and continued to look out at the ocean and the moon, with Sun blinking in confusion before shrugging. The pair of them silently watched the moon slowly rise in the night sky, illuminating the island below. After a time, the girl spoke again.

"You're the new kid, right?" the girl asked Sun. "I've only been around a few hours and I've had to have heard about the new kid on this island about three times now."

"Um…Yeah. I'm Sun. You are…?" the boy asked. The girl took a step back and turned to face him, looking him up and down for a second. Sun saw that the girl was a quite a bit older than him, probably about 18 or so. She had long, flowing dark hair that trailed down to her hips and she had expressive, gleaming sapphire-colored eyes. She was slender, with snowy white skin and dressed in a rather expensive-looking black trench coat that covered her entire body, save for her neck up. She held herself elegantly, but she gave off a _vibe_ that Sun couldn't explain.

"I am Vivian Elise Delacourt. My friends call me Vivian…If I had enough friends for that to happen." The girl thought about it for a moment and said, "Well, I guess you can call my current crop of 'associates' friends. Even if they bore me sometimes."

Sun debated asking this girl what on earth she was talking about. He considered himself a pretty smart kid, but this older girl was…weird. He had no idea how to respond to her. Which, coupled with his lack of people skills, didn't help matters. He wondered briefly how exactly to reply to the girl, but after a few moments of silence couldn't come up with anything.

"Um…Nice to meet you?" Sun replied to the young woman. Vivian simply nodded and with a flick of the arm, prepared herself to play on her violin yet again. Sun's eyes widened as the bow hit the violin, suddenly moving against the instrument and swiftly beginning what seemed like an intricate solo piece, a symphony in its own right being created then and there by what Sun realized was a master in her craft. Sun stood there, transfixed, as the strange girl played her instrument, and for another long period of time the two stood there under the moon, one of them playing and the other listening.

"Same to you." Vivian replied, halting in her song once again and glancing at Sun, her blue eyes shining with excitement. An eagerness that didn't quite fit the situation. "I have to say, the people here are way warmer than I expected…no pun intended. I expect you'll like it here."

Sun couldn't help but smile at the unintentional joke, but replied, "I hope so. It looks like a really nice place to live. The locals are nice, the area is really nice. It's just…nice."

"Nice? You seemed like such a smart kid, too. Why would you describe this place in such a boring way? Nice...Blegh!" Vivian made a disgusted noise, though she seemed to be enjoying the conversation by the way that her smile widened. Vivian then looked up at the Pokémon on Sun's head and said, "So, what's the little birdie on your shoulder? I've never seen anything like it before."

"It's a Rowlet. The Alolan Grass-type starter Pokémon." Sun replied, reaching up and petting the owl on the head. Oliver had been staring down Vivian ever since they had gotten outside, strangely not making a peep. Sun wondered if his partner was as confused as he was by the weird girl.

"It's adorable. I've got my own bird, but it's always nice to see other people embracing them. They add a special little something to a team, I've noticed." Vivian opened her coat slightly, revealing five Pokéballs clipped to the inside. Sun couldn't help but feel impressed at the number.

"My starter was a bird too. A Chatot. My parents thought it was appropriate." Vivian said with a small chuckle, crossing her arms and leaning against the nearest tree, her long hair blowing slightly in the faint breeze.

"I don't know much about Chatot, but from what I do know it's supposed to be a musical Pokémon. I'd say it suits you," Sun replied.

"Absolutely. So, since you just got here, and I know that your Rowlet is native to just this region, I'll assume you just got it. So, how's being a trainer?" Vivian asked Sun.

"Honestly, it's…really exciting. I was in a Pokémon battle earlier and I felt so… _alive_. Just having a Pokémon of my own makes me feel happy. Content, I guess. I'll admit, I would rather just hang out around home and train as much as possible with Oliver, but…despite that, I kind of want to explore the island. On my own. I'm curious about this place and want to learn more. It's just…" Sun trailed off, unsure of how to word his thoughts. His earlier conversation with Lillie had helped bring these thoughts forward, but sleeping on them hadn't helped matters. Vivian nodded in understanding regardless.

"Ah. Comfort zones." Vivian remarked casually, grinning at Sun's confused expression. "It's a situation or place that one feels comfortable or safe in. You're certainly out of your comfort zone, coming here. You'd be even further out of your comfort zone if your started travelling around. You're torn between wanting to stay home and get settled in your new home, or satisfy your curiosity and explore while giving up the chance to get situated. Is that it?"

"I…Yeah, I think that may be it. It's just…I don't know. I'm excited to be here and it'll nice getting a fresh start in Alola. But I feel…"

"Out of your element?"

"…Maybe."

"Come on, spill it! It's better to lay it all on the table and vent." Vivian said to Sun, her expression brightening. Sun gave the girl a glare, clenching his fists in frustration.

"How do you do that? You just…know these things?" Sun demanded, feeling a flicker of anger burning with him, which surprised him. He wasn't one to get angry very often. He couldn't help it though. This girl was giving off that weird aura though, one that grated against his nerves, and she kept saying things without knowing who he was. She didn't know him. Why did she say such things?

"Because I just do…I always have. It's not as fun as it sounds, I assure you, being this clever. Being three steps ahead of everyone else. It's a curse more than anything else," Vivian replied with a small giggle.

"Why don't I believe that?" Sun asked, his anger fading as he crossed his arms.

"Because I have a habit of confusing people with my gibberish. Now that part is fun. Honestly, I'd say this whole little side adventure I took is paying off. You're not boring me! Be proud!" Vivian said as she patted Sun on the shoulder, almost mockingly, as she grinned at the boy.

"Just how long have you been standing outside my house again?"

"What day is it?" Vivian asked Sun, whose jaw dropped in response. He then realized what was wrong with that statement and realized the girl was messing with him. Vivian snickered in response, adjusting her violin so that it was resting on her back and so that her bow was clipped onto the back of the instrument itself.

"I'm kidding, Sun. I was really just passing through when I saw how nice the view of the ocean was from here. I've only been there for about twenty minutes. I'm surprised you heard me though. Sorry if I woke you." Vivian said to Sun, though with the way she was smiling it seemed as though she didn't quite mean it.

"It's alright, I guess. I'm not busy tomorrow, so I can sleep in." Sun replied with a simple shrug, smiling despite how tired he was. Regardless of his confusing thoughts and his slight frustration, he knew he had to try and keep smiling regardless. He'd sort his feelings about staying home or travelling out eventually.

"Ahh…I like your attitude! You'll be good company this fine night!" Vivian declared dramatically, hopping away from a bewildered Sun and whirling around, sticking her tongue out at the boy, her grin unsettling.

"Uh…I mean, I can stay out here a bit longer if you want." Sun said awkwardly, thrown off again by the strange girl.

"Splendid! So, what's the name of the little guy on your shoulder? I'm assuming its a guy, by the way." Vivian asked Sun, gesturing to Oliver. The Rowlet hooted softly at that, breaking his silence watching the girl carefully.

"Oliver. And yes, it's a boy."

"Seems like a fitting name. Why Oliver though?" Vivian asked.

"I used to admire a trainer back home named Oliver. This little bird reminded me of him. It just clicked," Sun explained as Oliver hopped down from Sun's head to his shoulder, where he winced slightly.

"It's a good name. I usually name my Pokémon after musical terms. I'm just weird like that though. I once knew someone who named all of their Pokémon after food."

"…Really?"

"You haven't lived until you've seen an Emboar named 'Bacon Bits' get sent out. I wish I was kidding." Vivian giggled again with mirth while Sun just smiled at the display. The girl calmed down a moment later, watching the ocean with a smile.

"Make any new friends yet?" Vivian asked Sun. The boy thought about it and shook his head slightly.

"Not yet. I've only been here two days, though." Sun said to the girl, however the look Vivian gave him in response made him flinch. It was a sharp, piercing gaze that seemed to cut through him like a knife.

"…Right, keep using that as your excuse," Vivian replied, looking away.

"Huh?"

"Never mind. Doesn't really matter. A kid like you wouldn't even know what to do with friends, now would you?" Vivian asked Sun, smirking as the boy looked at her with a bewildered expression. What was she talking about? Sun thought about it for a few moments before Vivian said, "You remind me a lot of someone I used to know, actually. Don't think too hard on it. We've all got bigger things to worry about."

"Like?" Sun asked the girl, getting frustrated at her again. Vivian responded by shrugging her shoulders, but there was a stiffness to the movement that made it seem odd. Sun looked at her for a few moments and realized that the girl looked a bit uncomfortable, which drove away his frustration. Vivian looked as if she regretted bringing that last part up. Nevertheless, she continued her train of thought, speaking slowly as she looked back up at the moon.

"Things. Some good, some bad. You'll learn soon enough. Maybe. Keep an eye on things, Sun. Just because you escaped to this sunny paradise doesn't mean it's not like Kanto." Vivian said quietly, surprising Sun with the genuine note of sadness in her voice. The young woman looked at Sun and grinned at him a moment later, adding, "Ah well. I guess that's why I'm here bothering the locals in Alola. Keeping an eye out on things myself, you know?"

"I guess so." Sun said with a small nod, leaning against his mailbox with a sigh. He was really, really confused here, but was slowly piecing together what this girl said.

His dad used to tell him about the kinds of people he would encounter while travelling. For all of the kinds of Pokémon that there were in the world, there were just as many types of people that you could encounter as well. His father once explained a few of the types people that he would regularly encounter on his trips. There were people who wore their hearts on their sleeves. People who angered quickly, who were always calm, who were neither. Some people were unreadable, always throwing people off.

And then there were people like Vivian, who could read people like books. His dad had always warned him about people who could read and interpret other people's thoughts and expressions like nothing, and told him to stay far away from them.

Vivian was oblivious to Sun's inner dilemma, having continued talking despite Sun not paying attention. The girl had moved away from the tree and was walking ahead of him, wearing a lopsided smirk.

"-yeah, I don't believe that whole bit either. Honestly, I don't even know why I'm here. I can say that I'm trying to help all I want, but that doesn't mean I can make a difference. I'm not a hero." Vivian said as she spun her bow once again and began playing a fast-paced, energetic song that made Sun shiver for some reason as he was jarred out of his thoughts and forced to listen to the girl's melody once again. He could definitely appreciate the musician's skill. He had always wanted to become a musician himself, and it was part of why he had gotten a flute. But to see someone with so much talent just unleash it like that was…awing.

"You're really, really good." Sun complimented Vivian as she paused in her song, tapping her foot in a beat only she knew.

"Thank you. I can tell you actually mean that, though. Do you play an instrument?" Vivian asked Sun. The boy opened his mouth to reply but the girl held up a finger to silence him again before dashing her bow along her violin and creating a euphonious ending to her song after about twenty seconds of frantic playing. Vivian bowed to an invisible crowd before looking at Sun, who again was struck silent.

"You were saying?" Vivian said to Sun.

"Y-yeah. I started learning how to play the flute about three months ago. I'm not that great, but I practice every day," Sun said to the girl.

"Good! Keep practicing. Always practice, especially if it's something you really love." Vivian said to the boy as she put away her instrument once again, slipping both parts of it away and facing the boy properly, giving him her full attention again.

"Do you have the time, by any chance?" Vivian asked Sun. The young boy shook his head. He hadn't thought of bringing his watch or phone with him outside.

"Shame. I'm supposed to be meeting someone a bit later but if I don't have the time…Oh well. I'm sure it'll sort itself out." Vivian replied, her ever-present smile fading away and becoming something a bit more somber.

"So…Sun, was it?" The boy nodded in reply. "Let me ask you…Why move to a place like this? I mean, it had to have been expensive. A place like this in a paradise like Alola. A beachfront property on the outskirts of the biggest city on the island…Where did you move here from, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Kanto, in Celadon City. We lived inside the city itself, close to the Gym." Sun answered the girl as he shifted his position.

"So why'd you move?"

"We…" Sun trailed off, unsure of how to respond until the girl gave him a look.

"Were trying to get out of Kanto before things went south?" Sun didn't answer, looking away from her. "Yeah, that makes sense. I'm guessing you saw some of what those _monsters_ can do firsthand, right?" Vivian asked, her voice now devoid of all cheer and excitement and just sounding genuinely dead. Sun remained silent, unsure of what even to say. This girl had pulled a complete 180, and had gone from cheerful and teasing to bitter and cold within the span of a minute. It was…terrifying.

Sun remained silent, but the girl continued speaking regardless.

"Well…Be glad you're out of their path. They'd have no reason to come to Alola, even if we're here trying to recover. Unova is a war zone and Kanto's next. Alola though? Your criminal presence here is next to nothing. You're fine for now." Vivian said to the boy, who looked away from the girl's piercing gaze. He looked back at her almost a full minute later, where he saw that the girl's smile had returned.

"Someone's a bit coy. Maybe you know a bit more. Either way, I think my time here is just about up. Sorry I had to switch the topic to something that actually got me down for a bit. If we do talk again, we should absolutely discuss much happier things. Like pancakes. Pancakes are nice." Vivian rambled as she sauntered away, heading towards the cliff. Sun watched for a few moments before quickly shaking his head and running after her.

Suddenly a Pokémon appeared out of thin air in front of them, making Sun gasp and Oliver hoot in surprise. It was a yellow-ish humanoid Pokémon that carried a spoon in each hand. An Alakazam, Sun realized after a few moments. Sun watched as Vivian walked up to the Pokémon and chirped, "About time, Decres!"

" _I apologize, Lady Vivian. But Noah was having some difficulty getting a living arrangement secure for everyone and I was doing what you instructed."_ The Pokémon replied, bowing to the Pokémon Trainer in response.

"True. I guess that means we're heading out?" Vivian asked her Pokémon as she bounded forward, hugging him tightly for a few moments. The Alakzam returned the embrace before the two broke apart.

" _Naturally. I can wait until you're done speaking to your…associate, if you wish."_ Decres replied to his trainer, casting a glance at Sun. The boy had been watching the two with awe, having never seen an Alakazam in the flesh before.

"Nah, we were done. He should be getting back to sleep anyway. A boy his age needs all the rest he can get." Vivian said dismissively, much to Sun's annoyance.

"I'm eleven!"

"And?"

"I'm eleven. I'm a Pokémon Trainer. Why do I have to go back to bed?" Sun demanded, getting annoyed at the girl once again.

"Because you're getting cranky." Vivian shot back with a victorious grin. Sun deflated a bit when he heard a strange sputtering sound from above him coming from Oliver. After a moment he realized his starter was _laughing_ at him.

"…You should probably be on your way. I really want to go back to bed now." Sun said tiredly, feeling rather defeated as Oliver calmed himself down.

" _Please forgive her, young man. She can be awfully difficult at times."_ Decres apologized to Sun before turning his attention to Vivian. _"We must go, My Lady."_ Vivian grabbed the Psychic's hand and turned around to face Sun, grinning widely. The boy was still watching them with a distant sense of wonder.

" _I wonder what their story is…As much as she talked, there's so much she didn't explain."_ Sun couldn't help but wonder before Vivian spoke and snapped him out of his musing.

"Hey, Sun? You seem like you've got a good head on your shoulders so…Can I give you a bit of advice?" Vivian said to the boy, her smile becoming less pronounced and her expression becoming serious for the second time that night.

Sun nodded hesitantly, and Vivian said, "You're in a new world. Explore it to your heart's content and make some friends, even if you're not used to having them. Push aside those comfort zones and take the plunge."

The boy nodded in reply, wondering why she was telling him this, when Vivian continued. "And speaking of friends…once you've got a few, hold onto them tight. Don't let go, because you never know what might come along and tear them away from you. They help you grow and learn, and might just help you figure out just kind of path you should take." Vivian flashed Sun a brighter smile and said, "Again, this is just sappy advice from a seasoned veteran Trainer. Feel free to take it or ignore it. Thanks for keeping me company. See you soon!"

Vivian teleported away, leaving Sun behind to ponder her words and her warning.


	6. In Pursuit of Growth

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _So last chapter actually went down really well!_

 _The reactions I got to Vivian were exactly what I was going for. So that's something nice. She's the first of many OC's lined up in this story, some of which I've had rolling around in my head for a while now. Getting to use them is gonna be fun. That said, this isn't exactly the first story I've done with Vivian in it..._

 _Also, I'm throwing in a few fan-favorite characters from the other games into this story and giving some of the ones featured a bit of a bigger role. Why? Because Colress is awesome and while I adore this game, my love for Gen V has only strengthened with time. And because screw it, why not?_

 _Also, I believe I've finally decided on a proper update schedule for this story. Depending on the length of the chapter, I'll be posting a chapter every 4-7 days. The longer the chapter, the longer the time it'll take me to update, since I'm trying to stay ahead of schedule at the moment. That said, unless it's something super epic, the word count will be kept fairly tame so that this story remains manageable for me. Already the next chapter is 7,000 plus words. Yeesh…_

 _Anyways, shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes Dunka99, Cottonmouth25, and Sai Og Sus, as well as three new reviewers in the form of PocketSand1224, 18Gs, and Ways (welcome back!)._

 _And as a note, the islands in this game will be scaled to size. As someone who has sped around the entirety of MeleMele Island on a Tauros in the span of about maybe two minutes, I'm going to keep that aspect of the game as realistic as possible. Some routes and areas will take anywhere from a few hours to a few days to navigate, depending on the area._

 _On that note...here's the chapter!_

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 _Chapter 6: In Pursuit of Growth_

* * *

 _Four Days Later…_

* * *

"Ahh…it's so beautiful outside, isn't it? Can't you feel the sun…Sun?"" Mom sighed as she stretched languidly, eyeing the setting sun with a content smile and trying not to laugh at her own wordplay. Her child with the same name nodded wordlessly, with Oliver watching from his favorite roosting spot- Sun's head.

The Rowlet, even with its eclectic personality, quickly became a part of the family as far as Sun and his mother were concerned. It still went a bit crazy at times, resulting in repeated pecks to the head, but the bird otherwise became used to being a trained Pokémon and Sun got a bit of practice being a trainer. This usually involved issuing commands and having Rowlet act on them, improving on being in sync with one another. Sun also decided, during this time, that he would keep Oliver out whenever possible, except in in places where a great deal of people were, like towns and cities, should he decide to explore a bit more of the region. He wanted to bond as much as possible with the small bird, so that they could become better partners and stronger in general.

On Sun's sixth day of being in Alola, the boy found himself hanging out on the front porch with his mother, which was quickly becoming a thing, simply because the weather in Alola was seemingly perfect. Warm, bright, and within view of the ocean, it seemed like they had chosen the best place to live possible. Sun was startled by Oliver suddenly hooting, ruffling his wings for a moment before peering down at his new trainer.

"Hey." Sun said to his starter, only to get a chirp in reply before Rowlet returned to his previous position. The boy shook his head slowly, trying not to shake off the bird but also express his opinion that the bird was being silly.

"You two are so adorable." Mom piped up as she lowered her sunglasses somewhat. Sun grinned at her as Rowlet chirped in a way that Sun had recognized was him being happy with or agreeing with something, making the boy snicker a little.

"Well, I don't know about adorable. But we're pretty awesome. How's that sound instead, Oliver?" Sun asked the bird. Rowlet tilted its head, seemingly considering it for a few moments, before nodding.

"See? Awesome." Sun laughed as his mother giggled in response to their antics.

"You two are something else. I was going to ask you, before I got sidetracked, if you wanted to go spend a bit more time training today. You still have a few more hours of light left in the day." Sun's mother pointed out to him.

"That sounds good. We got a session in earlier, but there's only so much you can do with just calling out attacks and stuff," Sun admitted.

"Well, you keep on trying, dear. While you two work hard outside, I'll be working hard inside. Maybe today will finally be the day I finally unpack!" Mom declared with a giggle after before the doorbell rang out, surprising them both.

"The doorbell? Could you go see who that is, Sun?" Mom asked. Sun nodded and made his way to the front door, but Professor Kukui had already barged in like he did a few days ago.

"Hey there Sun!" Kukui greeted the young boy. "We didn't have much time for it the other day, but now that you've had a bit of time to rest up and recover, I figured we could take a little bit of time to show you the other part of being a Pokémon Trainer. You know, since you've got your own Pokémon now."

"What do you mean?" Sun asked, confused. What on earth could the Professor be talking about?

"Just come with me out to Route 1. Make a left from your place and follow the road." Kukui simply replied, flashing the boy his usual smile before exiting the house.

"Well…Looks like we've got an appointment with the Professor." Sun stated, oddly confused before he shook his head. Mom entered the house again, asking what the Professor wanted. Once Sun answered, as much as he could anyway, his Mom put her hands on her hips and grinned.

"Well, don't let me hold you up. Get out there!" Mom said to Sun, who returned her grin and made his way out the door.

"Hurry it up, cousin!" Kukui called as he walked down the road. "Pretend you're a Pokémon and use your Agility!"

Sun snorted at the joke, hating himself just a little bit, but followed the Professor with Oliver in tow. The young boy quickly caught up with the Professor as he paced down the path while whistling a cheerful tune.

"So, how've you been liking Alola?" Kukui asked.

"It's been pretty good so far. Mom and Meowth are enjoying it and I'm still trying to get used to being a Trainer with this little guy." Sun replied as Oliver hooted merrily in response.

"I see. Well, with the Festival coming up tomorrow, I figured I should swing by and give you a quick lesson on one of the core aspects of being a Pokémon Trainer."

"What's that, sir?"

"Catching a Pokémon, of course!" Kukui replied with a laugh as the two of them approached a cliff side with a fence blocking the edges. Long grass extended outwards along the path, making it hard to see what lay beyond. There were clearings here and there, however, which were indeed clear of the stuff.

"So, as you probably know, Pokémon live everywhere possible. In the seas, the skies, and anywhere else they're able to survive. Long grass like this is a hotspot for Pokémon as well. If you find yourself walking through areas like this, then Pokémon will be sure to come out at you." Sun nodded as the Professor explained himself, following him into the tall grass.

"Now that you've got little Oliver there, not only can you fight wild Pokémon…but you can catch them and add them to your team!" Kukui concluded with a wild whoop, startling something in the grass that scurried away.

"Now, I'm going to show you the proper technique when it comes to safely catching a Pokémon. Watch carefully, cousin!" Kukui instructed Sun as he pulled out a Poké Ball from his lab coat. The man walked further out into the grass before a loud chirping sound filled the area. The Professor grinned and moved into a less grassy area before pulling out his Pokéball.

"Alright Rockruff! Let's go!" Kukui called out, tossing his Poké Ball forward and releasing a familiar dog Pokémon. As he did this, a small bird flew towards them, chirping at them.

"This here is what we call a Pikipek. It's a Flying-type Pokémon exclusive to Alola!" Kukui explained before he pointed at the bird Pokémon.

"Rockruff! Hit it with a Tackle!" The Professor commanded the dog Pokémon, which crouched low to the ground before bounding forward with an impressive burst of speed. The Pikipek chirped in surprise as the dog leapt into the air and smashed into it, making it flutter towards the ground with a dazed look on its face.

"You've got to weaken Pokémon before you can catch them…Or rather, you should weaken them before you catch them. Feel free to try without doing any damage. It's just going to be harder for you." Kukui said to Sun as the boy walked up the Professor's side. While Kukui had been explaining this, the Pikipek had been pecking at Rockruff furiously, but it didn't seem to be doing much damage.

"And now that Rockruff has worn it down…" Kukui pulled out another Poké Ball from his coat pocket pressed a button on it, maximizing the ball as he tossed it up and down. The man waited for several seconds as Rockruff ran away from the angry bird before he hurled the Poké Ball across the clearing, hitting the Pikipek in the side and sucking it into the ball.

The Poké Ball shook three times and remained still, making a small clicking sound after a moment.

"Oh yeah!" Kukui cheered, fist-pumping excitedly. The Professor turned to Sun and said, "Wild Pokémon do sometimes attack people if they get too close to them, but if you catch 'em, they'll join your team and help you out!"

Sun grinned at that and said, "Now I'm getting really excited. So what all is there to catch on this route, Professor?"

"Pikipek, Yungoos, and a few other Bug-types, I believe. There's even more over towards my lab. You've got quite a selection of Pokémon to keep an eye out for," Kukui explained to Sun.

"Hmm…"

"What's the matter?" the Professor asked the Kanto-native.

"I think…I'm just going to use Oliver for a bit longer." Sun said as he looked up at the Rowlet on his head.

"Really? Why?" Kukui asked, sounding genuinely curious.

"Well...I just think it's a better idea to just use one Pokémon starting out. If I caught a whole bunch of them, then I'd have to split my attention between them, right? This way, I can focus on getting Oliver stronger before I can focus on another Pokémon. I want to be careful and slow when making my team." Sun explained to the Professor.

"Hmm…So you just want to take things at your own pace, huh?" Kukui asked the boy. Sun nodded. "Well, that's your decision. I can see where you're coming from on there. I've heard about and have personally seen trainers just starting out catch a whole bunch of Pokémon and then have issues later on. It may just be better for you to be more thoughtful in creating your team." Kukui mused as he crossed his arms.

"There's of course pros and cons to the whole idea of holding off on catching Pokémon. You'll be just relying on one Pokémon at the moment, and if something happens to Oliver you'll be in trouble. But it's also an effective way of ensuring he gets all of the attention he needs. He is, after all, your first Pokémon. It may be better to have a stronger Pokémon at your side before you start considering adding new members to your team." Kukui went on, looking out towards the ocean with a small smile.

"So…Do you approve?" Sun asked the Professor.

"Doesn't matter if I do or don't. You do you, cousin. While I can appreciate wanting to take this at a slow pace and making sure your little partner there gets the attention and training he needs…Don't forget that if you do decide to travel out from this little area, there's a lot of trainers with a lot more Pokémon than you." Kukui warned Sun, his smile widening a bit.

Sun thought about it for a minute and said, "I just want to get some training in with Oliver. Once I can handle him…Maybe I'll get a second Pokémon. I don't want to be like those people who have dozens of Pokémon who sit in PC Storage or lounge at a Pokémon Ranch all day."

"I hear you, cousin. You're not the only Trainer to have that mindset. Some people just get a team of 6 and stick with it. Some people have special licenses that let them carry more than that." Kukui replied, earning a surprised look from Sun.

"Really? I didn't know that was allowed." Sun said with an awed tone.

"Yeah, cousin! It's usually for trainers who serve the general public and even some breeders, but it's a real hassle of a license to obtain. Trust me, I've got one." Kukui grinned and added, "I can still only battle with six Pokémon, mind you, but I don't do that kind of thing anymore."

"I can imagine…You'd be a really tough opponent, that's for sure." Sun muttered, making the Professor laugh loudly at that.

"Well, I don't know about that. Anyways, Sun, just remember to keep what I said in mind. You go at your own pace. If you want to catch a few Pokémon, or hold off on it for a little while, then by all means go ahead. The most important thing is that you do what makes you happy."

"Thanks, sir. I'll keep that in mind." Sun said to the older man, smiling now.

"No problem, cousin. You have fun training out here. Make sure to head on home if you and Oliver start getting tired. That way you and him can rest up there and get back into fighting shape!" Kukui advised Sun. Kukui then thought about it for a moment before adding, "Or you could use some Potions! Here's a few Poké Balls and Potions to help get you started, actually!"

Sun's eyes widened in surprise as Kukui slipped out a small pouch from within his coat and opened it, revealing a treasure trove of items. Kukui ended up giving the small boy 10 Poké Balls and 5 Potions, much to the boy's amazement.

"Why don't you have a little adventure out here before turning in for the night? Get some proper training in before the Festival tomorrow?" Kukui suggested as he turned around towards Sun, clapping him on the shoulder.

"Sounds good to me. You have a good night, Professor!" Sun called to the man as he began to make his way down the path, waving to Sun as he walked away. The boy turned to his starter on the ground, which was currently rotating its head around and around in a circle.

"Yeah…Some training sounds good." Sun muttered before he was distracted by a familiar tweeting. A small bird flew into sight, landing in the grass nearby.

"It's another Pikipek." Sun muttered as he looked over at Oliver.

"You up for a fight?" Sun asked his starter. Oliver replied with an eager hoot and flew forward, charging at the Pikipek in question.

"Wait, you're supposed to wait for me to give you a command!" Sun called after the Rowlet, to no avail. Oliver tackled the bird out of the air, hooting in triumph as the bird fell to the ground. The Pikipek glared up at the owl Pokémon with hate in its eyes and flew off of the ground towards it, pecking it repeatedly in the face and making the owl let out cries of pain.

" _Why is Peck doing so much damage…Rowlet is a Grass-type, but it's also flying too, right?"_ Sun wondered, confused by this. He watched his starter eventually knock the bird unconscious, panting slightly and sporting a few cuts but hooting triumphantly regardless.

"So, are you just going to keep charging into battles like that or are we going to train together?" Sun asked Oliver. The owl responded by chasing after a nearby ladybug-like Pokémon that Sun didn't recognize, but later learned was a Ledyba. Oliver made quick work of it with just two Tackles while Sun just stood there, bewildered at the display from his starter. The bird let out a hoot of triumph before fluttering out deeper into the grass. The boy shrugged and waited for the Pokémon to tire itself out. It may have a great deal of enthusiasm, but even it couldn't fight every Pokémon in the area by itself.

After taking out two more Ledyba's, one Caterpie and three Yungoos, the little owl was covered in dings and scraps and was hardly able to move, let alone fly. It clearly hadn't thought out things too clearly when it decided to fight all of those Pokémon.

"Are you done?"

Oliver's head slowly rotated around and he met Sun's eyes. While the boy was looking down at the bird with disapproval, he also had a Potion in his hands.

"Come here so I can heal you." Sun said as he knelt down to his Pokémon. Oliver shuffled forward and allowed his trainer to spray him with the medicine, which stung horribly at first but gave way to a wonderful soothing sensation.

"Better?" Sun asked Oliver, receiving a doleful hoot in reply before the Rowlet hopped forward and nuzzled Sun, who pulled Oliver into a hug.

"It's alright, little guy. We're just getting started here. We're going to make a lot of mistakes. But we're also going to be awesome." Sun said to the bird as he held him out in his hands, with the Rowlet staring up into Sun's stormy-grey eyes. Sun set Oliver back down on the ground and picked up the empty Potion he had set down on the ground and regarded it for a second before putting it in his bag to be recycled later.

"I doubt that'll fix everything up, but you should be able to fight some more if you want too." Sun said to the owl Pokémon, which gave him a look.

"That said…Can we battle together next time, Oliver? Because if you just run out there, you're going to get hurt. We're a team, right?" Sun quietly asked the bird. Oliver stared at Sun for several moments before nodding slowly.

"You chose me, Oliver. And I decided to choose you as well, despite you attacking me. We're in this together. We can get stronger together. But only if we work together. Do you understand?" Sun asked the grassy bird, which responded by hooting loudly in reply and flying up to Sun's head, landing on his hat.

Sun's face broke out into a grin as he said, "There we go! Now let's get you some more training in, alright?"

The duo set off down the road, with Sun popping the Pokédex open and turning it on. The boy did a quick scan for Pokémon known to be in the area. He was surprised, then, when a notification came up.

" _The Rowlet registered to you has learned a new move. Please go to the Team Status feature to learn more."_ The Pokédex intoned, which prompted Sun to check it out.

"Peck, huh? That'll help out a lot, actually…Wait, you're a bird. How did you not learn Peck already? You peck me several times every day!" Sun asked Oliver. The Rowlet simply did the equivalent of a shrug and Sun decided to not pursue that particular question further. He did, however, have his Rowlet knock out a nearby Yungoos that was hissing at them. Oliver managed it with just one Leafage, which surprised Sun.

"You're already getting a bit stronger, aren't you?" Sun asked Oliver as preened its feathers. Oliver looked at Sun for a few moments before nodding slightly, making Sun grin with excitement.

"And to think…If I just kept this up, I could make you get really strong. Maybe I'd get a bit stronger too…All I'd have to do is leave my new home." Sun muttered, feeling his excitement fade away slightly before he shook his head. Enough of that! They had training to do!

The duo continued forward where they encountered a few more wild Pokémon. With Sun directing this time, Oliver managed quite a bit better when fighting, managing to KO about a dozen Pokémon with only taking a little damage. Oliver's newest move, Peck, proved incredibly useful in dispatching the numerous bug Pokémon that came their way, often making them faint with a single hit. Sun made his way out of the grass with a small sigh of relief and began walking up the path.

Sun then encountered his first trainer.

It was a young boy with tanned skin and dark poofy hair, clad in a white t-shirt and ocean-patterned shorts, with a Poké Ball necklace dangling around his neck. He couldn't have been too much younger than Sun.

"Hi there! Would you like to battle?" the boy asked Sun, grinning up at the older boy.

"Sure. I'm Sun, by the way." Sun said as he grinned at the boy, taking a few steps and putting some distance between them so that they could battle properly.

"I'm Jimmy!"

"Alright Jimmy, I've got one Pokémon. How do you want to do this?" Sun asked the boy.

"Just one-on-one. I've only got one Pokémon too." Jimmy replied, disconnecting the Poké Ball from his necklace and releasing a weird-looking black rat Pokémon with what looked like a mustache on its face.

"What on earth is that?" Sun asked the boy, confused. It almost reminded him of something back from Kanto.

"It's a Rattata!" Jimmy replied, hopping up and down and psyching himself up for a battle.

"I wonder if that's one of those Regional Variants the Professor mentioned the other day... Oliver let's go!" Sun commanded the Pokémon forward, making it fly forward and land on the ground in front of them.

"Ratty, use Tackle!" Jimmy commanded the Rattata, which sped towards Oliver with a determined gleam in its eyes.

"Oliver, use Growl!" Sun yelled out. The Rowlet flared its wings and let out a loud hoot, spooking the rat Pokémon as it drew closer and making it actually miss Oliver completely.

"Hit it with Peck!" Sun said to the bird as it flew into the air. Rowlet twirled in midair, hooting again before diving back down towards the Rattata, its beak now glowing bright white and extending outwards. Oliver drove the beak into the side of the Rattata, which went soaring across the field and crashing down onto the ground.

"No! Uh, Ratty, get up and use Tail Whip on his Rowlet!" Jimmy said to the rat Pokémon as it shakily rose to its feet. The Pokémon bounded forward, smacking the Rowlet as it landed on the ground with its tail. Oliver fell over on the ground with a surprised look on its face before quickly getting up.

"Finish it off! Use Leafage!" Sun called out. The Rowlet nodded and shot into the air again, spinning rapidly as a flurry of leaves shot out of its body, hanging still into the air before Rowlet stopped, flaring its wings. The leaves shot towards the Rattata on the ground, rushing by it and knocking it out completely.

"Aww…I lost. But it was still exciting!" Jimmy said as he jogged over to his Rattata and returned it, grinning at Sun. The little boy handed Sun a handful of bills for his victory, which the boy pocketed.

"You're the new kid, right? You're really tough!" Jimmy said to Sun, holding a fist out to the older boy. Sun nodded and met it a moment later, gently tapping the boy's fist with his own.

"You were really good too. Let's have a rematch sometime, alright?" Sun said to the boy, taking a few steps back down the road. Jimmy nodded and bid Sun farewell, running off towards the other direction.

"Well…That's one trainer down. Let's see if we can beat everyone else on the route before night comes. What do you say?" Sun said to his partner, earning a cheerful hoot in response from the Rowlet.

With that, the duo set off up the trail with their spirits high, ready to tackle whatever came their way.

* * *

 _Later…_

* * *

"Mom, I'm home!" Sun called as he opened the door to their house. His mother was setting the table up for dinner, smiling at her child as he entered the home.

"You two were out for much longer than I thought you would be. Did you have trouble with Kukui's lesson? He told me he was going to teach you about Pokémon-catching basics." Mom asked Sun as she walked over to him.

"Oh no, that went well. Me and Oliver were out battling on the route for a while. We beat every trainer we saw along the other path to Iki Town. We made it almost all the way there before we decided to head back."

"Alright. Next time, let me know, OK?" Mom said to her son. She then looked at Oliver and said, "Your Rowlet looks a bit hurt."

"We figured he could rest it off here at home. You do have medicine and stuff here, right?" Sun asked his mother. Mom moved to a nearby cabinet, stocked with several different kinds of medicine, ointment, and bandages.

"It's not much, since I'm still trying to get everything together here. I just bought the essentials." Mom said as she pulled out a Super Potion and gestured for Rowlet to fly to her. To Sun's surprise, the bird responded by obediently flying over to the older woman, who quickly treated the bird and restored him to pristine fighting condition. It was at times like this that Sun was reminded that even though she didn't have her team on her, his mother was still a renowned Pokémon Trainer in her own right, having been a serious contender for the Kanto Championship back in her prime. Pokémon could sense that she was strong, and as a result they responded well to her. Sun wondered if he would ever be able to measure up to her.

Maybe someday.

The family ate their dinners heartily and began to wind down for the night. Before Sun went to bed, however, his Mom outlined for him the plan for tomorrow. Apparently Sun would leave for Iki Town in the morning so that he could arrive early and assist with preparations as much as possible, even though they would likely be done beforehand. The Festival itself would consist of an all-you-can-eat buffet and a series of traditional Alolan dances and shows, with displays of art and the like. The night would close with a traditional battle between two of the island's residents in honor of Tapu Koko.

"I know parties aren't really your thing, but I think you'll have a fun time." Mom remarked as she flipped through the TV ahead of her, skipping past the news and landing an Alolan sight-seeing channel.

"I probably will. It would be nice seeing some of the people I met the other day again," Sun admitted. Hau and Lillie had been really pleasant to meet, Sun realized. He was hoping that they would be there tomorrow.

"Oh? So you _did_ make some friends the other day? Why didn't you tell me about them?" Mom asked Sun.

"Not really friends…Just people I met. I wouldn't mind seeing them again though." Sun said to his mother, shrugging.

"Well, I bet in due time you'll be friends with all of them." Mom with a small chuckle, though that only got her a look from Sun. The boy then looked away, realizing something. Mom's expression turned to a worried one at the downcast expression Sun's face.

"I…Wow, I don't think I had a single friend back home, did I, Mom?" Sun muttered, thinking back on his time in Kanto. His memories didn't lie.

"You were always a bit too reserved for friends back in Celadon, yes. It's not a bad quality to have dear, but your father did perhaps try too hard to instill some of his values into you. You did hero-worship him quite a bit." Mom said quietly to her son, offering her a sad smile. Sun looked away, thinking hard.

" _A kid like you wouldn't even know what to do with friends, now would you?"_ Vivian's words called back to him, ringing within him. As much as he hated to admit it, the strange girl had been right. He had never had a real friend before. With how he had been raised back in Kanto, he never really had time for it. Now…

"Hey." Sun snapped out of his reverie and looked at his mother, who was smiling at him warmly. "You don't need to stress out about any of that. We're here for a fresh start. All you need to be worrying about is enjoying yourself."

"Sorry Mom. Things have been really confusing lately…" Sun muttered, shaking his head. Oliver hooted up at him in concern. Sun scratched the head of the Rowlet for a moment, sighing.

"I know, sweetie. Just please…Don't worry too much about things you can't change. Nothing good comes from it." Mom advised her son as she got to her feet, walked over to Sun and hugged him. Sun returned the embrace a moment later, with Meowth and even Oliver joining in. The family of four remained still for a moment, hugging each other for comfort. Sun smiled despite everything, feeling himself tearing up at the display.

"Sorry guys…Gotta stay positive. Don't know what got into me." Sun muttered as his mother stepped away from him.

"That's nonsense. It's OK to be upset after everything that's happened back home. I just don't want you worrying about it, now that we're here. You've got a Pokémon of your very own and a whole new world at your fingertips." Mom said to Sun with her smile widening.

"…Mom, can I ask you something?"

"Go ahead, dear."

"Should I…try and go on a journey? You know, like go out on my own and explore the island?" Sun asked his mother, receiving an odd look in reply. His mother put a hand on her chin, thinking about it.

"Well…Honestly, I'd say that might be just what you need, Sun. It'll be a chance for you to get out on your own and become a bit more independent." Sun's mother looked at her son with a rueful smile. "Why do you ask? Do you want to go on a journey of your own? We were trying so hard to be able to get you on one in Kanto, but here as well? Why do you want to go on a journey?"

"I…I don't know Mom. I'm really confused about it. On the one hand, I'm so curious about this place. There's so many new Pokémon. There's so many things to experience. I know I'm not really an outdoorsy or social person, but…I want to get better. Stronger, I guess. Plus, now that I'm a Pokémon Trainer…I feel like it's something I have to do, even if I'm not comfortable with it at first." Sun explained slowly, trying to figure out a way to explain what he was feeling.

"But…I also don't want to leave home. At least, not so soon. I mean, we just left our old home. Why should I have to leave my new one right away…It's so confusing." Sun muttered, shaking his head while his mother actually laughed.

"Sun, it's OK to be confused on what you want in life. That's honestly part of growing up. What I want you to do is be happy. If going on a journey of your own will help you be happy, then I support you completely. If you want to stay home for a while and get settled, I support that too. I will always support you, dear. No matter what." Mom said to her child, sitting back down on the couch.

"Thanks Mom." Sun replied, smiling again and, once again, trying not to tear up.

"You're very welcome, sweetie…Oh wait, I just remembered. I got you something from the city the other day while you were gone. I completely forgot about it!" Mom hopped up from her spot and moved over to the other side of the room, nudging aside a few boxes before pulling out a small silver box inlaid with fancy yellow text on the front.

"Pokémon Refresh? What's that?" Sun asked as his mother handed him the box.

"It's a lovely little kit designed to help keep your Pokémon looking their best. I mean, if you're Pokémon are fighting all the time, they're going to get themselves dirty and messy, right? That's where Pokémon Refresh comes in! It comes with everything you need to make sure your Pokémon are looking fantastic. Plus, it's been proven to help strength the bond between trainers and their Pokémon." Mom explained to an incredulous Sun. The boy looked into the kit and found all sorts of things within it. A hairdryer, a comb, a brush, and so much more. The boy pulled out a box within the box and opened it, and found it full of multicolored beans, to his surprise.

"Those are Poké Beans. Those are little snacks that you can feed to your Pokémon, farmed here in the Alola region, I think. Go on, try it out!" Sun's mother urged him. The boy looked skeptical, but fished out a red bean and handed it to Oliver. The Rowlet cocked its head before it moved forward and began pecking at the bean, it's eyes lighting up.

"Looks like he's enjoying it." Mom said happily as Oliver cooed in delight. Sun then pulled out the Pokémon-shaped comb and slowly began brushing Oliver with it. The bird froze for several moments before relaxing, shutting its eyes and letting out a soft cry.

"See how much relaxed he is? I think it's a wonderful way to strength the bond between a trainer and their Pokémon." Mom said as she sat back down on the couch, smiling as she watched her son comb through the feathers of Oliver until they were neat again. Oliver let out a happy hoot and nuzzled Sun for a moment before flying up to his head and landing on his hat. The family chatted for a little while longer, even using the Pokémon Refresh on Meowth to ensure that it was indeed a very effective method of grooming Pokémon and making them happy. Soon enough, however, the family headed to bed and prepared themselves for the festivities that would take place tomorrow.


	7. The Festival

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _So I've come to realize something, over the course of planning out the major events of this story._

 _With some of my fics, there's generally a few themes or messages I like to get across. None of these have ever been done purposely, and were just byproducts of the story itself._

 _With DOTD, one of the themes was the significance of friendship, and what their support can do for you in trying times. Another was that loss is an incredibly powerful force, one that can either motivate someone to change the world or make them crumple into nothingness._

 _With Jak IV, there were many themes of letting go of the past, and of past hurts. Of acceptance and love, usually. I feel like despite everything, that's a happier story than DOTD was._

 _With this story, however, I've decided to settle on a few themes that hit very close to home for me as a person and themes that I believe would work well within the story the game presents the player. Over the course of the story, we'll see just how these themes and messages will come into play._

 _Quick note, for those who may be wondering. I'm still undecided with what I'm going to do with the Festival Plaza. I may introduce it later, I may not. I genuinely don't know, since I didn't use it much in game and it's not super important._

 _As for the Poké Pelago? I have no idea how I could possibly incorporate that, since I have no idea how to since the guy who runs it (avoiding spoilers) is kinda important and it's not explained why he's there and how you can get there, or really what the place is. It makes no sense to me at all. If someone can come up with a reason that makes sense or more info is revealed about what's up, I'll see what I can do. At this point, however, I'm just skipping it._

 _Anyways, shoutout to the lovely folks who reviewed since the last update, which includes Ways, Cottonmouth25, Dunka99 and Sai Og Sus. Thank you so much for the support and feedback._

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 _Chapter 7: The Festival_

* * *

The morning of the Festival was surprisingly dull, with Sun helping his mother around the house. Meowth watched lazily from the couch while Oliver was flying around like mad, attempting to either help or hinder them as much as possible. A knock at the door jarred everyone out of their frenzied attempts to get the moving in process finished.

"Wanna bet it's the Professor?" Sun asked his mother.

"The last time I made a bet that stupid, I ended up riding a Lapras through a thunderstorm while wearing a clown suit. No deal." Mom replied dryly as she finished putting up a few knickknacks on a shelf. A small silence followed this, making Mom look behind her and see her son giving her a very very confused look.

"Just get the door, dear." Sun's mother laughed nervously as her child slowly shook his head.

"He's just going to throw it open like he's done the past few times. Why should I even bother?" Sun asked his mother, trying to get his brain to focus again after that particularly odd mental image.

"Sun, I sincerely doubt the Professor would do that for a third time-"

"Hey there, Sun! You ready to head out to the festival?" Kukui asked cheerfully as he walked into the house, grinning widely in excitement. Sun's expression changed from confusion to amusement as he slowly turned around to see his mother staring at Kukui with an unreadable expression, though her left eye was twitching somewhat.

"Kukui…Why bother knocking if you're just coming in anyway?" Mom asked the Professor, who seemed taken aback at the question.

"Uhh…Huh. I just realized that I do that a lot. Sorry about that." Kukui apologized sheepishly as Mom sighed, shaking her head for a few moments before she brightened up a little.

"So, what brings you here, Professor?" Mom asked the man.

"I'm here to bring Sun to the Festival, of course." Kukui said to the boy, grinning at him.

"Oh. Alright. I forgot that we were supposed to get there a bit early." Sun admitted before turning towards his Mom, who was making a playful shooing motion.

"Have fun at the Festival, sweetie! I'm sure you'll have a good time with little Oliver!" Mom then flashed Sun a grin and said, "Me and Meowth will be sure to unpack every last box here before we head out ourselves. You'll see."

"I think the only thing I'll be seeing is boxes, Mom." Sun received an embarrassed look from his mother in reply, but was simply given a hug before the boy made his way out of the door and followed the Professor outside, where the man was waiting patiently for him.

"You look like you've toughed up a bit since the last time we met, cousin!" Kukui said to the boy, reaching over and petting Oliver on the head as he spoke. The owl Pokémon hooted in pleasure, closing his eyes for a few moments before Kukui moved away.

"We spent a good while training on Route 1." Sun explained as he tossed a green Poké Bean up to his partner, who snapped it up out of the air. The Pokémon quickly scarfed it down and hooted happily, ruffling its feathers.

"Yeah, that's how it's done. I'm still a little surprised you don't have any other Pokémon though. You sure you didn't want to catch just one other Pokémon?" Kukui asked Sun, who shook his head.

"I'm just starting to be able to handle Oliver. I don't want to throw more Pokémon into the mix-" Sun began to say before Oliver flew off of his head and tackled Sun from behind, knocking the boy to the ground. The bird landed lightly on his trainer's prone form while the Professor watched on in horror.

"OK…So I take back what I said about being able to handle Oliver. But he's getting better."

"…I don't believe you."

"No seriously, he's been getting much better. "

"I'm having you checked out for a possible concussion." Kukui said with a weak grin, helping Sun to his feet as Oliver landed on the ground, chirping and hooting in amusement.

"Laugh it up, bird-brain." Sun muttered as the Rowlet hooted in reply. The bird flew up to Sun's head as the two began making their way down the road, with Sun wincing in pain.

"Back to what I was saying though. Me and Oliver are making a lot of progress. He's already way stronger than he used to be and he listens to me a lot more now," Sun explained to the Professor.

"I can tell...sort of. That's good though, cousin! Maybe that's why the Kahuna decided to choose you to be part of our ceremonial battle this evening." Kukui said to the young boy walking alongside him.

"Ceremonial battle?" Sun asked.

"Oh yeah. There's a Pokémon battle at the end of every Festival we do, done in honor of Tapu Koko. Hala decided to choose you as one of the participants in the contest. Should be fun, yeah?" Kukui said to the boy, receiving a surprised and horrified look from Sun in response. The boy ran ahead of the man and blocked his path.

"Wait, what!? Seriously!? You want to me to fight at the ceremonial battle tonight? In front of all of those people!?" Sun nearly yelled, feeling panic well up inside of him. He was still a newbie! He had only been training for a week! Why would they have him fight in such an important setting like that!

"Well…yeah, cousin. The Kahuna requested that you participate in the battle. It only makes sense, after all. Tapu Koko itself saved you the other day. Not something that happens frequently, you know?" Kukui replied as he walked past the boy, patting him on the shoulder as he passed him. Sun stared at the Professor for a few moments before charging after him, determined to find a way out of this mess.

Long story short, Sun failed.

The walk to Iki Town was uneventful, aside from Kukui assuring Sun that he would be fine. When they arrived, however, Sun was downright amazed at the sight of the village that seemed to calm and reverent a few days ago.

"Wow…This place looks so… _festive_."

"Well duh. It's a Festival!"

"…I remember that now."

Sun couldn't help but admire the overhaul the town had gone through, though. Colorful flowers and decorated banners were carefully arranged everywhere throughout the town. Pieces of artwork, such as intricately-made wooden carvings, were out on display and would be featured later on tonight during live sessions with Alolan professional sculptors. Unlit torches were embedded into the ground everywhere, ready to be set ablaze at a moment's notice. Citizens were scurrying about, cleaning the place up as much as possible while men and women lined up at the buffet table, frantically preparing for the feat of feeding an entire town plus many more.

"How many people show up to the Festival, Professor?" Sun asked.

"Not as many as you'd think. A few dozen people usually show up every year, generally the same folks and maybe the occasional few tourists. Now, what do you say we help out the others as much as we can, eh?" Kukui asked the young boy. Sun offered the man a smile and a shrug before the two of them hurried off to assist in the preparations as much as possible.

* * *

Several Hours Later…

* * *

Lillie wasn't much of a fan of parties.

She was a reserved person at heart. She liked to be curled up with a good book, alone in her room. Instead, she was amongst a crowd of laughing and cheering people as Alolan dancers performed ceremonial dances that were admittedly quite impressive, but not quite her speed.

"Pew?"

The girl glanced down at her bag and saw Nebby peering up at her. Lillie reached into the bag and petted the strange Pokémon, receiving a happy coo in response from it.

"Don't worry, Nebby. I'll let you out to have a bit of fun later. Just not the entire night, though. We still have to be careful, even with the Kahuna and the Professor here." Lillie explained to the Pokémon. Nebby nodded slowly before shutting its eyes, deciding to nap instead.

Lillie began to make her way around the festival, taking in the sights and sounds around her. A local band was preforming on stage, with a trio of drummers pounding away furiously on their instruments while two dancers glided across the stage, playing two flutes rather skillfully. Lillie smiled at the display, having always had a soft spot for music. It had been a while since she had last played…She wondered if she could justify heading into the city and buying a few replacement instruments for the ones not available to her? Probably not, no. She had to be careful with her money...or she had to try to be, anyway.

The girl watched the festivities from the fringes of the crowd, passively observing people dancing and laughing and carrying on. Professor Kukui was holding a lesson on Pokémon care to a crowd of amazed children, showing off a rather bored-looking Litten that he had recently obtained from Hala for study. She turned her gaze elsewhere and saw Hau dancing in the middle of the crowd, looking as happy as can be. Lillie's steps took her even further away from the Festival, where the noise was lessened and the people were fewer, and her mind began to wander.

Lillie thought of the past…Of what she hoped to do. Hoped to change, before it was too late. How she had to sort out the secrets of the Pokémon within her bag before bad things befell them all. Her thoughts turned to the events earlier within the week, where Nebby had attacked by Spearow. How she had been petrified with fear and had been unable to step onto the rickety bridge to save her Pokémon. And then she thought of the brave boy who risked his life to save Nebby from the Spearow.

" _Odd…I haven't seen him yet here. I could have sworn Hau said that the boy would be here."_ Lillie thought with a brief bit of confusion.

"You look really lost." Lillie gasped in surprise and whirled around to see a familiar boy grinning at her, his stormy grey eyes gleaming in the firelight. The friendly grin he had on his face, much like last time, startled her and took her aback for a moment.

"Everything alright?" Sun asked Lillie, a bit of concern on his face at her reaction to him.

"Oh…Um, yes. Sorry. I'm a bit out of my element." Lillie said with a small laugh, rubbing the back of her head and feeling embarrassed.

"Hey, don't worry about it. I'm not much good at parties either. I'm actually…well, kinda nervous about being around so many strangers, myself. If it was up to me, I'd probably either be practicing my flute or trying to get more training in with Oliver-" Sun stopped himself at the look Lillie was giving him.

"You play the flute too?" Lillie asked, smiling now. "You're the first person I've met here that even plays an instrument."

"What about those guys over there?" Sun asked, pointing at the stage where the performers just ended their show.

"I don't actually know any of them." Lillie said dismissively, asking a moment later with a bit of enthusiasm, "So how long have you been playing the flute?"

It was Sun's turn to be taken aback. Lillie was pretty shy until she got excited about something, that was for sure. Regardless, Sun shrugged and said, "I'm still learning, but I can manage a few of the scales and a few songs. I've been playing for about three months. I'm nowhere near as good as the people that just preformed, that's for sure."

"Do you teach yourself or do you have someone tutoring you?" Lillie asked Sun. The boy opened his mouth to respond before he stopped himself and held up a finger.

"Let's walk and talk. Hau's already gotten on me for not socializing and enjoying the Festival. If we're moving and chatting, then he won't get worked up over it." Sun said to the girl, who nodded in reply, smiling thinly. The pair began their slow way around the crowd, continuing their conversation.

"I'm self-taught, for the most part. My Mom's bought me a few books, but for the most part it's just me figuring it out for myself. How about you, Lillie?" Sun asked.

"I've played since I was little. My family was pretty big on everyone having a well-rounded education, so everyone naturally knows how to play an instrument. I ended up getting pretty good on the flute. I can play a bit on the drums, too." Lillie admitted, tilting her hat slightly.

"That's awesome. Maybe you could give me a few pointers sometime." Sun said as he drew his flute out of his bag, twirling it in his fingers for a moment while Lillie watched him with another surprised look on her face.

"You brought yours with you?" Lillie asked.

"Yeah. May as well get some practice while I'm out." Sun remarked with a shrug, playing a few notes that seemed out of tune. The boy frowned and played again, with better results.

"Practice makes perfect. Just keep it up and you'll be amazed at how well you can do." Lillie said encouragingly, grinning at the boy.

"Pew!" Lillie yelped as Nebby suddenly wriggled within her bag, knocking her into Sun. The boy stumbled forward and was caught by Hau, who had actually wandered towards them.

"You OK?" Hau asked Sun as the boy regained his balance.

"Nebby…You little troublemaker." Lillie sighed before she turned to Sun and said, "I'm so sorry about that. Nebby really wants to come out and play, but…"

"Don't worry about it. I'm fine." Sun replied to Lillie, grinning back at her before he turned to Hau.

"Sorry about that. You're good, right?" Sun asked Hau, receiving a cheery nod in reply.

"Yep! Never better! How's it going, you two? Having fun?" Hau greeted them properly, beaming at them with his eyes shut.

"I'm doing well, Hau." Lillie replied politely, smiling at the other boy's endless good mood. It felt different from Sun's positivity though. She couldn't quite place the reason why.

"Pretty good. How about you? Having fun?" Sun asked Hau.

"Sure am! Right now I'm just waiting until the end of the night when I get to battle an opponent in honor of Tapu Koko. I got picked to take part in the ceremonial battle." Hau said with a small excited laugh.

"Looks like that makes us opponents then." Sun said as he shifted his stance, grinning a bit wider now.

"No way! They picked you as my opponent for the battle? That's awesome!" Hau did a little hop in excitement, pulling out two Poké Balls and said, "We're going to show everyone our stuff. You better bring your A-game!"

"Absolutely." Sun said as Hau extended a hand towards the other boy. Sun shook it as Lillie watched on, smiling at the two boys despite herself.

"Well, we don't have much longer to wait for your battle. I believe it was after the ice-carving competition and that's after the storytelling event right now." Lillie said as she leaned to the side to watch the proceedings on the stage. She leaned back towards the two boys and said, "It should be any minute now. I would get ready."

"Sounds good. See you both in a little bit! I'm off to find Tutu!" Hau said as he ran off in the other direction. Sun shook his head slightly, though he was still smiling regardless.

"He's so carefree. Must be nice." Sun remarked after a brief moment of silence. To his surprise, Lillie sighed deeply and nodded in agreement a moment later, looking a bit down. Sun was tempted to ask her, again, if she was OK, but he decided not to. After all, he didn't want to pry.

"You want to head to the buffet? I haven't really had a chance to get there since this place is so packed." Sun asked Lillie, receiving a mute nod in response before the pair headed towards the main food area. Sun let out Oliver out during this time and asked the Rowlet which items, if any, he wanted to try.

Five minutes and a slew of apologies to the cooks and attendants later, Oliver was hosed down and returned to his Poké Ball by a sheepish Sun.

"At least it didn't ruin the pudding." Lillie commented as Sun sat down on the ground, slightly winded from the ordeal.

"I would like to hope not. That's my favorite treat, I'll have you know." Sun turned around at the sound of the Kahuna's voice, with Hala watching the two with an amused smile and a large plate of pudding in his hands.

"I thought you were waiting by the stage?" Sun asked, slightly confused.

"I was." was the Kahuna's reply.

"…And you're here now."

"Yes I am. Sun, I may be a Kahuna, but I also enjoy pudding. Lots of it. I'm getting up there in years, so I can indulge as much as I want too." Hala proved this true by putting a large spoonful of the stuff into his mouth.

"I can see that, sir." Sun remarked, his eyes drifting to the man's rather large belly. Lillie stifled a laugh at this while Hala openly cackled at the remark.

"You've got a sense of humor, lad! Kukui's found another good one, absolutely. That said, I wanted to let you know that the ceremonial battle will be taking place soon and that you need to be sure you're ready to go by the time I come back. Do you understand, Sun?" Hala said to the boy, getting a nod back from him.

Hala nodded in satisfaction, walked back over to the buffet table and began stuffing more pudding onto his plate.

"So we're just going to pretend he didn't just do that and that he's still a super cool authority figure, right?" Sun whispered to Lillie, who was still trying not to laugh. To their surprise, Hala walked back over to them and bent down towards Sun.

"By all means keep doing that." Hala said quietly, grinning as Sun paled slightly at being heard by the older gentlemen.

"Umm…So, Mister Hala. Or, Kahuna. What is the real significance of the Festival? Like, why is it so important? I only know a little about it, honestly." Sun admitted to the older trainer. The older man took a bite of pudding and began walking away, though he gestured for the two children to follow him.

"Hmm…Well, as you are no doubt aware, the Alola region is made up of four islands. And each island has its own guardian Pokémon, just like our very own Tapu Koko. The Festival held today is done to express our gratitude towards these Pokémon guardian deities for remaining by our sides and watching over us." Hala explained as Lillie and Sun walked behind him. Hala stopped himself for a moment, chuckling.

"What is it, sir?" Sun asked.

"Well…I call this a _Festival_ , but it's really just a small party. But…" Hala turned around, grinning at the children as his mustache wrinkled slightly. "Just because there isn't very many of us, doesn't mean that every last one of us doesn't go all out!"

"Just like me and Hau will have to in the battle later on." Sun commented, smiling slightly.

Lillie sighed next to Sun, though she too smiled a little. "As I said before, I don't like seeing Pokémon get hurt. But I'll be sure to watch you and Hau and cheer you both on."

"Thanks Lillie." Sun said with a grateful grin, making Lillie smile a bit more in return. Hala chuckled at the exchange and said something under his breath that neither child caught.

"This is going to be so much fun!" Lillie yelped as Hau suddenly appeared over their shoulders, grinning widely. Sun had simply flinched in surprise, but turned around and met the boy's smile with one of his own.

"I hope so. I've never been on stage in front of so many people before. That's…not going to be very good." Sun muttered, shuddering slightly as his smile took a hit.

"What's wrong? Do you have stage fright?" Hau asked the other boy, receiving a short nod in response.

"I'm not…really all that good with being in front of people. It wasn't so bad back in Kanto, because I only really left the house for short trips with my Dad or to go watch my Mom battle the Gym Leaders a few years ago. My Mom home-schooled me growing up, so...yeah. Crowds and me don't mix too well." Sun explained, stuffing his hands in his pockets and blushing slightly. It was a bit embarrassing to say the least.

"You didn't get out much in Kanto, did you?" Hau asked with a raised eyebrow. Sun looked at him for a moment, but just remained silent.

"I'm sure it'll all turn out just fine. You both have a bit of training under your belts, right? Everything should be alright as long as you both give it everything you've got." Lillie said encouragingly to Sun as Hau grinned at them both. Hau blinked then, as if remembering something.

"Which reminds me. I was wondering if you wanted me to help you train Nebby so that it can get stronger That way you can protect yourself if you need too." Hau said a bit more seriously to the girl.

"Sadly, Nebby doesn't seem to be able to learn any moves. Aside from Splash and Teleport, that is. No one knows much about it, so until we do, I'm just keeping it safe. I don't want to risk something happening just for the sake of trying to get it stronger." Lillie asserted as he put a hand on her bag.

"No one's making you do anything you don't want to, Lillie. I think he was just suggesting it." Sun said as he looked over at Hau, who was frowning for the first time since he had met the child.

"If I may interrupt?" The children turned to Hala, who had remained quiet for a few minutes now. "I believe it is time for the ceremonial battle to begin. Hau, you healed up your Pokémon before the festival, correct?" Hala asked the boy. Hau nodded, still looking a bit thoughtful. Hala nodded in response before turning to Sun.

"Now Sun…Are you ready for this Pokémon battle?" Hala asked formally, looking down at Sun with the power of the Kahuna radiating in his voice.

"Yes." Sun said firmly, pulling out Oliver's Poké Ball.

"Good! Then come this way, so that we may finally begin." Hala said to Sun and Hau. Both children followed behind the elder trainer as he led them through the crowd, leaving Lillie behind.

* * *

The sun had finally begun to set by the time the crowd had arranged around the center stage within the middle of the village, painting the sky above Alola with a serene display of fiery orange, light blue and rosy pink colors, the clouds accentuating the beauty of the sunset. The sound of torches crackling was the only audible sound heard within the town, so silent were its inhabitants. When the Kahuna took the stage, all were to fall silent to hear the words of the one chosen by the guardian deity of the island.

Hala regarded the crowd with an unreadable expression. Each of them could feel the authority and power behind the large man. The Kahuna silently watched the crowd for a time, with every one of them waiting for the renowned trainer to speak. Hala's mouth twitched for a moment, becoming a slight smile, before the smile vanished and was replaced by the man's mask-like expression.

And then he began to speak.

"For all life on our islands…and for those who undertake the island challenge with joy in their hearts. We pray for your protection…for them and all MeleMele. You who watches us from the sky with lightning coming at your call…We thank you for your assistance and companionship. May this Pokémon battle be an offering to our island's guardian deity – Tapu Koko!" Hala declared, his voice forcefully echoing through the town and into the wilderness surrounding it, as if he was attempting to ensure it reached all corners of the island so that the guardian who watched over them could hear his words. Hala then gestured to his left, where Hau was standing still and seemed oddly calm, though a small eager smile was on the boy's face despite everything.

"Before you stands Hau – grandson to the Kahuna. A gifted and eager young boy who holds a love of Pokémon and of life within his heart." Hala said to the crowd, a noticeable trace of pride within the older man's voice being just noticeable under the surface of his tone. Hau slowly made his way up the steps, standing alone on the right side of the stage as he stared down his opponent waiting for him.

Hala then lowered his hand and gestured to his left, where Sun was standing still and observing the proceedings with a growing sense of nervousness clawing at him. He had only a few hours worth of serious training under his belt. Could he really defeat Hau for a second time? In front of all of these people?

" _Yes…I believe in Oliver. We've worked hard ever since we met. We've got this. Just ignore the crowd…and focus on the battle!"_ Sun thought to himself firmly, some of the anxiety fading away. Hala spoke then, jolting Sun out of his reverie.

"Before him stands Sun – One who has met with Tapu Koko." Hala said to the crowd, sending a wave of surprise through them. Sun made his way up the stairs slowly, glancing over at Lillie just to his left, watching him nervously. Around Sun, however, the crowd was murmuring.

"What!? How could that be? He's just a child!"

"What a curious little thing Tapu Koko is! That's just about what we'd expect from it!"

Sun was surprised of this reaction from them, sending a fresh bout of nerves through the boy. This was quickly driven away from Sun just as soon as it had appeared when a familiar voice yelled out from the crowd.

"Oliver! You take care of my little Sun! I know you two can do it!" Mom yelled out, waving at her child with a wide grin.

"Nervous still?" Hau said to Sun, smiling at the boy for the first time since the silence fell on the crowd.

"A bit. Feeling better now, I guess," Sun replied quietly.

"No need to feel nervous. As long as we both have a good time, then I think we can call it a great battle, eh?" Hau said to the other boy, laughing a little. Sun smiled then, feeling a bit more of his nervousness leave him at the boys words. This was just for fun. A show for the crowd and to the Pokémon that had saved him earlier that week.

"Yeah…Let's give them a fight to remember." Sun said to the other boy, making Hau grin with excitement.

"Sun! Hau! Bring forth the power of your Pokémon!" Hala declared, stepping away from the two of them and waving his hand downwards, signaling the beginning of the battle. Sun unclipped the Poké Ball from his belt, gripping it tightly as he held it out in front of him.

"Oliver! Let's go!" Sun shouted, tossing the Poké Ball forward and releasing the Rowlet. Oliver hooted cheerfully, flying into the air before landing on the ground. A cheer went through the crowd as the owl Pokémon was released.

"Heh. Alright! Duke, you're up!" Hau said as he snatched up a Poké Ball from his belt, tossing it into the air and catching it before hurling it forward. A small yellow mouse with black accents on its ears was released, letting out a faint cry.

"Pichu…That's the pre-evolution of Pikachu, isn't it?" Sun muttered, frowning slightly. He wasn't expecting to have to deal with a Pokémon that would be able to do serious damage to Oliver. He'd have to knock it out quickly then.

"Oliver, go! Use Peck!" Sun commanded the bird, which took off into the air with a hoot as Hau and his Pichu watched on.

Hau smirked and called, "Hit him with a Charm!"

The small mouse Pokémon scampered forward as Oliver shot into the sky, his beak glowing bright white as it filled with energy. The Rowlet then dove down towards the Pichu, whose eyes widened in horror before the speeding owl smashed into it, driving its beak painfully into the mouse's chest. Oliver turned around, hooting in triumph as Duke rose to his feet. The Pichu looked up at the Rowlet with a pained yet adorable expression, its eyes going wide. Oliver hooted in confusion for a moment before shaking its head frantically.

"Don't let that cute face stop you, Oliver! Tackle it!" Sun said to his starter. Oliver hooted in reply, shooting towards its opponent again and ramming into the Pichu's side, sending it crashing onto the wooden stage with a cry.

"Tail Whip! Weaken it a bit more!" Hau urged his Pichu. Duke rose to his feet with a wince and darted forward, leaping into the air as Oliver turned around and smacking the bird in the face with its tail. Oliver winced at the attack, flying a bit higher now.

"Finish it off! Leafage!" Sun commanded the Rowlet. Oliver nodded as it thrusted out its wings, a series of glowing green leaves erupting from the body of the owl. Oliver began spinning rapidly in midair, willing the leaves down towards the Pichu in a swirling vortex of greenery. The small mouse Pokémon was quickly pelted by the attack and was knocked out, having taken just too much damage.

"Pichu is unable to battle! Hau, please bring forth your next Pokémon!" Hala commanded the young boy. Hau returned his Pichu, muttered something to it, before he slipped the Poké Ball into his pocket and brought out another.

"Cassy! Let's show them our stuff!" Hau yelled out as the Popplio burst out of its Poké Ball, balancing on its tail and cheerfully letting out a cry.

" _Oliver didn't take any damage from the Pichu…But that doesn't mean he's not a bit worn out. Plus with those stat-lowering moves he got hit with, it may make dealing with Hau's Popplio a pain."_ Sun thought as Oliver landed on the ground in front of him.

"Use Tackle, Oliver!" Sun commanded the owl Pokémon. Oliver flew straight at the Popplio, hooting bloody murder and making the seal Pokémon's eyes widen in horror.

"Use Growl! Show him you mean business!" Hau yelled out. Oliver tackled Cassy to the ground, hooting loudly, though he was still within range of Cassy's growl that made the bird shudder visibly in midair.

" _Hau's got a good strategy going on. He knows I've got just one Pokémon, so he's weakening it as much as possible…But it's not a perfect strategy. I've still got a type-advantage over him!"_ Sun thought as his smile widened slightly.

"Use Leafage, Oliver!" Sun yelled out. Oliver called forth another barrage of leaves and willed them downwards, assaulting Cassy with the leaves. However, it was obvious that the Growl and Charm attacks had worn Oliver down, as Cassy was noticeably able to shrug off the attack with little more than a pained wince.

"Growl again!" Hau commanded, his grin widening as the Popplio let out another furious growl at the bird.

"Leafage, one more time!" Sun yelled out, feeling a bit of panic welling up within him. Oliver obeyed, sending another series of leaves at the sea lion Pokémon. As the attack was hitting Cassy, Hau yelled out, "Now, use Water Gun!"

The attack erupted from the Popplio's mouth, blasting apart the leaves and gushing towards Oliver. The bird had time for its eyes to widen in surprise before the Water Gun knocked it out of the air and onto the ground, where the Pokémon winced.

"That was really strong for just a Water Gun. What gives?" Sun wondered as Oliver rose to his feet. "Oliver, use Tackle!"

"Cassy, hit him with Pound!" Hau called in return. Both Pokémon charged at each other and collided in the middle of the stage, though after a few moments Cassy managed to shove Oliver to the ground with a cry. Oliver fell onto the stage with a hoot of pain before it stumbled to its feet.

"Leafage, Oliver! One more time!" Sun ordered the Rowlet. Oliver released another rush of leaves from within its feathers and sent them forward. Cassy let out a howl of pain as the attack hit her again, though when she fell to the ground this time, she didn't get back up.

"Cascade is unable to battle…Ladies and gentlemen, I present you with the winner of the ceremonial battle, Sun!" Hala shouted, gesturing to the Kanto-native with a smile on his face. The crowd around them erupted with applause as Oliver fluttered back over to Sun as he grinned back at the crowd.

"What? It's already over?" Hau remarked as he returned Cassy, laughing as he rubbed the back of his head. "That really was an awesome, Sun!"

Hau stepped forward, extending a hand towards Sun. He shook the hand of the other boy, grinning back at him.

"You were really good there. Those stat-lowering moves really do take a toll, don't they?" Sun said to Hau, earning a giggle in response.

"Really, though. I had such a blast fighting you! We need to fight again soon!" Hau said to the boy as he stepped away, laughing a little more.

"It was a good battle." Both children looked towards Hala, who had been watching the display with a smile. "Both of you showed great heart and strength. Sun, you have taken to becoming a trainer unlike anyone I have seen in quite some time. And Hau, while you may have lost, you have showed tremendous improvement and have obviously been working hard to improve yourself and your team. Between the two of you, I would imagine that even Tapu Koko-"

"Ko-ko-kooo!" The Kahuna was cut off by a loud cry that echoed throughout the town. Everyone looked up to see a streak of lightning soaring above them. The guardian deity stared down from above, electricity surging around it as it did a few spins in the air. It then vanished as quickly as it appeared, soaring off towards another part of the island.

"Ho, ho, ho! You heard it yourself, my children. Tapu Koko's song of approval." Hala said to both of the boys with another prideful smile, stepping forward and clapping both of them on the shoulder. Hala then snapped his fingers, as if remembering something, which turned out to be the case.

"I nearly forgot! Ha! Sun, I believe it is time that I returned this to you." Hala said to the boy, reaching into a jacket pocket and pulling out a grey armlet. It had several small gauges in it, as if something were to be placed within the slots. It looked somewhat familiar, and gave off a sense of power. Sun took the object with confusion, though he realized what it was supposed to be a moment later and slowly slipped it on his left wrist.

"So…what is it?" Sun asked the Kahuna.

"That is a Z-Ring. A mysterious armband that can draw out the power that lies deep within Pokémon. It can bring forth their Z-Power!" Hala explained to the young boy. "We Kahunas are able to make them by refining stones like the sparkling stone that you received from Tapu Koko. Take good care of it, my boy."

"I will sir. Thank you." Sun said quietly as he marveled at the precious gift he had been given.

"Though…Until you collect more Z-Crystals during your Island Challenge, you will not be able to draw out the Z-Power of your Pokémon," Hala continued, his expression turning thoughtful. "And yet you have already received that sparkling stone…It seems as though Tapu Koko has taken a liking to you, my boy. Or perhaps…It has a mission for you. Maybe it sees something special within you."

"So in other words…" Sun, Hau, and Hala turned around to see Kukui standing next to the stage, grinning like a madman. "It's time for you to get out there and start your Island Challenge!"

"Island Challenge? What's that?" Sun asked Hau, who simply grinned back at him. Sun looked back to Kukui as he brought up his hand, holding four fingers up.

"Four islands! Over the course of the Island Challenge, you will have to travel to each of the four islands here in the Alola region. The Island Challenge, Sun, is about aiming to be the strongest Trainer out there - the Island Challenge Champion! If you visit every island, Sun, maybe you'll figure out what this mission from Tapu Koko is. And even if you don't, it's a great way to experience everything Alola has to offer!" Kukui explained with excitement pounding through every word.

"Yeah…Sounds interesting, that's for sure." Sun muttered, looking back down at his Z-Ring.

"I believe that discussion is one that will have to wait for another time. The night is upon us and we must conclude the festival, Professor." Hala said to the other man.

"We'll talk about the Island Challenge later, don't you worry. You do your thing, Kahuna." Kukui replied, giving the man a thumbs up. Hala nodded and gestured for the children to depart from the stage. Hala concluded the ceremony by formally thanking them for coming, and thanking Tapu Koko for its continued protection.

All in all, Sun had to admit that this was definitely a party he would be coming to again in the future. It may not have been his thing, but he enjoyed it nevertheless. A good portion of the townsfolk were cleaning up now, and even more had departed for home or were just chatting. Sun was following Professor Kukui and his mother, both of whom had begun walking out of the town to head for home.

Sun followed the two adults, taking his time walking as he ran a Tyranitar-shaped comb through the feathers of Oliver. The owl Pokémon cooed softly, shutting his eyes as he visibly relaxed.

"You really do like that, don't you?" Sun asked Oliver, receiving a quiet yet happy hoot in response.

"Hey Sun?" The boy in question glanced to his left and saw Lillie walking alongside him, smiling at him.

"Oh, hey. What did you think of the battle?" Sun asked Lillie.

"It was quite good. You and Hau are really talented, even though you haven't been trainers all that long. I wonder what Tapu Koko thought of your battle?" Lillie wondered, her expression becoming thoughtful.

"I hope it enjoyed it, honestly. Hau wasn't easy to beat," Sun admitted.

"Well…I hope I can meet it again someday and thank it for saving Nebby. I'll never forget what Tapu Koko did for us." Lillie replied quietly, patting the bag hanging from her shoulder. Nebby took that moment to wriggle around in its bag, letting out a "Pew!" of agreement.

"Yeah. Me too." Sun agreed, running the comb through Oliver's feathers once again. Lillie nodded in reply, taking a moment to calm Nebby down before speaking again.

"Yes…It saved you as well, didn't it? Plus it gave you that sparkling stone…the one that became your Z-Ring." Lillie continued, gesturing to the armband on Sun's wrist. "Even though you're a stranger to this place, the guardian deity deemed fit to give you a wonderful gift like that."

"Hey!" Lillie winced in surprise as a loud voice cut her off. Both children looked ahead and saw Professor Kukui waving at them from about thirty yards ahead of them. "I suppose it's time to get you kids home, yeah?"

"We'll go on back, Professor. I know you wanted to have a word with Hala before you headed back to the lab." Mom remarked as the two children made their way over to them.

"Then I suppose this is goodbye…" Lillie said with a small note of sadness in her voice, though she smiled at Sun and added, "You have a safe trip back, OK?"

"Same to you. Have a good night." Sun said to Lillie, meeting her smile with a grin of his own. After saying farewell to the Professor, Sun and his mother began their trek back to their home.

"So…What did you think?" Sun asked his mother.

"What did I think? Of what?" Mom asked, pretending to be confused for a moment. Sun rolled his eyes and opened his mouth before his mother cut him off by saying, "Oh, you mean the battle?"

"Yes."

"I thought it was wonderful, of course!" Mom replied excitedly, breaking her confused facade. "Ooh, I was just captivated to see my own boy out there fighting in perfect sync with his Pokémon!" Mom said as she pulled her son into a one-armed hug.

"Hehe, thanks Mom. I couldn't have done it without Oliver though. Right partner?" Sun asked the Rowlet. Oliver hooted in agreement, nuzzling Sun's chest in response.

"Though on that note…You know what Professor Kukui said, right? About that Island Challenge thing?" Mom said to Sun. "Maybe it would be a good idea for you to try it…After all, its only something that you can do in Alola. Right?"

"Yeah…I'll be going to go find out more about it tomorrow. I'm definitely going to learn about as much as I can, that's for sure." Sun replied as he and his mother continued their walk.

"Well, that's for tomorrow. Right now I've got a date with my bed." Mom giggled, with even Sun snickering at the remark. "Hey, unlike you, I danced my feet off at the festival."

"And unlike you, I don't like parties all that much. Don't forget that when we get home, we've got boxes to unpack."

"I'm not cancelling my date. It seems as though the boxes must wait another day." Mom replied with a faux dramatic sigh, though her son simply snickered in response as the mother and child made their way home as the sun above them finished its decent over the horizon.


	8. The Island Challange

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _Greetings earthlings. Here's a chapter for you all!_

 _Not for the first time, but I've realized again that the tutorial for this game lasts eons and I myself will be quite happy when Sun sets out on his journey proper. Thankfully that's sooner rather than later, and I'm getting ahead on these chapters so...yeah._

 _I'm unsure whether or not I mentioned this last chapter, but I will be keeping an active account of Sun's team on my profile, complete with their level in the game at that point. Anyone who's curious about that is more than free to check it out._

 _Also, since I generally just answer questions from the review section in the author's notes now, to answer the question of whether or not this story is a Sun X Lillie story...Well, we'll see. I don't want to exactly say yes or no, since this story focuses on Sun's journey through the region, but I will say that some characters will be featured more than they are in the game, including Lillie, and that there will be chapters (like this one) that have shipping moments in them._

 _I'll tell you all about that later though._

 _Shoutout to those who have reviewed since the last update, which includes Tomoe Mami, Cottonmouth25, Sai Og Sus, as well as three new reviewers known as ARSLOTHES, Rebiele, and EH-01. Thank you so much for your feedback and support!_

 ** _Also, since I haven't said it yet and plan to add a note in Chapter 1 later, here's the rating and disclaimer for this story. This story is rated-T for mild swearing, suggestive themes, mature humor and themes, violence and some mild bloodshed. I do not own anything except my own original characters, everything else belongs to Game Freak and Nintendo._**

 _Now that that's out of the way..._

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 _Chapter 8: The Island Challenge_

* * *

Sun awoke from his slumber to find a bird sitting on his stomach.

"Oliver?"

"Coo?"

"Why are on sitting on me?"

"Coo, coo!"

"Uh huh…Can you please get off me?"

"…Coo."

"I thought as much." Sun muttered, shutting his eyes and ignoring his starter. The Rowlet allowed that to happen for all of five seconds before hopping on top of Sun's head and pecking him. The boy sat up with a yelp, flailing wildly as Oliver fluttered onto the floor, tweeting in amusement. Sun glared at the owl as he rubbed his head.

"I thought you were going to start listening to me! Why is it you decide to start listening to me in battle, but just do whatever any other time?" Sun asked the Rowlet. The bird replied with what looked like its equivalent of a shrug. Sun decided to simply get up and begin his day, flinging aside his blanket and quickly getting dressed. Oliver flew to his head and landed on the boy's hat as he walked out of the room and into the living room, where his Mom was sitting in a chair watching a Pokémon Contest on the TV.

"I left some breakfast for you in the microwave, dear. Also, Good Morning!" Mom added after a moment, laughing a little at herself as her son trudged into the kitchen. After a quick breakfast, Sun and his mother simply relaxed for the remainder of the morning, watching a few of the TV shows found only in the Alola region.

They were snapped out of watching a wrestling match on TV by a knock on the door. Sun got to his feet and made his way to the door while his mother watched the Masked Royal on TV jump off of the top-rope and deliver a harsh elbow drop to Crasher Wake. Sun opened the door and was surprised to not find Professor Kukui, but his assistant Lillie instead.

"Oh! Um…Good morning, Sun." Lillie said politely as always, one arm wrapped around her bag as she gave the boy a small smile.

"Good morning, Lillie. No Professor Kukui today?" Sun asked the girl, receiving a shake of the head in response.

"The Professor got caught up in his studies this morning, so he sent me to come get you. He told me, and I quote…Ahem. 'Hey Lillie. Bring me that great new Trainer. Woo! I've got some awesome news to tell him!'" Lillie stated in a surprisingly accurate imitation of the excitable Professor. Sun couldn't help a snicker at the display, making Lillie smile a bit more in response.

"Back to what I was saying before. I believe what Professor Kukui wants you for has something to do with the Island Challenge that the Professor mentioned last night. I tried calling Hau about it after the Professor instructed me to come get you, but he just mentioned something about getting in some extra training and then hung up the phone." Lillie said with a shrug, sounding as if she had gone through that song and dance before with the other boy.

"He seems pretty nice though. Just…a bit too overeager." Sun said diplomatically as Lillie sighed quietly, her smile becoming somewhat wry.

"That's an understatement, but I'm glad you understand my dilemma." Lillie remarked with a small laugh. "Now, I'm supposed to escort you to the Professor's lab down by the beach. It's not a particularly hard route, but he just wanted to be sure everything worked out."

"Sounds good to me. Lead the way." Sun said to the girl, who was about to reply when the door opened behind the two children, surprising them both.

"Sun!" Mom called out, walking down the stairs holding a small pouch. She placed it in Sun's hand, smiling at her child. "I heard you both talking from inside. Since you're going out, here's a little pocket money. Spend it wisely, OK?...Not that I have to worry about it. It's not like you're me or anything."

"Actually Mom, you've done really well this week. You haven't bought anything silly yet. I was expecting the mailman to already be sending Fearow-delivered letters in protest…again," Sun said to his mother.

"That only happened twice…"

"Not counting the fourteen times it was done with a Pidgeot-"

"OK, we're getting sidetracked again." Mom interrupted the boy, snatching the money from him and putting it in his backpack. That was when she took notice of the blonde-haired girl standing beside her child, looking somewhat nervous.

"Oh? I remember you from the other night. You're already making friends, now aren't you Sun?" Mom asked, a rather sly smile appearing on her face as she looked at Lillie. Mom leaned down and said in a very audible whisper to her son, "And what a cute little _girl friend_ you've found too!"

Sun took several moments to process that bit of dialogue.

One, that his mom had pointed out that Lillie was his friend, which he wasn't entirely sure of, since he didn't know her all that well. And because hadn't really ever had a friend before so he wasn't sure if the girl was one in the first place.

Two, that his mother had pointed out that Lillie was cute, which made Sun even more confused. Especially since he was now blushing and embarrassed and Lillie was even more so than him.

And three, she just insinuated that the two of them were girlfriend and boyfriend, which made the whole thing even more embarrassing somehow.

Lillie recovered first, out of the two children. "M-m-m-me!? Um...W-well, thank you, ma'am. But w-we're not..." Lillie stammered, blushing scarlet now and determinedly not meeting Sun's eyes. "M-my name is Lillie. It's very nice to meet you, ma'am."

"You said ma'am twice. And I'm just teasing you both, Lillie…I love Alola so much already. We just keep meeting the most interesting and wonderful people here." Mom said with a cheerful grin before she added after a moment, "Oh, and my name is Laura. I'm still getting the paperwork for my last name worked on, so just call me that for now. It's less confusing that way."

"Weird…Professor Kukui mentioned you earlier and just called you Sun's Mom. You would have thought he'd have mentioned your name," Lillie wondered aloud, conusion overriding her embarrassment.

"That's because the Professor has an odd sense of humor. This is the same man who routinely lets Pokémon beat the living daylights out of him in the name of science." Laura replied, grinning as Lillie giggled at the very true remark.

"Wait…You're going through a name change, Mom?" Sun asked his mother, snapping out his confused state as his own blush faded. His mother gave him a look that he recognized quickly and he remembered a conversation that they had before arriving in the region. "Oh, right. I forgot about that."

"We're getting sidetracked a lot this morning, huh?" Mom replied, laughing a little. "Well, I'll leave you both to it. Enjoy yourself out there with Lillie and Oliver. Just be back before it gets too dark, OK?"

Sun nodded before he was pulled into a hug. Laura made her way back towards the house, but not before looking over her shoulder and saying, "You two have fun! And _play nice_!"

The door opened and shut behind the woman, leaving the two very embarrassed children in a very awkward silence.

"You have a…very nice mother." Lillie said hesitantly, her face still quite blushed at the remark. She was also still not meeting Sun's gaze. Sun coughed awkwardly, still feeling quite hot under the collar and awkward after being teased like that.

"S-sorry about that. She's just excited I'm out meeting people. She probably considers the fact that I'm chatting with a girl a sign of progress." Sun apologized, rubbing the back of his head as Lillie finally looked at him.

"Don't worry about it. It was a very nice thing for you mother to say…If not a bit forward." Lillie's red blush turned somehow darker and she looked away again. "We should start heading towards the Pokémon Research Lab. It's just this way."

With that, the duo began their trek towards Professor Kukui's domain. After a few minutes, the children's faces returned to normal and they enjoyed a pleasant stroll through the dirt path with tall grass on both sides with a wonderful view of the ocean.

"Wait, I just realized something. Did the Professor seriously send you all the way here, through a route, without a single way of defending yourself from dangerous Pokémon?" Sun asked Lillie, who turned around and looked confused.

"Oh…Um. Yes, actually. Nebby…I mean, ahem, _Cosmog_ doesn't fight and I'm not a trainer. I rely on Repels and the like to stay safe, so I guess he did do that…Again." Lillie remarked, slowly realizing the issue present.

"I know Repels are supposed to keep wild Pokémon away, but that doesn't mean they won't still possibly attack. Does he not think these things through? Seriously, what the crap?" Sun wondered aloud, crossing his arms and sighing angrily. It was one thing to do this once. But twice? In the same week!?

"I'm going to need to have a word with him after you leave, then. This is something that really shouldn't be repeated." Lillie remarked as they began their trek down to the beach.

"So…I know it's supposed to be a secret, but I'm just curious anyway. What's the deal with Nebby?" Sun asked as Oliver shifted his stance on his hat.

"Well, Nebby is what is known as a Cosmog. It's a very rare Pokémon that comes from a place very far away." Lillie explained as her bag wriggled, with Nebby letting out a cry in response. "Cosmog seems to have some very strange abilities. It even used its power to save me once when I was in danger."

"That's pretty cool. I guess you can't judge a book by its cover, huh?" Sun remarked, looking down at the bag.

"However…There are some other people that want Cosmog for themselves, to use its power for their own purposes. That's why Nebby has to be kept secret. It's why only Professor Kukui and Kahuna Hala and a handful of people I trust know about it." Lillie said quietly, looking away from Sun once again.

"Can you keep a secret?" Lillie asked softly, turning back to Sun with an unreadable expression on her face. "Can you not tell anyone else about Nebby or what happened on that bridge? Please…"

"Hey. Don't worry about me. I'll keep your secret safe." Sun promised, giving the girl a bright smile. Lillie's expression broke into a happy and relieved grin of her own.

"Thank you, Sun. I really appreciate it." And with that the duo continued their walk in a comfortable silence, enjoying the wonderful weather and each other's company as the sun shined brightly overhead.

And then everything changed when birds attacked.

Just kidding, but man did that put a damper on things.

"Sun, behind you!" Lillie called out, only for Sun to get blasted in the face by a Water Gun that sent him to the ground as furious cries of birds filled the air. While the Wingull was distracted, however, Oliver took that moment to rush the Pokémon from behind and hit it with a Tackle, knocking it out in a single hit. The bird sent a Leafage at the other Wingull, knocking it to the ground and allowing Oliver to finish it off with a Tackle.

"That…sucked." Sun panted as he got to his feet, pulling out a towel and padding his face, hat, and shirt dry.

"I can tell. Aside from being soaked, you're alright?" Lillie asked Sun, concern in her voice. Sun was about to reply when he was smacked from behind and knocked to the ground yet again.

"More Wingulls!?" Lillie yelped, barely dodging a Water Gun as three of the birds cawed furiously. The trio of birds circled Sun and fired a barrage of water guns at the boy;s face, making him cough and sputter once the deluge finally ceased. By that point, Oliver had managed to knock out each of the birds, though he was looking rather exhausted now. Yet another Wingull erupted from the grass and slammed into Oliver, sending the bird tumbling to the ground, but not before he fired off a Leafage and took out the final Wingull mid-flight.

"Are you OK Sun?" Lillie asked, peering out from behind a nearby tree. Sun shakily got to his feet, stumbling forward and shaking his head.

"Aside from being water-boarded by a bunch of flying rats…Yeah, I'll be fine. How about you?" Sun asked Lillie as he sat down on the ground and beckoned Oliver closer. Lillie stepped out from behind her tree, completely dry.

"I'm fine. Ooh, that was a bit hectic, wasn't it?" Lillie muttered as she stepped over to the boy on the ground. She fished out a towel from her bag as Nebby hopped out, peering at Sun curiously.

"Pew?" the Pokémon asked, floating towards Sun as Lillie handed the boy a towel. Sun dried himself off the best he could, thankful that he had thrown his backpack to the side and spared it from the Wingull's attacks.

"Thanks Lillie. And hey, Nebby. You didn't get wet from those Wingull, did you?" Sun asked the small cloud-like Pokémon. Nebby let out a cheerful cry in response, floating up and down a few times with a happy smile on its face. Sun quickly treated Oliver's injuries with a Potion, bring him back to fighting fit shape.

"What is it with birds in this place? Every single one I've seen since coming to this place has been a complete jerk." Sun sighed before yelping in pain as a certain owl Pokémon tackled him into the grass.

"OK, OK! Not all of the birds have been jerks! You're cool!" Sun yelped as Rowlet furiously hooted at him. This seemed to calm the owl down, as it hooted happily and hopped off of Sun while Lillie held a trembling Nebby. Lillie opened the bag for the Pokémon and it frantically dove in there, shuddering even more.

"I'll have to keep that trick in mind." Lillie muttered, though she couldn't help a giggle as she looked down at Sun and Oliver.

"Let's just get moving." Sun groaned as he got to his feet, leaning against a tree for a moment to catch his breath. After a minute, the group set off towards the distant house on the beach, with Oliver keeping an eye out for any more rogue birds.

Sun took this time to battle two trainers along the way, which allowed Oliver to learn the move Astonish. Lillie took this time to explain something that the Professor had taught her.

"According to the Professor, a Pokémon is able to use any move that it has ever learned, even if it was in a previous evolution state." Lillie explained as they continued their walk, now walking along the water's edge on the beach.

"Any Pokémon can also learn four TM moves, that's Technical Machine for short, as well as anything it knew before. If you wanted to make a Pokémon learn a fifth TM move, you would have to have the Pokémon in question forget one of its other TM moves."

"Interesting…So Oliver has access to every move it's ever learned once it learns how to use it?" Sun asked Lillie, earning a nod in response.

"That's cool. Looks like you're just getting stronger and stronger, huh?" Sun asked the Rowlet.

Oliver tackled Sun into the water, to prove that yes indeedy, he was getting stronger.

* * *

Outside of the Pokémon Research Lab:

* * *

"Sun, I think researching how to cook owl is a bit extreme…"

"I don't care! I'm tired of being assaulted by birds! I love Flying-types, but this is ruining their charm for me!"

"We'll we're here now. I'm sure the Professor has some extra towels lying around somewhere." Lillie remarked as they approached the beach house. Loud noises could be heard echoing through the building.

"Oh no…Not again." Lillie muttered, looking at the building with a resigned expression.

"What's going on?" Sun asked the girl, wincing as a loud boom rang out, followed by several barks.

"Oh yeah, Rockruff! Let's go! Give it everything you've got! My body is ready! Woooo!" Kukui's voice rang out, followed by several loud barks.

"…OK, seriously, what the heck?"

"Yeah, give it to me, Rockruff! Just like that!"

"Ahh…There they go again. The insurance agent isn't going to be pleased." Lillie replied quietly, lowering her hat slightly as she shook her head.

"What exactly is he doing in there?" Sun asked, his eyebrows rising slightly in confusion.

"Again! Harder this time!

"Well, as you can see from the state of the building itself, the Pokémon Research Building has its own unique bit of charm." Lillie said as she looked over at Sun.

"I can see that. Looks like its halfway through getting repaired," Sun noted.

"It usually is. You don't even want to know what happened to the roof." Lillie said with a small shudder. "Anyways, this is where I've been, um, staying for the past three months. The Professor has been so kind in letting me impose on him." Lillie explained, shifting her stance as she continued. "In return, I've become his assistant."

"Really?"

"Yes. I'm not very good, but it's the least I can do to help pay him back for letting me stay here…Maybe I'd be more help if I were a real Pokémon Trainer too…" Lillie muttered, looking out towards the ocean with a contemplative look on her face. She remained silent for several seconds, which made Sun worry slightly.

"Uh…Lillie? Are you OK?" Sun asked awkwardly after a few more seconds of silence. Lillie snapped out of her reverie, looking back towards Sun with nervous laugh escaping her.

"S-sorry. I zoned out a little. Anyways…" Lillie turned back towards the building and continued, "The Professor is quite dedicated. He never stops researching moves…even inside of the actual lab itself."

"That seems unsafe."

"It is."

"Well then…"

"Yes...I just washed his lab coat this morning, and now it's probably in shreds, if not on fire. I can't really mend clothes, either, so he'll likely have to get another one. Maybe he'll actually start buttoning his coat too." Lillie said quietly, more to herself it seemed than Sun.

"Sounds like he's a hassle." Sun remarked, trying not to laugh at the strangeness of the situation.

"We should probably go inside before he does any more damage to the building." Lillie muttered in reply, hurrying forward to enter the building, with Sun following close behind.

* * *

Pokémon Research Lab:

* * *

"Huh? Oh, hey Sun! Thanks for getting him for me, Lillie!"

Sun and Lillie simply stared at the Professor down on the ground, his Rockruff standing atop the man's chest surrounded by several large rocks. Kukui staggered to his feet and limped over to the two children, his Rockruff at his heels.

"Of course, Professor. I help however I can…I mean, I'm supposed to be your assistant, right?" Lillie asked with a small smile.

"Sorry you had to go all the way over there. Rockruff's move were so stylin' and I was making a load of progress on my Rock-type Pokémon research. That's not even going into the two forms that Rockruff can have and how those evolutions play into its moves. It's all part of a huge report I'm sending to my Professor Rowan over in Sinnoh!" Kukui explained, crossing his arms with a wide smile.

"Wow. That's really interesting, sir," Sun said honestly. Lillie quietly went to fetch a few towels to help Sun dry off a bit and handed three of them to the boy.

"Even if I'm not a trainer, I've learned quite a bit from the Professor." Lillie admitted while Kukui scratched the back of his head with a chuckle.

"Well, you know, I'm nowhere near as good as Oak or Rowan. Oh wait! That reminds me." Kukui turned to Sun. "Can I see your Pokédex for a second?"

"Of course, sir," Sun replied, retrieving the device from his backpack as he dried his hair with a towel. The Professor accepted the Pokédex and flipped open the back panel on it after pressing in a number sequence on the front of the device.

"So…What do you think of the lab? Not bad, right?" Kukui asked Sun. The boy took a look around the lab, which was in surprisingly decent condition considering the loud noises that they had heard outside before they entered. It had a cozy feel to it, and had several Pokémon resting or moving about the lab itself. A massive aquarium stood behind Kukui, with several Pokémon within it that Sun had never seen before.

"But that's not why I called you over. If I did, that'd be kind of silly." Kukui chuckled and then continued, "Anyways, _it_ just arrived. So I had to let you know to get on over here."

"…It?" Lillie asked, sounding somewhat anxious. Kukui scooped up the fallen towels on the ground that Sun had used to dry himself off with and bundled them up, throwing them into a nearby clothes hamper.

"Oh come on, Lillie. Don't make me have to do all of the talking." Kukui said to the girl, though he sounded like he was joking. "Anyways, do you know anything about a Pokémon called Rotom?"

"No. What's that?" Sun asked the Professor. To their surprise, Lillie piped up.

"Oh, that! I can tell you about Rotom." Lillie said after a moment, smiling slightly. "It's a Ghost/Electric-type Pokémon that has some peculiar abilities, with a body that is made up of a substance not unlike electricity. It can take up residence inside of machines at will." Lillie explained to Sun as he stared at his Pokédex in Kukui's hand.

"Yeah! And to put that crazy skill of Rotom's to work…It's going to be a part of the next generation of Pokédexes, but it's only complete once Rotom had gone into this body specially designed for it. This is a whole new way for people and Pokémon to communicate! Isn't that awesome?" Kukui said excitedly, grinning widely as he walked over to a table and began outfitting several parts onto Sun's Pokédex. Soon enough, it was finished and Kukui was holding out a Poké Ball in his hands.

"I've only got a few of these beauties out in the world right now. My buddy currently out in Kalos is working out some of the kinks and is trying to help me locate more Rotoms willing to assist us. Actually, he should be arriving in Alola within the week." Kukui muttered to himself that last bit before continuing.

"Now, if I just power up your Pokédex with the new parts installed…" Kukui muttered, pressing down on a few buttons in what seemed like another sequence. The Professor then released the Pokémon from the ball, where it let out a cry of protest, shuddering loudly.

"Sorry to surprise you there, Rotom." Kukui apologized to the electrical specter, which buzzed in response. "Anyways, I've got a brand-new body for you to try out! Jump into the Pokédex and give Sun a Helping Hand!"

Rotom let out a cry and dove into the Pokédex, making the device shake and whir for a few moments before it suddenly floated up in midair. The Rotom had possessed the device and was happily floating around.

" _Bzzzt! Well then, look at that! Pleased to meet, ya Sun! Be careful with the body, yeah? I just got it!"_ Rotom buzzed happily as it zipped around the room. It finally stopped in front of Sun and leapt into his hands.

"It…it can talk." Sun stated in amazement, staring down at the Pokédex screen that now had two blinking blue eyes looking at him in amusement.

"Yep! Now you and Rotom can talk whenever you'd like. Looks like he's already taken a liking to you as well!" Kukui said with his usual cheer, clipping the Pokémon's ball back to his belt.

"Professor…How will this help Sun, exactly?" Lillie asked after a moment.

"Well, Sun hasn't been here in Alola too long, right? So I decided to give him the Rotom Dex to help him find his way around." Kukui explained to the girl while Sun admired the improved Pokédex.

"It's nice to meet you, Rotom." Sun said to the Pokémon, receiving a happy buzz in response.

"Rotom can activate a couple extra functions in your Pokédex. Map, radio, GPS, and a whole lot more. Just ask him and he'll be more than happy to help!" Kukui began explaining before the door was suddenly thrown open.

"A-lo-la!" Hau shouted as he bounded through the entryway, throwing his arms wide open with a cheerful grin on his face. "The salty sea breeze sang to me and brought me here to you all!"

Hau strolled into the Pokémon Lab as Professor Kukui continued his explanation. "As I was saying, this is just something I did so that Sun can become more comfortable with his new home."

"Huh? What's this?" Everyone turned towards Hau, who was looking up a pink ladder that extended upwards into a small area. Hau peered at it curiously. "Is that a loft? That's awesome!"

Lillie quickly bolted over to the boy, stepping in front of him as he reached for the closest rung on the ladder. "No, no it isn't! That's private, Hau!"

"Private?" Hau asked, confused.

"The Professor has been kind enough to let me use it…It's basically my room, for now." Lillie replied to the other boy, his eyes lighting up in understanding.

"It's like I said before…" Kukui walked up to the kids with Sun following close behind. "If you see a person or a Pokémon that needs help, you just gotta help them. Right boys?"

"Yeah."

"Yes sir."

"That's why I'm letting Lillie stay up there in the loft. No need to pry further." Kukui warned the two boys with his usual smile. Kukui turned to Sun and said, "Now, I'm leaving that Rotom Dex in your hands, Sun. Rotom, make sure to look after Sun, yeah?"

" _Bzzt! You've got it, Professor!"_ the Pokédex replied.

"So that's the Rotom Dex…it's kind of cute, actually." Hau admitted with a small giggle.

"Oh, Professor!" Lillie suddenly exclaimed. "Remember to explain the Island Challenge. That was the first reason you wanted Sun to come over, right?"

"Of course. Thanks, Lillie." Professor Kukui cleared his throat and began. "All right, there are some important things that you need to know about the Island Challenge."

"The Island Challenge is your chance to become the strongest trainer around these parts – The Island Challenge Champion! It's a great adventure for both you and your Pokémon to go on together. Along the way you'll face many trials and much adversity, I'm sure. But it's all part of journey." Kukui explained with an excited grin on his face. Lillie chose that moment to chime in.

"There are four main islands that make up Alola, with Melemele Island being one of them. There is a Kahuna for each of them. If you wish to be recognized by the Kahunas as someone who is worthy of battling them, you must clear the seven Trials of Alola." Lillie explained further, smiling slightly as she went on.

"Sun, I want you and Oliver to go out there and give the Island Challenge a shot." Kukui said to the boy, grinning down at him.

"I know you have some reservations. I mean, you just moved here this week. But I've watched you battle, Sun, and even during your very first fight, you managed to bring out your Pokémon's moves to their fullest. You and Oliver were in perfect sync with one another, bringing out the best in each other's strengths and overcoming your weaknesses to get the win. I think you can continue to do that and achieve greatness, Sun. It's just a feeling that I have."

"Wow…That's…Thank you, sir." Sun mumbled, a bit overwhelmed. Did he really show that much promise? To have a Professor personally wanting him to go on this Island Challenge? He had always wanted to go on an adventure of his own, with his own Pokémon team, despite his lack of general experience in these things. And now here it was…He was being given a chance, being asked if he would be willing to attempt the Island Challenge, to go on his own adventure.

" _I wonder if through this, I can become stronger myself. As a person…I can learn more about this place and become even closer to my Pokémon. I can be a bit more independent and learn how to survive on my own, too…Maybe at the end of this, I can become a better me...does that even make sense?"_ Sun mulled it over silently while the others patiently waited for a response.

"Well?" Hau asked, grinning widely.

"My answer is…Yes. I'll do it. I'm honestly really nervous, but I think it'll be a good experience for me, sir. So I'll do it." Sun replied to the Professor, nodding slowly.

"Awesome! Trust me, Sun, as someone who has dedicated their life to studying Pokémon moves, I really want to see how far you can go out there. Even better if you get to meet and learn about all kinds of Pokémon while you're out on your Island Challenge." Kukui dug into his coat and pulled out a small amulet, decorated in a swath of gold, yellow, red, pink, and purple.

"Everybody who participates in the Island Challenge gets an Island Challenge Amulet. Here." Kukui handed the amulet to Sun, who fastened it to the back of his backpack.

"Pretty neat, huh? I got one of those from my gramps, too!" Hau chirped, grinning as he spun around and showed off his own amulet dangling from his pack.

"Alrighty, that's enough of that. Get a move on, Sun! You need to hurry and get going!" Kukui said as he put two hands on his hips.

"To…where, exactly?" Sun asked.

"The Trainer's School. Duh. We'll swing by there so that you can go back over the basics of being a Pokémon Trainer through some good old-fashioned Pokémon battling. It's a long, hard road to becoming the Island Challenge Champion, and the Trainer's School is the very first step." Kukui explained to Sun before he turned to Hau.

"Wait, what about you, Hau? You haven't gone to the Trainer's School yourself, as far as I know…" Kukui said to the boy.

"I'm good, Professor. I just wanna play with my Pokémon a bit more- uh, I mean train with them! Yeah, that's what I meant. Right!" Hau said with a nervous smile as Kukui looked at the boy with something that resembled exasperation. Sun was a bit confused by that, honestly. It seemed as though the other boy didn't seem to have very much drive to become a stronger trainer. He just seemed to be interested in having a good time. That said, that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

"The Island Challenge…" Lillie spoke up. "It's so interesting, you know. This is how the people of Alola connect with the world around them. This is something special to this place alone, and it seems so much more personal than the Gym Leader circuits in the other regions."

"Hey Lillie!" Kukui piped up, clapping the girl on the shoulder and scaring her. "You take care of Sun, alright?"

"W-w-what? Me?" Lillie stammered, surprised at the request.

"Yep. Until he gets used to navigating with Rotom, I want you to help guide him along the way. OK?" Kukui said to his assistant, receiving a small hesitant nod from him in response.

"Fantastic! Oh, wait…Whoops." Kukui frowned and scratched his chin, frowning.

"What is it, Professor?" Lillie asked the older man.

"It's a Sunday. The TS isn't in session today. The students are home with their families and the faculty is off of work. Mmm…Change of plans. We'll meet up at the Trainer's School tomorrow at noon! Sound good?" Kukui asked the children. Hau shrugged, since he wasn't really involved, while Lillie and Sun nodded.

"Great! I'll see you then, Sun! Now if you kids will excuse me, I'm going to head into the basement and do some more research. You all can head out whenever you want. Just be careful on the way back, alright?" Kukui said to the children, waving them goodbye as he walked towards the back of the lab as Sun and Hau bid farewell to the man. With that, the trio made their way out of the house and stepped out onto the beach. Sun released Oliver, where the bird took that moment to fly out towards the surf with a happy chirp before soaring back to his trainer.

"Sun, your Rowlet…it's kinda mean, huh?" Hau asked quietly, ignoring the look the bird in question began giving him. Sun wondered why Hau thought that, but then he remembered that Oliver single-handedly beat him and his team twice now and was pretty terrifying in battle.

"I really don't know, Hau. Oliver acts calm and happy and even obeys me well at times, but there's other times when he just gets mischievous and messes with me. It's weird. It doesn't help that half of the times I've been attacked by Pokémon, it was him doing the attacking." Sun muttered as the bird hopped onto his injured shoulder, making the boy hiss in pain as the Rowlet nuzzled him with a cheerful hoot.

"Yeah, yeah. You're like this now. I'm sure I'll get tackled into the dirt one more time before I get home." Sun muttered to the bird, who backed away from Sun and raised its wings in a shrugging gesture. Hau snickered at that while Lillie simply sighed, reaching over and petting the small owl, making it coo happily in pleasure.

"I think there was a word Professor Kukui used once to describe Pokémon just like your Rowlet, Sun." Lillie remarked as they began their trek up the path once again, with the Rotom Dex in tow and Hau with them now.

"And what word would that be?" Hau asked curiously.

"That word would be asshole."


	9. Birds of a Feather

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _Alright, so I just had a birthday in the past few days. That was fun…I feel so old._

 _Back to business. This one should have been up sooner, but I've been super busy and dealing with loads of drama. We're back in business now._

 _Thanks to some feedback on last chapter, I revised the stats page on my profile for Sun's Pokémon team, which now has abilities as well as moves. Feel free to check that out, but_ _ **keep in mind that if you're reading this while there's more chapters ahead, you may find some things being spoiled for you**_ _. I'm warning you now, even if I'm not including the species of Pokémon on the team, you will have stuff spoiled for you if you're super familiar with Pokémon movesets and stuff._

 _However, I will offer a fun bit of info on Sun's team for this story. I've only used two of the Pokémon on it ever before, and I've played every single main Pokémon game there's been._

 _Also, a quick note since I've had some concerns about it. For those wondering about Lillie/Sun shipping or possible things like that, there's going to be a solid bit of shipping going on in general with this story._

 _ **However, I'll be explaining a bit more of what to expect (as much as I can without spoiling stuff) in chapter 11, to satisfy reader concern and curiosity. I can't do it quite yet, but if you'll wait until then, things should be a bit clearer.**_

 _Shoutout to the wonderful people who reviewed last chapter, which includes Sai Og Sus, Dunka99, Ways, Cottonmouth25, as well as two new reviewers which includes a Guest reviewer and danlagunas14._

 _Enjoy_

* * *

 _Chapter 9: Birds of a Feather_

* * *

Sun arrived home and bid farewell to Hau and Lillie, the former declaring that he would ensure Lillie get home safely before venturing back to Iki Town. Lillie protested at this, but Hau couldn't be persuaded to not guard Lillie on the way back. Sun just shook his head as the two made their way back to the Pokémon Research Lab and went back into his house.

"Mom! I'm home!" Sun called to his mother. Mom came back into the house from the porch outside, grinning at her child.

"I can see that. So what happened at Kukui's place? Did you and Lillie enjoy your walk on the beach?" Mom said teasingly, making Sun blush at the implications again.

"We did, but not like that!" Sun protested rather loudly as his mother giggled at him. "We just talked to Kukui about the Island Challenge. I ended up accepting the challenge itself, so…I guess I'm going on a journey then."

Mom looked at her son with a surprised expression on her face before she smiled at her boy. "Well, well…I'll have to make sure to get you packed up properly. That way you can get out there and be prepared for whatever they throw at you. I think I have a few item capsules lying around that you can use."

"Items capsules?" Sun asked.

"Oh yes. Did you really think trainers ventured off into the wildness with supplies, Pokémon food and the like just strapped to them or stuffed in their backpacks? No, item capsules have been around since the modern Poké Ball was created, though in time they both have definitely become more efficient. I'll make sure to prepare a few for you so you can take some extra food, any extra clothes and anything else I think of and have it be able to fit it all in your backpack, OK? Leave all the planning to me!" Mom said cheerfully as she plopped down on the couch.

"Is this just another excuse to put off unpacking?" Sun asked his mother.

"…No?"

"Mom."

"There is a _slight_ possibility that you may be correct."

"You're ridiculous." Sun snorted, shaking his head in amusement while his mother laughed. With that, Sun decided to just relax with his mother for an hour or two before heading back outside to Route 1 to get some more training in with Oliver, leaving his mother behind to prepare for her child's departure.

Sun quickly realized as he walked onto the route properly and had Oliver knock out two Caterpie that the Rowlet was just way too strong for this route, and that there was no point in training in this spot anymore. Granted, some of the Pokémon by the Pokémon Research Lab were stronger, but even then it wasn't by too much. There wasn't much of a point to even try training, as it would just hurt Pokémon unnecessarily.

"Maybe…I should catch something while I'm out here…Having just one Pokémon makes no sense. Even if I wanted to make sure Oliver's strong, if we came across a stronger team we wouldn't stand a chance with just him." Sun muttered, taking off his backpack and doing a quick check of his items. He grabbed three minimized Poké Balls and slipped them into his pocket, zipping up the backpack and putting it back on his back as Oliver flew up to his head.

"Come on, partner. We're going to go try and find us a new teammate." Sun said to Oliver, grinning now as he set off towards the taller grass ahead of them, the sun blazing overhead.

"Now…What kind of Pokémon should I go for? Should I just get whatever I want, or should I take into account team balances…A balanced team sounds interesting. One of everything, maybe…That'd be kind of hard to do, though." Sun muttered, trying to puzzle this together.

"I've got a Grass-type…So what else could I get?" Sun pondered, frowning as he stood deep within the grass and thought hard, stepping through the grass as Oliver hooted above him. As they stepped back onto the dirt path, however, Oliver's head suddenly tilted and Sun became aware of something watching him. Sun glanced around and, upon seeing nothing, looked ahead of him and took a few steps.

That's when he spotted a Pikipek watching him on the ground silently as its blue eyes peered up at him curiously. It made no effort to attack or prepare for a fight or anything. It seemed content to just quietly watch them both, even as Oliver and Sun stared down the bird on the ground.

"That's weird…Usually when we come across a Pokémon it wants to fight us. This Pikipek is totally calm…which is really even more weird, since every single bird I've met has attacked me." Sun said aloud, confused at the very calm behavior of the bird as it peered up at the Pokémon and its trainer. Oliver fluttered down to the ground and cheerfully greeted its fellow Alolan Flying-type, receiving a happy chirp in reply.

"Pi? Pikipek?" the bird chirped up at Sun. Oliver responded with a hoot, which the Pikipek returned with a tweet of its own. The two birds tweeted and hooted at one another for a few moments while Sun watched on in surprise, crossing his arms. Sun continued watching the two birds converse for a few moments _more_ before quietly sitting on the ground, continuing to watch the two of them just… _talk_. It was such a bizarre experience that he felt it would be rude to interrupt the two of them. Sun decided to watch the skies for a little while, eyeing the beautiful sunset of Alola and enjoying its splendor.

"Pi!"

Sun started at the sudden burst of noise and looked down at the small bird standing beside his Rowlet. The sun was beginning to dip further down into the sky, and Sun realized he must have been watching the sky for a while. Sun watched as the small bird flapped its wings and chirped again as Oliver looked up at him.

"Coo!" Oliver hooted, flapping his wings as well. The Rowlet pointed at the Pikipek with his wing for a moment before pointing at himself and then Sun.

"Oliver, I have no idea what you two are talking about." Sun said to his starter. Oliver cooed and then turned around, hooting to the Pikipek. The small bird nodded in reply, fluttering off to the side of the clearing and crouching low on the ground.

"Coo! Coo, coo!" Oliver said to his trainer, taking a similar stance as he faced the Pikipek across from him. Oliver looked up Sun, who was still watching the proceedings with a confused expression, before the bird hooted and tackled Sun to the ground.

"Hey! S-stop it, Oliver!" Sun yelped as the boy tried to get to his feet. In his haste, one of his Poké Balls fell out of his pocket and onto the ground. Oliver hopped back onto the ground as Sun stumbled away from the bird, panting slightly, as Oliver pointed to the Poké Ball, and then to the Pikipek, and then to him.

"Coo…Coo, coo coo!" Oliver hooted pointedly, pointing to the ball, the Pikipek, and Sun repeatedly.

"Wait…so now you two want to battle or something? What does that…?" Sun then blinked as a realization hit him. He scooped up the fallen Poké Ball and regarded it for a moment before holding it up.

"Are you…Were you actually listening to what I was saying earlier? About trying to figure out what kind of Pokémon I should catch?" Sun asked the Pikipek.

A nod.

"And…What, you decided to just fly over here and see what the fuss was about or something?" Sun asked confusedly. Oliver and the Pikipek shrugged in response, making Sun sigh.

"Rotom, any advice?" Sun asked as his Pokédex flew out from his backpack.

" _Zzzzt! From what I've seen, I think your little Rowlet had a long talk with that Pikipek about how great it is being your Pokémon and how much fun he's had this week. Oliver here thinks that adding her to the team would work out well for you both, and she seems to think that it'd be fun getting stronger and exploring and stuff. That little Pikipek there says that she wants to have a battle with you to see if you're really as great as Oliver says you are, buddy!"_ Rotom replied cheerfully as Sun looked over at the bird.

"So that's your game, huh? Well… I accept your challenge, Pikipek! Let's go Oliver!" Sun shouted as he stepped forward, adjusting his hat slightly. Oliver crouched slightly, ruffling its feathers as the Pikipek across from him did the same.

"Oliver! Use Tackle!" Sun called out to his starter. Oliver flew into the air and rushed towards the Pikipek. The bird, for the most part, barely had to move to dodge the attack, which surprised both Sun and Oliver as it scooted out of the way at the last possible second. The Pikipek then used Peck on the Rowlet as he sped by, making the owl cry out in pain as the super-effective attack hit him in the back.

"Hit it with Peck!" Sun called out to the owl. Oliver hooted and charged up energy within his beak and shot forward, but again he met air as the Pikipek dove downwards, completely avoiding the attack.

"You're a speedy one, aren't you?" Sun muttered, smiling now. The Pikipek chirped as it darted forward and hit Oliver in the side with a Peck, sending the bird tumbling forward with a pained expression on his face.

"Turn around and use Leafage!" Sun yelled to his starter. Oliver whirled around and unleashed a small barrage of leaves at the Pikipek, making it cry out in pain as the leaves rushed past it, leaving a series of small lacerations on its body. The bird crashed onto the ground with a chirp of pain, twitching.

"Oliver, you really are way too strong for this area." Sun muttered as he walked over to the Pikipek, which had its eyes shut painfully. After a moment of thought, the boy maximized and tossed the Poké Ball in his hand at the bird on the ground, sucking it into the device. Three shakes and a click later, and the ball dinged to signify a successful capture.

"Heh…I just caught my first Pokémon, didn't I?" Sun said quietly, feeling excitement surge through him as bent down to pick up the Poké Ball. Sun clutched the ball tightly, grinning widely as Oliver hooted down at him.

"Hehe…So this is what it's like. Catching a Pokémon…It feels right. Like this is what I should have been doing all along…Is that weird, Oliver?" Sun asked the Rowlet. Oliver hooted in response, and Sun said, "Yeah, I don't know why I'm asking you either."

" _Bzzt!"_ Sun yelped in surprise as Rotom suddenly shuddered to life, leaping out of his backpack and grinning down at the boy.

" _Well then! Looks like you caught your first Pokémon, zz-zzt! I'll put that down into the Pokédex and update your Trainer Info for ya! Now let's take a look at your newest capture!"_ Rotom said merrily as it floated down into Sun's hands and began speaking in a rather professional and smooth manner.

" _Pikipek, the Woodpecker Pokémon. It can peck at a rate of 16 times a second to drill holes in trees. It uses the holes for food storage and for nesting."_ Sun nodded and looked up further info on his new Pokémon.

" _This Pikipek is female and has the Ability Keen Eye. It is a Normal/Flying Type. It currently knows the moves Peck and Growl."_ Rotom finished, shuddering slightly in Sun's hands. _"She's a bit weak for this area, but I'm sure with your talent she'll be a great asset to you! Congrats on the catch, buddy! Bzzt!"_

"Thanks for the info, Rotom. I really appreciate it," Sun said to the Pokédex. Rotom grinned at him before going back to sleep. Sun held up the Poké Ball of his new Pokémon and smiled before looking at Oliver.

"You want to meet our new friend properly now?" Sun asked the owl. The Rowlet nodded and Sun released his Pikipek onto the ground, where it let out a cry and looked up at him curiously. It then winced in pain as its injuries caught up with it, making the bird nearly tumble over. Sun quickly treated both of his Pokémon's injuries with a Potion each, and then spoke with the other small bird.

"Hey there. That was a really good battle. I'm going to go on a journey tomorrow, to see what this place has to offer. Does that sound good to you? Do you really want to come with me?" Sun asked the bird as he bent down to look at the bird at its own height. The Pikipek chirped happily in agreement, fluttering into the air and landing on Sun's uninjured shoulder.

"Welcome to the team, partner." Sun said to the small bird, reaching up and petting her on the head, receiving a happy chirp in response. Oliver hooted happily as well, something that Sun figured was a greeting of sorts. The two birds began chirping at each other as Sun picked his bag up off of the ground, slinging it over his hurt shoulder with a wince, and began the trek home.

* * *

Sun arrived home with little fanfare, his Mom cooking dinner for them as he stepped through the door.

"Oh? Back already, huh?" Mom remarked, not looking up from the pot on the stove that she was mixing with a spoon.

"Yep. I ended up catching another Pokémon." Sun said as his Mom turned around, seeing her child with two birds sitting on him.

"Of course, I should have known. Well, she's a beautiful little birdie, Sun. What's her name?" Sun frowned at that, as he hadn't thought of that yet. Sun sat down on the couch, with Oliver flitting down onto his knee and the Pikipek following a moment later.

"She doesn't have a name yet...Uh, what _should_ I name you?" Sun muttered, taking off his hat and leaning back into the cushion, sighing with relief at not being on his feet anymore. He had done a lot of walking recently, and since he had just agreed to the Island Challenge, he would end up doing a lot more. He'd just go at his own pace, then, until he got used to it. No point in rushing this journey, after all.

Sun reached out and petted the small bird, stroking her small head and receiving a happy chirp in response. Not to leave his starter out, Sun was soon petting both of the birds in his lap while deep in thought.

"Honestly, I don't know. What kind of names would be good for a girl bird?" Sun thought to himself. He had thought of Oliver because of the significance to him. However for this little Pikipek…There was no flash of inspiration. He needed to puzzle something out.

" _Well…Going back to Oliver, that's an actual human name. It's not anything crazy. Maybe I could pick one out for her like I did for Oliver?"_ Sun thought as he began searching his mind for names that seemed to fit the small bird.

Unlike Oliver, she seemed pretty calm and quite well-behaved. She was freshly caught and already acting like a Pokémon that had been trained for years, even while inside a totally new environment. Also, for such a weak Pokémon, she had managed to hold her own much better than most wild Pokémon they had encountered, easily dodging most of Oliver's attacks. This little Pikipek was smart, from what Sun could tell. Really smart. She also seemed to get along well with her follow Pokémon, Oliver, since they were still quietly chirping to each other. He wondered what they were talking about…

"Ugh, back on topic. Names…Maybe I should start with P names. Pikipek starts with the letter P, so…Paige? Paula? Phoebe…wait, isn't she an Elite Four member somewhere? No, back on topic. Um…" Sun sighed, closing his eyes and thinking hard about it.

"Mom, what's a good P name for a bird?" Sun asked his mother.

"There's all sorts of names that start with P, dear. Princess is one that I've used before. Pandora is an interesting one. Piper is one that would fit for you, since you play the flute. How about that?" Mom suggested as she brought her pot to the table, dolling out a helping of spaghetti onto the two plates on the table. She fished out two bowls for the two birds in Sun's lap and combined a bit of Pokémon food and spaghetti into them. Meowth's was already on the floor, and the feline in question was salivating at the smell of the pasta.

"How about…" Sun thought for a second before finally saying, "Penny."

The Pikipek cocked its head while Mom turned around, smiling a little. "That's a pretty name, dear. I think it suits her."

Sun grinned at that and said, "How about it? Do you like the name Penny?" Sun asked the small bird sitting on his knee. The Pikipek gave a small nod and a happy chirp in response while Oliver's head rotated 360 degrees, hooting all the while.

"Welcome to the family, Penny." Sun said as he brought both of the birds in for a hug, grinning happily as his mother watched on. It filled her heart with warmth at her son beginning his journey with a fresh capture and a new friend. Another member of their family had just been introduced to them and they were all the stronger for it.

"Well, Sun. Oliver. Penny. Dinner is ready, so let's eat!" Mom said as she sat down at the table, her son getting up and heading that was as well as both of his birds fluttered into the air behind him. With that, the family ate their meals happily, reveling in their newest member and preparing themselves for what would come tomorrow. After Sun's mother helped her child pack accordingly for his trip, Sun went to bed and found himself too excited to sleep.

Everything would change tomorrow, was the prevailing thought in his mind. He'd be away from home, and out on his own. He'd be interacting with others, meeting new people, and be all alone out in the elements…except for his Pokémon.

He'd get through it. He'd use this journey to become a Pokémon Trainer, and become stronger as a person, even if he wasn't sure how.

Sun was finally ensnared by sleep, watched by his two faithful birds who had been watching him in the darkness. Satisfied that their trainer was asleep, the avian duo began to slumber as well, ready and willing to help their trainer as much as possible along his way.

* * *

Ice. Ice all around him.

Sun was so cold. Cold down to his very soul, as he looked around the destroyed city he was in. Ice coated buildings and the street beneath him, with jagged spikes erupting from every angle possible all around him. Upon closer inspection, Sun realized that there were _people_ trapped inside of the icy spikes that surrounded him on the street. Every one of the people trapped within their frozen prison had the same look of fear of their face before becoming imprisoned within the unforgiving ice. It was like a graveyard of sorts...a frozen graveyard. Sun shivered violently as he took a few tentative steps through the cold hellscape, wondering just what had happened here. Why it gave him a terrible feeling of doom and helplessness...

"Looks like we've got a live one."

Sun whirled around and felt raw terror grip his heart at the sight in front of him. Two men clad in white body armor, grinning at him as they walked past the forms of several frozen people with terrified expressions on their faces. Sun whirled around and began running away from the men, only to find three of them standing in front of him now. The white armor they wore stood out in the darkness around them, practically bone-white and designed to be both protective and intimidating.

"That's quite rude, you know. We just want to talk…Is that so bad?" the center man in front of him asked quietly, his smile snakelike.

"What…No. No, get away from me!" Sun yelled at the men, glancing behind himself and seeing the other two men nearing him. Sun sprinted away, even as the men began to follow him. Sun didn't know where he was going, but he knew that he couldn't afford to be caught. He didn't know why he felt this overwhelming sense of fear from them, but he knew it, deep inside, that they were trouble. And then…bubbling deep inside was another feeling. A burning feeling that he didn't even think he could identify, but he knew it was strong.

Sun eventually found himself in a large park with an extravagant fountain in the middle. The fountain was cracked, destroyed by a massive spire of ice. Sun looked at the sad sight for a moment before he became aware of several clicking sounds. Sun glanced behind him and gasped as he beheld the sight of the men from before, all standing behind him and aiming guns directly at him.

"You can't run…You can try, but we'll find you." All of the men said as one, grinning at him as they began to advance forward, moving amongst the graveyard of ice noisily, their armored feet crunching on the ice beneath them. Sun took a step back, not even caring if he was shot, just to get away from them before he heard a familiar growl. Sun looked behind him and saw a whirling mass of shadows, raging behind him like a roiling mass of water beneath the wrath of a thunderstorm. Each of the men ahead of him knelt before the mass of darkness while it slowly grew and grew, transforming into a massive doglike monster.

 _ **"I will bring out their deepest darkness, one by one…the true power of** **Pokémon...** **"** _ a voice hissed, so distorted that Sun could barely make out the words. Sun then became aware that the darkness from the beast had spread and was now enveloping his feet, trapping him. Sun let out a scream and tried to escape, but found that he was trapped and growing more so with each passing moment. The armored men in white were still kneeling in front of the monster before them, which roared furiously as it slowly gained a more defined shape. It slowly formed into the shape of a dog, with two massive horns jutting out of it's head with a long slender tail behind it.

 _ **"They will know despair, and the error of their ways..."** _ Sun distantly realized he was hyperventilating, fear pouring through every fiber of his being as the shadows swallowed his stomach and continued pulling him downwards, consuming him. The shadow dog slowly lumbered towards Sun, extending its jaw slowly and revealing several rows of gleaming white teeth. Sun screamed again as the jaws drew closer, and just when the dog's mouth closed down on him, he heard a very distinctly cold voice speak to him in a tone so twisted, so cruelly amused that it surpassed the shadow dog in terms of sheer terror to the boy.

" _ **Isn't it beautiful…This wicked world I've wrought? This city of icy death is just the beginning."**_

* * *

Sun awoke from the dream then, panting heavily and drenched in sweat. He felt fear and shame and all sorts of other emotions pouring out from him as he tried to catch his breath, his body shuddering as he tried to process everything that had happened, even as parts of the nightmare became fuzzy and half-focused in his mind. He then became aware of Oliver and Penny sitting at the edge of his bed, looking worriedly at him. Sun leaned forward and snatched up both birds, hugging them tightly for comfort as he tried to calm himself down. Oliver nuzzled his trainer while Penny chirped quietly, and slowly but surely, Sun managed to find himself calmed down enough to slow down his breathing.

The boy managed to find sleep once more, despite himself, with both of his birds nestled beside him a few minutes later. Both of the birds kept a watchful eye over the boy as he slept, however. They didn't know what kind of nightmares were plaguing the boy, but they were determined to protect him from them however they could. Despite this, both of the young and tired birds succumbed to sleep themselves after a short time had passed, slumbering beside their trainer as the family rested as much as possible for the start of their journey just a few hours away.


	10. Setting Out

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _So this was originally supposed to be one big chapter, but the ending for it ended up dragging on so I split it. Thankfully this doesn't mess things up at all, which is neat. I'm also posting this early, because why not?_

 _I'll admit I'm a bit nervous as to how some of the stuff I've got planned in the next few chapters will be received, but I'm hoping that people will enjoy the twists to come and enjoy something different that will set this story apart from the other novelization stories out there._

 _Also, to answer a question,_ _Pokémon do indeed have levels in this fic. They won't be necessarily stated in the story, at least as of now, but they do exist and are a thing. No chances of a level 5 Snivy wrecking a high-level Pikachu. If you're interested in knowing the levels/moves/abilities/status of Sun's team, check my Fanfiction . Net profile page for this._

 _Shoutout to the fantastic folks who reviewed since the last update, which includes Sai Og Sus, Dunka99, danlagunas14 (Happy Belated Birthday!), as well as a new reviewer known as My Wunderwaffle iz missin (check Der Reise, Richtofen may have stashed it there somewhere). Thanks so much for the feedback and support. And the birthday wishes as well, that was quite nice too._

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 _Chapter 10: Setting Out_

* * *

Sun awoke with a small yawn, snuggling deeper into his blankets and shutting his eyes, attempting to once again find sleep. This was foiled by his starter hooting loudly in his face. The Kanto-native forgot that both of his birds had slept with him after he had his nightmare last night. He shuddered at the hazy memory for a moment before returning to other matters. Like going back to sleep and trying to forget about it. The men in the white armor and then beast that had attacked him…the howl still echoed in his mind, making him shiver.

Sun felt a small pang in his chest at the very thought of the dream. He had only seen the city he had been in once in his life, and that was on a new report in what seemed like an eternity ago. Back when everything was much simpler…

The Kanto-native curled up in his sheets, feeling whatever excitement or joy in him concerning his upcoming journey wither away as the emotions he was feeling before he became a trainer hit him full force. It was like a dull ache in his chest, suppressing emotions and taking away his joy. He couldn't put a name to it, but it tore at him like nothing else. He hated this feeling, but he didn't know what to do about it.

"Coo?"

Sun opened his eyes, sighing quietly as he looked up at Oliver, who was looking down at him worriedly. "Aren't you supposed to be nocturnal?" Sun grumbled, shying away from the bird as it cocked its head at him. Penny simply watched the proceedings with amusement as Oliver pecked and prodded Sun until the boy fell out of his bed, with the Pikipek and Rowlet flying into the air to avoid being squashed.

"Uuughh…Why me?" Sun sighed, sitting up and rubbing his head, slowly getting up and stretching. A few minutes later the child was fully dressed and half-asleep, but filed out of his room with two birds held in his arms.

"Good morning, sweetie! I baked some cinnamon rolls this morning. They're in the microwave and should still be warm." Mom said to Sun from the couch, with Meowth curled up against her leg. She seemed to be watching a documentary about the Pokémon Rangers, which Sun personally didn't know too much about. They weren't really a thing back in Kanto, as far as he knew anyway, though he did know they were big in places like Johto and Sinnoh.

Laura then took note of how tired her child looked and asked, "What's wrong, dear? You look terrible. Did you sleep OK?"

"Nightmare. I dreamed about those people again. I...I heard Damian howl at me…He became a monster, just like the others. It was horrible Mom," Sun closed his eyes, trying to force the howl out of his head from before he opened them again.

"It was just a dream, though, honey. Dreams can't hurt you. Neither can Damian, even though I'm sure he'd never do that anyway. Even if his trainer…" Mom trailed off, shaking her head before saying, "Just don't worry about it. We're away from all of that now. You've got an adventure to go on and breakfast to eat. Now get to it, my little sunshine!"

Sun smiled thinly at the awful pun and made a move to go eat, but he heard knocking at the door and went to go answer it. Sun opened the door and was somewhat surprised to see Lillie on the other side, smiling faintly at him.

"Good morning, Sun. Are you ready to head out?" Lillie paused, her small smile faltering slightly at seeing how tired Sun looked. "I wasn't too early, was I?"

"Good morning, Lillie. And its fine, you came at a good time. I'm just really slow to wake up in the morning…So…how's it going?" Sun asked the girl, yawning slightly.

"Quite well, thank you. How about you?" Lillie asked softly, her smile returning.

"Still waking up…" Sun stifled his yawn for a moment before continuing. "But otherwise well, I guess. I caught myself a new Pokémon yesterday and I'm all set to explore the island." Sun replied, giving Lillie a small smile as both of his birds flew past Sun and onto his shoulders. Oliver hooted a greeting to Lillie while Penny simply remained quiet, instead looking at the girl in curiosity.

"This is Penny, my newest Pokémon. She and Oliver hit it off really well, so I battled and caught her. Now she's part of the team." Sun explained as Lillie reached forward and pet the small bird, receiving a happy tweet in response after a moment.

"Another Flying-type? Well, it certainly is an adorable little Pikipek. Make sure to take good care of her, OK?" Lillie said to Sun as the boy stepped forward. Sun grabbed Penny and held her in his arms while Oliver flew onto Sun's head.

"Absolutely. So where are we off to first?" Sun asked, stroking Penny as the bird chirped happily.

"I believe we should head to the Pokémon Center. It'll be good for you to get used to the Alolan version of them, since they're so different from the Kanto versions. After we do that, it's just a short walk to the Trainers School. We should still be there before noon, I believe." Lillie said as she looked up into the sky, tilting her hat slightly.

"Well, let's get moving then." Sun replied. The door opened behind Sun and the boy turned around to see his mother smiling down at him.

"No goodbye?" Mom asked, grinning down at her boy.

"Heh, sorry Mom. Never done this before, so-" Sun was cut off by being enveloped in a bone-crushing hug. Sun remained still for a moment before returning the embrace, hugging his Mom tightly.

"I'm going to miss you, but I know this is going to be so good for you. I want you to make lots of friends and meet all kinds of Pokémon. I want you to grow up a little over your journey and experience all sorts of new things. Alola is a hotspot of unique places and sights, so I want you to keep an open mind and not be afraid of learning about some new things, OK?" Mom said to Sun, who just replied with a nod.

"I know you've been a bit down with what happened back in Kanto." Mom also added, making Sun's cheer subside. "There is nothing that can be done about it. We came here to get away from all of that. So please…Just enjoy yourself. Have fun. Make all kinds of wonderful memories, and I'll be happy. And remember…You're always able to come right back home whenever you want, dear."

"I love you, Mom." Sun muttered, willing back his tears. What else could he say? All sorts of feelings were welling up in him at the goodbye, even though he was sure he'd be seeing her again soon. After everything that had happened, it was so weird leaving out on his own.

"I love you too, dear. Never forget that." Laura replied, tightening her embrace. Sun nodded wordlessly as he hugged his mother, trying to convey everything he was feeling with a simple hug.

Lillie watched silently, an expression on her face that seemed almost wistful, but the expression vanished as soon as the mother and son separated.

"You two both be safe out there, OK? Be sure to tell Kukui I said hi, OK?" Mom said to the two children as Sun stepped away. Mom turned to Lillie and said, "Keep an eye on my boy, won't you Lillie? He usually stays out of trouble, but he's my child after all."

"Of course, Miss Laura. You can count on me." Lillie replied with a nod.

"And remember..." Laura's smile turned into a smirk as she said, "If you two are holding hands the next time I see you, I'll have some strong words for you both. Do you understand?" Lillie and Sun both blushed at the mother's implications again, with Lillie shaking her head furiously at that.

"Y-yes ma'am. I mean...No? I...Um, w-we should get going." Lillie stammered, lowering her hat and trying to cover her face in embarrassment.

"You two best be off then. I've got unpacking to, _possibly_ , do today and you both have adventuring to do. Get to it!" Mom said to both of the children, grinning at them before she returned to the house and shut the door.

And with that, Lillie and Sun officially set off on their journey.

* * *

"How are you feeling?" Lillie asked Sun after a few minutes. Their blushes had both faded by this time and they weren't feeling quite so awkward around each other anymore.

"I feel…OK. Kinda tired, but otherwise I'm excited. Nervous…there's a lot of stuff happening at once." Sun said awkwardly as Lillie giggled at him.

"No, that's absolutely understandable. You're leaving your new home to explore uncharted territory for you. There's bound to be some conflicting emotions there. I do have to ask though, why are you keeping your Pokémon out?" Lillie asked Sun.

"I don't really know. I like having them out like this though. Maybe it's just better for bonding. Either way, unless we're in a really highly crowded area or someone tells me to return them, I think I'm just going to keep doing this." Sun explained as they made their way down the dirt path, carrying Penny in his arms and having Oliver on his head.

"I see…I'd really like to do that with Nebby, but it's just too dangerous." Lillie said rather sadly, patting her bag for a moment as the two of them stepped onto a paved road that led further down the way, stepping on the sidewalk a moment later. The two children passed a few family-owned businesses and a few market chains that Sun had never heard of as they walked. Lillie was more than happy to explain what the places were and if any of them were worth spending money on (most of them were). Few vehicles were on the road, so the duo had a fairly quiet and enjoyable stroll by the waterfront as they made their way to the Trainer's School. Sun and Lillie chatted with one another until they reached a large building with a red roof that seemed vaguely familiar to Sun. Lillie walked ahead of him and gestured to the building before them.

"This, as you may already have guessed, is a Pokémon Center." Lillie stated as she shifted her bag from one shoulder to the other. She walked through the opening doors of the building with Sun following close behind, listening to the girl's explanation.

"Pokémon Centers serve many functions, here in Alola. Not only does this building contain a Pokémon Center, complete with everything that entails, but it also has a Poké Mart and a café for trainers to unwind at. Here, trainers can rent rooms for free and eat freshly prepared meals if they wish. They're equipped with all sorts of things to help Pokémon Trainers along their way." Lillie explained as she gestured to several video phones set to the side of the main room along with a few other machines. Sun took in the sights around him with awe, amazed at how different everything was.

"If you hand your Pokémon over to Nurse Joy over at the counter, she'll do a free checkup on your Pokémon and restore them to perfect health. They're also happy to help trainers with advice and the like if you need it as well. They're quite nice, so I'd recommend talking to them if you need any assistance and I'm not around." Lillie continued as Nurse Joy waved at the two of them. Sun dropped off Oliver and Penny to Nurse Joy, who did a very quick check up and found no problems, giving both birds I clean bill of health after being healed. Lillie kept up a running commentary as Sun set Oliver on his head and picked up Penny.

"There's also the PC and Transfer Systems here as well. Trainers can withdraw and deposit Pokémon into the PC at their own leisure. The Poké Mart is self-explanatory, of course. You can buy all sorts of items, food, and basic supplies here. I'd recommend stocking up for your trials when you get a chance. And…" Lillie trailed off, looking towards the other side of the café.

"Did you happen to eat breakfast this morning, Sun?" Lillie asked the boy beside her.

"No, actually. You arrived a bit earlier than I expected." Sun admitted with a sheepish laugh.

"Oh! Um, sorry about that." Lillie apologized, a worried frown on her face now.

"Don't worry about it. Though I do have to wonder why you would ask me that though." Sun mentioned to the blonde, who pointed to the café. It was a small little area with several seats available with a large man standing at the counter, looking down at his phone intently.

"The café's at the Pokémon Centers sell all sorts of pick-me-ups and drinks. I was going to suggest we pick up something for the walk over to the school." Lillie remarked, smiling slightly. Sun opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by Oliver flying over to the counter of the café and hooting to the man behind the counter.

"Well, this isn't the strangest customer I've ever had." The man at the counter chuckled, reaching out and petting Oliver on the head as he put away his phone. The man pulled out a green Poké Bean from beneath the counter and fed it to the bird, making him chirp happily in response. Penny let out a chirp as well, clearly wanting a Poké Bean as well. Sun had Lillie dig into his backpack and pull one out for the other bird, which pacified her.

"Haha! Looks like we've got another greenhorn on our hands. Well, kid, welcome my little café. You'll find one of these in every single Pokémon Center in the Alola region. And each one of them offer the same quality and fantastic price that can't be beat. Please feel free to use our café area to relax and enjoy some peace and quiet." The man said rather enthusiastically, grinning at the two children.

"I have to say, the idea of a café in a Pokémon Center is really weird…But neat. Back in Kanto, the Pokémon Center and the Poké Mart were two totally different buildings, and a lot more basic." Sun said to an amused Lillie.

"Kanto? You're quite a ways from there, aren't you? Well, I hope you enjoy our sunny little paradise, young man. Now, what will you two be having this morning?" the man asked

"One Moomoo Milk, please." Lillie said quietly to the man, who smiled at her.

"Of course, Miss Lillie. And for you, young man?" The man asked Sun as the boy looked up at the selection displayed on the menu above for a few moments before replying. "Strawberry Muffin with a Moomoo Milk."

The man nodded and quickly began fixing up the order. Lillie pulled out a small purse out of her bag and paid for the two of them, shooting down Sun's offer to pay by telling him that this is all part of her duty in taking care of him until he got used to things here. When the two children got their food, however, the man decided to give them both a Lumiose Galette as well, a delicious smelling pastry.

"Thank you very much, sir." Lillie said to the man, who waved at them both dismissively with a grin on his face.

"Don't thank me. It's just nice seeing today's youth out and about and loving Pokémon. I'd offer you some Poké Beans, but I'm nearly out. Maybe next time." The man said with a shrug and a smile. With that, the two children sat down at a nearby table and enjoyed their snacks. Lillie let Nebby out of the bag and shared her snack with it, much to the Cosmog's delight.

"According to a book a read once, each Pokémon Center in Alola offers a different selection of drinks and other menu items…I wonder how they decide which place serves what?" Lillie muttered that last part to herself, making Sun chuckle as he bit into his muffin. It was delicious and still warm, making it even better.

"On top of that, they also sell Poké Beans and even offer special treats to trainers and Pokémon every now and then, just like what happened with us. I say it's just a good idea to swing by the café whenever you go to a Pokémon Center so that you won't miss out." Lillie explained further as she took a sip of her milk. The duo polished off their snacks, with Sun feeding Penny and Oliver a few Poké Beans each, and disposed of their bottles and trash appropriately before leaving the facility behind. It was about another thirty minutes of walking to reach the Trainer's School. Lillie began speaking once the two of them were nearing their destination.

"As you can see, the Trainers School is a…a…What in the world!?" Lillie yelped, taking a step back as Sun stared ahead in horror.

A massive bull Pokémon stood in the road ahead of them, snorting angrily and pawing at the ground. Two men were running towards the Tauros, so Sun and Lillie ducked into the school courtyard to get out of line of sight from the large and powerful Pokémon.

"Well…Looks like we won't be going that way for a little while, thanks to that Tauros there. But that's no problem. We're here at the Trainers' School anyway." Lillie said as she gestured forward. Sun took in the large building with a bit of awe…before he looked behind him.

"Are we really just leave that Tauros out there? Shouldn't we help those guys? I mean, won't someone get hurt?" Sun asked Lillie, who just gave him a look.

"Do you _really_ want to deal with that thing, Sun?"

"…You raise a really good point, there."

"I know I do. We'll just leave that for someone else more equipped to deal with. Until then, please follow me." Lillie walked ahead then, with Sun following close behind. A small buzz in Sun's backpack surprised him, but Rotom leapt out of the pack and floated next to Sun.

" _Bzzt! So is the Trainer's School a place for trainers to learn or for trainers to teach?"_ Rotom asked Lillie.

"Both, actually. Pokémon Trainers are constantly learning and adapting, alongside their Pokémon. In that regard, though, trainers are always able to pass on wisdom and knowledge to those less experienced." Lillie explained to Rotom as they neared the front entrance of the school. Professor Kukui was waiting for them there, chatting with what Sun assumed was a teacher there.

"Heya, you two!" Kukui said cheerfully, waving to the two children. "I was wondering what was taking so long, but then I realized I was an hour early. So I've just been doing some field work with the Pokémon on the campus."

"That's pretty interesting. Did you find out anything important?" Sun asked Kukui.

"Yup! I'll need to do a bit of testing later on today, but we're going off-topic here. Sun, I'd like to welcome you to the Trainer's School! The place that helps young and aspiring trainers learn how to…well, become Pokémon Trainers!" Kukui began, his voice bursting with excitement.

"So is this the child you told me about, Professor?" the woman next to the man spoke up, looking Sun up and down with an appraising eye.

"Yeah. Put him through the wringer, Teach!" Kukui declared, though this got the Professor a slap in the back of the head from the woman.

"That's Miss Emily Daniels to you, Kukui!" the woman replied hotly as the Professor rubbed the back of his head with a wince. Lillie and Sun watched the display with horror etched on their faces until Miss Daniels looked at them and laughed nervously.

"Sorry about that. Just a joke between the two of us, don't worry." Miss Daniels said with a nervous laugh as Kukui recovered.

"Anyways…" The Professor held up four fingers and proclaimed, "Four trainers! Track down four trainers here at the school and beat them. The experience from those battles should help give you a better feel for what it feels like to be a trainer, yeah?"

"The trainers who are taking part in this lesson will be all around the campus, meaning both inside and outside of the school. Each of them will be wearing a bright blue badge on their chest, so you know when you've found them. All areas where the trainers are located are easily accessible and do not require you to go into classrooms, though if you wish to do that you are, of course, welcome too." Miss Daniels said to Sun, smiling now. "Let the lesson begin!"

Miss Daniels turned around and made her way back to the main building. Kukui stuck his tongue out at the woman behind her back before turning back to the two children in front of him, both of whom were laughing at the display.

"Forget that entire thing, OK?" Kukui said quietly to the two of them. Kukui then said, "She may not look it, but she's tough, and certainly knows how to train her students well. Heck, one of her students is even a Trial Captain!"

"Really? That's interesting. I wonder if I'll see them around here." Sun wondered aloud before he looked down at Penny.

"Looks like we're going to get some training in for you. Let's get to it." Sun said to his two birds.

"If your Pokémon need any healing, come by here and let me know, OK?" Lillie said to Sun, who nodded in reply. With that, the Kanto-native set of across the courtyard to find these four trainers that he was supposed to battle. He ventured right and actually came across someone texting on their phone while leaning against a wall. She had a bright blue badge on her shirt.

"Wait…Hey, Rotom?" Sun asked aloud. After a moment the Pokédex flew out of his bag and floated in front of him.

" _Yes?"_

"What's the best way to power up a weaker Pokémon? Do you have access to any tips in that Pokédex? I…don't really want to go back and ask for advice. It would look a bit…dumb." Sun said lamely, making Rotom chuckle.

" _You're trying to make Penny stronger, right?"_ Rotom asked Sun, to which the boy nodded. _"Well…Bzzt! I'd say just switch out the Pokémon when you need to. I think that splits the amount of experience each one gets. That way, you can power up Penny without getting her too hurt!"_

"So just call Penny out to fight a Pokémon, and then switch out to Oliver and let him do the fight? That's a thing?" Sun asked the Pokédex.

" _That's the idea, zzzt!"_

"Sounds good to me. Thanks Rotom!" Sun said to the Pokédex. Rotom buzzed happily before flying back into Sun's backpack, somehow zipping it back up in the process. Sun walked over to the girl and got her attention.

"Oh, hey! I've been here waiting for you because the teacher told me to. You're Sun, right?" Sun nodded and the girl continued. "If you beat me, I'll give you a quick but important lesson about being a Pokémon trainer."

"Sounds good to me. Let's go." Sun and the girl, who introduced herself as Hiromi, went to the nearby battlefield and stood on opposite sides of it.

"Go, Pikipek!" Hiromi shouted, tossing her Poké Ball forward and releasing her bird.

"Penny, let's go!" Sun pointed forward, and Penny flew forward obediently.

"Pikipek, use Peck!" Hiromi shouted. Her bird flew into the air and shot towards Penny.

"Penny, come back. Oliver, take her place!" Sun said to his two birds. Both of them switched spots, much to the surprise of the Pikipek charging at them. Oliver hooted in pain as the Pikipek collided with him instead of Penny, causing serious damage, but the owl was ready to deal even more back at it.

"Tackle! Let's go!"

"Use Growl!"

Oliver darted forward and collided with the Pikipek, sending it barreling through the air with a cry. The bird pulled out of the fall and soared back up to Oliver, growling at him. Both trainers repeated their commands, with Oliver's attack lowering at the cost of his opponent weakening a bit more.

"Oliver, use Tackle!" Sun yelled out as the bird dropped to the ground, his head swiveling around as the Pikipek landed on the ground opposite him, shuddering in pain.

"Peck Pikipek!" Hiromi shouted as Oliver flew towards his opponent. The smaller bird shot towards Oliver and both birds collided, dealing damage to both of them.

"Tackle again!" Sun called again as Hiromi's Pikipek flew onto the ground, shaking its head as if to clear it. Oliver flew high into the air and plummeted downwards, tackling the Pikipek into the ground and knocking it out.

"Well…Looks like you won! Congrats." Hiromi said as she returned her bird, grinning at Sun. Hiromi gave Sun a quick rundown on how to properly use stat-change items in battle before handing her badge to Sun, explaining that he needed to show Miss Daniels all four badges to show that he had beaten them. Sun bid the girl farewell and began making his way back to the main path to the school. Rotom flew out into Sun's hands from his backpack and grinned at him.

" _Lookee there, buddy! Looks like Penny just learned Growl. If you keep this up, she'll be able to hold her own and be a real force to reckon with, bzzt!"_ Rotom said to Sun as the boy looked at his Pikipek.

Sun walked over to where he saw Lillie chatting with Professor Kukui where he had left them. After being asked, Lillie quickly healed up Oliver as Sun flashed his blue badge to Kukui.

"Nice work, cousin. Now you've got three more to go." Kukui said to Sun, giving him a thumbs up.

"There! All better. Just make sure you don't push your Pokémon too hard, OK? Um…that is, I mean…if you don't mind, Sun." Lillie said with a nervous laugh, realizing how she sounded.

"I won't, don't worry. See you in a bit." Sun said to the girl with his usual smile. He made his way past a few basketball goals and found himself staring into a fenced off area with long thick grass stretching out towards a large wall in the distance. A small boy with a blue badge on his hat was relaxing in the grass by the gate, which Sun went over to and opened.

"Hehe, so you're our special guest, huh?" the boy asked, grinning at Sun. "You look tough! Don't worry though, I'll teach you all about the tactics I've learned here at school…by beating you with them!"

"Then let's go then!" Sun said to the boy, grinning back at him as he took a few steps back. The boy got to his feet and introduced himself as Joey and let out a Metapod, which Sun looked at in confusion.

" _For some reason, I was expecting a Rattata from Joey...Penny could probably beat that Metapod on her own…"_ Sun thought in his mind, debating it for a moment.

"Oliver, sit this one out, alright? Penny, go get it!" Sun said to his newest Pokémon. Penny nodded and fluttered forward, landing on the ground and preparing herself to fight.

"Penny! Use Peck!" Sun ordered his bird. Penny darted forward, her beak glowing bright white, before she jabbed her beak into the hard shell of the Metapod opposite her.

"Use Harden!" Joey shouted out. Metapod shut its eyes as its entire body glowed brightly, it's outer body becoming tougher and more resilient to damage.

"Peck again!" Sun commanded as Penny flew overhead.

"Tackle, Metapod!" Joey yelled as Penny shot downwards. Penny jabbed her beak into the Bug-type once again, but was surprised when he suddenly leapt forward and knocked her out of the air with a surprisingly powerful Tackle.

"Keept it up! Peck again!" Sun shouted to Penny. The Pikipek nodded and launched herself into the air again, her eyes gleaming with excitement.

"You too, Metapod! Tackle!" Joey shouted. The two Pokémon continued to batter away at one another, but because of her type-advantage, Penny managed to finally put away the other Pokémon.

"Yes! Awesome job, Penny!" Sun cheered as he jogged forward, scooping up Penny and hugging her tightly. Oliver hooted happily as well, showing his own delight at his teammate's victory.

"Nice job! That was a really good battle!" Joey laughed as he returned his Metapod. "Thanks buddy. You did great." The boy muttered to his Pokémon before pocketing the ball.

"So, here's a lesson from one trainer to another." Joey began. "Status effects are awesome things you can inflict on your opponent's to make battling them easier. Poison will lower a Pokémon's health, while paralysis can help slow them down and make it harder for them to attack. Keep in mind that even if you can inflict these status effects on your opponents, they can hit you with them too!"

"Thanks for the advice. I knew a bit about status effects before, but not that much. I should really read up on them sometime." Sun mused before he noticed the other boy was holding out a hand to him. Sun smiled and shook the boy's hand, holding Penny with his other, and thanked Joey for his help. After accepting the boy's badge, Sun opened the gate and made his way into the school proper, healing Penny before he ventured into the building.

"Wow. This place is really…" Sun trailed off, shivering at the AC hitting him full blast. After being in the scorching Alolan heat all morning, the cool hitting him sent shivers down his spine. After a few moments of standing still, the boy began exploring the building.

Sun decided against going into the classrooms, since it'd be awkward and he didn't want a bunch of students asking him questions and crowding him. He finally came across an older student who was juggling three Poké Balls in her hands, grinning at him.

"Hey there. I heard about you from Hiromi. Not going to lie, beating any of the students Miss Daniels picked to test you is impressive for a newbie. Because of that, I'm going to give you a little something special to help you out along the way." The girl said to Sun, clipping her three Poké Balls to her belt. The girl herself had blonde hair tied into a ponytail and wore a periwinkle sundress and regarded him with amusement.

"OK…and what would that be?" Sun asked the girl.

"Follow me." The girl walked down the hallway that Sun had come down from, heading into one of the classrooms. Sun followed the girl and found himself in one that he was interrupting a class in session.

"Excuse me, Mr. Stevens. I found a trainer willing to help with a demonstration on Held Items." The girl said to the man at the front of the class, an older gentlemen with graying hair.

"Cindy, you can't just walk in here and interrupt. That said, I do appreciate you finding a candidate, since none one in this class has their own Pokémon officially." Stevens said with a small smile. "So, young man, what is your name?"

"Um…S-sun, sir." The Kanto-native said nervously, feeling very nervous. He was focusing on the teacher and not the dozen or so children watching him and his Pokémon with interest. Cindy remained nearby, smiling thinly.

"Ahh, Professor Kukui's guest. Well, I appreciate you assisting, my boy. Just stand here and give me a moment to begin the lesson." Mr. Stevens cleared his throat and then reached into his pocket, pulling out what looked like a small claw of sorts.

"Continuing from what I was saying before these two arrived…the Quick Claw is a special Held Item that is rather uncommon around these parts. Normally, the Pokémon with the greater speed in a battle is the one that hits their target first. However, with the Quick Claw equipped, this is general rule of battle is put into question. The Quick Claw is an item that allows a Pokémon to _occasionally_ be able to hit their opponent before they have a chance to retaliate. Remember, this is occasionally. Held Items are not things that should be abused or relied on, even if they can give a trainer the edge in a battle."

"Now, I will show you the proper way to equip a held item. Sun, please join me at the front." Mr. Stevens said to the boy in the back, who slowly nodded and made his way to the front of the class, feeling his nerves grow with each step.

"Now, there are many ways a trainer can equip an item onto their Pokémon. In the Alola region, trainers will generally incorporate Held Items into clothing or equipment for their Pokémon to wear. These can be made by the trainer, but can also be bought in all sorts of shapes and sizes, for trainer convenience. We have several today for the sake of showing off. Sun, could you please have your Rowlet and Pikipek sit on my desk?" Mr. Stevens asked Sun, who did as the teacher asked. The teacher pulled out two collars, showing them off to the class and explaining their properties.

"This are Attachment Collars. They're what trainers generally use when they wish for a Pokémon to be able to utilize a Held Item. I know a few old students of mine use them for their Z-Crystals after having completed a few of the Island Trials." Stevens explained as he slipped a black collar on Oliver and an orange one on Penny. The teacher showed the proper way to secure a Held Item to the collar. Sun was surprised at the level of care and detail the man put into his lesson, and for a few moments regretted that he was home-schooled by his mother. Not that she was a bad teacher, it was just not going to compare to being at the Trainer's School.

Mr. Stevens wrapped up the lesson a few minutes later and thanked Sun for his time. Sun was allowed to keep the Quick Claw as a gift for his assistance, though he had to return the collars. Sun made a note to get some whenever he had the chance. Sun exited the room and sagged with relief as he shut the door behind him. Penny and Oliver looked at him in confusion.

"Alright, you too. Let's keep looking for these trainers." Sun muttered as he began his ascent up the stairway, trying to regain his bearings after having deal with stage fright once more.

* * *

 _Holy crap, folks. Ten chapters in and look at the support this story has gotten. Nearly 50 reviews and nearing 4,000 views in just over a month! That is...insane. Simply insane._

 _I just want to say thanks to everyone who's read, favorited, followed and reviewed this fic up to this point. Every little bit of support motivates me to work harder on this thing and make this something truly special, something representative of the fantastic game we were given in Fall 2016._

 _For now, I'll leave you all with a question and a poll on my profile. This is going to be a thing I do every 10 chapters, mainly just for the sake of wanting to know people's opinions about certain aspects of Sun and Moon and for Pokémon in general. We'll see how it goes, so here's my question._

 _ **Who do you all ship Lillie with?**_

 _Since she's become a beloved character in the franchise, mainly due to her being likable and adorable as hell and having a genuinely fantastic character arc, it's only natural she gets shipped with anything that breathes. Who she gets shipped with has also been brought up in several reviews, so here's why I've been coy on the issue until now. I wanted to get people's feedback on the matter before I decide for certain which direction I wish to go with it in this story._

 _So I've set up a poll on my profile to see what you all think. If you feel like sharing your thoughts or ship her with someone else not mentioned in the poll, then feel free to let me know about it in the review section below. I'll let you all know my own answer to this question in the next update along with an answer as to whether or not she'll be shipped with Sun, which has been mentioned and asked about several times now._

 _You all take care, and keep being awesome._

 _Until next time, FlygonNick out!_


	11. Getting School'd

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _Alright, so I'm gonna start this off by saying that this story has officially become a Sun X Lillie fic, due to many reasons._

 _One, it's pretty much the ship teased throughout the entire story of Sun and Moon. Yeah, Hau has a crush on Lillie (as does Hapu from the looks of it at times), but from a story standpoint her relationship with the main character grows from friendship to something much deeper by the end of it._

 _Two, I just find the ship adorable as hell and its fun writing the material for it. It's the gift that keeps on giving and there's so many chances for cute scenes between Sun and Lillie that I'd be an idiot not to make the most of them._

 _Three, overwhelming reviewer request and support for every Sun X Lillie ship moment so far. Easily the most mentioned thing so far, next to Oliver being a prick to Sun, which is also very fun to write._

 _So yeah. That'll be happening a lot more. That said, I'm not going to let fluff or bonding moments overpower the rest of the fic. Lillie can't exactly be around all the time and the focus will still mainly be on Sun and his adventure, but Lillie will be featuring much more than she did in the games for sure, but I had planned that from the start already._

 _Also, I'd like to make a comment on a concern that was brought to my attention involving the tone of the story for the future. Personal shoutout and thanks to il2swim57 for bringing up some really good questions that I do believe should be addressed._

 _So…Most people can assume at this point, based on some of the comments in the story, that this story won't be all a cheerful one the whole way through. In fact, a low point for this story isn't too far off._

 _This story will be getting pretty dark in a few places. It will **possibly** deal with themes of depression, parental abuse/neglect, personality disorders, crime, corruption, Pokémon abuse and some other themes too vague at the moment for this list. It will indeed get quite serious and dark at times. It'll even get pretty damn gruesome. And if you're discouraged by that, then I would just like to warn people that I've got a MUCH darker fic that runs alongside this one that I haven't even officially started yet. _

_More on that later, though._

 _Yes, this story can get and will be dark at some points. This will not tarnish what I have in mind for this story. Along with the dark parts of the story…_

 _There will be times of triumph. Of celebration and joy and yes, tons of adorable fluff because damn it I think it's about time I write a story that isn't knee-deep in sorrow for all of its characters. This story won't be all doom and gloom. Not by a long shot. I'm going for a generally positive story this go around, something much lighter than my previous fics. I want that to be noted._

 _So basically what I'm saying is just keep reading. Yes, things will get dark at some points in the story. But it won't be like that all the time and if you know the outcomes of the game, then you already know how this all will end more or less. All I'm doing is adding my own little twist on an already amazing story of friendship and growth. I want this to be a story that inspires others or just entertains people in general, so I wouldn't worry too much about things getting super bleak all the time. I just ask that you keep reading and let me know what you think, since this story improves based on your feedback/support/suggestions._

 _Alright, now that we've got that out of the way. Onto other stuff._

 _For those wondering how Sun's team dynamic will work out…I'm sorry, but I'm not saying anything about that. I really don't want to spoil anything about his team, but I will say every Pokémon on his team can be obtained in-game for Pokémon Sun and Moon. If you feel like guessing what'll be on the team, then by all means go ahead. It'll make you look awesome if you get the guesses right!_

 _Also, to answer another question (I'm on a roll), as to whether or not I'll have a few OC Captains within the story for the Z-Crystals that aren't given a trial in the story…I'll have to think on that. I mean coming up with some OC Captains was something I didn't even consider and would be an admittedly really cool idea, but it'd have to be worked in carefully. I'll get back to you all on that eventually, because I'm 50/50 on it at the moment._

 _Also, a quick sidenote. I do proofread these chapters at least once before publishing, but I do tend to miss an occasional flub here and there that I don't catch until I read it over again a bit later on. I'll admit straight up that it's an issue I have, but I've gotten much better with it as time has gone on. I do plan on going back over previous chapters to correct flubs I've seen so far, so no worries there. But if you do see any mess ups within the story and feel like letting me know about them, by all means mention it so I can correct it later. And thanks in advance for your help._

 _Shoutout to the wonderful folks who reviewed last chapter, which includes danlagunas14, Cottonmouth25, Ways, My Wunderwaffle iz missin, Sai Og Sus, a Guest reviewer, and as a new reviewer known as il2swim57. Thank you so much for all of your support!_

 _If this chapter seems a bit short or lackluster, it's because this was supposed to be part of last chapter, but the whole thing got to be too long. But I think that despite that, this one turned out pretty decent!_

 _Enough author's notes. Onto the story!_

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 _Chapter 11: Getting School'd_

* * *

It took the better part of two hours to track down the other two children, mainly because the campus was huge and partly because Sun wasn't all that comfortable being around so many lively kids his age.

Nevertheless, Sun shook the hand of the student he had just beat, a boy named Joseph, and met up with Lillie in a small patio area off to the side of the school, holding the TM to Work Up in his hands. Rotom informed Sun during the walk that Penny had just learned Echoed Voice, a move that got stronger each time it was used. Definitely a good move for his newest bird Pokémon, who had gotten much stronger over the course of the day.

"You beat all four of them?" Lillie asked as Sun set down a tired Oliver and a poisoned Penny.

"Yeah. Joseph was really tough. I'm glad I spent so much time training up Oliver beforehand, otherwise I would have been in serious trouble." Sun admitted as Lillie healed up Sun's team completely.

"So what have you been doing while I've been running around the school?" Sun asked Lillie.

"Mainly sitting here with Nebby. The Professor has one or two of his own Pokémon keeping watch for anyone suspicious, so that I can spend some time with Nebby outside and not have to worry about something happening." Lillie replied, smiling at him as Sun sat down across from her.

"I wonder what kind of trainer the Professor is." Sun wondered aloud, putting his hand on his chin.

"The Professor doesn't really train in the usual sense. He takes his work quite seriously, focusing on raising and training many Pokémon out in the field in order to learn as much as possible. He doesn't train Pokémon to make them stronger, he trains them so that he can learn from them and help others better understand Pokémon in general. Because of this, however, the Professor is a very tough opponent. He knows the best moves to counter any opponent and can ensure every hit deals the maximum amount of punishment…I also have reason to suspect that he's a pro wrestler, but I'm unsure of that last part."

"Wait, what?"

"Yes, you heard me. He's a pro wrestler, I think."

"Seriously?"

"Yes."

"…Professor Kukui sure is an interesting person."

"That's putting it lightly."

Sun and Lillie remained quiet after that, simply just enjoying the peace and quiet of the day. They were far enough away from the chaos in the courtyard to where they could relax with their Pokémon. Penny and Oliver napped on Sun, slumbering quietly while Lillie silently pet Nebby in her arms, making the cloud-like Pokémon coo softly in delight.

"So, out of curiosity, where did you find a Pokémon like Nebby? You mentioned that it was rare before, right?" Sun asked Lillie, who looked at him in surprise. Lillie opened her mouth to speak when a bell began to toll around the campus.

" _Good afternoon, students! Could I please have Sun come to the office on the 2_ _nd_ _floor of the main building? Sun, please come to the office on the 2_ _nd_ _floor of the main building please."_ Miss Daniels called over the intercom, much to the surprise of Lillie and Sun.

"Oh my. What…what could you have possibly done to get called to the office so soon?" Lillie asked Sun, looking worried.

"Well…you know…" Sun trailed off, smiling at Lillie's horrified look as she realized the implications of what that meant.

"So you _did_ do something!?" Lillie gasped in surprise.

"No, I was just messing with you." Sun giggled at Lillie's exasperated look, though she shook her head with a smile and Sun made his way back into the building and went up the stairs, where he was surprised to find that Miss Daniels was waiting for him there.

"There you are. I wanted to have a discussion with you, young man." Miss Daniels said sternly, making Sun's smile vanish off of his face. What had he done? Surely nothing that was wrong. He only battled the four students earlier that he was supposed to, right? He even helped out in a lesson. What could he have possibly done wrong?

"I can't believe that you… _beat all of my students!_ That's fantastic!" Miss Daniels finished, breaking out into a grin. Sun sagged with relief, shaking his head slightly that the teacher had been messing with him.

"And now, after all that…I think I'd like to battle you myself. I've got a few new Pokémon I've been trying to train up. What do you say? Do you think you're ready to take me on?" Miss Daniels said to Sun, who thought about it for a moment before nodding. Even if he lost this battle, he would feel no shame in losing against a woman who taught students about Pokémon and the like for a living. That said, he knew his team was getting stronger and after learning everything he had that afternoon, he was feeling confident.

"Excellent! As a teacher, I've got to see just what kind of trainer was able to beat four of my prized students. Let's head outside and get this show underway." Miss Daniels led Sun back down the steps and outside of the building, where a small crowd of children had gathered to watch the guest to their school battle one of their teachers. Soon Sun and Miss Daniels were standing opposite one another, Poké Balls at the ready.

"Go, Magnemite!" Emily Daniels called, releasing a strange floating metal Pokémon that Sun recognized from Kanto. Sun frowned at that, realizing that this was a Pokémon he wouldn't have an easy time with no matter which of his birds he picked. He wished for a moment he had a Fire-type available, which would make quick work of the Magnemite.

"Go, Penny!" Sun pointed forward as Penny flew off of his shoulders and landed on the field as the crowd watching them both cheered.

"Alright, use Thunder Shock!" Miss Daniels yelled out, throwing out an arm as the students cheered for their teacher.

"Use Echoed Voice!" Sun called to his bird. Penny didn't even have time to open her beak before a burst of lightning slammed into her, knocking her senseless to the ground as Penny let out a screech of pain.

" _What!?_ " Sun yelled out, running towards Penny, who was completely knocked out. Sun picked up the Pikipek and cradled it in his arms, eyes wide and trembling slightly. Guilt filled him, knowing that she had been hurt like that because of him.

"I'm so sorry, Penny. Just…just rest a bit." Sun muttered, returning his Pikipek. Oliver rotated his head and glared at the Magnemite across from them, making the Pokémon's eyes widen in horror.

"Oliver, let's go!" Sun said to his starter, gritting his teeth.

"I'm no pushover, Sun. Keep that in mind before you get mad at yourself over a simple mistake." Miss Daniels warned Sun, smiling understandingly at him. Sun sighed harshly and nodded, reigning in his anger for now. It was still no excuse for such a misstep. He'd have to do better.

"Oliver, use Leafage!" Sun shouted at his Rowlet.

"Thunder Shock!"

Oliver launched himself into the air with a hoot, twirling around and unleashing a torrent of leaves at his opponent. However, they didn't seem to do all that much damage, and when the lightning flew from the magnet Pokémon a second time, Oliver hooted in pain and dropped slightly in midair.

"No…Wait, it didn't hurt Oliver nearly as much as Penny. I wonder if it's because he's a Grass-type too…" Sun muttered before yelling, "Keep using Leafage! Wear it out!"

"We'll keep up the pressure as well. Thunder Shock until that little birdie's wings are clipped!" Miss Daniels shouted, grinning now. Oliver and the Magnemite hurled leaves and lightning at one another for several minutes as the children watching them cheered excitedly. Finally, Oliver ended up getting paralyzed after one of the Magnemite's attacks, and after releasing another burst of leaves and at the other Pokémon, Sun decided to heal his Pokémon.

"Oliver come back!" Sun called to his Pokémon, pulling out a Potion. Some of the children booed him while Miss Daniels smacked herself in the forehead, laughing out loud.

"I totally forgot to bring Potions…Children, let this be a lesson to you all. Always come prepared, like Sun is. While some trainers don't like it when others use items on Pokémon in a battle, it's absolutely allowed. Some trainers even use it as a strategy. Just be aware that it gives your opponent a chance to get an extra hit in," Miss Daniels said to her class as Sun finished spraying the Potion. Oliver still looked tired and was having a hard time flying, but he looked better than before.

"Use Thunder Shock, Magnemite!" Miss Daniels shouted as Oliver flew back onto the field.

"Finish it off with a Leafage!" Sun shouted. Oliver shuddered as he flew into the air, shutting his eyes tight with effort before dipping low in the air, dodging the Thunder Shock and releasing a barrage of leaves that finally knocked out the resilient Steel-type Pokémon, sending it falling to the ground with a clang.

"Well played. Your Rowlet is certainly tough. But here comes my second pick! Meowth!" Miss Daniels released an Alolan Meowth, which regarded Sun and his tired starter with distaste.

"Meowth, use Bite!" Miss Daniels shouted. Meowth sprinted forward, gleefully launching itself at the weakened bird and chomping down on Oliver's wing. The Rowlet hooted in pain, vainly trying to pull away from the cat Pokémon. Sun then caught sight of a strange green glow surrounding Oliver, and realized what he was seeing was Oliver's ability, Overgrow. It only activated when a Rowlet was weak, but it powered-up all Grass-type moves greatly as long as it was active.

"Oliver, use Leafage!" Sun shouted to his starter. Oliver narrowed his eyes at the Meowth and spun around on the ground like a top, dislodging the Meowth and unleashing a massive whirlwind of leaves that slashed and tore at the cat Pokémon with increased force.

"Not bad! Meowth, use Bite again!" Miss Daniels instructed her cat Pokémon as it crouched low on the ground, lunging forward.

"Use Peck!" Sun yelled to his starter. The Rowlet suddenly flared his wings and used them to propel himself into the air, out of range of the Bite attack. Oliver then dropped downwards, his beak glowing bright white as it slammed into the back of the Meowth and knocked it completely out.

"That…Wow. Sensational!" Miss Daniels laughed, clapping as Sun ran forward to check on Oliver. The exhausted bird shut its eyes as Sun brought it in for a hug, amazed that his starter had overcome the odds and won.

"That was pretty impressive. I'll admit it was a rough start, with me knocking out your Pikipek like that, but your Rowlet is quite well-trained. And for such a new trainer too…You'd make a fine instructor for the children here, that's for sure!" Miss Daniels walked forward as Sun picked up his owl and extended a hand towards the boy. Sun smiled and shook her hand, feeling relieved that the battling was done for now. He really wanted both of his birds to rest up now, after battling for so long today.

"I've also got a little present for you for beating me. Think of it as a memento from your time with us here at the Trainer's School." Miss Daniels ended up giving Sun five Great Balls, explaining they were better quality Poké Balls that were much better for catching Pokémon with than the standard ball. Sun then heard clapping from behind him and turned around. He saw Professor Kukui and Lillie standing there, clapping for him with smiles on their faces, as well as a tan-skinned boy with pink hair standing beside them. He seemed just a few years older than Sun, but maybe by only two or three.

Sun made his way over to them, and Lillie began healing Sun's Pokémon while Sun looked at the boy that was standing beside the Professor, looking at him with an analytic eye. Finally the boy smiled at Sun, waving a hand at him.

"Greetings! I'm Captain Ilima." The boy said, putting a hand on his hip as his smile widened slightly. "I've been watching some of your battles here on campus. I'll admit, I was impressed with what I saw. For a newbie, you're quite good."

"Oh…Uh, thanks." Sun replied as Lillie revived Penny. The bird let out a rather sad chirp before Sun picked up the bird and said, "You did great out there. Don't feel bad about getting knocked out in one move. We just have to work on that next time, alright? If anything, I'm sorry I sent you out there against an opponent like that. Next time…I'll do better. OK?"

Penny nodded and nuzzled Sun with a chirp as Oliver let out a hoot as well. Sun returned both Pokémon and clipped their Poké Balls to his belt. Ilima chuckled as Professor Kukui said, "This is Sun. He just moved here from the Kanto region just last week. As you can see, he's already showing the beginnings of a fantastic trainer."

"I can tell. It's obvious he has potential, and on top of that, how you treat your Pokémon is also worthy of praise. They may be young, but it's obvious that both of those birds are quite fond of you." Ilima said to the younger Trainer. "I look forward to seeing how you three do in my Trial."

"Trial?" Sun asked, confused.

"Indeed! As Captains, it is our job to administer and monitor the Trials that you will face on your quest to face the Island Kahuna. I sincerely look forward to seeing just what you're all capable of." Ilima said to the Kanto-native before looking to the Professor.

"That said, I do have to take care of some business back in the city. I'll see you soon, Sun. Take care everyone!" Ilima said to the crowd of students, who cheered and waved to the Captain as he departed the school grounds. Sun watched the boy leave for a few moments before turning around, where he was surprised to see all of the students he had encountered standing in front of him now, smiling at him.

"Sun, I think it goes to say that we wish you luck on your journey. It may not be easy or fun all the time, but I hope that you use it as an opportunity to grow." Mr. Stevens said to the boy, offering him a warm smile.

"Yep! We don't usually see too many trainers run through our little gauntlet, so color me surprised when we got a trainer that not only beat all of our volunteers, but beat me as well. You're going places, young man!" Miss Daniels grinned at the boy. The children behind the two teachers shouted goodbyes and encouragement to Sun, who stared at them with dumbfounded amazement. Was…all of this really for him? They barely knew him, and yet here they were wishing him the best of luck.

"Do something!" Lillie muttered in Sun's ear, jarring him into action. Sun offered them all a smile back in reply, trying to force back his nerves at being the center of attention for so many people.

"Um, thank you everyone! I'll remember what I learned today and use it to get better!" Sun said to the children and teachers.

"Good to hear. Now, everyone, we should get back to our classes. Say goodbye to Sun one last time!" Miss Daniels said to the children.

"GOODBYE AND GOOD LUCK, SUN!" Sun shivered at the force of the yells but it served to only replace Sun's nerves with a strange sense of joy. The children were sheparded back towards the school, leaving Sun alone with Professor Kukui and Lillie.

"So now what?" Sun asked Lillie, who moved from behind Sun and shifted her bag from one shoulder to the other.

Lillie smiled at the question and said, "Well…since we've come this far together, why don't I show you some more of the city proper?"

"That sounds good. We've got some light left, so we may as well," Sun nodded in agreement.

"Come on, the path is just this way. There's lots to see, so please keep up." Lillie said as she began her way down the path. Sun followed the girl, catching up to her within a few seconds. Kukui watched them depart with a small chuckle before walking back towards the school.

"Wait…Did I give Sun the EXP Share?" Kukui said aloud, stopping in his tracks. "Uh…No. No I didn't. Well, I'll have to do that the next time I see him then!"

* * *

"You know…I was really impressed with you back there, Sun." Lillie said after a few minutes. Sun looked at her and saw she was wearing a little smile on her face, looking skyward. "Heh. Even back when you weren't a Pokémon Trainer, you were able to save Nebby…You were chosen by Oliver without even needing the ceremony to do it. I think…I think I understand now-" Lillie began to say as she looked back down before she stopped suddenly, yelping, "Oh no, I forgot about the Tauros!"

The bull Pokémon ahead of them let out a bellow of fury, but was actually not moving from its spot in the road. Ahead of them, Hau and Kahuna Hala were standing next to the beast with amused expressions.

"Hey you two! How's it going?" Hau greeted them cheerfully, grinning widely.

"Ah, Sun and Lillie. I apologize for scaring you both. I was simply trying to convince my friend here that it was time for him to get on home." Hala chuckled before he looked towards Sun.

"So you calmed him down? Thank goodness," Lillie sighed with relief, sagging slightly.

"Why don't you give him a little pat first, Sun? I'm sure he'd like that." Hala suggested, backing away from the Tauros with a small smile on his face. Sun gave the man a 'you what mate?' look before eyeing at the massive bull Pokémon in front of him. Sun took a tentative step forward, the Tauros watching him intently. Sun took a deep breath and exhaled before taking a few steps forward and putting a hand on the bull's head, giving him a light pet on the head. Sun was surprised that the Pokémon seemed to close its eyes in contentment for a moment, nuzzling his hand with a soft moo. Sun couldn't help the smile that came to his face.

"Aww. That's really cute," Lillie said quietly, grinning at the scene in front of her.

Hala simply laughed, putting a hand on Tauros' back and saying, "You see that? The rascal already likes you, Sun. Pokémon become so much happier when you just show them a bit of care."

"Duly noted, sir." Sun replied to the man, nodding in agreement.

"Ha! Oh, I expect great things from you, my boy. That places that you'll go…And as you go about, you'll be sure to meet more and more people and Pokémon that will enrich your life. That I know for sure…Until next time, you three. Be safe out there." Hala said to the trio, nodding at them before turning around and heading back down the road, walking alongside the Tauros while whistling a faint tune.

"Isn't Tutu the coolest? Those Kahunas sure are something else…Able to calm a raging Pokémon without even needing to battle? So awesome." Hau remarked, waving goodbye to his grandfather. "I mean, I like Tauros as much as the next guy, but it's still kinda scary! I don't want to ride on it, that's for sure!"

"I probably wouldn't want to ride on one either…" Lillie admitted quietly.

"I might." Lillie and Hau both looked at Sun in surprise, and saw the boy grinning at them. "I mean, it's crazy and I'd probably get hurt, but if the conditions were right, I'd maybe try it at least once."

"You're crazy." Hau laughed, though he was obviously joking. "So, where are you two off to now?"

"Well, I was thinking that I should show Sun around Hau'oli City a bit. It'd be good for him to at least get a tour of sorts from someone familiar with the area. Especially since he's on his Island Trial." Lillie explained to Hau, making the child grin wider somehow in excitement.

"Nice idea! Look at Lillie, always on top of things!" Hau laughed, doing a little fist pump. "After all, Sun just got to Alola last week, right? May as well show him how great this place is!"

Hau calmed down (or at least decided to stop jumping up and down in excitement), and asked, "Hey, can I tag along too? Giving Sun a tour of the city sounds like fun, and besides, I wanna go get something to eat!"

"Sun?" Lillie said, turning to the boy.

"Yeah, I'm fine with that. The more the merrier." Sun said with a shrug, matching Hau's smile with his own. Lillie smiled faintly at the two boys, shaking her head slightly.

"All right. Then let's all go together," Lillie replied. Hau quickly began running ahead of them, much to the chagrin of the other two children.

"What are you waiting for? This way, you Slowpokes! Come on!" Hau called, laughing back at them as he made his way further down the road.

"Oh Hau…" Lillie muttered under her breath. She then said a bit louder, "I guess we should go catch up with him before he gets too far, Sun. Hau'oli City is the biggest city in Alola, after all. We all may as well stick together."

"Sounds good. Let's go." Sun replied to the girl, casting one last glance back at the Trainer's School. He then turned forward, seeing Lillie walking ahead of him with Hau waiting impatiently down the road and followed her, laughing quietly as he began his trek to the city.


	12. Hau and Lillie's Magical Tour of Wonder

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _Alright, so I'm following up last chapter with one that I think ended up being pretty good and is much longer._

 _Updates may be a day later than I would like for a little while, since I'm working considerably more hours than I'm used to at my job and on top of that, I'm beginning work on one of my other stories that I have been admittedly been neglecting for a bit._ _That said, I'm proud to announce that this has become my primary story on this site, and will continue to get weekly updates and all that good stuff, at least until I find out whether or not this Air Force thing will work out._

 _However, should I be able to go and enlist (something that I've wanted to do for years), rest assured I'll be taking several measures that will ensure fairly consistent updates while I'm away from things, because I'd rather not let people wait for several months for chapters if I don't have to._

 _In other news, I'm debating just doing a Q and A thing in at the end of the chapter from now on just to handle all of the questions I get asked. I'm also tempted to drop some kind of hint about Sun's team, since that gets asked about a lot…_

 _But then I remember that spoilers suck, so yeah, not happening anytime soon. Sorry folks, but I'm not budging on that bit. Loving the constant suggestions and recommendations by people, though. Its always fun hearing people's thoughts on potential team members and the like. I'm hoping that the team I have crafted will be one that meets people's expectations, because I spent a lot of time getting this thing right. Even if the naming thing still gives me trouble._

 _Fun fact, I named Penny after my Pikipek in my first runthrough of Pokémon Sun. Though I named her Penelope then, I just nicknamed her Penny for short in this since I kept misspelling Penelope like an idiot._

 _More fun name facts to come! Also, let me know if a Q and A thing should be implemented, because again, at this point, it may just be necessary._ _Again, feel free to guess how things will work out. You'll get your answers sooner or later._

 _Shoutout to the fantastic people who reviewed since last update, which includes danlagunas14, Cottonmouth25, Dunka99, and Sai Og Sus, as well as two new reviewers in the form of a new guest reviewer known as NullSilver2005 and a new reviewer known as Ignac0. Thank you so much for your support!_

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 _Chapter 12: Hau and Lillie's Magical Tour of Wonder_

* * *

" _I don't know about you two, but I'm ready for a nice walk around Hau'oli. Especially that lovely beach they have, bzzzt!"_ Rotom piped up as Sun and Lillie caught up with Hau, who was chatting with a woman animatedly.

Sun took in the sights around him, feeling a bit awed at the sight of the massive skyscrapers ahead of him reaching into the air. A long road stretched alongside the beach, extending outwards further than he could see. The city expanded outwards from there, and Sun realized it was quite a bit bigger than he first assumed. The boy then turned his attention back to Hau.

"This guy has no off-switch, does he?" Sun said to Lillie as Hau then decided to run ahead further and sprinted down to the beach, splashing in the crystal clear water and laughing giddily. Lillie simply replied with a little smile and continued walking.

"BEACH TIME! YEAAAAHHH!" Hau bellowed, throwing his arms apart with a laugh while every single person on the beach just stared at him like he was crazy.

"Seriously…Come on, Hau…" Sun muttered, feeling a bit embarrassed to be travelling with the excitable child at the moment. Lillie actually laughed that time before a voice caught both of their attentions.

"Hey, you!"

Sun turned around and saw a woman walking towards him, wearing a friendly smile. "You don't look like you're from around here. I bet you came from somewhere pretty far away, huh?"

"Yep. Celadon City, in the Kanto region." Sun replied with a smile of his own.

"Well, if that's the case, then let me teach you something really important to help you out! It's the proper way to greet someone in Alola." The woman did a brief demonstration, extending her arms and hands out and waving at Sun with both arms while saying, "Alola!"

"Is that it?" Sun asked, after repeating the gesture back to the woman.

"Yep! It's just that easy! Anyways, you have fun here in Alola. See you around!" the woman waved to Sun and Lillie, walking past them and heading into one of the nearby buildings.

"There is quite a few people about." Sun noted, looking at the packed beach not too far away.

" _Well, this is the biggest city in Alola. There's plenty of tall buildings, a Stadium, a few parks and stuff too. It's not as big as Saffron or Castelia, but it's pretty neat though! It even has its own tourist bureau!"_ Rotom explained as he floated around the child before flying into his backpack.

"That's right." Sun looked over a Lillie, who had been listening silently. "Hau'oli City is quite a large and heavily populated city. It has two Pokémon Centers dedicated to it completely, as well as a large variety of stores and restaurants for both locals and tourists to enjoy. You really couldn't have picked a better place to settle down at in Alola…" Lillie thought about it for a moment before adding, "The other cities and towns are nice too, of course!"

"Noted. Now, what should we go see first?" Sun asked before another voice called out to him. Hau had somehow gotten behind them and wrapped an arm around both children's shoulders, grinning ear to ear.

"Heya! Look at the buildings and the beaches, Sun! Hau'oli sure is something, eh? Ain't no better place to live than Alola!" Hau laughed as he hung off of their shoulders.

"Debatable. Kanto's my home and I know it's pretty great. I've also heard that Kalos is nice too, but I'll have to give it to this place for a strong first impression." Sun admitted with a grin.

"That said, you two are way too slow. We'll never give Sun a proper tour at this rate!" Hau lamented, closing his eyes in mock distress.

"Hau, we arrived at the city in the late afternoon. We weren't expecting to give Sun a full tour…Just the highlights would have been nice." Lillie said to the eager boy.

"Well, it would take a while to explore the whole city. Especially since you both walk so slow…How about we just explore the inner city today and check out the Shopping District and the Marina later?" Hau said to Lillie and Sun.

"You're the experts. I'm fine with whatever." Sun shrugged, looking over at Lillie, who seemed somewhat uncomfortable with Hau hanging off of her now.

"I suppose that could work. Though if we plan on staying in this city for a little while, we should book rooms at the Pokémon Center. Though I'll admit I'm unsure if we'd be able to get rooms, since this city is pretty lively and gets a great deal of trainers coming through it…" Lillie trailed off, unsure.

"We can head there first. I'm just kinda doing whatever, at the moment, so I'll just tag along with you two if you're alright with that!" Hau said cheerfully.

"Well, let's make our way to the Pokémon Center. After that, we can do a bit of looking around before retiring for the night. I'm not a fan of being out in the city late at night." Lillie admitted quietly, putting a hand on Nebby's bag just to get her point across.

"No worries, Lillie. I wouldn't let anything happen to you!" Hau promised, separating from the two of them and giving the girl a wide grin.

"I know, Hau…But I still want to be careful," Lillie said quietly.

"We'll both keep an eye out, OK?" Sun chimed in, looking at the both of them. "Now let's get going. We're burning daylight."

The trio looked at the sun in the sky and after a quick check of the time, saw that it wasn't even three hours until sundown. With that, the trio set off towards the Pokémon Center…before Hau immediately sidetracked them.

"Hey, look at that!" Hau bounded ahead and pointed at a large and colorfully decorated building. Flowers and colorful signs hung on the window, showing off pictures of people and Pokémon with happy expressions on their faces.

"Hey Sun. Come in here with me real quick. I've got a good idea of something cool you could do!" Sun started in surprise as Hau grabbed his wrist and excitedly pulled him into the building while Lillie watched on in bemusement.

"Pew?"

Lillie looked down at the Cosmog staring up at her. She reached into the peg and scratched Nebby's head, making the Pokémon coo happily. Lillie smiled at that before looking towards the building her two peers had gone into and said, "Yeah, Nebby…Some things never change."

* * *

Sun managed to yank his wrist away from Hau by the time they got up to the counter of the building, where a receptionist was watching the two of them with a smirk on her face.

"Hey, miss! Is it true that you can get a special gift from here if you have a Rotom Dex?" Hau asked the woman.

"Well, aren't you the well-informed one?" the woman remarked, her smirk becoming a smile. "You'd be right, young man. Barely anyone has a Rotom Dex right now, but we do have a special item for those lucky few who do have one. Professor Kukui sent some items out to us just last week, since he's going to be promoting the Rotom Dex and offering it to more and more trainers in the upcoming months."

The woman bent down and pulled out a large box. She opened it and took out a small red lens-like device. She asked for Sun's Rotom Dex, which he handed over to the woman at the counter. After a few moments of fiddling with it, she had the new item attached to the Rotom Dex.

"This is a Poké Finder. Gotta say, it's a pretty awesome bit of hardware for just a Pokédex." The woman at the counter remarked, flashing them both a smile.

"Wow, that's so awesome!" Hau said excitedly, looking down at Rotom. "So what does it do? I only heard about it, but not what it does exactly."

"The Poké Finder is a special tool that lets you take photos. It's designed for taking pictures of Pokémon, but it functions just like a regular camera as well, so it can take pictures of whatever, in all honesty. Rotom should be able to point out areas where you can get a good picture."

"So, so cool. Look at you, Rotom! It's like you have a whole 'nother partner, Sun!...I mean besides your Pokémon partners, that is." Hau amended a moment later.

"But…Rotom is a Pokémon. It's just inside the Pokédex."

"…So I guess it is a Pokémon partner then, huh?"

"…Yes?"

" _Do I get a say in the matter?"_

"Sure Rotom. Go ahead."

" _I'm the greatest Pokémon partner ever…Of all time. Bzzt!"_

"Well, whichever way you look at it, you're pretty darn lucky. I'd give this place a look around if I were you. I'll be waiting for you outside when you're done!" Hau departed with a wave, leaving a bewildered Sun behind.

"Your friend sure is excitable." The woman behind Sun remarked, putting her hands on the counter with an amused smirk.

"That's an understatement. Thanks for your help, by the way." Sun said to the woman, giving her a smile before departing the building, not seeing much else of interest. Admittedly some of the advertisements for Alola caught his eye, but he'd be seeing them all anyway, so they didn't really matter to him.

Sun made his way outside and saw Hau leaning against a tree, grinning over at him. The boy walked over to Sun and said, "Told you that you'd get something cool."

"I don't think that was exactly what you said, Hau, but I won't tell you're wrong." Sun said with a small chuckle before Hau looked over Sun's shoulder and waved behind him. Sun turned around and saw Lillie walking towards them both.

"So how was the tourist bureau?" Lillie asked the pair of boys.

"It was awesome! We got Sun's Rotom Dex upgraded! Now it can take pictures!" Hau replied with a cheery grin.

"That's great! What a wonderful helper you are, Rotom!" Lillie said with a happy smile. She walked over to Sun and Hau and peered down at Rotom, who suddenly flew up and let out a cry before taking a picture of the trio.

"Huh?" Lillie looked confused as Rotom giggled and flew back into Sun's backpack.

Hau giggled and said, "Now, what was that for Rotom? First you snag a cheeky pic of us, and then you hide in Sun's bag? Shame on you! Hehehe!"

" _Finderzz keeperzz and this Poké Finder is mine!"_ Rotom declared from within Sun's bag.

"Maybe Rotom wants to just show off its new camera function and take more photos…You should definitely try it out when you get the chance." Lillie suggested to the group.

Sun gave the girl a nod at that, before saying, "So now what?"

"Follow me! Enough feasting with our eyes! It's time to feast with our stomachs!" Hau declared.

"Hau, we need to get to the Pokémon Center. I don't want to sleep in the streets tonight." Lillie deadpanned, making Sun snicker in response. Lillie smiled at Sun's reaction, but still regarded Hau with slight exasperation.

"Fiiiine. But we're still getting some kind of snack along the way." Hau offered the two other children a grin before bounding forward eagerly. Sun and Lillie looked at each other, shrugged in unison, and made their way after the boy. To their surprise, though not really, Hau was sidetracked within seconds by a ice cream cart on the sidewalk they were walking down.

"Just what I need on a hot day like this!" Hau declared, looking back at his two companions.

"Hau, I thought you said you were hungry. Ice cream isn't really all that filling." Lillie said dryly as Hau bounded back towards them.

"Ehh…I mean you're right, as always, Lillie…But that doesn't mean I'm not still getting ice cream. Now what flavors do you two want? I'll buy!" Hau asked the two other children.

"Hmm…Pecha Surprise, if they have it." Sun said to Hau, who turned around to face the vendor, who did in fact have the ice cream. Lillie took a chocolate ice cream on a cone while Hau got vanilla in a cup with sprinkles. Hau paid the vendor after receiving three spoons and with that, the trio set off down the street, with Lillie and Sun thanking the other boy for the treat.

"No problem. Just make sure to enjoy it. Ice cream always tastes better with company." Hau grinned, showing off an ice cream mustache that made Sun giggle. Lillie pointed out what was so funny to Hau and the boy quickly whipped his face off with a napkin that the vendor had given him.

"So, Pecha Surprise, huh? What's that taste like?" Lillie asked curiously, eyeing the pink colored ice cream. Sun offered his ice cream to Lillie, allowing her to take a small sample of it with her un-used spoon. The girl tried the ice cream, and was surprised to find it a bit bitter, but incredibly sweet.

"Good, huh? It's my favorite kind. It's pretty neat that they have it over here in Alola." Sun grinned as he took a bite of ice cream.

"Yep! It's a good one, alright." Hau replied as he shoved another spoonful into his mouth. With that, the trio continued their tour of the city. Hau pointed out several local restaurants in the area, with the group even getting pizza at another street vendor along the way. Sun decided to buy lunch for his companions, since they had treated him already and it made them even.

Hau kept up a running commentary while Lillie chimed in every now and with additional info. Sun couldn't stop grinning though, feeling truly at home for the first time since he got here.

According to Hau, it would normally take a two or three hours to get the Pokémon Center on the western side of the city on foot, so the trio quickened their pace as they walked around so they wouldn't have to be walking around too much at night and could still get to the center at a reasonable time.

Sun was amazed at the sights around him. Vendors on the beachfront called out to them, selling jewelry and special Pokémon accessories and the like while Wingulls soared overhead, cawing out greetings to each other. Beachgoers and citizens alike walked alongside the trio of children as they took in all that Hau'oli City had to offer.

"Oh my!" Lillie suddenly began walking hurriedly in another direction just as Hau and Sun were about to cross another street. Curious, the two boys went after their female companion, only to find her standing outside of a music shop that had just opened from the looks of it. The "GRAND OPENING" banners also kind of helped.

"'Seaside Melodies Music Store'…Seems like a nice enough place." Hau remarked, eyeing the building with some interest. Sun was looking at Lillie though, who was wearing a massive smile on her face.

"I can't believe there's a new music store in Hau'oli! The only other one is down by the Marina. I wonder what all they have." Lillie wondered aloud, barely contained excitement gleaming in her eyes.

"Uh…Lillie?" The girl turned around to see Sun smiling at her and Hau trying not to laugh. Hau continued speaking, saying, "As much as it pains me to say this, we should really get back to our tour. We can hit a few of the shops tomorrow."

Lillie actually _pouted_ , looking very disappointed as her excitement was brought to a screeching halt. Sun felt a bit bad, since they weren't going to the store because of him.

"Hey Lillie, when we go out more to explore the city tomorrow, how about we both check it out together? How does that sound?" Sun suggested to Lillie, who brightened up considerably and nodded at that.

The trio set off once again, this time taking a slight detour from the main ocean-side path to go a bit further into the city. After getting a cab, the children were deposited in front of a massive circular dome with several seashell emblems and statues of Pokémon, including one that Sun recognized as Tapu Koko.

"Welcome to the Seashore Stadium, the pride of Melemele Island!" Hau declared, running ahead of them and throwing out his arms with a cheery grin. Sun listened to him before taking in the massive structure properly. A series of white marble stairs lay before them, leading into the stadium itself. Many posters were advertising a series of matches and even a tournament in two weeks' time. The stadium itself was painted white with an aquamarine flowing water motif circling around the stadium itself. It was a grand structure that showed off just what kind of city this was.

"The inside is even more impressive." Lillie piped up, smiling faintly at the building. "Inside there they not only do Pokémon battles and tournaments and the like, but they also hold sporting events and even live concerts. The Professor took me to one last month, and it was quite enjoyable."

"Really? Huh…Maybe I'll go in there sometime. You said they have tournaments and stuff here, too, right?" Sun asked Lillie and Hau.

"Oh yeah. A friend of mine competed in one while I watched in the stands with Tutu. They usually do things for all kind of levels of trainers. Some pro tournaments, some rookie tournaments, and everything else besides. It's a lot of fun!" Hau said to Sun, putting his hands behind his head with a smile.

"I'll keep an eye out for events then. Maybe once my team gets a bit stronger, we can see what's out there for us to win." Sun replied, giving them both a grin. The trio then bid farewell to the Seashore Stadium and continued their tour of Hau'oli. Lillie and Hau continued talking about the sights around them, with Lillie pointing out important facts about buildings while Hau told stories and made remarks about the landmarks and the like.

All in all, it was a really enjoyable experience for Sun. His parents, well his Mom anyway, encouraged him to keep an open mind and in cases like this, it was proving to be a boon for the child as he took in all of the sights and sounds of the seaside city. When the trio of children took a moment to sit down outside of a large cooperation building, Sun couldn't help but let out a content sigh, drawing the attention of Lillie and Hau.

"I'm glad Alola has cities like this. I was a bit worried I'd never get to be surrounded by buildings like these again!" Sun declared with a laugh, gesturing to the skyscraper above him.

"Guess you like cities a lot, huh?" Hau remarked with a laugh.

"I lived in Celadon City my whole life, Hau. I might not have gotten into the city a lot, but I definitely liked seeing the sights. The tall buildings, the parks…Miss Erika even let me watch some of her Gym Battles." Sun said fondly, remembering the Gym Leader of Celadon. She was a quiet and very kind lady who was best friends with his mother, so he got to see her quite a bit, and more importantly, got to see her battle a lot too.

"Looks like you've got a lot of pride in your hometown...home city? Eh, you know what I mean." Hau grinned at Sun, who grinned right back at him.

"Something like that, though I think it's more like I have a lot of good memories of home. I will say though, this place is really nice so far. Good food, awesome buildings and beautiful beaches…Did you both know I never saw a beach before coming here?" Sun said to Hau and Lillie, who both looked surprised.

"That's incredible. Well, you don't have to worry about that in Alola. Plenty of beaches all around!" Hau laughed as he gestured to the beach ahead of them. The trio then began walking once more, going across the street as cars hummed around them. A distant rumble in the distance caught their attention, however.

"Looks like a storm." Lillie said quietly, eyeing a mass of rain clouds brewing in the distance. Dark grey and extending over the sky like a blanket, it looked like the tropical region was in for a stormy night.

"Oh yeah, but that happens from time to time. I mean, Alola's awesome and all, but even we have to have some rough weather every now and then." Hau said with a shrug, still smiling.

"Might be a good idea to stop the tour and get to the Pokémon Center as soon as possible. Hotels in this city have to be ridiculously expensive and I'm not a fan of staying in the streets either. Especially with weather like that coming our way," Sun said to the two other children. Both of them nodded, and with that the trio FINALLY made their way towards the Pokémon Center for real this time, with absolutely no sidetracking or distractions involved-

"Hau, drop the Skitty right now! You're making a scene!"

"It's so cute though, Lillie!"

"We need to get to the Pokémon Center! Stop harassing random people on the street!"

For the most part, anyway.

* * *

Hau'oli City Pokémon Center

* * *

"Wow…this place is crowded." Sun stated as he looked around the Pokémon Center. The building was a bit larger than the last one he had been in, and even then it was filled with people. Some were lounging on couches, some were watching TV nearby and others were eating dinner, but regardless of what they were doing, there was just a lot of people in the building.

"Yeah…Getting a room probably isn't going to happen." Hau said with a small frown, crossing his arms. Lillie walked past him and went straight to the counter, apparently having other thoughts.

"I'm going to go get my Pokémon checked out." Sun told Hau, earning a nod in reply. The two boys made their way to the counter, where after a short wait, they saw the kindly Nurse Joy who took all of their Pokémon and began their checkups. Sun turned and saw that the storm clouds outside were now directly above them. Sun knew it was only a matter of time before the storm hit them. Lillie returned a short time later, though she confirmed that she was unable to get them a room. Deciding to just rest for a bit, the trio found some nearby chairs in the café to sit in and before long, they were drinking Moomoo Milk and listening to the sound of the rain roaring outside as the storm crashed down into Hau'oli City. Sun took the moment of peace to regard his two companions.

Hau was fidgeting, seemingly unable to stop moving with his ever-present grin on his face. He seemed so happy and just thrilled with everything that was going on. From walking around a city he was probably very familiar with to getting ice cream, he just seemed like someone who just enjoyed life in general with a positivity that Sun admired. He was a firm believer in optimism and always smiling, so he found a bit of solidarity in knowing someone else who was a bit like him.

Sun looked over at Lillie, who was watching the rain fall outside the window with a smile. Lillie, on the other hand, was Hau's foil. She was calm, collected, and seemed nervous a good bit of the time. Unsure of herself, but he felt unsure of that assumption. He felt like he really didn't know her too well yet, but he liked her quite a bit. She was friendly, kind, and was someone who got along well with.

Yes, Sun would definitely be looking forward to spending more time with Lillie and Hau in the city before sorting out the Island Trials he had to go though. He wasn't exactly sure what he had to do, but he figured he could just ask Lillie about it later. He could have done it now, but she looked strangely content just watching the rain with her little smile on her face.

Sun simply shut his eyes and leaned back in his chair for a time…only for a loud voice to startle him from behind after just a few minutes of relaxing.

"Well, well! Looks like we meet again!"

Sun got to his feet and turned around, and saw himself face to face with a familiar-looking woman with dark hair wearing a black trench coat and cradling a violin in her hands. Her dark blue eyes regarded Sun with amusement as he finally remembered her.

"Oh…It's you. Uh…Vivian, right?" Sun said to the violinist, who smirked back at him.

"Yep! I'm glad you remembered my name. Though, I guess I probably left a strong first impression, huh?" Vivian grinned at the boy before looking at his companion, who was taking in the older girl with a dazed look as he stood up. Sun briefly wondered where Lillie was, since she was no longer at their table, but then Sun saw her talking with Nurse Joy at the counter. Sun then turned his attention back to Vivian.

"Someone's star-struck." Vivian remarked, waving a hand in front of Hau and snapping him out of his daze.

"Hey there! I'm Hau! What's your name?" Hau said cheerily, putting both of his hands behind his head.

"Vivian Elise Delacourt. And it's nice to meet you." Vivian replied politely, offering Hau a wider grin that matched his own.

"So, what brings you here, Vivian? Weren't you going to spending time with your friends or something?" Sun asked the older Trainer.

"Indeed. Right now my two partners in crime are off exploring the island at the moment, sadly, so I'm stuck here by myself. I mean, I could track them down, but that's too easy. So I figured that I could just hang around the city and see what kind of trouble I could get into. And then I met you two!...Well, three. I believe your adorable companion is making her way back here." Vivian pointed behind the two children, who turned around to see Lillie walking back towards them both.

"I managed to get one room, finally, since they just had a vacancy open up. It's not ideal, but we'll have to make due." Lillie said with a small smile to Sun and Hau before turning to Vivian. "Umm…I don't believe we have met."

"No, we haven't. The name is Vivian Elise Delacourt. Charmed." The older trained offered Lillie a disarming smile before addressing all three children. "I'm not surprised you three had trouble getting a room. With that nasty storm about to hit, most would rather just avoid it than risk toughing it out on the route. Even if there's a good bit of cover out there."

"You sound really experienced…But I can't help notice your accent, Miss Vivian. Are you visiting Alola from another region?" Lillie asked Vivian. Sun didn't notice it before, but the young woman did have the slightest tilt to her voice, which he now recognized as a slight accent.

"Yep. I'm from Unova. Specifically, Accumula Town I'm just visiting this place to recharge and see the sights. Two of my cohorts came with me, but they're off doing the Island Challenge since that seems to be the thing around here. I can't be bothered." Vivian shrugged at that, before saying, "Not my thing. I only beat the gyms back home out of boredom anyway. How about you three? What brings you out here?"

"Hau and Sun are currently doing the Island Challenge as well. As for me, I'm accompanying Sun for a short while since he's still new to the area. We all decided to explore the city together," Lillie explained to Vivian, who turned to the younger girl and gave her a critical look.

"Darling, you don't have to lie to me. Which of these boys are you crushing on?" Vivian asked in a serious tone. Lillie blinked in surprise for a moment before blushing deeply.

"Hey, leave her alone!" Hau said to the older Trainer, stepping forward. Vivian ignored him and actually walked forward, grabbing Lillie by the shoulder and moved her very close to Hau. She then took a few steps back eyed the pair of them while Sun watched on from the side, bemused.

"Nah. I'm not feeling you two. He's obviously enjoying being close to you, but the feeling doesn't seem mutual." Vivain moved Lillie away from Hau and sighed, muttering something under her breath before her smile returned.

"Ah well. Sunny boy and his entourage it is then. You three are so green I'm surprised people aren't trying to use you to evolve Eevee." Vivian laughed as she reached over to Hau and ruffled his hair, which surprisingly got him to grin at him.

"Wow, you really like messing with people, don't you?" Hau asked the other girl.

"Well _duh_. It's fun. And I think I've earned it at this point. My darling Heroine and her mentor, Prince Badass, aren't around anymore, so I need more people to mess with. You three are perfect targets- I mean, victims…I of course, meant associates that may one day become friends, god-willing." Vivian took in the bewildered expressions of the trio of children before laughing again.

"Correction...You are really, really weird…" Hau stated, completely confused.

"Eh. I get that a lot. It's fun." Vivian replied with a shrug. Sun opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by the sound of Nurse Joy calling for him and Hau over the intercom to retrieve his Pokémon. Hau and Sun departed, leaving Lillie alone with Vivian.

"So…What's that ladies' deal?" Hau asked Sun.

"No idea. I found her randomly standing outside my house one night. She's really weird, but also kind of nice in her own way, I think. She's bizarre." Sun admitted, not quite sure what to say about Vivian Elise Delacourt. Sun and Hau got their teams from Nurse Joy and made their way back over to where Lillie and Vivian were chatting to each other. When Sun and Hau rejoined them, Vivian began speaking again.

"So, are you three going to be in the city much?" Vivian asked the trio.

"I guess so. I really want to see as much of Alola as I can. I'm not in much of a rush, so I kind of want to take my time with things and enjoy the sights. You know?" Sun said to Vivian, receiving an understanding nod in response.

"Oh yeah, absolutely. It's what I did with my journey. It took me ages to beat all of the Unova Gym Leaders, just because I messed around so much. I even did it with a team of three." Vivian replied, smirking slightly at the amazed expressions on the three children's faces. Sun then noticed something happening ahead of him and quickly stopped paying attention to Vivian while the others continued talking.

"Just three Pokémon? That's…incredible!" Hau sputtered, unable to understand how that was possible.

"Less Pokémon to handle meant I could spend more time getting them strong. The fact that it took me two and a half years to do it helps. I wasn't in much of a rush either, like I said." Vivian explained, grinning at them now. "I'm sure you'll be able to do it much quicker, if you work hard enough."

"Hmm…" Hau closed his eyes and put a hand on his chin, as if in deep thought. He then grinned and opened his eyes, stating, "I accept your compliment and thank you for it! You're a really weird kind of nice, aren't you?"

"See, someone gets it!" Vivian laughed finally, drawing the attention of a few of the nearby Trainers.

"I guess you get all kinds of people in Alola, don't you?" Lillie remarked quietly with a small smile, still a bit thrown off by the girl's odd behavior but was glad she was at least friendly to an extent. She then noticed that Sun wasn't participating in the discussion and looked over at the Kanto-native, but he was standing a short distance away from them, facing the other direction. Vivian noticed this as well and turned around with a confused look on her face.

"Hey, Sunshine. Can you…Wait a moment." Vivian walked over to the boy and looked him in the face before stepping away, a strange look on her face now that may have been worry.

"What's wrong…Why could he…?" Vivian trailed off as she turned around, catching sight of something that Sun was staring at that caught her attention as well. Hau and Lillie had walked over to their companion in that time, however.

"Sun? Are you OK?" Lillie asked worriedly as the boy stared ahead, unmoving. Lillie delicately moved around the boy to look up at his face, and saw that he didn't even register her words, maintaining eye contact with something ahead of him. Lillie then saw Sun's fists clenched tightly as a slight tremor wracked through the boy.

"Whoa…What's up with him? Is he OK?" Hau asked, worried now. He looked Sun up and down, seeing the strange look on his increasingly pale face. The boy noticed Sun hadn't stopped looking forward, so he followed his gaze and saw that he was watching something on the TV a short distance away, something that had attracted a small crowd (including Vivian) muttering amongst themselves.

"Check out the explosions! Wow, it looks like a movie…Wait, that's AlolaWatch News! What's going on there? What are they reporting on?" Hau wondered aloud, walking forward. Lillie joined Hau and moved forward to better hear what was going on while Sun stayed where he was, watching the screen transfixed.

" _-absolute chaos out here in Celadon City as the attacks began about twenty minutes ago. Fires have broken out all across the city, destroying buildings and making the roads impossible to navigate. After weeks of threats from Cipher, it looks like the group has finally acted on its promises of destruction for Kanto!"_ the reporter yelled at the camera from inside of a helicopter. The camera then panned down and showed a shot of Celadon City at night, except the city was glowing from fires erupting down half of the city and quickly growing. Screams rang out through the air, getting picked up by the broadcast and sending shivers down the spines of those watching.

A horrific screech filled the skies as a wave of air smashed into the helicopter, making the camera wobble slightly, but not enough for it not to catch sight of a massive flaming bird-like figure to suddenly leap from the streets and into the sky, sending a deluge of fire down onto the fleeing citizens below as their screams echoed into the skies above.

Celadon City was burning to the ground.


	13. Remember

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _I've played a lot of Pokémon games in my 23 years of living. Just a simple fact._

 _Pokémon Yellow was the first game I ever played. I've been a diehard fan of Pokémon for most of my life, loving every installment the franchise had to offer._

 _Yellow. Red. Blue. Silver. Gold. Crystal. Sapphire. (Not Ruby, oddly enough) FireRed. LeafGreen. Emerald. Pearl. Diamond. Platinum. HeartGold. SoulSilver. Black. White. Black 2. White 2. X. Y. Alpha Sapphire. Omega Ruby. Sun. Moon…_

 _Stadium. Snap. Stadium 2. Red Rescue Team. Pinball. Pokémon Colosseum. XD: Gale of Darkness. Blue Rescue Team. Ranger. Ranger: Shadows of Almia. Explorers of Time. Explorers of Darkness. Explorers of Sky. Magnagate: Gates to Infinity. Super Mystery Dungeon._

 _And out of all of those games, all of those wonderful journeys and adventures…Only two of them affected me so much personally that I actually wanted to begin writing fanfiction. Three, if you include Sun and Moon together._

 _One of them, obviously, was the Mystery Dungeon series. More so the first two parts of the series rather than the latter two entries…_

 _And as for the second and more influential one…it was Pokémon Colosseum._

 _Those two games (Colosseum and XD: Gale of Darkness), while flawed in some aspects, made me realized just much I loved Pokémon. It was a more serious and darker take on the franchise that I adored as a kid, making me feel like a true hero fighting against the bad guys for the first time since playing a Pokémon game. It was the most I ever felt invested in Pokémon and it made me care more about the series than I ever had before. I credit those two games for kick-starting my desire to tell stories of my favorite characters and even for this story, in a way._

 _It was when I discovered fanfiction, before I ever knew that it was a thing._

 _So I guess what I'm saying is that I figured it was about time those two spin-offs got a little bit of love. No, they're not the greatest games of all time, not even in the Pokémon series, but they're the games that influenced me the most as a writer and a fan of Pokémon and it's why I've decided to take some inspiration from a series most seem to write-off or ignore._ _That's why I've decided to mix things up a little with things like Cipher. Now, don't worry about some of the new stuff overshadowing the story of Pokémon Sun. That's not going to happen. And also, don't worry if you're unfamiliar with those games, because it'll all be explained in due time. But I'm hoping it will add an extra element of something special to the story and compliment it, as well as showcase something even better to come down the road if all goes well with this story and if enough people show interest._

 _A prequel and a sequel, of sorts, to this story. More will be explained later, like I said._

 _Sorry to drag that speech out. Figured I should explain my thoughts on something I have never talked about before. It feels good to finally get some of these ideas out there, even if its in a limited capacity._

 _Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes Cottonmouth25, danlagunas14, My Wunderwaffle iz missin, Sai Og Sus, and a new reviewer known as Dario Flaman. Thanks for the support and feedback!_

 _ **Warning: This chapter contains intense material. You've been warned.**_

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 _Chapter 13: Remember_

* * *

Hellfire filled the streets as aerial footage of the city was shown on the TV. A horrific screeching cry filled the air as the flaming figure on the screen suddenly soared higher into the air, flaring out its wings. The flaming bird then opened its mouth and let loose a massive plume of white-hot flames that bathed the streets below in raging fire, consuming everyone in its path.

"That's a Moltres! What on earth is going on there?" Hau demanded, going pale as the legendary bird let out a fearsome screech of rage, flapping its wings as more and more fire was unleashed from the creature and onto the fleeing citizens below, enveloping them in fire. Hau had only seen pictures of the bird, of course, but most people would recognize such a well-known legendary on sight.

"Destroying everything in its path, of course," Vivian replied quietly, her eyes narrowed at the graphic footage on the large TV ahead of them.

"W-what? Why?" Hau asked the girl.

"Because it has no control over itself. Cipher pulls its strings now. It'll burn down the entire city at this rate, if they don't give in to Cipher's demands. And if what Cipher did in Unova is any indicator, they'll have backup coming soon." Vivian replied coolly, as the TV showed another shot of Trainers running towards the fiery bird, ready to battle it.

Hau and Lillie then caught sight of them – Men and women in white body armor slipping out from the cover of the alleyways or teleporting from out of thin air. Seemingly unconcerned with the rampaging legendary, the armored individuals stepped forward to confront the trainers running towards the Moltres.

"And now the opposition comes…This turned from a disaster to something much worse." Vivian remarked as more and more Cipher members slipped out into the open, releasing Pokémon into the street, prepared to stop anyone in their path as the Moltres departed from the one street to set ablaze another. Everyone watching the TV could see the flickering purple aura around the Pokémon that the criminals were using, each one of them fierce expressions on their faces.

"Why are they doing this…This is terrible." Lillie whispered, holding Nebby's bag closer to her for comfort. Nebby peered out of its bag watched the screen ahead of it with horror, shaking slightly in fear as it heard Moltres scream in fury before launching itself higher into the air, bathing more buildings in furious red fire above the city. Windows began shattering from the sheer force of the heat, sending burning glass onto the fleeing civilians below.

The camera then cut to another helicopter hovering above the city, showing another shot of the city that was less damaged by the rampaging Moltres, but was still a battleground between the Celadon Police Department and the criminals known as Cipher. A loud voice suddenly spoke up, their voice magnified.

"We warned all of you for weeks, and now it's time to reap what you sow. Stand down or we'll burn this entire city to the goddamn ground!" the voice bellowed from Cipher's side, with many of the men and women standing there yelling out similar sentiments. With that, Cipher unleashed their Pokémon upon the Pokémon Trainers of Celadon, who returned the favor.

Within a matter of seconds, the streets became a bloodbath as Pokémon tore into each other with in a wild frenzy. The opposition to the criminals unleashed everything they had at their disposal, with some trainers taking time to try and put out some of the flames that were raging around them, to no avail. Meanwhile, the Pokémon under the control of Cipher attacked with no mercy, their bodies continuing to flicker with darkness as they mercilessly attacked Trainer and Pokémon alike.

"Wait, we have breaking news from Flowergrove Street! It seems that the Elite Four member Bruno and former Elite Four member Agatha are on the scene, joining the fight!" the reporter shouted at the camera, a noticeable look of relief on his face as the camera footage suddenly shifted to a live feed of a muscular man sprinting down the street with a small army of Fighting-type Pokémon around him. Farther behind him a woman was slowly walking down the street as well, a swarm of shadows swirling ahead of her as a massive snake circled her protectively. Bruno's Pokémon leapt into the fray and began pummeling anything within sight, finally giving the criminals some pause. With the two powerful trainers bolstering their ranks, the opposition began to finally stop Cipher's march through Celadon on that street, with the two powerful teams of Pokémon supporting the opposition, the battle intensified from there.

Bruno then released an Onix onto the street, the massive rock snake bellowing angrily at the criminals in front of it. Bruno's Onix hurled a barrage of stones at several Golbat and Fearow soaring overhead, only to be knocked down by a Nidoqueen as it fired an Ice Beam from its horn and coated the rock snake in ice. It quickly broke free and released a blue beam of foggy energy at the horde of flying types, most of which managed to dodge, but those that didn't were knocked out. Another Ice Beam hit the rock snake, as well as several water attacks, which proved too much for the beast and it collapsed to the ground.

"Agatha, get that Moltres! I'll clear the path!" Bruno shouted as he returned his Onix. His Machamp bounded forward instead, leaping ahead and grabbing a Zangoose as it lunged at Bruno. The four-armed Pokémon let out a shout before hurling the Zangoose skyward, allowing Bruno's Hitmonlee to kick it back down the ground. The mongoose Pokémon landed on the street with a nasty crunch as Bruno strode past it. The man then grabbed the arm of a nearby Cipher member that was approaching him from the side and grabbed him by the hand, pulling him forward before punching the man in the stomach, sending him to his knees. Bruno delivered a swift kick to the man's head, knocking him clean out.

Agatha simply looked upwards at the helicopter that was recording her and offered them a small smile before sinking down into her own shadow.

"Find her. She's going to take down that Moltres!" the reporter in the helicopter shouted down to something on his collar. The TV the shifted to another reporter in the streets, sprinting through a street filled with fire, a Charmeleon standing next to her. The Moltres could be seeing soaring just a few hundred yards away, a flickering purple aura around it as the bird opened its beak and releasing another spray of flames into the city turned inferno. As the bird landed on a nearby building, screeching loudly into the night, a series of explosions hit the back of the bird and knocked it down into the streets.

"You've done quite a bit of damage, you know." A crisp voice spoke from behind the reporter, who whirled around in surprise and saw Agatha walking past her. Several Pokémon appeared from out of nowhere in front of the Ghost-type specialist, who was staring down the mighty legendary with a fearless expression.

"I've been alive for a long, long time, Moltres. And in that time I've never seen something like this before. So I hope you're ready to be brought back to your senses!" Agatha said coldly as she raised her cane slightly before tapping it on the road. All of her Pokémon charged up various attacks, unleashing them all at once upon the fiery bird. Moltres screamed in agony, stumbling backwards in the street before unleashing a purple and red fireball that exploded where Agatha had been standing…

But the old woman was now standing behind the Moltres, grinning now as the reporter by her side shook with fear. The two of them had been saved at the last second by a shadow swallowing them and depositing them elsewhere. The reporter had a confused look on her face and upon seeing it, Agatha explained.

"Shadow Sneak, my dear. Now you both get on out of here. This is no place for you." Agatha said as a large grey ghost Pokémon with yellow markings on its chest appeared from out of nowhere, looming protectively over the elderly trainer.

"Dusknoir, stay close. Everyone else, put that bird down! It won't get to the rest of the city if we end this now!" Agatha shouted as her team rushed forward, even as Moltres flapped its wings and sent more fire down the street, making the already burning hot street even more unbearable to be in. The reporter watched all of this in amazement before turning to the cameraman, who had remained silent during this time.

"Come on, James. We're out of here. Back to you Tim." The woman was then joined by her Charmeleon, who was looking rather worse for wear but was otherwise OK. The Pokémon was returned and the camera was set on the ground, providing a view of Agatha battling the Moltres, her team releasing a constant barrage of attacks to slowly batter away at the legendary bird.

The footage of the battle then cut back to a helicopter view of the city, where it became obvious just how much damage that Moltres had done to it. Half of the city was ravaged, while the other half was untouched as of now, which hadn't been noticeable at first due to the chaos of the scene.

The feed was silent, as was the Pokémon Center in Hau'oli, as the news team tried to figure out what to do. Clearly they had never covered such a hectic situation, especially one where one of their reporters quit on the spot. Several people then started as the camera suddenly zoomed in on a new group of people joining the massive battleground that was the main and biggest road in Celadon, where a majority of Cipher and the opposing Pokémon Trainers where clashing. Then one of the Trainers in the lobby spoke up.

"Looks like the Gym Leader, Erica, is there now! Now those jerks are gonna get it!" one of the members of the audience in the Pokémon Center yelled as several figures sprinted onto the street, led by a woman with flowing black hair wearing a kimono. At her side was a man wearing a green pinstripe suit with a black bow-tie. Both of them released about a dozen Pokémon onto the streets while the others behind them sent their own Pokémon out. Where the streets before were a chaotic battleground, it had now become nothing short of a war zone. Attacks flew left and right as the Gym Leader and her trainers unleashed their fury on the Cipher grunts, who were getting further pushed back down the street despite the strange darker Pokémon they were using. Pokémon leapt at one another in a display of open chaos, attacks aimed haphazardly with no regard for order. Trainers could be heard screaming commands over roars in the night, but it seemed to do little for the Pokémon tearing each other apart in the streets. The Trainers themselves were also the targets of the Pokémon, and there were several times the camera moved to a different part of the battle just before a trainer was taken down by one of the darker Cipher Pokémon.

"We've got a team down in the streets, reporting live from the battleground that has become Celadon City!" The reporter suddenly yelled out, and the TV footage switched from a zoomed in aerial shot of the city to a shot from an alleyway, where a frazzled reporter was standing there looking quite nervous.

"Yes Tom, I'm here reporting live from the streets of Celadon, where things have broken down to...I don't even know what to call it at this point. I'm here in this alley with my Rhyhorn for my own protection, but I don't think that'll dissuade any of Cipher from…well, attacking. Rocky here is ready to throw up a Protect at any given-" the man was cut off as a green barrier suddenly flickered into existence around them, stopping a barrage of white energy spikes from impaling the both of them. The reporter looked skyward and saw a Cloyster firing streams of ice and spikes down at the Pokémon and Trainers below before being struck down by a massive bolt of thunder. The Cloyster fell into the mass of Pokémon with a faint cry.

"Absolutely incredible…Such ferocity and carnage! Cipher has been making threats for weeks now, with rumors circulating for months about them. Now it looks like we're seeing just what the Oore-based crime syndicate has in store for Kanto." The reporter said with some sense of horror in his voice. He then went silent as Erika and the trainer in the suit stopped near the camera, talking with one another.

"Mister Oliver, keep an eye on my back. I'll clear the path!" Erika said quietly but firmly, before letting out a series of whistles. Each of Erika's Grass-types nodded in unison. On cue, her Jumpluff unleashed a ball of bright white light into the sky that exploded, allowing a harsh light to shine down on the group battling in the streets. As one, all of Erika's Pokémon began charging up various beams of green and white light before unleashing six massive Solar Beams at the enemy, carving a path of glorious destruction that left a trail of unconscious Pokémon and seriously injured Trainers in its wake.

Erika was then yanked backwards by Oliver, just in time to avoid a Scyther slashing downwards at her with evil in its eyes. The mantis Pokémon lunged at Erika again, but was repelled by a Dodrio slamming into it, furiously pecking it with all three heads before unleashing a flaming, jolting, icy beam of energy that knocked it out senseless onto the burning street.

"We're idiots…Laura warned us about these monsters and we still didn't prepare nearly well enough for this massacre." Oliver muttered as his Gallade teleported into existence behind him, eyes shining like beacons as he made two approaching enemy Magmar seize up in pain before sending both flying into nearby buildings. Oliver then looked up and saw his Talonflame soaring above him before swooping down and breathing fire down on three approaching Raticate, making them screech in pain as the flames enveloped them.

"We can't keep this up forever. None of our Pokémon are built to handle a fight of this magnitude for this long." Oliver said calmly to Erika, but a grim smile on his face as he shouldered a black cane with intricate designs flowing down it. Oliver then looked to his Gallade, saying, "Status of the evacuation?"

 _"The Pokémon Center has been evacuated, as have all of the local hospitals. I've also dispatched several Cipher members en route. We're losing ground on all streets but this one and the one Bruno went down."_ The Gallade replied, sketching a salute to the older trainer.

"Good work. Erika, what's the plan? Just open warfare at this point won't do anything except wreck the city further." Oliver asked the Gym Leader, turning back to her.

"Bruno and Agatha are making their way towards the center. That's where their leader is coordinating the attacks. This was all planned out, Oliver, down to the last little detail. They're attacking this part of the city specifically while leaving the rest untouched." Erika said as she watched her Pokémon battle ahead of her. Her eyes then widened in surprise as a figure in white armor suddenly leapt past the Cipher grunts wielding a large gun and began unloading shots into any Pokémon or Trainer that they could, downing several in quick succession.

"Tangela, hit that one with a Vine Whip." Erika said, pointing to the Cipher grunt that was aiming their gun right at her. The assailant was ripped from the ground by the angry Grass-type and hurled skyward, where they crashed back down onto the street with a heavy thud that they didn't get up from.

"Mister Oliver, you need to get as many people to safety as you can. Get any trainers with Pokémon that can use Teleport or Shadow Sneak as possible and get everyone away from here. They're not going to destroy this city while I stand." Erika said quietly but firmly, fire reflecting in her eyes as she eyed the battle ahead of her with cold fury.

The man beside her offered her a nod and said, "You better not die, Miss Erika. If you do…I'll never forgive you."

"I don't plan on anything except saving this city. Now move!" Erika pulled out another Pokémon and released a Venasaur, which let out a roar upon release. Erika placed a hand on the dinosaur Pokémon and said gently, "Just like we practiced, OK?"

"Saur!"

"Go! Frenzy Plant!" Erika shouted as the Venasuar let out a furious bellow. After a few moments, massive roots erupted from the streets and began tunneling forward, tearing apart the ground ahead of them. The roots threw apart Pokémon and trainer alike aside like toys, though some of the more savvy trainers ordered their Pokémon to destroy the attack quickly.

Oliver watched the display for a moment before clapping his Gallade on the shoulder and vanishing into thin air once again.

"That's right everyone! Keep fighting!" Erika shouted as some of the other trainers joined her on the front lines. A fierce grin on appeared on the normally reserved Gym Leader's face as she hopped on top of her Venasaur. The crowd behind her roared in approval and began pushing Cipher further back as one, now that the Frenzy Plant had taken care of some of the opposition.

"This…I've never seen a battle like this before." Hau said quietly, transfixed to the television screen. Lillie was simply trembling in horror, due to her dislike of Pokémon being hurt. Seeing something like this nearly broke her heart. Sun remained still, save for him shaking slightly as he watched the screen with a sheet-white face.

"They might actually do it…" Vivian whispered, the smallest of smiles on her face. Unlike before, Celadon City seemed to have had warning of the attack in advance. The fire wasn't as immediate as the ice had been, and they were actually fighting them back. Maybe they could do this. Maybe they could save their city before it became too late.

And then she caught sight of a new group entering the fray. Men and women in matching uniforms of black, with a crimson R emblem on their chests. Vivian felt that small ember of hope extinguish in her chest as she recognized and realized that her suspicion was correct.

"This…This just in! We…w-we now have confirmation that Team Rocket has joined the fight. I repeat, the criminal group known as Team Rocket, who hasn't been seen in Kanto in about a decade are now joining Cipher in the fight! As if this could get any worse, we now have the ousted villains of Kanto and Johto joining these terrorists in the fight for Celadon City!" the reporter shouted as several Team Rocket members released their own Pokémon, bolstering the tanks of Cipher. All of them were grinning ear to ear, with a few even clapping the Cipher members on the shoulders and letting out rallying cries. One grunt stepped ahead of them, wearing a maniacal grin.

"Alright, boys and girls! Let's show this idiots to fear our names again!" the Rocket grunt yelled, pointing a finger towards the opposition. The other grunts roared in agreement, making their way forward as their Pokémon rushed forward with the other Cipher members. The camera then zoomed in on a man in a Team Rocket uniform with green hair, standing atop a car at the back of the mass of criminals and watching the mayhem unfold. The camera zoomed in on the man as the reporter began speaking again.

"That's…that's one of the Team Rocket Executives, Proton! He's supposed to be in the Goldenrod City jail! What he is doing here!?" the reporter yelled out over the harsh noises below. The Rocket Executive known as Proton could be seen wearing a sadistic smirk as he bellowed orders to the Rockets on the street, who began working with the Cipher members to quickly begin pushing the opposition back. Proton himself let out a harsh laugh before releasing a giant purple bat that soared into the air with a cry. The Executive then released a Weezing and hopped into the streets, his evil smile widening as he began ordering attacks, pulling a pistol from his belt before charging forward.

Erika clenched her fists in anger at the sight of Team Rocket. So those dirtbags had joined Cipher, huh? Well...She would do what she should have done a decade ago. Deal with the scum herself. Erika shouted a series of orders to her Pokemon, who unleashed another wave of Solar Beam attacks that stopped the enemy in their tracks. Erika saw a bit of hope come back to the group beside her as some of the Trainers began shouting new orders to their teams, unleashing more deadly attacks on the opposition.

"Keep fighting everyone! We can do this!" Erika shouted, urging the group of frightened Pokémon Trainers forward.

"No…You _can't_." Came a voice from behind her, like a whisper in the wind. Erika felt agonizing pain explode from her heart and felt her into body stiffen in response, a cold tingling sensation rolling through her body. She slowly looked down and saw a slim blade sticking out of her chest, dripping with crimson as someone gently laughed behind her. The Gym Leader let out a small gasp as the blade retracted and she fell from her Venasuar, hitting the ground as the life left her eyes. Her killer leapt from the now-furious Venasaur, now unleashing a barrage of deadly leaves at the Cipher member that had killed the Gym Leader. The Cipher member raised a single pistol and fired three shots directly into the head of the plant dinosaur, bringing it down.

"Pathetic." With a shake of the head, the Cipher member turned around and began walking towards the reporter and the cameraman that had captured the entire scene. The duo quickly began running away from the woman before they realized they were trapped in an alleyway with no way out. Before the two could do much else a loud bang suddenly rang out from behind them. The reporter jerked back once before collapsing onto the ground in a heap.

"Jeffry! No! Rocko, get her!" the cameraman yelled out. The Rhyhorn by his side let out a snarl before bounding forward, though it was thwarted by a strange green bird-like Pokémon that appeared in front of it out of nowhere above the Cipher member.

" _Can't be having that, now can we?"_ the Xatu chuckled at the Rhyhorn that had stopped in its tracks. The rock Pokémon then narrowed its eyes and kept charging, only to be lifted off of its feet and sent hurtling back down the alleyway, where it hit the building behind it with hellacious force. The Rhyhorn then fell to the ground and remained still, knocked out in just one hit.

"W-w-what!? No! I…You…please, don't kill me!" the camera shouted out, his voice begging the new figure as he dropped the camera onto the ground, providing a view of the reporter lying still on the ground in a red puddle.

"Pick up that camera, or you get the same treatment." An amused voice spoke to the cameraman, who replied by wordlessly picking up the camera, which was now focused on the woman who had killed the reporter and the Gym Leader of Celadon in cold blood.

She wore a white mask of sorts on her face that covered her face from the nose up, but her fiery orange hair billowed behind her as the fire behind her completed a silhouette of terror as her light-blue eyes stared into the camera. The woman herself rather tall and was clad in Cipher's signature white body armor, coated in crimson fluid and stained black by the fire that had been raging around the city. Six Poké Balls were clipped to her belt and the pistol in her hand was aimed directly at the cameraman who was shaking slightly now. The woman's Xatu floated behind her, giggling now and levitating the woman's bloodstained knife above her.

"Oh lovely…It's _her_. Just what we all needed." Vivian hissed walked closer to the TV, glaring daggers at the woman in question, who began to speak again.

"This is a message to those who stand against us." The woman spoke, amusement pouring from her brisk voice as she aimed the barrel of the gun at the camera. "Remember what we did to your heroes back in Unova. Remember what we did to the government that tried to stop us. Remember what we did to those who were supposed to protect you. Remember the name of Cipher, because you will all drown in the shadows of our triumph. "

" _Remember our names_ , those of you who are watching from around the world…because we're coming for you next." The woman spoke to the world, slowly squeezing the trigger of her gun. Before the cameraman had a chance to respond the gun went off a second time, making the camera fall to the ground once again, cutting off the feed to the battle.

The screen went dark.

"Like I said before…Our little friend Sun here got out before things went south. If he hadn't…he probably wouldn't be here with us." The violin girl said quietly in a strained voice, scowling as she shook her head in disgust at the screen. People around them were chattering worriedly to each other. Some of them were even trying to phone people back in Kanto.

"Oh my god…How…How could they? Those people…they're…they're _monsters_." Lillie whispered, quaking in fright at the horrific and bloody showdown she had just witnessed. Hau was simply speechless, though he was now looking at Sun, who hadn't moved or done anything since the news report had started.

"S-sun? You...You're going to alright...right?" Hau asked nervously, looking at the boy. Sun started then, as if coming out a trance of sorts, before looking away from Hau, muttering something he didn't hear.

"Sun?" Lillie asked quietly, feeling quite worried herself now that she was focusing on the Kanto-native again. Sun didn't reply, instead facing away from them with his fists clenched. A tremor wracked through the boy for a moment before he began walking away from them and walking towards the front door of the Pokémon Center.

"You know that going out there won't make what they did go away, right?" Vivian called sourly to him, getting an annoyed look from Hau. Sun made no indication that he had heard her other than quickening his pace out of the building.

"Sun! Please, come back here! We can talk about this!" Lillie called out to the boy, making a move to go after him. Sun ignored Lillie's words and ran out through the front doors of the Pokémon Center, the rainfall enveloping him completely as he sprinted out into the night.


	14. Warmness on the Soul

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _So last chapter was nonstop destruction and mayhem. Let's take it down a few notches._

 _This chapter ended up being way longer than I wanted it to be. This happened mainly because I genuinely wanted to capture all of the feelings going through everyone after what happened last chapter. There will be many running themes I want to explore in this story, some of which hit close to me as a person and as a writer. I think I've said this before, but I feel like its worth repeating._

 _Speaking of last chapter, I have to say that the reception Cipher's inclusion has received has been pretty awesome. It's really great seeing so many people who also enjoyed the Colosseum and XD: Gale of Darkness games as much as I did. It was interesting, the responses I received as a result of what I did last chapter, and I have to say I'm looking forward more than ever to what I have in store for the future._

 _And in case you're wondering, I did in fact have the biggest shit-eating grin on my face reading some of the horrified reviews you sent in. Yes, I am that kind of asshole. Some of my longtime readers know this very well._

 _But I would like to make one thing clear. Well, two things._

 _One is that this story, despite some darkness, will be one that reflects the light and admittedly inspirational tone of the game it is inspired by. Yeah, for some of you not accustomed to some of my more intense work, last chapter was probably horrifying beyond belief. But it's not all going to be doom and gloom, like I said before. It's only when we've hit our lowest point that can we truly look at ourselves and become something better than we ever were before._

 _I know this lesson firsthand._

 _Two, is that this story does have one motif running through it I would like to hammer home for folks, if I haven't already. Just because the story focuses on Sun, Lillie, Hau, and others…doesn't mean other people aren't experiencing their own journey. Their own quest of self-growth, of hardship, and of becoming the very best in their own right. Just something I'd like to stress before moving on, because this is something incredibly important._

 _That said, I'm happy to announce that after next chapter, we'll be back on track with the main story stuff. I am already grinning at the Team Skull stuff I have in mind, because…well, its Team Skull. Duh._

 _Shoutout to the fantastic folks who reviewed since the last update, which includes Cottonmouth25, danlagunas14, Dunka99, My Wunderwaffle iz missin, Dario Flaman, and Sai Og Sus. Oh yeah, and the **six** new reviewers from last update (which is amazing, BTW), which includes simba71999, SpoonyAzul (one of my fellow writers from the Freelancer Collaboration), Raikou927, DriveByGhoti, daniel13w, and Wings of an Eternal Blaze. Thank you so SO much for the feedback and support. _

_Now, I've toyed with this idea for a little while now. But let's see if it gains any traction, before I cut off here._

 _Now, I don't know if I speak for everyone who writes on this site, but music plays a huge part in getting into a writing groove. Because of that, I do have a collection of songs that I believe fit certain moments in my stories, even to the point of me having the song play in the story itself._

 _This is a chapter that this definitely applies to a lot more than others. Lillie's Theme works for the latter half of it, honestly, but the best theme I've found that works for this chapter is Xion's theme from Kingdom Hearts 2.5 Remix. If you want to find the link that I'm talking about, just google "Everglow Xion theme" and it's the first thing that shows up. It's a longer version of the song that really fits with most of this chapter. If you do choose to do this, let me know what you thought of the song and how it fits with the story._

 _ONE FINAL NOTE before I cut off here. The title of this chapter is an Avenged Sevenfold song, and I'd seriously recommend checking out the lyrics to this song at some point. I didn't even plan this out or anything, because I liked the title, but holy hell are the lyrics fitting for this chapter. Pretty cool stuff._

 _I also really need to work on shortening these author's notes, but…that's something for future me to deal with. That said, I'm putting off playing "Breath of the Wild" on my Nintendo Switch so I can finish this chapter up. So I think it's a fair trade-off._

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 _Chapter 14: Warmness on the Soul_

* * *

"He really needs to work on handling his emotions…Though I wouldn't be surprised if a kid like him has ever actually felt hatred before in his life." Vivian mused, putting a hand on her hip and shaking her head. Her smile had returned now, but it seemed weak compared to the confident grin she had before.

"Seriously, what is your deal? How do you know so much about those guys who attacked Celadon City? And about Sun?" Hau said to the girl, a rare bit of anger seeping into his voice as he turned around to glare at the older trainer. Vivian looked surprised at his outburst, as she blinked once before replying.

"Because I lived through it, little boy." Vivian replied lightly, her smiling becoming something a bit darker. "It's just like someone who lives in a paradise like this to forget that the rest of the world has to deal with real threats. _Real problems_ , aside from some posers who wish they were something really dangerous."

"What do you mean?" Hau asked, her anger turning to confusion.

"She's talking about Nimbasa City…Aren't you?" Hau turned around and saw Lillie looking at the two of them, her expression somber.

"Nimbasa…That's in Unova, right?" Hau asked, looking back at Vivian, whose smile was slipping away.

"Yep. And you want to know what happened, Hau? I got to see an entire city get wiped off the map." Vivian said to the boy, her smile now entirely gone now, her words hollow. "Millions upon millions of people lived in that city, Hau. Now imagine an entire city with that population frozen solid. An icy graveyard, filled with spires of ice trapping the citizens who couldn't get away in time forever in their frozen hell. And guess what? I just saw a repeat performance of the worst night of my life tonight."

"Celadon City's destruction was nothing more than a move to scare Kanto. A display of power to instill fear in the common masses. It's exactly what they did to Unova." Vivian said very quietly. A deep sigh escaped the girl as she suddenly picked her bag up and slung it back over her shoulders. Vivian took a few steps towards where Nurse Joy was standing at the counter before turning around, facing the two children with an unreadable expression. And then she began speaking again.

"I have seen the evil of Cipher. I have seen so much destruction at their hands. We couldn't stop them, me and my friends…And now look. Cipher is expanding. Growing. Getting stronger while we try and pick up the pieces." Vivian said to them, shifting her bag on her shoulder.

"What do you mean…that you couldn't stop them?" Lillie asked softly.

"I mean that me and my friends were supposed to be the big heroes that put them down in Unova. We were so close to ending their plans, to ending them for good…But then they played their trump card and we lost our… _leader_ , I guess you could call him. What I saw as our backup plan vanished without a trace not long after that, and we were left to wither away. Gotta admit…I really miss those two dorks," Vivian admitted in a very tired and defeated voice. Gone was all of the bluster and bravado, she sounded genuinely despondent recounting all of this. As if all hope had just been torn out of her. It was a bit startling.

"And…That's all happening in Kanto now? You're sure of this?" Hau asked the older Trainer.

Vivian nodded, looking at the two of them. "What you just saw was Cipher just expanding. Unova's already under their foot, so now they're looking to Kanto to dominate. Johto is next, since its right next door. Then…who knows? Fact of the matter is that they're just going to keep growing and getting stronger, while those who fight them die and fall. Trust me…I've seen it all happen before." Vivian said bitterly, pulling out a Poké Ball and releasing her Alakazam.

"Speaking of seen it all…Someone needs to go get Sun. He doesn't know the city and with the weather this nasty, it's not exactly safe for him to be out there." Lillie said to the two other Trainers. Vivian opened her mouth to speak before she suddenly stopped and pulled out her phone. She began texting someone with a rather worried look on her face, but began talking again.

"As much as I like the kid, I'm not going out in that storm. If I had Decres put a Mind-Lock on him, I'd just have him grab Sun and bring him here, but I didn't think I'd need to do that yet." Vivian replied with a small shrug. Lillie sighed but nodded, understanding her plight. Lillie looked to Hau who didn't look all that eager to run onto into the storm either. Knowing what the only option was, Lillie dug into her bag and brought out a white umbrella.

"Lillie, there's got to be a better-"

"If _you_ are not feeling up to doing it…Then _I'll_ find him. I'm supposed to look out him, after all. Hau, can you please look after…you know who?" Lillie said to Hau, handing him her Poké Ball bag. Hau looked surprised at this, but nodded in reply. Lillie handed Hau her hat as well and held out her umbrella, looking determined.

"Good luck, Princess. That's a nasty storm and I don't envy you at all." Vivian said to Lillie, though she added a moment later as she slipped her phone back into her pocket. "I think I'm done with this place for tonight. I just a text from my friend Noah that he's at the hospital, so I'm going to go see how he's doing. I'll probably crash there tonight, though if I actually got sleep tonight after watching that horror-show I'd be shocked."

"Oh…Um, is your friend alright?" Hau asked, surprised by this.

"It happens a lot with him. He'll be fine, though. Noah's strong, you know? Anyways, I'm going to see if Nurse Joy is alright with me giving you lot my room. That way Lillie can stay there while you and Sun can chill in the room you already have." Vivian remarked as a small smile flickered on her face.

"Thank you, Vivian. That's really nice of you." Lillie said with a smile of her own.

"Eh, not really, but hey, thanks for the thank you. Just make sure to get the key to the room from Nurse Joy when you get back. You all take care now, alright? Stay safe." Vivian said to the two kids before walking over to Nurse Joy. Within the next minute the violin girl had teleported out of the Pokémon Center.

"I don't know whether I like her or can't stand her." Hau muttered, crossing his arms.

"Some people are like that. But…" Lillie sighed quietly before she turned to Hau. "Remember, Hau. Guard that bag at all costs. I'll be back as soon as possible."

The young girl made her way to the door to meet the howling rain, opening her umbrella as she did so and stepping out into the storm. Hau sighed and looked down at the bag, about to say something to Nebby, when he noticed that the bag was now open.

Hau looked up in surprise, and saw that Nebby was flying towards the open front doors and had caught up with Lillie outside.

"Nebby and Lillie…man, those two are something else." Hau collapsed into his chair, unable to help the smirk on his face. He knew that determined pair would be able to find Sun and get him back here. So there was nothing to worry about, as always…

And yet he couldn't help but think of what had happened in Celadon. The city was a battleground filled with fire and destruction at the hands of two criminal syndicates, one growing more powerful by the day and the other seeking to regain its foothold in Kanto. And apparently this was the second time the group had done something like this…

He hoped Lillie would be able to find Sun quickly…After a night like this, he wanted everyone together in the same place, at least for the sake of safety.

* * *

Sun barely registered the wind hitting his body or the rain slapping him in the face as he pounded down the soaked streets of Hau'oli City. He didn't register the lightning arcing across the sky, creating a deafening rumble. Sun didn't even register the cold that quickly settled on him after only being out in the thunderstorm for a minute.

He was focused on other things. The rapid pounding of his heart. The fire that was still reflected in his mind's eye on that TV screen. The screams of the dying and the suffering as flames raced around them and a deadly bird of fire soared overhead, spraying more burning fury on those below.

Sun kept up his frantic pace, not knowing or caring where he was going. Anywhere was better than being in that Pokémon Center, where he might have to watch more of that broadcast. Hadn't his mother warned them about Cipher? Hadn't they prepared for something like this? Then why…Why did his home get destroyed in the fashion that it did? Why did Miss Erika get killed on live television? Why hadn't anyone been able to save her? Why? Why!?

WHY?

Sun felt a burning feeling within him that he had never felt before. It was a white-hot sensation that overloaded his mind and made him shake with emotion. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't see. All he was aware of was the boiling rage threatening to be unleashed. His body was trembling, like a spring wound tight and as he continued his furious stride.

And then…

"Yo, yo, yo. Look what I see! A small fry running through the rain!"

Sun stopped in his tracks and whirled around to see two teenagers walking up to him, both of them wearing black outfits with bandannas covering their faces, both of them with dyed blue hair covered by a white and black cap. One of them chuckled and reached out to Sun-

Before getting decked in the mouth by the angry 11-year old.

"OW! What the heck, dude? Not cool!" the teen whined, holding his jaw as he and his comrade backed away from the child. Sun didn't even deign to keep looking at them both, instead just turning around and continuing his hurried pace through the city, his thoughts going a mile a minute. He didn't care that he had no idea where he was going, he didn't care that he was running through a rainstorm with lightning darting across the sky overhead, and he didn't care that he had just punched someone much bigger and older than him right in the jaw…

There were other things to worry about.

Eventually exhaustion won out, and Sun slowed his stride and simply remained standing still on a sidewalk some ways into the city. The Kanto boy put his head in his hands, letting out a frustrated growl that quickly becoming a yell. Sun fell to his knees and let out a long scream that echoed through the empty streets even as the storm raging around him. There were so many emotions coiled up within his yell, that he couldn't have even named them all.

Fury, anguish, sorrow, grief, guilt, shame, frustration, terror…and sadness.

Sun knelt there in the rain, staring up into the storm as tears rolled down his face and mixed in with the water falling from above. The boy wept for Kanto. He wept for the innocents that died tonight. He wept for the kind Gym Leader who had been stabbed in the back on live television. He cried for Celadon, his once home now turned into a ruined and fiery battleground at the hands of a bunch of criminals.

Sun just stayed there on his knees and cried his heart out, wondering why this all had to happen. After a while, his tears finally stopped flowing and the boy simply stayed on the sidewalk, uncaring that he was being drenched from head to toe from the raging storm around him. He was beyond caring about such little things at the moment. He reflected on the events before he left for Alola…When he did, he felt another rush of anger at those who had destroyed his home.

And then he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"It took a while to find you, didn't it?" Sun almost winced as Lillie's hand touched his healing injury from the Plank Bridge. The young girl held her umbrella out so that it now protected Sun from the downpour. She bent down to him and said quietly, "Can you stand up for me?"

Sun remained still for several long minutes as Lillie patiently remained by his side, unmoving as she waited for Sun to reply. The boy finally rose after five whole minutes, his movements slow, but it was progress at least.

"There…Um, I really don't have much of an idea where we are, admittedly. I asked a few people who had seen you running by and heard your scream so…Anyways, let's just find some cover. This storm is something else." Lillie said quietly as she glanced around the street they were on. If she were a betting girl, which she wasn't, she'd say they were on a road near the city museum. Nevertheless, Lillie grabbed Sun's arm and began to slowly lead him down the street with an umbrella over both of them.

"Pew!" Nebby greeted Sun happily, the Pokémon having been hiding on Lillie's head to protect itself from the rain.

"Yeah, yeah, you little troublemaker. You better hope no one sees you in this downpour." Lillie said to the Cosmog, smiling despite herself. Lillie was surprised at her own boldness this evening, she reflected, as she dragged Sun down the street. The boy seemed content to be led along by Lillie, still trying to process everything that had happened. Lillie, however, wondered why she had done this.

It was stupid, she had realized, to run after someone in a thunderstorm when you had a terrible sense of direction. Especially after all of the risks she had taken and the things she hoped to do. She couldn't afford a slip up…

But seeing Sun's horrified and pained expression as he ran outside…She realized she wouldn't be able to live with herself if she hadn't checked on the Kanto-native. She may have been timid, but…that doesn't mean she couldn't ever be brave!

Besides, after what he had done for her, she just felt that it was the right thing to do. Sun was kind, intelligent, and brave, and had done nothing but treat her with respect and courtesy. Truthfully, she admired the boy quite a bit…Lillie's cheeks gained a pink hue as she denied to herself that it went beyond that.

Eventually she chanced upon a gazebo with a large overhang hidden with a park area and led herself and Sun over to it. She retracted her umbrella and sat down on the bench under the cover that was mercifully dry. Sun stared at her dully for a moment before joining her on the seat.

"So…How are you feeling?" Lillie asked Sun very quietly, watching his face for any hint of emotion. She saw nothing on his face at the question. No smile, no anger, no nothing.

"Sun…Are you going to be OK?" Lillie asked, bending slightly and looking into the grey eyes of the other boy. Sun averted his gaze then, looking away from her, but she received a very stiff nod.

"I can't imagine I know what you're going through. That was your home. Those were people that you once shared a city with being killed in cold blood. Those were criminals…no, _monsters_ that were destroying the place…And I'm so sorry. I'm sorry you're hurting right now, and I'm sorry there's nothing I can do to help but try and support you."

Sun took several seconds to respond to that, but he did so by looking over in her direction with a confused look on his face. Lillie took that as a sign to continue, so she took a fortifying breath and kept going.

"Sun, I know what it's like to feel that way. Scared. Hurt. Confused… _desperate._ " Lillie whispered the last part, closing her eyes. She opened them a moment later and continued. "What I'm trying to say…is that if you ever need a friend, I'm here for you. OK? After everything you've done for me and Nebby, it's only right that I help you however I can in a dark time like this."

"Friend…" Sun said quietly, speaking up for the first time since Lillie had found him. It took a while, but he had finally regained a bit of sense within himself as the girl had spoken. Sun sighed then, deeply and harshly, before looking up into the sky ahead of him. He was still furious at those who had attacked his home, but now the anger had subsided into a smoldering rage that was overwhelmed by sorrow. Still…Lillie's words caught him by surprise.

"Of course…We're friends, aren't we?" Lillie replied as Sun looked at her. His bloodshot grey eyes and distraught expression met kind bright green eyes and a patient smile.

"I don't know…I've never had a friend, Lillie, so I wouldn't even know what it's like…God, I'm so weird." Sun muttered hoarsely, shaking his head as he looked forward and coughed slightly, which Lillie took to be as an attempt at a laugh of some sort.

"Well, if you've never had a friend before…Could I have the honor of being your first friend?" Sun looked back towards the girl, who was looking at him with that same smile but with a bit of determination in her eyes. Sun wondered why that was, before he considered her words. A friend. Someone who genuinely wanted to be his friend. He had never had one before…And now he had someone asking him if they could be his very first friend. Sun thought about it for a moment, trying to focus on the question before realizing he had no idea why he wasn't answering her. Lillie was gentle, intelligent, and pleasant to be around. She had been incredibly helpful and even braved the storm to come and comfort him…

If that wasn't something a friend would do, then Sun truly didn't know what was.

"Yeah…I'd like that. You know…me and you being friends." Sun said quietly, a lopsided, weak smile appearing on his face. It wasn't much of a smile at all, but it was something. Lillie nearly sighed with relief at that, but instead beamed at him and nodded.

"See! There we go! Now as your friend, I'm going to ask you if you can try and get your mind off of the bad things for a little bit. Just so you can calm down. OK?" Lillie said to Sun somewhat less confidently. Sun nodded and tried thinking of something to try and distract himself from the images of fierce Pokémon tearing into each other and never-ending fire.

"OK…I'll try. How about you tell me a bit more about yourself?" Sun said to Lillie, fighting a shiver as a breeze hit the both of them. Sun was considerably more soaked than Lillie was from the rainfall, so that was understandable. Nebby let out a soft coo as it wriggled out of Lillie's grasp, looking at Sun with concern. Sun silently reached forward and pet Nebby, making the Pokémon look at him worriedly.

"I'll be alright, Nebby." Sun said quietly, though he looked back at Lillie, who was watching the exchange with a smile. No one besides her could draw Nebby's attention like Sun was right now. He was something special alright.

"Well…I'm twelve years old. I _love_ to read, though I prefer fantasy books above all else, I will admit I enjoy reading about history and Pokémon facts and the like. Reading is an escape for me, I suppose…It's so easy for me to get lost in a book and get wrapped up in another world, you know?" Lillie explained quietly, with Sun listening intently.

"Anyways, I have quite a sweet tooth when it comes to food. I'm also vegetarian, and my favorite food is…well, it's a bit lame really." Lillie admitted with a sheepish laugh.

"Well…what is it?" Sun asked the girl, now a bit curious.

"…Grilled cheese sandwiches."

"Seriously?"

"Yes, I know it's a bit of an odd choice, but-"

"No way, grilled cheeses are awesome." Lillie blinked in surprise at that and grinned at the other boy as he said that. Sun seemed a little bit less down as he said that, his frown less pronounced as Lillie beamed at him.

"Well, I'm glad someone else agrees. Hau thinks they're boring, since they're not laced with sugar and come in a variety of flavors, like his _beloved_ malasadas are. I never had one before a few months ago, when Professor Burnet made them as a quick dinner after a night out in the field with Professor Kukui. They dragged me along with them out on the route to study Lillipup and everyone was too tired to get takeout and neither Professor wanted to make a huge meal. So we had grilled cheeses that night, and the rest is history. I had never eaten something so simple yet so tasty!" Lillie blushed slightly before laughing, "Sorry about that. I got a bit carried away there."

"Hey, don't worry about it. I'm a cheesecake fanatic, so I can't judge at all." Sun said with a small shrug.

"Cheesecake? What kind do you like?"

"Any kind. Chocolate-topping, strawberry, Castelia-Style. I love cheesecake no matter what kind. Donuts are pretty awesome too. I try to keep an open mind though, so I'm happy to try anything that's out there and see if I can add new favorites to my food lists. I have a feeling that with Hau in our little group, I'll be gaining a bit of weight with all of the food stops we'll be taking." Sun said dryly, earning a giggle from Lillie.

"I try to be that way too. Keeping an open mind, I mean, not devouring everything in my path like Hau. With all of the people and Pokémon you can meet, you're bound to meet some people who will help you look at things in a new light." Lillie remarked, thinking of some of the people in her own life that had done that. Professor Burnet. Professor Kukui. Nebby. Hau. Even people that had just entered her life, like Sun, were influencing her and making her think and react in ways she never would have had she never taken the first step on her own little journey.

"Anyways, I enjoy listening to music as well, when I'm not reading or learning about Pokémon. Mainly classical music or jazz, but I've currently developed an obsession with metal."

"You what, mate?" Sun looked at her with the most bewildered expression Lillie had ever seen on someone. It was even weirder considering Sun had been wearing a dead expression for the better part of the half hour it had taken for them to find shelter.

"Yes, metal. I enjoy it quite a bit." Lillie repeated, almost bursting out laughing at Sun's unrestrained surprise. The boy then shrugged and said, "Hey, whatever works for you. I mean, I grew up on country and hip-hop, thanks to my Mom, so I can't really judge. Any favorite bands?"

"Crimson Dawn are my favorite band right now, especially since the lead singer, Zoey, is so awesome." At Sun's confused look, Lillie explained, "The lead singer of Crimson Dawn is a world-class Pokémon Trainer and Pokémon Coordinator. She can even harness the power of Mega Evolution! She's the absolute coolest! She's currently touring in Kanto I believe."

"Mega Evolution huh? I've heard of that myself a few times before from my Dad. It'd be awesome to have a Pokémon that could do that." Sun mused for a moment before he snapped himself out of his thoughts. "Go on."

"Um…And I really like playing the flute too. I haven't had a chance to really play recently, since I don't have access to any of my music or my instruments. I'd love to be able to play again sometime." Lillie lamented for a moment before she added, "I've also kind of wanted to play the electric guitar as well. But that's just more a recent thing, really."

"It's a pretty cool instrument, so I guess it'd fit a pretty cool girl like you quite well." Sun remarked, looking forward and not paying attention to the fact that Lillie was blushing at the compliment.

"Thank you, Sun." Lillie replied with a small shy smile. Sun looked back at her with a bit of a lighter expression on his face.

"Hey, you ran into a thunderstorm just to check on me. I think that makes you a really cool, if not awesome, person." Sun said to her, attempting a smile again but not quite succeeding, his expression becoming more neutral than anything else. Lille frowned a bit at that. She needed to try harder.

"So, where are you from, then? I don't know why, but I get the feeling you're not from Alola. Or that you mentioned it before and I'm having a brain fart and can't remember if you mentioned it or not." Sun said to the girl, earning another giggle from her.

"I'm from another region, one very far away from here. I was raised in Alola, with my mother, father, and brother. We lived on an island, our own little utopia, I guess you could call it." Lillie began, her voice unsure of herself as her smile faded. She knew she couldn't tell Sun everything, but…maybe getting some of this off of her chest would not only help draw Sun out of his downcast mood, but maybe help ease her mind as well.

"We helped Pokémon whenever we could and lived like a regular family. My parents were quite wealthy, and used that wealth to help others, especially Pokémon. They even had their own research team and crew of scientists dedicated to improving and protecting the lives of Pokémon all over the world…" Lillie trailed off, lost in the memories. Sun watched her silently for a few moments before Lillie snapped out of it.

"And for a while…we were happy."

The two friends watched the rainfall ahead of them in silence after that. Sun knew that there was more to this than Lillie was explaining to him, but he was also willing to hear her out. She had a strange, sorrowful look on her face as she reached over to Nebby and pulled it into her lap, petting the Pokémon for a few moments before she spoke again very softly.

"And then one day everything went wrong."

"My father vanished into nothingness, one sunny afternoon, with no traces left behind as to where he went. Our friends and family were devastated, my mother worst of all. Soon after that my big brother left our home. I don't know where he is. I haven't talked with him in years, now. I wish I knew how he was…if he's safe. If he's happy…I wish I _knew_." Lillie whispered, hunching over and hugging Nebby tightly as tears threaten to fall from her emerald eyes.

Sun felt something within him tug at the sight of Lillie looking so upset. In a matter of minutes, the girl was reduced to near-tears just recounting whatever had happened to her family. From what Sun could tell, it looked as if Lillie was trying her hardest to keep everything all bottled up and contained. That she was trying so hard to keep everything together, all the while trying to comfort him as well. Sun scooted closer to the girl and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, giving her a gentle squeeze. Lillie tensed at his touch, but moved closer to Sun sighed deeply.

"I'm so sorry Sun…I came out here to help you, and look at me. Unloading all of my issues on you like this. And there's so much more that I can't say," Lillie said quietly, shaking her head slightly, brushing a tear from her eye.

"Don't be sorry." Lillie started at Sun's voice, but more so at the intensity of what he was saying. She moved away from him enough to see that there was a spark within him now that had been absent since he had seen the Celadon broadcast.

"Never be sorry for the things that make you sad…Just work on making yourself happy. Sometimes it's OK to be selfish. As much as I hate to say it, my Dad did occasionally have some good advice." Sun admitted with a small sigh, patting Lillie on the back. Usually he'd feel a bit weird and embarrassed being so close to her, but after the emotional roller-coaster he had been on tonight, he just didn't have in him to be awkward about it.

"Sun…Can I ask a question?" Lillie said softly, looking at him.

"You just did, but go ahead." Sun replied. Lillie felt a smile tug at her mouth, but decided to ask her question since she was more curious than anything else.

"Where is your father?" Lillie asked Sun.

For a time, the boy remained silent, his neutral expression being replaced with a more thoughtful one. The sound of rainfall was the only thing audible around the children, the wind howling around them both. Lillie shivered slightly, crossing her arms and inwardly hoping that she could convince Nurse Joy to maybe turn up the heat in the Pokémon Center when they returned. She nearly jumped when Sun spoke up again.

"Have you ever had someone you looked up to before, Lillie?" Sun asked finally. After a beat he looked at her, his eyes reflecting the storm that swirled overhead. Lillie thought about his question before nodding once.

"Well, what happens when someone you thought was the greatest person in the world…Someone who was once your hero…Turns out to be not good at all?" Sun asked as his voice dropped down to a whisper.

"What do you do when you find out that your hero hurts people? What do you do when you try everything you can think of to make that kind of person proud…And then realize that you're just destroying yourself in the process for someone who just wants to _use_ you?" Sun said in a perfectly neutral tone, though there was something much darker to the words he was speaking.

"Tell me…What do you do, Lillie?"

Lillie, for her part, was silent. Her mind was racing at Sun's questions, confusion clouding her mind. However, she, like Sun, was quite an intelligent child and began to make sense of what he was implying.

"Sun…"

"I don't want to talk about him, Lillie. I think I'm still trying to figure out just how I feel about that man right now. Especially after seeing what happened on TV a little while ago. My thoughts are mixed up and muddled and…I'm so, so confused." Sun said with a sigh, shaking his head for a moment before he continued.

"He and Mom got divorced a few months back, after we found out some stuff about him. Bad things, Lillie. Even after he showed us just what kind of person he really was, well…I almost went with him instead of my mother…because I idolized my dad, you know? I learned all about his business and happily decided when I was younger that I wanted to be just like him when I grew up. So when he came back to the house for me the night after my parents' divorce was done…I almost joined his side."

"But I just couldn't. My father is a very, _very_ bad person." Sun said in a very quiet voice. Lillie just remained silent, letting Sun continue. She had a feeling that she wasn't the only one holding things back. A moment later, her thought was confirmed.

"He's friends with them, Lillie…He's pals with those _monsters_ that destroyed my home. The group that calls themselves Cipher. He's no better than them, Lillie…That's why I'm here in Alola. I'm here because me and Mom ran away from Dad. From Cipher. We had an idea of what Cipher was planning and we made sure to get out of there before we got hurt. Professor Kukui arranged some things and here we are, living in a tropical paradise with wonderful people while the city I grew up in gets torched by a Moltres." Sun said to the girl, who remained silent at this. What could she say? She could hear the raw pain and anger in Sun's voice, directed at the criminals that had orchestrated the destruction of Celadon and Nimbasa City respectively. She could hear the hate dripping from the boys voice towards those who had killed Erika and countless others.

She could hear the betrayal in Sun's voice in a way that only she would know. She knew exactly what Sun was going through, because she had felt what he was going through now. Sadness, anger, and hurt at the hands of a loved one.

"I hate them, Lillie. I hate every single one of those people. I hate Cipher with every bit of my heart. They ruined my life in Kanto, to the point where we had to run from them. I hate them because they somehow made my father start helping them. And I hate them because they hurt so many people just for their own gain. They hurt Pokémon in the worst possible way…I hate them, Lillie. I want to hurt them. I want to make them suffer…But I _can't._ I'm too far away and not strong enough to do anything to them. If the Elite Four and the Gym Leaders can't stop them…then who can?" Sun asked in a voice so soft Lillie could barely hear him. Lillie didn't have an answer, but she knew the boy needed to hear something.

"Sun, I wish I knew. But…sometimes you have to have faith that things will work out." Lillie said quietly, attempting a smile that she wasn't feeling. Sun didn't even look at her as he continued.

"And the worst part of this is that…I still love my Dad. My father was the person I looked up to growing up. But now…It's so complicated, Lillie. Does it make _me_ a bad person to still love someone who's bad? Someone that would willingly support those who would kill and destroy others for their own gain? Or does it just not matter…do I even really love my Dad anymore? I just _don't know_ …" Sun finished, hanging his head and allowing silence to envelop the two of them.

"Just because you may love your father, doesn't make you a bad person." Lillie said firmly, making Sun look at her in surprise. "He's your father, and still is. He's just a person who has made very bad choices, but that has nothing to do with you, Sun. I know it's complicated, but just because you're confused about this all doesn't mean you're at fault. You're just a kid, despite everything."

"That's what my Mom said. That I'd 'figure things out' someday. I try so hard to be positive and keep up a smile, even though I just feel this weight on my shoulders. I don't know what it is, Lillie, but it makes it hard to enjoy what I have now. Before all of this, I would have been so much more excited to be exploring a new region and have my own team on my very own journey…But it doesn't seem nearly as great as it should have been, because of this sinking feeling in my heart."

"I just wish I knew what to do. What this feeling is and what to do about my Dad. And on top of what Cipher did to Celadon? I feel like I need to stop them, Lillie. Like I need to go back there. But what could I possibly do? I'm halfway across the world and I've got two young birds for my entire team." Sun said to the girl, hanging his head and sighing deeply. To his surprise he felt a hand on his shoulders and glanced over to see Lillie.

"Sun…I don't have all the answers. I wish I did…But I just don't. To be honest, I'm in a similar boat as you at the moment. However, I might be able to answer that feeling you're having, though. That sad feeling you're having that you described." Lillie said to the boy, who seemed to perk up slightly at that. "A few years ago, a friend of my mother's described to me something along the lines of what you described to me. Granted, she can explain this much better than me, but I think I can explain enough of this. You might be suffering from some form of depression, Sun."

"Depression? I…I've heard of it before, but is this really what it is?" Sun asked Lillie, surprised. Was this constant, gnawing feeling within him really was it was like? Why the nightmares he had seemed so much more terrifying than they should be…Was this all part of it? All of the events that had happened over the past few months, could they have really made him depressed? He wasn't sure…

"I believe so. You described something similar to what Miss Wi- I mean, my mother's friend told me about it. I think you are handling it fairly well, all things considered, but I think this may be something you should talk to Miss Laura about to get you possibly checked out by a doctor or a psychologist. Honestly, after what you've described to me, it makes a bit of sense. Whatever happened with your father and with you having to move from your home on top of that? And now, your home getting destroyed like that? Sun, if that wouldn't make someone depressed I don't know what would. It's absolutely understandable to feel a bit down." Lillie explained quietly, and as Sun looked at her she smiled at him again.

"Again…My knowledge with this is somewhat limited to my own experiences. I don't think I've ever felt depressed, admittedly, but I know there's professionals to talk to here on Melemele Island and if you can't speak with them, Professor Kukui and his wife, Professor Burnet, are both certified Professors here in Alola. I'm sure either one of them would be more than willing to help you out with what you're feeling. You may not even be suffering from depression, but just going through a rough patch. Either way, you are not alone in this." Lillie said to Sun, who looked away from the girl for a time before smiling a little. Not much, but enough for Lillie to feel happy about.

"Alright…I'll get it looked into. I'm just surprised about all of this…I make such an effort to be positive and to always keep a smile on my face, but…To think this sinking feeling inside of me is just me feeling depressed. Never thought that was it, let alone something like that effecting me." Sun mused, shaking his head slightly at the thought of it.

"I believe depression can effect anyone, Sun. All you can do is try to keep going on and try to work out what you're feeling. Talking it over with peers, trained professionals, and even friends can help so much." Lillie replied quietly to the other boy. Sun remained quiet for a time, before he finally spoke up.

"I _am_ talking about it with a friend, aren't I?" Sun said slowly, looking at Lillie with a small smirk instead of a smile. Lillie couldn't helped a laugh, but nodded in agreement.

"Yes, you are." Lillie replied cheekily, trying not to laugh more. She was glad that Sun was at least getting out of his dark mood. She wasn't really sure if her friend was actually suffering from depression or anything of the sort, but it seemed plausible. Maybe if they were lucky Sun would be able to talk this out with some adults and feel a bit better about some of the events that had befallen his family over the past few months.

"Guess I should tell you some stuff about me now that may actually steer this conversation in a positive direction." Sun said as he smiled thinly at her, this time a bit more genuine.

"I'd like that." Lillie replied, offering him her own shy smile in response. Sun surprised her by slowly rising to his feet, stumbling slightly, before he reached a hand down to her.

"The rain is dying down a bit. I say we make our way to the Pokémon Center now while there's a lull in the storm." Sun said to the girl on the bench. Lillie nodded and grabbed Sun's hand and was quickly pulled up. She lightly bumped into Sun, however, and let out a small yelp as she hastily backed away from the boy, blushing slightly.

"Um…We can share my umbrella." Lillie mumbled, extending the umbrella out and holding it over her head. Sun nodded and sidled up to her as Nebby leapt into Sun's arms.

"Comfortable?" Sun asked the small Pokémon, receiving a happy cry in response.

"It looks like Nebby really likes me." Sun remarked with a small smile, the biggest smile he had given her all night.

"I can tell. It's usually only that friendly with me. I guess that just means that it trusts you, Sun." Lillie said as the two of them began moving out into the storm, which had thankfully lessened over the course of their talk.

"Well…I grew up in Celadon, like I said before. My mom was a teacher from Kanto and my Dad was a businessman from Alola, with ties in Sinnoh and Kanto. I lived in our house, I guess it was more like a villa, for a lot of my childhood. I didn't leave the house all that much, except for when my Mom decided to become a Pokémon Trainer and took me with her whenever she was at a city. Dad wasn't a fan of letting me get too close to that kind of life, but Mom was firm. She wanted me to see her battle."

"How was it? Watching Miss Laura battle?"

"Really, _really_ cool. My Mom had a team of incredibly strong Pokémon and even battled the Kanto Champion for the title back when she was an active Trainer on her journey. That's on top of home-schooling me and teaching me all sorts of things that my Dad didn't." Sun had been smiling at that point, but his smile faded somewhat. "…She does so much for me. She's really silly, but after everything that's gone on the past few months, I've realized I don't do nearly enough for her in return. She's protected me so much, loved me so much…I just don't get what I did to have a Mom like mine, Lillie. All she wants is for me to be happy. That's it. I just don't get it."

"Most parents…well, good parents are like that, I think. Again Sun, I'm not sure what to say to that, admittedly. I haven't spoken to either of my parents in a long time." Lillie said quietly, though she smiled a moment later. "I am glad to hear that your mother is as great as the person she seemed to be. Despite the teasing, it's obvious that she loves you dearly."

Sun didn't have a response to that either, so he just nodded and continued sharing a few more details about his life before Alola. Recounting some of the times he had spent in boardroom meetings with his father discussing things too complicated for him to understand and spending hours at the local Gym with Erika.

"I learned that despite me wanting to be like my Dad…I wanted to be a Trainer. I wanted to have my own Pokémon. Go on my own journey. I wanted to find out more about myself, like my Mom told me that she did." Sun laughed a little then, shaking his head as he said, "It's so weird…This little trip has barely started out and I'm already dealing with life-changing events and the like. It's like something out of a bad story."

"If it's a bad story, then the writer is a giant jerk."

"Sounds about right."

Eventually the duo made their way back to the Pokémon Center and entered the building, shivering as the AC smacked right into them. Sun and Lillie both began shivering as they made their way further into the Pokémon Center. Hau quickly found them both and soon enough, the two children were in warmer, dryer clothes and were enjoying a hot dinner courtesy of the staff of the Pokémon Center. Sun was surprised at how the food tasted from what was basically an all-you-can-eat buffet at a place that was open all day, but he wasn't complaining. It tasted like heaven to him, after spending a few hours in the pouring rain.

Once dinner was handled, Sun was led by Hau to his room. He stepped into a rather cozy room complete with a desk, two nightstands with a small lamp each, two comfortable-looking twin-sized beds and a small but clean bathroom.

"I call the left bed!"

"Hau, I…You know what, I'm not even going to ask, man."

With that, Hau gleefully leapt across the room and bounced on the bed, giving Lillie and Sun a wide cheery grin that both children couldn't help but giggle at. Sun put his stuff away, grateful that he hadn't taken it with him in the storm, and released Penny and Oliver. The boy grabbed both birds in his arms and hugged them both close to him, with both of his birds returning the gesture as well. They weren't sure why they were being hugged, but they hugged their trainer back regardless.

Hau was quickly caught up on most of what Lillie and Sun had talked about. Hau and Lilie, in turn, discussed what Vivian had talked about earlier. At the end of their talk, Sun had his eyes closed in thought.

"We need to track down that girl and get some answers. Even if I can't do anything about Cipher from Alola…I just want to know more. If there's anything I can do to help stop them. Anything." Sun said quietly but with a glint of determination in his eyes.

"She said she was at the hospital for the night. I'm sure we'll run into her at some point. If not, I don't think it'd be hard for Nurse Joy to help us find a way to contact her if we need to. I kinda hope we don't. That girl is kind of annoying, to be honest." Hau admitted with a sheepish smile.

"Well, I'm willing to put up with it to get an explanation. Even if my dad was involved with them, I don't know much about them other than the rumors. Some facts and some stories would be really helpful right now." Sun admitted before he let out a yawn.

"Until that time, however, we should focus on recovery. Tonight has been a very rough one for all of us. I saw we relax tomorrow and do a small tour of the city, with a bit of shopping here and there. Something to help us forget the bad things for at least a little while. How's that sound?" Lillie asked Sun and Hau, receiving an eager nod and a smaller more hesitant nod in return.

"Everyone ready to turn in, then?" Sun asked his friends. Hau nodded again and Lillie hopped off of Sun's bed, with Nebby following with a tired 'pew'. Lillie grabbed the Cosmog and hugged it for a moment before bidding both boys goodnight as she stepped out into the hallway, after carefully making sure the coast was clear, of course. The girl walked over to her door and had just opened it, just in time for the door she had just exited to open up. Lillie was surprised when Sun stepped out and walked over to her, wearing a small smile.

"Alright…Um, this is going to be a bit awkward, but…" Sun said slowly, rubbing the back of his head with a sheepish smile for a moment. Lillie was very surprised when Sun suddenly threw his arms around her, hugging her tightly. Lillie let out a small gasp, stumbling a little backwards at the unexpected gesture. But she returned the embrace after a moment, hugging Sun tightly around the middle in response. For a few moments, the two children held each other in their arms.

"Thank you. For everything tonight. I can't even tell you how much I appreciate what you did for me, Lillie." Sun muttered into her ear, making the girl shiver slightly at the rather intimate contact.

"What else are friends for?" Lillie replied quietly, though she was admittedly feeling her face heat up a quite a bit. She was very surprised that Sun had done this, but she guessed that after everything that they had talked about, they were a bit closer than before. The pair went to their respective rooms afterwards, after bidding each other goodnight, with Sun entering his and Hau's room in deep thought. After everything that had happened that night, he was feeling his exhaustion finally catch up with him and collapsed onto his bed.

"Long night, huh?" Hau remarked from his bed.

"Something like that…" Sun muttered, willing himself to crawl underneath his blanket. Penny and Oliver flew over to him and he allowed both birds to sleep on top of him, both of them huddled close to the boy for warmth and comfort. Both birds took a moment to move over to their Trainer and nuzzled Sun, chirping quietly to him before moving back to their original position.

"Goodnight everyone!" Hau said way too brightly, jumping up and flopping down onto his bed, somehow pulling the blanket around himself all in the same movement because of course he did. With that, the two boys and their Pokémon began to drift off, one by one, eager to sleep away the fatigues of the day and tackle tomorrow well-rested. Sun prayed that the nightmares wouldn't be so bad tonight, but he kept his Pokémon close just in case.

Out in the distance, however, a lone Pokémon stood atop one of the tallest buildings in the city. It had been flying in the storm the entire night, but now as it stood alone in the night, its thoughts turned to a dark feeling it had within itself. That bad things were coming for those who resided on the island that it called home. Its eyes narrowed at the feeling, lightning crackling into life as the Pokémon let out a faint growl of defiance.

Tapu Koko shook its head then, a sharp gesture. It would never allow evil to make it way here. It was a proud and wild Pokémon, blessed with many incredible powers. Its fighting spirit was unmatched by anything it knew.

Evil could try and come to this island…

But it would strike them down without mercy.

With that, Tapu Koko let out a soft cry and leapt into the air, firing into the clouds with lightning trailing behind it.


	15. Retail Therapy

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _Breath of the Wild. So yeah…That's a fun game. A really, really fun game. I've had to set aside time to write this week so that I could actually get something done this week. And this chapter still ended up being way too long. Oh well._

 _For future reference, my ideal size for a chapter for this fic is 3,500-5,000 words. Doing more than that is honestly just too difficult nowadays since I'm so busy, and since I want this story to be updated on a weekly basis. I know I said I wanted it to be a two-update-per-week kind of thing at first, but that's just not really possible and I think I've found a good rhythm with this story as is._

 _But damn is working hard on this fic worth it, because I'm having more fun than I've had in years with this so far. I'm so psyched for what's to come. Especially since next chapter is Team Skull, which is going to be fun. And hearing people's feedback and perspectives on everything just makes it all the better._

 _Shoutout to the fantastic folks who reviewed since the last update, which includes Wings of an Eternal Blaze, Sai Og Sus, Cottonmouth25, Raikou927, a Guest reviewer, danlagunas14, My Wunderwaffle iz missin, as well as two new reviewers known as Zeyco and jordanlink7856._

 _We're nearing 100 reviews. Within a span of less than 3 months…What is this? Seriously, that is absolutely incredible. I've never done that so quickly with a story before, and I consider Jak IV and DOTD to be massive successes. To accomplish this so early into the life of this story is just…_

 _You people freaking rock so hard._

 _Also, to close out this chapter AN, I would like to make a mini-announcement that I'll be meeting with an Air Force recruiter this upcoming week to hopefully discuss a possible future within the USAF._

 _This has been something I've been considering for several years now, and have been working hard towards for several months, culminating in me dropping 30 pounds in six months to meet the standards of the Air Force entry. So yeah, wish me luck folks. I'll keep you posted on what happens with that. By all rights I should be fine, but…We'll see._

 _Anyways, enough blathering. Onto the chapter!_

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 _Chapter 15: Retail Therapy_

* * *

Sun groaned as he woke up that next morning. He hadn't exactly slept all that well, but he had managed some sleep thankfully. Oliver was awake by the time Sun opened his eyes and blinked at him. Nearby, Penny was still slumbering peacefully.

"Hey." Sun mumbled to his starter, who hopped over to him and cooed softly as Sun stroked the bird's head. Oliver then pecked at Sun's fingers, making the boy retract them and give the bird a glare.

"Should've known you would kill the moment." Sun grumbled as he laid back down in his bed, shutting his eyes and attempting to go back to sleep. Oliver hooted at the boy as he rolled over, jostling Penny just enough to wake her up. With a tweet, she observed Oliver hopping over to Sun and nudging him repeatedly before the boy finally sat up, grumbling as he did so.

"Sadistic owl…I guess I'm up now." Sun muttered as he moved Penny and Oliver and got out of bed, stretching with a yawn. Hau was still sleeping on his own bed, his blanket and pillow strewn about as he snored with his mouth wide open. Sun was tempted to have Oliver peck him awake, but that'd be mean so he just decided to get dressed.

To Sun's surprise, his friend actually managed to wake up before he was done, sitting up with a loud yawn before spotting Sun as he slipped his (now dry) shoes on.

"Hey! Good morning!" Hau said as Duke and Cassy leapt out of the bed and greeted Oliver and Penny. Hau stood with a yawn, stretching before heading into the bathroom. Sun decided to be polite and wait for Hau to get ready before heading downstairs for breakfast.

A quick check with Rotom told him that it was still breakfast time. Sun decided to go check on Lillie as Hau put on his shoes. With Penny and Oliver flying behind him, Sun opened their door and found a small sheet of paper on the floor. Sun scanned it and nodded before turning to Hau.

"She's already downstairs, waiting for us. So hurry it up." Sun said to the boy, earning a raspberry in response. Sun walked over to the window they had in the room and looked outside, taking in the morning view of the city. The streets were still coated in the aftermath of the storm, slick with water with some city workers clearing up fallen branches and the like.

Fortunately, the storm had cleared up outside and they were free to explore the city at their leisure. Not so fortunately, there was more rain to come later that evening according to Rotom, so they would have to return to the Pokémon Center to escape the downpour.

That was alright with Sun, since he wasn't a huge fan of running around in the rain, especially after the previous night. He was grateful that he and Lillie didn't catch colds from how long they were out in that storm. With that, the boy stowed Rotom away and made his way downstairs to get some breakfast, with Penny in his arms and Oliver perched on his hat, rotating his head repeatedly.

Sun and Hau entered the buffet, where a myriad of breakfast items were put on amongst a large counter with heat lamps above. Scrambled eggs, bacon, pancakes, fresh fruit and much more. Sun and Hau both grabbed some pancakes and a bottle of syrup each and made their way over to the café, where they saw Lillie reading a book with a mischievous Cosmog peeking out at them from under her large hat.

"Pew!" Nebby cried, floating out from under Lillie's hat and catching her attention. The girl grabbed the Pokémon and put it in her lap, and then spotted Hau and Sun making their way over to her. Lillie carefully put Nebby in her bag and zipped it shut, much to the Cosmog's dismay.

"Good morning Sun. Good morning Hau." Lillie said from behind her book/plate of pancakes as the boys approached her. Nebby cooed a greeting from the confines of its prison, AKA Lillie's bag. Sun set his plate on the table before carefully setting the two other plates down on the floor for his Pokémon.

"Good morning, Lillie." Sun said to the girl, offering her a small smile as he and Hau sat down. Oliver and Penny flew down from Sun's shoulder and head to eat their food on the ground while Sun poured a liberal amount of syrup on his pancakes and dug in. Hau just garbled something as he attempted to inhale pancakes through his mouth socket, making Lillie shake her head slightly in mirth at the display.

"So…what's the plan for today, people?" Sun asked his two friends as he swallowed a bit of food. It still felt a bit odd thinking of the two children as his friends, but then again, he had never had a friend before this, so…Meh. He'd get used to it.

"Well…I was hoping we could do a bit of shopping today. Plus…Well, you did say that we could go by Seaside Melodies today. You know, the new music store a few miles away?" Lillie said to Sun, receiving a nod in response.

"I was just going to get some training in with my team and eat some malasadas a little later. If you don't mind, today's gonna kinda be a solo day for me." Hau explained with a sheepish grin, syrup dripping down his face.

"I'm surprised you're dedicating so much time to training. Usually you just play with your Pokémon, Hau." Lillie noted before she took a sip of milk.

"Well…Sun's already beat me twice and I'm finally going on my Island Challenge now. Got to step up my game just a little bit." Hau answered with a laugh, wiping his mouth and standing up. Sun looked down at the other boy's plate and saw it was practically spotless. Sun looked up again and saw Hau walking away with both of his Pokémon in his arms.

"Bye you two! Have fun! I'll see you later tonight!" Hau called back to them just a bit too loudly, drawing the attention of everyone in the lobby as he walked out of the building.

"That guy…Never a dull moment with him." Sun said as he continued eating his breakfast. Lillie giggled at that, but also continued eating.

A few minutes later, Sun and Lillie were walking down the street. The air was incredibly humid, with the sun shining brightly overhead. However, the forecast predicted more rain tonight, so they knew that today wasn't a day to hang out at the beach or anything.

"So, let's head to that music store first. Sound good?" Sun asked Lillie. The girl nodded, a happy smile appearing on her face as the duo made their way towards the newly opened music store.

After realizing how far away it was, they got a cab because despite being excited to go there, they weren't going to walk for 5 hours to get there.

"'Seaside Melodies'…" Lillie said reverently as she stepped out of the cab. Sun paid the driver, wished him a pleasant day, and hopped out to join his friend.

"Looks nice enough. Let's go in." Sun said as he walked forward, opening the door for Lillie. The girl thanked Sun and made her way inside, with Sun not far behind.

"Woah." Sun stated as he took in the sights around him. The music store seemed to be much, much more than what it seemed from the outside. Yes, gleaming instruments of all kind were displayed on the wall and inside glass displays, with shelves upon shelves of sheet music and the like available for purchase, but there were also a few Pokémon milling about the store, assisting customers. Sun could tell that they worked there because each of them had nametags and wore bright blue clothes of some kind.

"I didn't even know you could employ Pokémon. That's so weird..." Sun remarked, confused.

"Not really. They're all my Pokémon, so they help me out with the store. I pay them and everything." Sun turned around in surprise and found an older woman standing behind him, smirking. One look at her told Sun that she was the owner of the new store.

"That's really interesting." Lillie remarked, smiling as a Machoke brushed past them to assist a customer on the far side of the room.

"It'll sure make people talk about this place, which is exactly what I want." The woman laughed before she looked down at the two children before her. "Is there anything I can help you two with, or are you just looking around?"

"A bit of both. I'm wondering if you have any flutes for sale at the moment." Lillie asked rather timidly. The woman grinned at her and led them both to a large rack of instruments on the left wall of the store, which included a large assortment of flutes of all kinds.

"Oh my…" Lillie breathed, excitement gleaming in her eyes.

"Yep. I used to play trumpet myself back when I was a kid. But my sister made me make sure that I had plenty of flutes on display when I opened this store, since that's what she played. You interested in learning how to play, young lady?" the woman asked.

"I can already play. I just wanted to see about possibly getting a new one…" Lillie said breathlessly, almost trembling in excitement. Sun honestly found it adorable in a way. He then realized that he thought that and was privately glad Lillie was too enraptured in the flutes to notice him blushing.

"Which one do you think suits you, dear?" the woman asked as she picked up a small white piccolo and showed it to Lillie. The girl shook her head and stepped forward, grabbing a slender sliver and white flute with a small series of flowing flower-like designs on it.

"Ah, good choice. That was made in Sinnoh, in Pastoria City, where a decent chunk of my instruments come from. If you're an experienced player that one will suit you well. Plus it goes with your outfit." Lillie chuckled at that and assumed a stance with the flute and bent down to play a note, but was stopped by the owner.

"I'm sorry, but you're going to have to buy that if you wish to play it. Sanitary reasons and all that." The owner apologized, smirking at the now embarrassed girl.

Lillie looked over at Sun and asked, "What do you think?"

Sun grinned and said, "I think that I'll be seeing if they have any duet pieces on sale here. Because you should absolutely get yourself that flute."

Needless to say, Lillie bought the flute and was beaming the entire time. Sun decided to just go ahead and buy a whole bunch of sheet music for the both of them, with the promise that they would play together whenever possible. Lillie was so happy that Sun couldn't help himself from smiling at her happiness, as the two of them picked out music. It was nice to be able to discuss his newest hobby with someone more experienced but someone who enjoyed it even more than he did.

The two of them exited the store, with Sun carrying the bags full of musical supplies plus one flute. Lillie thanked Sun for offering to carry the bags for her, and with a wave of thanks to the owner, the two of them began walking forward again, eager to see more of the city.

As the two of them walked past a few stores on the main street of Hau'oli City, Sun's eyes caught a news report in progress that made him stop dead in his tracks. Lillie walked ahead of Sun for about ten seconds before realizing he was no longer with her. She doubled back and her heart sank at the sight before her.

It was a new report on Celadon City.

The city itself was filled to the brim with people attempting to help others evacuate to the half of the city that was still intact while firefighters and Pokémon Trainers continued to fight the harsh blazes that still consumed a few parts of the city. Most of the flames were gone, leaving rubble and ash and bodies in its wake. Cipher and Team Rocket had vanished after most of the Pokémon Trainers that had risen up to fight had been either captured, killed, or vanished into the night.

Erika, Gym Leader of Celadon, was recovered by a Trainer and brought to the Pokémon Center. She had been dead long before she arrived, but her funeral could at least be done with a body in the casket.

The city had declared a state of emergency and there was a hotline on the screen that callers could contact to help donate money to help those effected by the attack. Those who had attacked the city had vanished as quickly as they had appeared, though the report speculated that they were hiding within Celadon City just as Team Rocket had all those years ago.

The Moltres had been thankfully subdued, and was undergoing tests to see if they could revert it to its normal state. However, there wasn't much more stated about the legendary bird other than that.

Sun stared at the screen with a look pain on his face, hating every image he saw on the screen. He hated the feeling of helplessness he felt within himself. So many terrible things were happening and there was nothing he could do about it. Sun then felt two arms wrap around his stomach as someone hugged him tightly from behind. He was a bit surprised at the gesture, but felt himself smiling despite everything. The Kanto-native managed to turn around and return Lillie's hug, thankful of the girl's support for him. Lillie let go of the boy and Sun saw the rather sad expression on her face.

"Thanks Lillie. I'm good now. Let's keep moving. OK?" Sun said quietly. Lillie nodded silently and smiled a bit. The duo continued their trek with the mood now a bit lighter despite what they had heard and seen. Sun released Oliver and Penny and allowed them to fly ahead of them, though he warned the both of them to not get into trouble. He repeated the warning for Oliver, and with that the two Pokémon flew around the street while Sun and Lillie chatted.

The two children finally spotted another store interesting enough for them both to warrant going inside. It was a large store that advertised all sorts of Pokémon equipment, showcasing things like Food Capsules, Attachment Collars, and clothing for Pokémon.

"I've actually been in this store before. It's more geared towards Trainers than anything else, really. If you're really looking into Pokémon clothing, there are a few stores in Hau'oli Square that are more geared towards that." Lillie explained as she and Sun entered the building.

Sun was immediately blown away by the variety of things on sale in the store. Items of all shapes and colors assaulted his vision, and it took being lightly pushed by Lillie for him to enter the store further.

Sun opted to keep Oliver and Penny out of their Poké Balls and as a team, they browsed the store with Lillie making comments every now and then. Sun ended up buying two Attachment Collars for both Oliver and Penny, a green one and a white one respectively, as well as a few books on Pokémon Training in general. Sun figured there's quite a bit he could learn from reading books from Pokémon Trainers for Pokémon Trainers.

Lillie and Sun continued their trek through the city, with Sun now carrying a small bag of his purchases as well as Lillie's purchases. After another two hours of sightseeing, Sun and Lillie found themselves standing outside of a large and colorful clothing store that Sun recalled Lillie eyeing earlier yesterday.

"Sun, I have a quick question." Lillie said as they stopped in front of the clothing store. Sun looked over at Lillie, who was giving him a critical eye, looking him up and down. Sun felt nervous for some reason that he couldn't place.

"Go ahead."

"Do you pick out all of your own clothes?"

Sun blinked in surprise at the question and shook his head. "My Mom picks out all of my clothes."

"Oh! Well, um…Your mother has a great sense of style. I love the way that you dress." Lillie said haltingly, seemingly embarrassed at the remark. Sun found himself surprised at the compliment.

"Thanks. Same to you, Lillie." Sun said to the girl, feeling his face get a bit warmer. Lillie looked towards the shop, her expression changing.

"I…I've always just worn the clothes that my mother wanted me to wear. Ever since I could remember, actually. I don't really know what kind of thing would suit me…" Lillie trailed off, looking conflicted.

"Well, let's go inside and look around." Lillie looked at Sun and saw him giving her a grin. Lillie looked confused for a moment before she smiled and nodded. The duo made their way inside.

The store itself was a bit bigger than it looked on the outside, and was filled with colorful outfits and the like with extravagant displays. There was a section of the store that caught Sun's eye that looked exclusively dedicated to tourists, with shirts plastered about loving Alola and pictures of local Pokémon. Sun ignored that and walked further into the store, leaving behind Lillie as the girl chatted with someone at the front counter.

Sun was alone for about a minute before his companion rejoined him, saying, "Sun, would you be interested in having this?" Sun turned around and saw Lillie behind him, holding a very small box in her hands.

"What's that?" Sun asked.

"I got it from the lady at the counter over there. I haven't bought anything yet, but they said I was the 99,999th customer to visit the store…"

"Wait, does that mean I was the 100,000th person?"

"Nope. You came in before me, so you were number 99,998." Lillie said with a small laugh. "Anyways, I already have one of my own, so I was wonder if you might, well…want it?"

Lillie handed over the box, which Sun opened. In it were a set of what looked like contact lenses.

"It's a Lens Case. You can buy them at this store, actually." Lillie explained. "The company that makes the lenses and the case operates here in Alola, so there's all different kinds of colored contact lenses available." Lillie explained as Sun examined the case.

"That's pretty cool. Thanks Lillie." Sun said with a grin, putting the object into the backpack. He looked back up to see Lillie giving him a very amused look.

"What?" Sun asked.

"Well…It looks like we have another thing in common now, don't we? Hee…" Lillie offered Sun a sheepish grin, to which Sun replied by walking past her chuckling.

Sun made his way over to the boy's shirts and inspected them. Truthfully, he wasn't looking for anything in particular. That said, what Lillie had said did make him think a bit. Wasn't he supposed to be on this journey to grow as a person and be more independent? His mother had always picked out outfits for him, ever since he could remember. She had even packed his bag and supplies for this journey. Maybe he should get some shopping of his own done here.

He began going through the shirts with renewed vigor, unaware of a sneaky Lillie watching him from across the store with a curious expression on her face. She then realized what she was doing and dove back into the aisle.

Eventually Lillie walked back over to Sun after seeing him having some trouble finding things his size and decided to help him a bit. With Lillie's assistance, Sun managed to find and try on several outfits that he actually liked the look of. Lillie made the boy come out of the dressing room when he tried something new on so that she could see, and she offered him her opinion on the outfits. Most of her remarks were positive, so Sun actually felt really good about himself as he quickly changed back into his old clothes. He admitted to himself that it was a bit embarrassing having someone like Lillie do this with him, though he had no idea why, but he decided that she was his friend and that he appreciated her help with him on something he was very inexperienced in.

About an hour later, Sun set a few articles of clothing on the counter to be scanned and purchased, feeling a bit proud of himself. Yes, he had Lillie's help with picking a few things out, but for the most part he liked everything he had picked out and even got a girl's opinion on the matter. So yeah, he was feeling quite pleased. Admittedly he was a bit flustered at the praise of his appearance (Lillie had been fairly vocal in her compliments of him in his outfits) but he figured it was just because he was unused to getting compliments from a girl like that.

Lillie, for her part, didn't get much from the store. She got a pair of white sunglasses and a few other miscellaneous articles of clothing. She admitted that she liked her dresses too much to want to deviate too much from that, which Sun understood. As they were exiting the store, they bumped into a familiar violinist that was also leaving with a bag of her own. However, she was distracted by her phone and didn't see the two children at first.

"Hey, Vivian!" Sun called to the older girl, getting her attention.

"Oh. You two. Hey." Vivian turned around, smirking at them both.

"What are you doing here?" Sun asked the older Trainer.

"Buying clothes. Duh. Bought this fancy fedora. Pretty nifty, huh?" Vivian brought up a bright red fedora that didn't look like it would fit her. "How about you two?"

"Same actually." Sun remarked, holding up his large bag of clothing.

"Good for you two…Actually, speaking of." Vivian stepped forward and used her arms to push Sun and Lillie close together, making them both feel a bit awkward at this.

"Um…What are you-" Lillie began to say before Vivian let out a loud laugh.

"OK, now I see why I didn't see anything when you and Hau were together. Because _you two_ are absolutely ADORABLE together!" Vivian nearly squealed, making Sun and Lillie both blush furiously in response, quickly scooting away from each other as several other shoppers looked their way to see what the fuss was about.

"Seriously, if you two more anymore sweet I'd get a sugar rush. That is just so cute! And you're both all embarrassed about it and everything!" Vivian remarked with a giggle, draping her bag over her shoulder.

"Will you stop being so loud!?" Sun demanded, not liking how much he was blushing right now. Why did everyone keep saying that about him and Lillie?

"Nah, messing with preteens about stuff like this is way too fun. Have you two been shopping together today? Showing off outfits for each other?" Vivian asked the two children, making Sun blush harder since that was kind of what actually did happen.

"Ha! Oh my God, I was just messing with you both. Did you _actually_ do that?" Vivian asked, cackling with delight.

"Um…maybe." Sun admitted, scratching his head with a nervous laugh as he exchanged a glance with Lillie, who staring determinedly looking at the ceiling.

"Ma'am?" Sun and Lillie looked to the side to see someone who looked like the manager of the store, given by the name-tag on her shirt that said she was just that.

"You're being just a bit too loud there. Either please lower the volume or leave." The manager said to Vivian, who nodded in response before the manager walked away.

"I can see I'm not wanted anymore, so I'm going to head out. Later kids." Vivian grinned at them once again, winking at them, before walking outside.

"Sun, weren't we going to try and ask her more about Cipher?" Lillie piped up after a moment.

"Crap!"

"Well…I'm sure we'll run into her later. If not her, one of her friends. She mentioned that some of the other people who helped her deal with Cipher in Unova are in the city as well. I'm sure they would be more than willing to explain some details about the group," Lillie reasoned.

"Yeah…Good point. Let's just keep doing our tour of the city then." Sun relented with a small sigh, though he had a small smile on his face regardless. Lillie smiled at that and made her way outside, with Sun close behind her. When the two of them got outside, Lillie asked Sun where he wanted to go next. Sun was about to reply when he heard someone chuckling behind him, and turned around to see an old woman sitting on a bench, watching the two children with a wrinkled smile.

"You two…Heh. Seeing you two together brings back some memories. You're a Pokémon Trainer, right dearie?" the old woman asked Sun. He replied with a nod, and the woman reached into her handbag and brought out a small white scarf and handed it to Sun.

"Huh? What…what is this?" Sun asked, confused that this woman had randomly handed him something like this.

"It'd do my heart good to see this Silk Scarf get some use. An old woman like me isn't fit to be traveling around anymore, so it may as well get used by someone with a lot more years in them. I would like you to have that Silk Scarf. Consider it a gift from the old to the new, in a way." The woman said to the young Trainer, who nodded in reply, getting what she was saying and smiling at her now.

"Thank you ma'am. I'll put it to good use." Sun said to the woman, pulling out a Poké Ball and releasing Oliver. With Lillie and the old woman's help, Sun fastened the Silk Scarf to the Attachment Collar on the Pokémon's neck. The Rowlet looked bewildered at the scarf, but after seeing that it wouldn't clash with his bow-tie leaf, seemed to accept it and allowed it to be attached with no further issues.

"A Pokémon with a Silk Scarf will find its Normal-type moves packing much more of a punch than usual." The old woman explained with a kindly smile, chuckling as Oliver hooted with happiness as he fluttered up to Sun's head.

"Now that's what I love to see. A Pokémon completely at ease around its Trainer. You two both have a wonderful day now, OK?" the old lady said to the two children, who bid the old woman farewell and departed from the store.

"Look at you, Oliver. You look so spiffy!" Lillie said as she reached up to the owl and scratched his head, receiving a happy hoot from the Rowlet. Sun released Penny and carried her in his arms as he and Lillie made their way down the street.

With their purchases in tow, the duo continued their stroll around the city. Lillie pointed out sights to the Kanto-native and Sun took in the city alongside his friend. They even stopped at a small park to rest, taking some time to appreciate the weather while it was pleasant. Sun spotted several familiar and new Pokémon within the grass, and had Rotom give him in-depth info on each and every one.

Eventually, the two children made their way back to the Pokémon Center. Lillie called Hau as they walked to that side of the city so that they could meet up with Hau for dinner. The group returned to the Pokémon Center via taxi shortly before the storm hit them a second time. Once they arrived at the facility, Sun attempted to contact Captain Ilima through the Pokémon Center on one of the video phones after getting some help from Nurse Joy. This resulted in him getting a voicemail, telling him to call back later.

"Ilima is usually unable to answer his phone a lot of the time due to him being so busy. With his own training, his artwork, him being a Trial Captain, and him doing volunteer work at the Trainer School, he's a bit short on time. I'm sure if you keep trying to get ahold of him, he'll answer and you can sort something out." Nurse Joy suggested cheerfully. Sun sighed and resigned himself with the fact that he'd have to wait a bit longer to get the information he desired.

Sun, Hau, and Lillie contented themselves with just hanging out in the Pokémon Center, chatting about their day and letting their Pokémon play with one another in their room. Nebby was particularly animated, since it didn't get to leave the bag all that much and loved to play on top of that. Soon enough the trio went to bed and started the next day anew.

On the seventh day of them being in the city, Sun finally managed to get in touch with the elusive Captain. After getting an apology for being unable to reply to him for so long, Ilima arranged for a taxi to pick up Sun in an hour after Sun called him to drive him to Ilima's current location – The Marina. Lillie and Hau decided to actually let Sun go about this alone, as Hau wanted to go hang out at the beach while Lillie was supposed to meet up with Professor Kukui to do some research with Pokémon found inside of Hau'Oli City.

Soon enough, the Kanto-native was at the Marina, a large area of the city where boats were docked and were many people were exiting and boarding vessels ready to journey out into the sea. This was the first time he had been to the docks, as he had arrived into the Hau'oli City via plane. He actually didn't even get to see much of the city when they landed in Alola, since he had fallen asleep in the taxi cab on his way home.

The Marina itself was impressive, and Sun noticed that there were several restaurants and stores located near him, most likely since this area got a lot of traffic. Sun sidestepped several crowds and made his way to a much more empty section of the place where there was plenty of room to walk. Sun eventually sat down at the edge of the pier, deciding to just watch the ocean for a while. He had given the Captain his phone number, so when he arrived it would be easy for the two to meet.

Soon enough the child felt himself reflecting on the events of the past few days. His bonding with Hau and Lillie, his first two friends ever, as well as being out on his own away from his parents for the first time ever. It was such an odd experience, just being out on your own. Being able to make his own decisions and his own choices, without supervision was…oddly liberating.

Sun released both of his birds shortly after he sat down, content to just watch the ocean with them. Penny and Oliver seemed happy to just sit with their Trainer, who began petting his two birds while he continued to think about recent events. Cipher eventually came to mind and Sun sighed, looking down. Try as he might, he couldn't stop thinking about what they had done. What they might do in the future to Kanto…Where would they go then?

Would they come to Alola next?

"Greetings, Sun. Would you accept a penny for your thoughts?"

Sun looked up and saw Captain Ilima standing above him, smiling down at him. Sun got to his feet, with both of his birds fluttering into the air as he did so. Sun returned them after a beat and faced the Trial Captain with a weak smile that he hoped didn't look forced.

"It's nothing too crazy. So, you're a hard person to track down." Sun remarked as Ilima chuckled in response.

"Yes, my time has been rather occupied lately. I apologize if I inconvenienced you in any way." Ilima apologized sheepishly, putting a hand on his hip.

"It's no problem, really."

"I see. So, you mentioned that were curious as to how to proceed with your Island Challenge, correct?" Ilima asked the young Trainer. Sun nodded, and Ilima continued, "Usually I will have perspective Trial participant's battle nearby Trainers or a colleague of mine in order for me to assess their skill level. However, since I hurried to meet with you, we'll have to make due with you simply battling me."

"You? But you're a Trial Captain. Not to be that guy, but that's not exactly a fair match, is it?" Sun asked the older Trainer, who simply replied with a laugh.

"You'd be quite surprised. As far as the Captains go, I'm easily the weakest in terms of sheer strength. I only have two Pokémon on me capable of battling. Win or lose, I believe this will allow me to properly gauge whether or not we can proceed to your Trial." Ilima explained with a small smile.

"Sounds like a plan. So where are we going to battle?" Sun asked.

"Well, the Marina is quite a large place. There's plenty of room for a battle right here. As long as we don't get too riled up, a battle in the open wouldn't be too much of a bother to anyone. I'd imagine we'd give them a show." Ilima explained as he gestured to a nearby building with a picture of a plate of food on the front. Some of the people inside were actually watching them, probably because they recognized the Trial Captain and were wondering what he was doing there.

"That said, I certainly wouldn't mind a bit of lunch before the battle. Or after, really. I'll admit to being a bit hungry at the moment." Ilima laughed embarrassedly, making Sun shake his head in amusement. He then read the sign of the restaurant Ilima had indicated and raised an eyebrow.

"'Hau'oli City's House of Pancakes and Waffles'…I didn't even know that was a thing." Sun stated in surprise, though he had to admit that the special for today, strawberry pancakes, sounded pretty good right about then.

"Of course. Hau'oli City, as large as it is, contains many of the most popular and top-tier restaurants in the region. This little dive right here at the Marina, pun intended, is one of my favorite spots. Mainly because I'm someone who appreciates a tasty waffle now and again," Ilima admitted.

"Same, though I prefer pancakes. My Mom always knows how to make them just fluffy enough to where they stay together when you're cutting through them and don't fall apart, you know?" Sun said to the Captain, making him chuckle.

"I agree. My father actually works as the assistant manager inside there. If you're interested, we can go inside and get something to eat once we sort out your test. That way, I can prove that waffles are better than pancakes." Ilima offered to the other boy, making Sun grin in response.

"Sounds good. I'll have a pancake _and_ a waffle, just so I can compare them side by side and see which is better." Sun said to the Captain.

"Oh, I'm sure you'll see things my way soon enough, my friend. Waffles are absolutely-" Ilima began to reply before two loud voices cut the Trial Captain of Melemele Island off.

"Yo, yo, yo, check it!" Sun and Ilima both perked up at the sound of two rather loud voices speaking up. "Whenever, wherever, we meet you…Team Skull doesn't even greet you!"

Sun and Captain Ilima turned around and saw two teenagers making their way towards them, both of them walking with a swagger in their steps and dressed identically. Both of them were sporting black baggy pants with a black tank top and armbands, both of which had bits of white adorning them. A silver S necklace hung from both of the young men's necks, with their faces covered by a black bandanna and a white skull-like cap that covered their dyed blue hair.

Both of them then struck a series of poses, ending with them curving their arms in front of them. The young man on the left then chuckled, his bandanna shifting somewhat as he smiled underneath it and addressed Ilima.

"So, Cap…just give up the Pokémon, yo." The Team Skull member called over to the Captain. Ilima slowly raised an eyebrow before turning to Sun and completely ignoring the two gangsters accosting them.

"So back to what I was saying about the waffles." Ilima continued saying, much to the shock of the two Team Skull members.


	16. Bad to the Bone

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _So I have officially gotten past the initial phase of meeting with an Air Force recruiter and am starting to get stuff together for this next week. Hopefully my next meeting goes well, so I'll keep you all posted on that._

 _So here we are. The chapter people have been waiting for. Hopefully it delivers. I sure enjoyed it, that's for sure. Keep in mind that this is just the introduction of Team Skull, and that they'll be showing up quite a bit more in the story than they did in the game._

 _Also, I've got a little something special happening at the end of this chapter. But we'll get to that in a bit._

 _Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes Sai Og Sus, Wings of an Eternal Blaze, DriveByGhoti, Cottonmouth25, Raikou927, danlagunas14, and three new reviewers known as xPuppeteer, Technetium2, and Aud10-Writer. Thank you so much for the feedback and support._

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 _Chapter 16: Bad to the Bone_

* * *

Sun nearly cracked up laughing at the shocked expressions on the two delinquent's faces, but continued the conversation with Ilima like it was never interrupted.

"Like I said, I'm more of a pancake guy myself. That doesn't mean I can't appreciate waffles though. The way the syrup gets stuck in the grooves up on top…Yum." Sun grinned at the Captain, who barked out a laugh.

"Yes, we're absolutely going to have to do brunch sometime. This restaurant is famous for their pancakes and waffles, and it's always nice seeing an outside perspective on some of Hau'oli's most well-known spots." Captain Ilima remarked cheerfully.

"Wait, what?!" Both of the Team Skull members sprinted over to them, both of them waving their arms about for some reason. Sun wondered if they were really itchy or something because he couldn't understand why they were doing that.

"Why do you try to act hard when we're already hard as a bone out here, homie? Not cool at all, you feel me? Getting ignored over a _waffle_!? That…that's a new low, man." Grunt A said, sounding indignant as he crossed his arms.

"Yo, let's check these fools!" Team Skull Grunt B yelled, drawing a Poké Ball from his belt. Captain Ilima sighed, shaking his head slowly to show how absolutely done with this situation he was. Sun just stared forward, watching Team Skull continue to wave their arms about as if they were trying to dance the dance of life or something.

"What on earth is going on here? It's like they're trying to communicate with us…But they're not quite using any coherent language I've ever heard of." Sun wondered before Ilima finally spoke up.

"Yes…the dreaded Team Skull...How terrifying…" Ilima responded in the most deadpan voice Sun had ever heard. The young boy burst out laughing, doubling over with mirth at the unexpected response while the two Team Skull members sagged slightly.

"Seriously, what are you both supposed to be? Team Rocket wannabees?" Sun panted, trying to catch his breath, tears forming in his eyes.

"Psh. We're way better than those tools. We're the always hard group of rogues known as Team Skull! Check it, homie!" Grunt B replied, striking a pose with his partner as they stood back to back, facing them.

"You're both a complete waste of time." Ilima replied, his voice and expression about as dull as a butter-knife. Sun began giggling again, making both of the teenagers step forward.

"Yo, don't be hating on us like that, Cap. You know that your Trial thing is the real waste of time. Team Skull's gonna wreck you and your little friend and take your Pokémon like that, yo!" B said as he took a step forward, looking Ilima in the eye.

"That's about as likely as grape jelly raining down from the sky. Everyone knows you all are nothing but hot air. Outcasts and nothing more. You aren't even worth the energy it would take to release one of my Pokémon to defeat you both with." Ilima responded, a surprising note of harshness in his voice.

"Come on, man! We're a threat! No bones about it! We'll prove it by taking you both out and taking your Pokémon for the glory of Team Skull!" Team Skull Grunt A declared, pulling out a Poké Ball of his own.

"Only thieves steal people's Pokémon. As much as it pains me to even humor you, I will not stand for behavior like this." Ilima said coldly, a sharp glint coming to his eyes. The Captain looked over at Sun, nodding to him.

"Sun. I'll ask you to take care of that one. I'll get rid of this one, and we can return to our delightful conversation about pancakes and waffles." Ilima said as he pulled out a Poké Ball of his own.

" _Oh? A battle against those Team Numbskullzz here at the Marina? Count me in, Sun! I've got your back! Zzzt!"_ Rotom declared, flying free from Sun's backpack as the boy unclipped a Poké Ball from his belt.

"Yo! Uncool, homie! Who you calling a numbskull you…you…Dude, I've got no idea what the heck that thing is, not gonna lie." Team Skull Grunt B stated, pointing at Rotom.

"Rotom, Team Skull Grunt B. Team Skull Grunt B, Rotom." Sun said, introducing the two of them.

" _If I said it_ wasn't _a pleasure to meet you, would that be considered rude?"_ Rotom asked.

"Nah, I feel you homie. Don't sweat it." Grunt B replied with a shrug as he tossed his Poké Ball up and down into the air.

"Uh…Do you two need a moment? I feel like you two are bonding." Sun asked the two of them, raising an eyebrow. Rotom responded by flying back into Sun's backpack.

" _Zzzt…Well, I do like his hair. The rest of him? Not so much."_

"Cold man…that's real cold."

" _I'm quite warm actually. Comes with living inside of a computer thingy."_ Rotom said from within the backpack. After a moment Sun realized that the Pokédex Pokémon had gone back to sleep. So much for having his back…

"Yo! Check out how much I change the game with my mad Pokémon skills!" Grunt B called out, grinning underneath his bandanna, tossing his green and orange Poké Ball forward. A blue bat with purple wings fluttered forth, letting out a screech. Sun recognized this Pokémon for Kanto and sighed internally.

"Zubat, huh?…Penny! Let's go!" Sun called out, releasing his bird. Penny let out a tweet before landing on the ground, calmly staring down the Team Skull Grunt and his Zubat.

"Use Peck!" Sun called to his little bird. Penny nodded and shot forward into the air with several rapid flaps of her wings, tweeting as she quickly built up speed and flew towards the Zubat.

"Heh. Supersonic!" Grunt B shouted, a laugh escaping the teen.

"What?" Sun watched as Penny's beak began glowing bright white as she soared towards the Zubat. The bat Pokémon let out a screech as several visible sound-waves erupted from its mouth and flew towards Penny, hitting the bird Pokémon in mid-flight. The Pikipek slammed into the Zubat, knocking it out of the air, but by the time that she had readjusted herself in midair she was shaking her head in confusion.

"Shake it off, Penny! Use Echoed Voice!" Sun yelled out to his bird. Penny let out a chirp before screeching loudly, releasing a series of sound-waves of her own, though much smaller than the Supersonic. However, the attacks were wildly aimed and missed the Zubat completely, and the confused Pikipek even ended up hurting herself by aiming an attack to close to the ground by her, making the air around her explode.

"Now we got them right where we want them! Hit them with a mad Absorb attack!" Grunt B called to his Zubat as it neared Penny. Penny let out a cry of pain as the attack hit her, feeling her energy get siphoned by the Zubat only for it to gain her life force in exchange.

Sun growled in annoyance, cursing himself for falling for such a trick. However, he had been reading his books and knew that just because a Pokémon was confused didn't mean it still couldn't win. The Zubat hit Penny with another Absorb while she fluttered through the air, shaking her head frantically.

"Use Peck again!" Sun called to the bird. Penny nodded and shot off towards the Zubat, though she missed wildly and slammed into a light-post with a cry.

"This is too easy. Absorb again, little homie!" Penny was hit with another Absorb attack, but seemed to gain a bit of awareness in her eyes as the attack hit her.

"Come on Penny! Use Peck and hit that Zubat!" Sun called out to her. Penny nodded and propelled herself forward, surprising the Zubat and managing to ram her beak into the bat Pokémon again.

"There we go! Keep it up! Peck again!" Sun commanded. Penny soared back through the air and hit the Zubat once again, though she was hit with another Absorb attack in exchange. Both Pokémon were showing signs of fatigue, but Sun wasn't planning on letting his Pikipek lose this fight. After getting hit with another Absorb, Sun ordered Penny to use Echoed Voice once again.

"Pi! Pi! Pikipek!" Penny cried out, shaking its head sharply as complete awareness returned to her. The small bird shot forward, releasing a small sound-wave filled with energy into the Zubat, knocking it dangerously close to the ground as Penny raced by it.

"Go in for the last hit! Peck!" Sun shouted to his Pikipek, grinning now as Penny dropped in altitude and soared towards the Zubat as it slowly turned towards her. Penny slammed into the Zubat one final time and knocked it to the ground, where it rested for a few moments before fainting.

"No…No fair, yo! I was playing a different game!" Grunt B yelped, taking a step back as he returned his Zubat.

"Is it the one where you lose and get out of here? Because that's the one I was playing." Sun replied with a chuckle as Penny fluttered over to his arm. Penny chirped happily as Sun patted her on the head, muttering, "You did amazing out there."

"Pi piki!"

Sun turned his attention forward again, where the two Team Skull Grunts were backing up down the path. Grunt A called over to his partner, "Let's get up out of this port, B! Nobody has to know about this!" The Grunt that had lost to the Captain turned his attention to Ilima and said, "We don't need your wack Pokémon anyway, Ilima!"

"Oh, my heart bleeds." Ilima replied with a deep sigh, putting a hand on his cheek while Sun and Penny both cracked up behind him.

"Stop laughing at us! You'll both regret this, you feel me?" Grunt B called back to them, even as they were leaving.

"I'm sure we will. Farewell for now!" Ilima waited until they both were far enough away before muttering, "Imbeciles."

"So that was a thing." Sun stated as he watched the two Team Skull members sprint out of sight. While they weren't all that threatening, the one that he had fought was surprisingly competent as a battler. He'd have to find out a bit more about those guys in the future, Sun decided. He'd probably ask Hau or Lillie, in all honesty.

"I know…Weren't the two of them the absolute picture of terror?" Ilima remarked, sarcasm again dripping from his voice. Sun giggled at that and the Captain gave him a smile, turning to him.

"My apologies for getting you roped into that nonsense, and my thanks to the both of you for your help. Why don't I heal your Pikipek…Penny, wasn't it?" Sun nodded, and Ilima continued. "I'll heal her as thanks for your assistance, and then the fun can get underway."

Penny was given a Super Potion for her injuries as well as two Ethers, completely revitalizing her. Ilima grinned as Sun returned his Pikipek, saying, "I'll admit, I've been wondering about you since I saw you at the Trainer's School. Professor Kukui has shown great interest in you, my friend, and after watching you defeat the other students and a teacher so effortlessly? I can see why. Your bond with your Pokémon is strong and you have a knack for battling I can honestly say I admire."

"Thanks." Sun replied to the Captain, his grin widening.

"Alright then. If you would, please allow me to see if you're ready for my Trial!" Ilima pulled out one of his Poké Balls with a wider smile. Both Trainers stepped apart and prepared themselves for another battle. By that point, the two of them had amassed a small crowd of people to watch them both.

Sun faced down the Captain with a wide smile. The pink-haired teen chuckled as he brushed his hair out of his face and said, "Behold, my friend…the magnificent Pokémon of the one and only Captain Ilima!"

"Looking forward to it!" Sun called over to the Captain.

"I'll go first, then. Yungoos, I require your assistance!" Ilima released the mongoose Pokémon, which crouched low on the ground and hissed at Sun.

 _"Penny might have been healed, but I'd rather not waste her right now on Pokémon I know are more experienced and stronger than her. That being the case…"_ Sun thought, holding up a Poké Ball.

"Oliver, let's go!" Sun released his starter, receiving a cheerful hoot from the Rowlet.

"Yungoos, use Tackle!" Ilima called out, throwing out a hand as a fierce grin leapt to his face. He seemed to lose all sense of poise and restraint, becoming completely engrossed in what was happening before him.

"Oliver, hit him with a Tackle of your own!" Sun responded. Oliver took off and darted towards the charging Yungoos, colliding with it and creating a small shockwave of force before Oliver shoved the Yungoos onto the ground, making it out cry out in pain.

"Leafage, Oliver!" Sun called out. Oliver hooted and rose into the air, twirling around and unleashing a torrent of glowing leaves that raced past the mongoose Pokémon on the ground, making it snarl as it fought to remain standing against the attack.

"Fight through it and hit it with a Tackle!" llima called out, both hands curled into fists and bouncing up and down on his feet. His Yungoos grit its teeth before leaping through the whirlwind of leaves and tackling Oliver right out of the air.

"He's not budging at all…This guy is good." Sun muttered as Oliver flew past him, hooting loudly.

"Peck! Hit him hard and fast before it has a chance to hit you again!" Sun said to Oliver, receiving a sharp nod in response before Oliver soared towards the Yungoos, which was panting hard in exhaustion.

"Tackle again, Yungoos! Meet it head-on!" Ilima called out. The Yungoos nodded and charged forward, leaping into the air to meet Oliver directly. However, the Rowlet managed to duck low and avoid the attack, instead looping around and ramming his beak directly into the Yungoos's back. It felt to the ground with a yelp and remained still.

"Incredible! Simply fantastic!" Ilima said with a laugh, returning his Yungoos and addressing the Pokémon within it. "You did well, my friend. Rest easy."

"That wasn't easy, Captain. So, ready for round 2?" Sun asked as Oliver flew over to him, landing on his hat.

"Of course! Smeargle, let's go!" Ilima called forth his second Pokémon, a strange beagle-looking Pokémon that Sun actually decided to use Rotom to get more info on.

" _Bzzt! Alrighty, let's see what I can find…Smeargle, the Painter Pokémon._ _The unique creations produced by each Smeargle are painted using the fluid that oozes from its tail. This is how it marks its territory…Huh. That's pretty neat!"_ Rotom chirped as he floated around Sun.

"Thanks for the info. Feel free to hang out or just go back to sleep in the bag." Sun said to the Rotom. The Pokémon let out a giggle but remained outside.

"Oliver, let's go for another win! Use Peck!" Sun said as Oliver took flight once again. Oliver rocketed off towards the Smeargle and slammed into it, making the Pokémon let out a cry.

"Use Ember, now!" Ilima cried out, grinning widely.

 _"Wait, what?"_ Sun thought as the tip of Smeargle's tail glowed bright orange. Oliver began flying away from the Pokémon just in time to get a face-full of flames. Oliver shrieked in pain, eyes shut tight as the flames slammed into the Grass-type Pokémon, causing serious damage to the already worn down Rowlet.

"Oliver get away from it! Use Leafage!" Sun called to his starter. Oliver hooted in alarm, flying away from the steady waves of fire erupting from the tail of the Painter Pokémon. Oliver unleashed a swarm of leaves, making the Smeargle back off.

"Use Peck and get away before it can hit you with fire again!" Sun called to Oliver. With a hoot the owl Pokémon dove towards his opponent.

"Smeargle, intercept it with Tackle!" Ilima yelled out. Smeargle crouched low and leapt into the air, meeting Oliver in midair. Oliver rammed his beak into the ribs of the Smeargle, but was smacked away by the Pokémon with a snarl. Oliver teetered in the air for a moment, shaking his head with a pained expression.

"Dang…Ilima's good. Really, really good. Leafage again! Keep your distance!" Sun shouted to Oliver, but Ilima wouldn't be denied.

"Tackle, Smeargle! Finish off that Rowlet with the next attack!" Ilima shouted to Smeargle, receiving a small nod before the Pokémon sprinted towards the Oliver. The Rowlet landed on the ground, panting heavily and shuddering now as a green aura began envelop the owl.

" _That's Overgrow…Now's my chance to end this!"_ Sun thought with a grin. Ilima looked alarmed as his eyes lit up in realization, but before he could say anything Sun yelled out, "Oliver, use Leafage!"

"Hit that Rowlet with Ember, Smeargle!" Ilima shouted as the Smeargle drew closer to Oliver, even as the bird launched itself into the air once again. Smeargle nodded and launched the flames at the owl as the bird twirled in midair, launching a maelstrom of leaves towards it. Fire met leaves in midair, but the Leafage consumed the flames and merged with them as they swirled towards the wide-eyed Painter Pokémon, slamming into it with authority. Smeargle howled in pain as it tumbled through the air and crashed onto the ground a far distance away, completely knocked out.

"Incredible…Simply marvelous!" Ilima yelled out, grinning widely as he returned his Smeargle. Sun ran forward to scoop up Oliver, hugging him tightly.

"We did it. We beat him!" Sun yelled out gleefully as Ilima walked forward, chuckling. Oliver let out an exhausted hoot as he closed his eyes.

"You – or should I say you and your Pokémon – make quite an interesting team. Both of your Pokémon are quite adept in combat, as are you." Ilima remarked as he put a hand on his hip.

"So, am I worthy to take on the Normal Trial?" Sun asked the Captain, receiving a nod in response.

"Yes, yes you are. I do hope you'll come to the Verdant Cavern and attempt the trial soon. It's a fairly easy path to take to get there. Just follow Route 2 until you get to the Pokémon Center. From there, it's a short walk down the path you would be taking to the entrance of the cavern. A few signs can be found along the way, just in case, and if you need any further help, I'm sure your Rotom Dex will be able to assist." Ilima instructed the Kanto-native, who nodded.

" _Absolutely! We're on our way to be the very best! Like no one ever was!"_ Rotom declared.

"To catch them _is_ my real test. To train them-" Sun was cut off by Ilima, who said, "That's your cause, isn't it?"

"Yep. So, any chance we can do that breakfast thing?" Sun asked the Trial Captain.

"Sadly no. While Team Skull is mostly harmless, just annoying, I do have to notify the local authorities that they are active within the city. And by the time I'm done with that, I'll have to supervise a Trial attempt happening late this afternoon. I'm afraid we'll have to reschedule another time. But…" Ilima pulled out a notepad from his pocket and scribbled something down on it.

"Feel free to contact me if you need anything. When you get to the Trial Site, I'll likely be waiting there for you already, since I have to be there to administer the Trial each time it is required." Ilima explained as he released his fainted Smeargle. Ilima dug out a small yellow crystal from his pocket and knelt down to his Pokémon, pressing the object against its head. The crystal glowed faintly before losing all of its color, but as that happened the Smeargle's eyes snapped open.

"There we go. Smeargle, how are you feeling?" Ilima asked as he helped his Pokémon to its feet. Smeragle let out a cry before Ilima turned to Sun.

"Thanks again for everything, Sun. I look forward to seeing more of your style and skill when you attempt the Trial. Until then, my friend!" Ilima said, giving Sun a small wave as he placed a hand on top of his Smeargle's head. "Let's go to the Pokemon Center, shall we?"

The two of them vanished into thin air.

"Wait, his Smeargle can learn Teleport?" Sun asked Rotom as the Dex chuckled in reply.

" _Yep! Smeragle is able to learn, at least through its special powers, any move there is…Well, as far as my data-banks show, anyway."_ Rotom shrugged before adding, _"Bzzt! Makes sense when you think about it. As busy as the Captain is, being able to teleport has to be really helpful."_

"Good point. So…what now?" Sun wondered aloud. He looked over at the restaurant that he and Ilima were discussing, but decided to go there another time, preferably with the Captain himself. Sun actually found he liked the older Trainer quite a bit. He nodded slightly and decided that the teen was now a friend to him.

That made sense, right?

Sun and Rotom made their way back into the city, after Sun healed Oliver back to tip-top shape. He was surprised, however, that when he was passing an incredibly colorful restaurant that Hau walked right out of it, patting his belly. The boy grinned when he caught sight of Sun and walked over to him.

"Howzit going, Sun?" Hau greeted the boy with his typical wide grin.

"Not too bad. I battled some Team Skull dorks and the Captain. Had a pretty good time with that." Sun said to the boy, shooting a grin back at him.

"Nice! Well, if you're looking for some good post-battle eats, then you've found 'em!" Hau gestured to the building behind him with a wacky-looking Pokémon on the sign with its tongue hanging out.

"This is a Malasada Shop. One of the best places in the entire city. No, the entire _island_!" Hau declared, putting both of his hands behind his head.

"Malasada…I keep hearing you and Lillie mentioning that word, but I still have no idea what it is. So…what is it?" Sun asked the boy, receiving a horrified look in response.

"You…I…wat." Hau looked broken, giving Sun an indescribable look of horror and shock. Sun then spotted Lillie walking towards them down the street, carrying another small bag on her shoulder. Professor Kukui was a bit behind her, strolling leisurely with Rockruff yapping at its feet.

"Lillie, I think I broke Hau." Sun said as he poked the other boy in the forehead. Lillie bent down and looked at Hau's face with a small smile, amused. Sun took that moment to look over at the Professor, who was grinning down at him.

"Hey Professor. How's it going? And more importantly, how did you find us? Seems a bit weird that you stumbled on me and Hau," Sun asked.

Kukui waved at Sun before saying, "I'm doing well! And I found you both using the Mind-Lock my Starmie has on Hau. We just teleported near you both just a ways down the road. Now, uh…What's wrong with him, anyway?"

"Oh boy. You told him you hadn't ever had a malasada before, didn't you?" Lillie asked Sun.

"Yeah, I told him I didn't know what it was. Not really, anyway. How'd you know?"

"He did the exact same thing when I told him that. The only way to fix him is go inside the store and eat some malasadas and explain to him how delicious they are." Lillie said to Sun, looking over at him.

"Well, breakfast was a while ago and Ilima had to bail on lunch. May as well." Sun prodded Hau again and said, "Hey. Let's get something to eat."

Hau jerked out of his trance and grinned at Sun, saying, "So yeah. Malasadas are amazing and they can even make your Pokémon more affectionate towards you, you know? I mean, who could resist giving their Pokémon a few malasadas, right? They're just so amazing!"

"Wow, you just snapped right out of that trance…Not going to lie, that's kinda neat. Could you do that again?" Sun asked Hau as Kukui and Lillie laughed.

"I could…But it's much more fun to keep you on your toes." Hau laughed as he put his hands behind his head.

"Well, let's go eat then. I'm sure our Pokémon would appreciate the snack and Sun can get his first true taste of Alola." Kukui said to the children, making Sun snicker at the pun. With that, the newly formed quartet entered the store. They found there to be a bit of a line ahead of them, but they decided to wait anyway, since the wait wasn't too bad and Hau seemed very excited for Sun to try his favorite food for the first time.

"So what happened at the Marina, Sun?" Hau asked the other boy. Sun briefly explained his encounter with Ilima and Team Skull, to Hau's surprise and Lillie's horror. Kukui seemed thoughtful, however.

"Team Skull huh? They're being much more active lately…I wonder if bug-brain has something to do with that." Kukui mused quietly, closing his eyes.

"Are you OK?" Lillie asked Sun, worried.

"Never better. Those dorks didn't stand a chance." Sun grinned back at her, making Lillie sigh with relief.

"That's good. I was tempted to go down to the Marina myself and watch the ocean a bit with Nebby, but if Team Skull is around, I think I'll reconsider." Lillie muttered, scratching Nebby's head from within its bag and making the Pokémon coo with contentment.

"Heh. I think I kinda just want to run down to the Marina and look out at the ocean and just scream 'Look at me, Tutu!'…No, actually… 'Watch me, world! I'm gonna beat my old gramps someday!'" Sun and Lillie smiled at the young boy's remark before all of them were startled by a woman in front of them speaking up.

"It's the miraculous munchy born in Alola! Welcome to your neighborhood Malasada Shop!" the woman at the counter declared with a wide smile. "What can I get for you today?"

"Malasadas, of course! What else can you get here, Miss Karen?" Hau asked with a laugh, stepping in front of Sun and Lillie.

"Didn't you just finish off three plates of malasadas a few minutes ago, Hau?" Karen asked the young boy.

"Yup! Now I'm back for seconds with my friends!"

"Well, what kind of malasadas would you all like today?" Karen asked the group.

"Five plates of Sweet Malasadas, please!" Hau replied with an even wider, more excited grin.

"Alrighty. Why don't you all find yourselves a seat? I'll bring you some malasadas fresh from the fryer!" Karen said to the group, who went to the back of the store and sat down. Hau released Cassy and Duke from their Poké Balls, where both Pokémon hopped into their Trainer's lap. Kukui allowed Rockruff to hop into his lap, probably because he couldn't release the full team he had on him and expect them all to fit inside of the restaurant.

"These two are still full, so I'm just going to let them chill here. Let your Pokémon out, Sun, so that they can have some malasadas too!" Hau advised the Kanto-native. Sun did as the other boy said, releasing Penny and Oliver. Both birds fluttered into Sun's lap, looking around the colorful shop with interest. To their surprise, Lillie let Nebby out of its bag. The Cosmog let out a happy cry and flew into Lillie's lap, where Lillie began petting the Pokémon with a small smile. Sun wondered why she had done this, since she wanted to keep the Cosmog a secret from people, before he realized that their position in the store shielded them from view from the other customers nearby. Plus, Professor Kukui was around as well to keep an eye on things, so they were pretty safe.

The group chatted with one another for a few minutes before their food came out. Sun breathed in the scent of freshly cooked pastries and after a minute of waiting for them to cool, after being advised by Hau, Sun sank his teeth into his malasada. The boy was surprised by the sweetness of the pastry, savoring the taste of it for a few seconds before swallowing. Sun split his second malasada in half and gave it to Penny and Oliver, eating the third and fourth one by himself before calling it quits and giving the remainder to Kukui's Rockruff.

The group chatted in the Malasada Shop, eating their lunch of sweet pastries, unaware that they were being watched from the outside by familiar duo with bright blue hair and dressed with black. With two smirks, the duo crept away, eager to put their plan into motion.

Team Skull Grunt A pulled out a radio and pressed the button on the side of it, saying, "Calling all bones. Get the crew together. We got three fools to lay the smack-down on and one of them has a Pokémon that isn't like anything I've ever seen. Hop to it!"

* * *

 _Alrighty folks, so we'll be seeing some more of Team Skull next chapter. As well as some new and old faces as well. Next chapter will be the last chapter in Hau'Oli City (for now), and then we can begin on the path to the Normal Trial!_

 _But first…What's to come. See, when I began this story, I decided to expand on quite a few things. Backstories, roles, and so on. Along the way, I decided to indulge in some wishful thinking and decided to throw in a few choice characters from other games into this story for one reason or another._

 _ **Next chapter will feature the first appearance of a character that wasn't in Sun and Moon but was a main character in another Pokémon game. They will be an important character in this fic and have a recurring role within the story.**_

 _ **And I want you all to guess who that character is. Think of it as a mini-contest of sorts, but the stakes are just the knowledge that you guessed right in a fanfic.**_

 _ **A few quick rules. You participate by dropping your guess/answer in the review section below. One guess per person, and you have until next weekend to guess. If you guess right, I'll PM you personally, give you a special shout-out next chapter, and send you a snippet of the next chapter via PM. If multiple people guess the same correct person, then I'll extend the "reward" to the others who chose correctly as well.**_

 _ **So here are your clues.**_

 _ **This character has only appeared in one Pokémon game before. It was a mainstream title and that was their only appearance.**_

 _ **And this character is NOT a type-specialist.**_

 _Good luck. I'm looking forward to seeing who you think this new arrival is. Actually, if you all want to drop some suggestions in general on who you would like to see appear down the road in this story, feel free to let me know in the section below. Just make sure to differentiate between what's your actual answer and what is just you giving me feedback. As crazy as it sounds, I do absolutely take suggestions and advice to heart and have even had a few ideas influence the story._

 _I'll see you all in a week or so. Thanks again for all of the feedback and support._

 _Until next time, FlygonNick out!_


	17. Shatter and Fall

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _So that was an interesting week._

 _Sorry for the delay, this week was incredibly stressful and busy for me, considering all of the stuff I had to do for my Air Force processing. However, I'm pleased to announce that I'm a few steps closer to achieving my goal, so yay me!_

 _Also, this chapter ended up being double the length it needed to be, so that contributes to the lateness quite a bit. So again, apologies for that but I'll be back on track this week with a Sunday or Monday update and then back to normal Friday/Saturday-ish updates until further notice._

 _Last chapter got a crapton of feedback and it was awesome. That may have been the most amount of reviews I've ever received within one update span in my entire time on this site._ _Hopefully the appearance of this character makes a few smiles, because they definitely are one of my personal favorite characters within the Pokémon series. That said, this is coming from one of my favorite games in the series so maybe that says a bit about me._

 _Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes Sai Og Sus, Cottonmouth25, Raikou927, Ways, Dunka99, My Wunderwaffle iz missin, NullSilver2005, as well as four new reviewers known as KyubiMaster9, 127294AlexTheReaper, Madame Rodoshe, LurkMore._

 _Also, special shoutout to KyubiMaster9 for being my 100_ _th_ _reviewer! And big thanks to every single person who's reviewed and offered their feedback thus far, as well as those who support the story by reading, favoriting, and following. Here's to even more awesomeness down the road._

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 _Chapter 17: Shatter and Fall_

* * *

"So Sun, how've you been enjoying the city?" Kukui asked as the last bit of malasada was consumed.

"It's been great. Lillie and Hau have been showing me all around the city. We did a bit of shopping here and there and have just been exploring all around. Today's definitely been my most interesting day so far. Battling the Trial Captain and then Team Skull was a…experience." Sun explained to the Professor, earning a chuckle in response.

"Yeah, those knuckleheads have been causing trouble for a while now. They're composed of Trainers who have, for one reason or another, given up on the Island Challenge after hitting too many roadblocks. It's understandable, actually, considering how important the Island Challenge is to the culture and history Alola. The significance we place on it seeps into so much of our lives here, and admittedly the pressure to beat the Island Challenge can bother some people. After a few setbacks, it can make some question why they're doing it in the first place. Sometimes Trainers give up on their quest to beat it. Sometimes they even give up on being a Trainer…some decide that they wanted to destroy the very thing they were trying to overcome."

"Team Skull was born out of frustration and resentment and hurt. In a way, I feel sorry for them. They're not what I would call a serious threat, they're more of a nuisance, really, but they should absolutely be watched. They're thieves and rogues, determined to cause as much trouble as possible…especially to those undergoing the Island Challenge. So keep an eye out for anything suspicious." Kukui warned the trio of children. Lillie was especially attentive, her hand going to the bag that contained Nebby.

"Sir…what did you think of the Celadon City attack?" Sun asked quietly after a moment. Kukui blinked in surprise at the question, but then sighed at the response.

"It was terrible. I've never seen something so dreadful before. Even if Neo Team Plasma and Cipher have both done similar things to cities in Unova in the past…somehow seeing it all happen live on TV made it worse. I only hope that someone can put a stop to those monsters soon." Kukui replied as he crossed his arms, looking solemn.

"Did my Mom talk to you about it?" Sun asked Kukui. The man seemed to hesitate before nodding slowly.

"We had a long talk about them. She was, understandably, very upset about the attack. Even worse was seeing Erika murdered like that. Those two were close for years." Kukui said to the Kanto-native.

"I used to spend time at her Gym with Mom…She let me play with her Pokémon while Mom and her gossiped and chatted about how their weeks were going, back when I was smaller. They even had battles and let me be the referee…" Sun's voice trembled slightly as he spoke, and he was surprised when he felt two hands on both of his shoulders. He looked to his right and left and saw Hau and Lillie both with a hand on each of his shoulders, and he couldn't help but manage a weak smile at the support of his new friends.

"Thanks…" Sun muttered before looking back to Kukui, who was smiling at them now.

"Yes, I can imagine this has been incredibly hard on you. It may seem like a very dark time to be a Trainer, with Cipher continuing to grow in strength. Unova is struggling and Kanto is reeling from Celadon's destruction. But know this…even in dark times like this, there are people waiting to be a shining beacon of hope for everyone else. Whenever evil rears its ugly head, there's always going to be a few heroes ready to take them to task over what they've done. So don't feel like there's no hope for Kanto or even that Cipher can't be stopped…They've been stopped before. They can be stopped again."

"And Sun, going back to the topic of your mother, she's told me to have you call her tomorrow. She would've called you already, but she's been trying to sort out some stuff of her own. She wants to have a talk with you about what happened in Celadon. And she's promised me that we'll all be having an even longer talk once you're a bit further in your Island Challenge. She has a bit of explaining to do." Kukui said to the young Trainer. Sun nodded in understanding, despite Lillie and Hau being confused.

"And on that gloomy note…" Kukui stood up with a wide grin and said, "I have to be off! I've got a meeting with Hala back at Iki Town! Lillie, I'll be at the Westside Hau'oli Pokémon Center to pick you up this evening, alright?"

"Yes Professor. I'll have my things ready to leave by then," Lillie replied, nodding.

"Wait, you're leaving?" Sun asked as he looked over at Lillie. He was a bit taken aback by this, having expected to be able to spend more time with her as he made his made his way towards his first Trial. He had assumed she would be tagging along with him and Hau and supporting them both.

"Yes, Sun. Professor Kukui did task me with helping you get situated within Alola, which I've hopefully been able to do so far, but he also needs me to help him with his research. He's managed the past week without me, but I unfortunately can't accompany you further…" Lillie saw the rather downcast look on Sun's usually smiling face before she hastily added, "I'd be more than happy to spend more time with you when we meet up again though!"

"Sorry Sun. But Lillie, despite what she thinks, does help a lot with my research and I do need to get back on track with that. If all goes well with your Trial, then head back on around to Iki Town and give me a heads up. We can watch you and Hau battle it out with our Kahuna and discuss plans from there, alright?" Kukui said to Sun, clapping him on the shoulder bracingly. Sun nodded, feeling a little better but still a bit down that Lillie was leaving them for now. He had really grown to like spending time with her and was sorry to hear that she would be departing.

"I'll see you all later! Have a great day, you three!" Kukui said to the trio, walking off and exiting the building.

"Well…Do you two want to explore the city a bit more? We still have a few hours before I need to head back to the Pokémon Center." Lillie asked the two Trainers. With two nods, the group departed the restaurant and began chatting about their recent adventures within the city. Hau then admitted that he was eager to do some shopping today in order to prepare for the trek out to the Verdant Cavern.

"Why didn't you do that earlier this week?" Sun asked the other boy. Hau gave a sheepish grin and replied, "Well…I may have had a bit too much fun derping around the city. Besides, I'm sure we'll be fine."

"Proper preparation isn't a laughing matter, Hau…Truthfully, I'm a bit worried about you two going out alone. Even though most of the island is rather tame, there's still some really nasty Pokémon out there that could cause you harm. On top of that, you two don't know a whole lot about surviving in the wild." Lillie said to the two boys.

"Well…I've had some practice." Hau said with a laugh, trying to save face. Sun just shrugged.

"I've been reading a few books about basic survival. I'm not done with them yet, and I know it's not nearly as good as experience, but I think we can manage. Do you know anything about being out in the wild?" Sun asked the girl, receiving a nod in response.

"I've been helping Professor Kukui and Professor Burnet with field research, which often requires us to be out and about. Professor Kukui is an expert survivalist, and he's been teaching me quite a few things about staying happy and healthy while away from civilization." Lillie replied, smiling a little.

"That's awesome!" Sun grinned at the girl, making her beam at the praise.

"Yup, yup! That's our Lillie for ya!" Hau laughed, putting both of his hands behind his head. The trio continued their walk in silence, simply enjoying the day.

After a while though, Sun noticed something odd. Whenever he had been out and about, there were always people walking alongside him and crossing the streets. Right now, the street they were on was completely deserted. The Kanto-native frowned at that and looked around, now unable to shake off the feeling that they were being watched.

"Hey…Where is everyone?" Sun asked Lillie and Hau, who both looked at the boy in confusion before realizing what he meant.

"That is odd…And it gives me a bad feeling. Did something happen?" Lillie asked, her voice curious but also worried. Nebby let out a soft cry from its bag and Lillie patted it, muttering an assurance that everything would be OK.

"Uh…guys? We've got company." Hau said, pointing off to the sides of the street. Several teens all wearing familiar outfits were slipping out from behind cars and alleyways, ill intent gleaming in their eyes. Lillie stepped back as Sun and Hau stepped in front of her, but soon enough they were surrounded by a dozen Team Skull members.

"Hehe…Now the table's are turned, yo." One of the members of Team Skull, who seemed vaguely familiar to Sun, walked forward. Sun recognized him as the Grunt he had battled at the Marina. His cohort, B, joined him at the front of the group.

"Yup. Now we're going to show you exactly who's boss around these parts. Not some crazy old Kahuna and certainly not Captain Prissy Pants. You know who really owns this city? Team Skull, that's who, boys and girls!" Grunt A said as he threw out his arms.

" _Bzzt!_ _Dude…Take it down a notch or twelve."_ Rotom chimed in as it poked its head out of Sun's backpack.

"I don't need your crap, you stupid calculator!" Grunt A yelled out, pointing an angry finger at the Rotom Dex, who leapt out of the bag with a cry.

" _Calculator? CALCULATOR!?"_ Rotom screeched, making every single one of them flinch at the noise the Pokémon was making.

"Rotom, calm down-" Sun began to say before the Rotom Dex cut him off with an even louder screech that made Sun clamp his hands over his ears.

" _HOW DARE YOU!? I AM A STATE-OF-THE-ART PIECE OF TECHNOLOGY, TASKED WITH ASSISTING GIFTED TRAINERS! HOW DARE YOU CALL ME A CALCULATOR!?"_ Rotom roared, making every single one of the Team Skull Grunts back away in fear.

"Wait, no. The hell you fools backing up for? What's one Game Boy going to do us? We've still got the numbers advantage, homies. Let's deck these-" Grunt B began to say before Rotom soared up to the teen's face, making him yelp in surprise.

" _GAME BOY!?_ _ **I will destroy everyone you hold dear for your insolence!"**_ Rotom yelled out in a much deeper voice, making everyone present take two steps away from the raging Pokédex. Two of the Team Skull Grunts actually started crying out of fear of the horrifying Pokédex gone mad.

"Dude, calm your pet down. I'm actually getting kinda scared, yo." Grunt A said to Sun, sweating bullets all the while.

"This got dark really quick. I think I'm actually going to side with them, Sun. Maybe turn Rotom off for a bit?" Lillie suggested quietly, earning two horrified nods from both boys before Sun reached up to the Rotom Dex, who was preparing another verbal tirade upon being called a "pet".

" _ **I WILL MAKE THE SEAS RUN WITH YOUR BLOOD FOR YOUR TRANSGRESSIONSsssss…"**_ Rotom shut its eyes and promptly fell into Sun's hands as the boy shook his head slowly, unable to figure just what had happened.

"Sun, seriously. What the heck was that about?" Hau asked, sighing with relief.

"No idea. I'll have to have a talk with Professor Kukui about the evil rituals he performed while making this thing." Sun said he shoved Rotom back into his backpack.

"It's OK Nebby…it went to sleep. No more yelling." Lillie said quietly, patting the side of the bag that was shaking in horror from the monster within the Pokédex.

"Alright, so can we get back to the mugging that's apparently happening?" Sun said to the Team Skull people, feeling a headache coming on. He really didn't need this right now. Before Grunt A could reply, one of the other Grunts suddenly stepped forward, cutting him off.

"Now I recognize this guy, A. He's the guy who punched me during that rainstorm!" one of the Team Skull Grunts, a darker-skinned teen with a gold armlet on his left hand, yelled out.

"Wait, me?" Sun asked, genuinely confused.

"Yes, you! I was just going to say hi threateningly and then take your Pokémon, but you punched me and ran away. Not cool, yo!" the Team Skull grunt yelled indignantly.

"Dude, you got wrecked by a kid? That's some weak stuff, man." Grunt A chuckled, shaking his head as a few of the other Team Skull Grunts laughed as well.

"Well, guess this means we make you pay extra hard. First we'll beat down your Pokémon. Then, we'll beat down the kid who decided punching people for no reason was fun, and then we'll take whatever you've got hidden in that bag, girlie." Grunt B said, eyeing Lillie with a hidden grin.

"You're not going to do a thing to her, you creeps!" Sun said as he stepped forward, glaring at the delinquents with defiance in his eyes. After a few moments, Hau stepped forward, backing Sun up.

"So we've got some boys who want to fight? Sounds cool, little homies. We'll smash you down, and after we bail on this place the Cap can come scrape you off the pavement, you feel me?" Grunt B said as he crossed his arms, chuckling as some of the Grunts began pulling out Poké Balls.

"This isn't good." Hau muttered, worry seeping into the young boy as Sun glared down the members of Team Skull. The Kanto-native became aware of a certain girl, shuddering in fear behind him, and as he glanced backwards he gave Lillie a reassuring smile.

"No worries. We'll beat this clowns at their own game. I'm not going to let them hurt you." Sun said to the blonde-haired girl, who looked surprised by Sun's confidence as he turned back forward, pulling out a Poké Ball of his own.

"Get ready, fools! Team Skull is about to-!" Grunt A yelled out, pointing down his finger dramatically as if in benediction to show who was about to get made a fool of, when he was cut off.

"So _this_ is what you all were up to!"

Sun blinked in surprise, the voice unfamiliar to him, and turned around to see someone approaching them from down the street at a hurried pace, their eyes narrowed at the dozen Team Skull Grunts surrounding the trio of children, unfazed at the number of goons glaring at him.

"Who's this fool?" Grunt A said with a chuckle, tossing his Poké Ball up and down in the air.

"No idea, A. But this guy's about to get out of here real quick." Grunt B said as he walked past the trio of children, staring down the approaching figure as their eyes narrowed down even further. Sun took in the appearance of the new arrival on the scene.

He was tall and well-built, several years older than them but still young, maybe about 16 or 17. He had pale skin and rather erratic, spiky dark blue hair. He wore a dark blue pair of baggy cargo shorts and a dark red tank top, with a bright yellow heart-shaped necklace dangling from his neck. His red eyes were narrowed in barely controlled fury as he continued walking forward, his hand reaching for a Poké Ball on his belt from the four that were there.

"Or else…what, exactly?" the young man challenged the Team Skull Grunt, his voice hard as permafrost.

"Or else we'll show you why we're hard as bones! Look at this fool, folks! He's wearing a Quilfish on his head!" Grunt B cackled with delight, doubling over as the other Grunts joined in with laughter. Hau and Sun exchanged a quick look with each other as Lillie huddled closer to the both of them, but were surprised when the mysterious young man suddenly smiled at Team Skull, surprising Grunt B.

"It's times like this that my anger management classes really shine through. You all need to back off and leave those kids alone. Otherwise…" The young man's smile faded, replaced with a rather scary scowl.

"Otherwise?" Grunt B challenged, bowing himself up and standing up to the young man.

"You don't want to find out what happens, _otherwise_. Trust me." The young man's words made the Team Skull Grunt chuckle as he turned on his heel, not paying the new arrival any mind. To Sun's surprise, the young man turned to them.

"Are you three alright? They didn't hurt you, did they?" Sun, Hau, and Lillie shook their heads as the young man sighed with relief. "Good. I was wondering why the streets cleared when I saw these idiots heading this way. I followed and…well, I've been needing to blow off some steam. Looks like I get my wish. I'll deal with them, don't you three worry."

"So…Who are you?" Hau asked the young man, who seemed surprised by that.

"Huh. I probably should've introduced myself before I stepped in. My name is Hugh. Pleased to meet you three." The young man said to them, giving them a small smile before returning his gaze forward, the smile vanishing.

"And for you idiots…get ready, because I'm about to _unleash my rage_." Hugh growled, stepping front of the children protectively as Team Skull drew closer, Grunt A staring down the young man. Sun and Hau, sensing the battle about to begin, drew their Poké Balls as well, but Hugh shook his head.

"No. I've got this. Save your Pokémon's strength for something worth the effort. This won't take me long." Hugh said roughly, drawing a single Poké Ball from his belt.

"GET HIM!" Grunt A bellowed, with the members of Team Skull releasing about a dozen and a half Pokémon of all kinds onto the street.

"Samson! Let's go!" Hugh yelled, tossing the Poké Ball to the ground, releasing a massive blue Pokémon with a large white horn. It crouched low on the ground, snorting in anger as Hugh stood alongside it. Upon seeing the new Pokémon, the unleashed Pokémon of Team Skull paused in their tracks, hesitating.

Sun pulled the Rotom Dex back out of his backpack, and against his better judgement, turned it back on again. Rotom let out a yawn and shuddered to life, blinking.

" _Huh. Why do I suddenly feel like killing a bunch of people?"_ Rotom asked, sounding confused.

"We'll explain that later. Now, Rotom, what is that thing exactly?" Sun asked as the Rotom Dex turned around and took in the sight of Hugh and his Pokémon facing down Team Skull alone.

" _Whoa…That's scary. Scanning…_ _Pokémon entry not found in Alolan Database. Expanding search…Unova Pokédex entry found. Samurott. The Formidable Pokémon._ _One swing of the sword incorporated in its armor can fell an opponent. A simple glare from one of them quiets everybody. Sounds like one tough customer."_ Rotom remarked as the duo ahead of them prepared to fight. Each of the Pokémon eyed the Samurott as the Pokémon took in the sights around them.

Each of the Team Skull Grunts barked out commands, unleashing a barrage of long-ranged attacks towards them. Hugh let out a long, sharp whistle, and to their surprise a glowing green barrier flickered into existence around them. The attacks smashed harmlessly against the barrier as Hugh shook his head.

"I can't believe you even tried that." Hugh said coldly, clenching his fists in anger as the attacks subsided.

"Yo! Keep up the pressure! Protect can't be used forever like that!" one of the Grunts called out.

" _He's right you know."_ Rotom chimed in.

"I'm aware. Just trying to figure out how to take care of them without destroying the street. Samson, keep the barrier active until there's a lull in their attacks and then use Aqua Jet!" Hugh ordered his Samurott. The attacks were released once again and the Formidable Pokémon growled as the attacks slammed into the barrier again, causing it to crack in several places.

However, once a good number of the Pokémon had let up on their attacks, the barrier faded and the Samurott let out a growl as water suddenly engulfed it, propelling the massive Pokémon towards the cluster of Pokémon. Samson collided with the Pokémon with tremendous force, knocking several of them to the ground where they fainted right away.

"Use Slash!" Hugh barked out, making Samson draw the two massive scimitars on its front legs and slash expertly through the air, rending the air with a white energy that managed to take down the remaining Pokémon with ease, leaving deep cuts in each of the Pokémon of Team Skull.

"What even is this guy!?" Grunt A yelled out as he returned his Pokémon. Several of the Team Skull Grunts had already done that and were running away down the street, but a few of them remained and stared down Hugh with anger. They were then taken aback when Hugh glared them back down with even more fury in his eyes.

"Get out of my sight!" Hugh snarled, taking a step forward. Samson growled as well, lowering his head as his massive horn began to glow. At that, the rest of Team Skull made a retreat down the road, allowing the three children to breathe a collective sigh of relief.

"Idiots…If there's anything I can't stand, it's a thief. Especially thieves that try to target little kids." Hugh said with disgust in his voice, shaking his head as his Samurott made his way over to him. Hugh looked over at his Pokémon, smiling at him, before saying, "Thanks for the help, buddy."

Samson nodded in response before being returned. Hugh turned to Sun, Lillie, and Hau and smiled a bit more. "I know you might have been able to handle those guys, but I can't resist a battle."

"It's no problem at all, sir. Thank you for helping us." Lillie said to the older Trainer, bowing her head slightly. Hugh chuckled at that, waving a hand dismissively.

"Don't mention it. So, why were they after you all, anyway? Seemed like they were pretty determined to get you." Hugh asked, curiosity and something else in his voice that Sun couldn't place.

"Me and Captain Ilima beat two of them at the docks when they started threatening us. I guess they followed us and tried to get even by beating us with sheer numbers…" Sun smiled at the other Trainer and said, "That was really impressive though. Knocking out all of their Pokémon with just two attacks? That's incredible!"

"Samson's had a lot of practice. Those guys had nothing on Team Plasma." Hugh replied, smirking at them.

"You fought Team Plasma?" Sun asked, surprised.

"Yeah. Dirty criminals. I helped my best friend stop their plans to take over Unova when they started messing with Kyurem." Hugh's smile faded when he added, "Though the third time they pulled that plan, it worked."

"What do you mean?" Hau asked, confused.

"Never mind," Hugh replied quickly.

"I'm not really sure if I want to be within the city anymore. Team Skull may not be very smart, but they have numbers and can easily overwhelm us if we run into them again." Lillie said, glancing back down the street. A Team Skull Grunt was visible in the distance, watching them. After realizing she had been spotted, the young girl ran.

"Looks like they're determined to get you then…" Hugh remarked as he looked skyward for a second, a thoughtful expression on his face before he asked, "Do you three need an escort? My plans for the day got ruined and you all look like you could use someone to keep an eye out for trouble."

"You sure you don't mind?" Sun asked the older Trainer, who replied with a smirk.

"Not at all. If making sure people can stay safe from thieves means I have to babysit for a little while, then that's a sacrifice I'm willing to make." Hugh replied as he walked past them.

"Heh…He's cool." Hau said with a wide grin, bounding forward. Sun ad Lillie exchanged a look.

"Thoughts?" Sun asked the girl.

"He seems nice enough. Plus he helped us…I say we accept his offer. I'll let the Professor know what happened so he can Teleport to us in case of an emergency." Lillie replied as she pulled out a small white phone.

With that, the trio continued their journey through the city, plus one more. They learned a bit more about their guardian as they walked with him, and he in turn got to know them a bit as well. Sun was surprised when he found out that the teen had gone toe-to-toe with Team Plasma on many occasions, but also Cipher apparently. Sun remembered what Vivian had said about the group ruining Unova and decided to see if Hugh had any more information on them.

"So Hugh…what can you tell me about Cipher?" Sun asked the older Trainer, receiving a wary look from him.

"I could tell you a whole lot about them, Sun. Whether or not I will is another story." Sun blinked at Hugh's words, but the older teen added, "Let's just put it this way. The things I can tell you about them aren't exactly nice."

"Sorry, Hugh…It's just, I want to learn more about them. They destroyed my home! My city! And if my…Well, I just want to learn more about them any way I can." Sun said again, making the teen frown as he crossed his arms.

"Sorry, Sun. But I'm not comfortable talking about those guys. If you want, I can point you in the direction of some friends of mine. They're in the city and know just as much about Cipher as me. We're actually not too far away from one of them now." Hugh remarked, pointing towards a large white building less than a mile away from them.

"That's Hau'Oli Hospital, isn't it?" Hau asked.

"Yep." Hugh replied, putting his hands in his pockets.

"Then I think I'm going to bail on this trip." Hau remarked, stopping where he stood.

"Huh? Why, Hau?" Lillie asked, confused.

"Uhh…I…Um…" Hau blushed slightly, looking away as he mumbled something.

"Well, spit it out. We don't have all day." Hugh said to the younger Trainer, making him wince.

"I'mafraidofhospitalsOK!?" Hau blurted out before running in the opposite direction, much to the bewilderment of his three companions. Within moments the boy was out of sight, but not out of mind.

"Well, that was sudden." Sun remarked, tilting his head slightly in bewilderment.

"Afraid of hospitals. That…isn't too crazy, actually." Hugh admitted, smiling a little.

"I'm going to have to have a serious talk with that boy. Hospitals are places of healing and recovery! What's so bad about them?" Lillie asked, genuinely confused.

"Some people have bad memories of hospitals, or may have had bad experiences there. You shouldn't ever give someone grief over a phobia. Especially if its one they're already ashamed of." Hugh said to Lillie, making the girl's eyes widen as a guilty look appeared on her face. Hugh ignored that and continued walking.

"Hey, it happens. Don't feel bad about it." Sun muttered, putting a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder.

Lillie nodded and smiled a little in reply before looking towards the approaching hospital and saying, "Didn't Vivian say she was going to be staying at the hospital?"

"Did she? When was this?" Sun asked.

"After you left. She said she was going to visit a friend." Lillie said to Sun, but before he could reply Hugh spoke up.

"I'd rather we didn't see her, actually." Hugh chimed in, putting his hands in his pockets.

"Why? Do you know her?" Lillie asked.

"Yeah. Me and her are…acquaintances, I guess you could say. I'm good friends with a friend of hers, and we traveled to Alola together after Cipher and Team Plasma ruined Unova." Hugh explained as they approached the hospital.

"Well…I still want some answers. Besides, we're here now. May as well go see if she's around still." Sun remarked as they drew closer to the building. Hugh muttered something dark about not needing to deal with Vivian but continued to trail behind them.

"Maybe she won't be there and you can just get the info from Noah. I know he's supposed to be here for a little while longer. He'll be easy to track down." Hugh piped up, looking up at the rather nice hospital that loomed ahead of them. The facility itself looked practically new and was quite large, though considering this was Alola's biggest city, this made sense. Hugh pulled out his phone and began tapping away at it, until Sun spotted something and spoke up.

"No need. She's right there." Sun pointed to a bench near the front of the hospital, in front of a small fountain. Vivian was currently passed out in the lap of a young man in medical scrubs, implying he was a patient at the hospital. The group exchanged glances before they walked over to the duo sitting on the bench. The patient with the sleeping woman in his lap offered the two children a warm smile as they approached.

"Well...Look what the cat dragged in. And…" the young man grinned as he turned his gaze to Lillie and Sun, "You two must be the greenhorns Vivian talked about last night. Lillie and Sun, right?"

Sun and Lillie both nodded in reply. The young man's smile widened and he said, "I'm Noah. It's nice to meet you both."

"Same to you. Is she…OK?" Sun asked quietly, nodding at the slumbering girl on Noah's lap.

"Oh yeah, she's fine. Feel free to talk however loud you feel like, by the way. She's a super heavy sleeper." Noah said cheerfully, running a hand through Vivian's long hair while she snored quietly in his lap, looking very peaceful. Sun and Lillie joined Noah and Vivian on the nearby bench opposite the pair, with Hugh leaning against Noah's bench as he shut his eyes. Sun took in the other young man's appearance during the lull in conversation.

He seemed very thin, almost unhealthily so, with almost sheet-white skin. The meager patient's scrubs he was wearing clashed with the fancy red fedora on his head, the same fedora that they had seen Vivian purchase earlier when they had went shopping. The young man himself was bald, with dark brown eyes and a tired but cheerful expression on his face.

"So, how do you two know Vivian?" Noah asked the two children.

"I met her earlier this week."

"She showed up outside my house and started being weird."

"Aria introduced me to her and I've regretted that day since."

Sun and Lillie both giggled at Hugh's last remark, with even Noah chuckling at that, though he addressed Lillie and Sun when he spoke. "Both of those sound about right. She's an odd one. Still, you get used to it. I did. She's got a good heart, even if she doesn't like showing it. From the sound of it she's taken quite a liking to you two and your other friend. Though from what she says, he doesn't like her much. Again, that's understandable." Noah chuckled again and shook his head, though he added a moment later, "But again, we're getting off track. Vivian mentioned that you both saw that broadcast of Cipher's attack on Celadon, and Hugh mentioned you want to know more about them. So, I'll start off with this. What did you think of the Celadon attack?"

Sun's smile dropped instantly, slowly turning into a scowl. Lillie's smile faded as well, and Noah nodded in understanding.

"Yeah…When I first found out what kind of people Cipher were, I was that way too. It's even more frustrating when you can't do much against them." Noah gestured to himself and said, "While Aria, Hugh…Wes, and a few others were taking the fight to Cipher back in Unova, I was dealing with my leukemia coming back. Makes it kind of hard to help track down Cipher members in cities and go on raids through their facilities when you have trouble doing the basics." Noah explained with a rueful smile, making Sun and Lillie blink in surprise.

"And yet this guy has more heart than most people you'll ever see. Don't sell yourself short there. How many people do you see trudging around the country with a life-threatening medical condition?" Hugh said to his friend, earning a smile from him as he shook his head.

"So you know a lot about them then? Please, tell me what you know. Hugh didn't want to talk about it but…could _you_ tell me more about them?" Sun said to the older Pokémon Trainer, who looked doubtful.

"I don't know, Sun. This is some dark stuff." Noah said as he began stroking Vivian's hair yet again. The young woman sighed contentedly and shifted in Noah's lap, making the young man smile a little.

"They destroyed my home. I watched them kill someone I looked up to on live TV. If I know a bit more about them, then maybe I can help stop them in some way…Please, I just need to know about them. What they are, why they're doing this." Sun pleaded with the man, who remained silent for several seconds before nodding slowly.

"Where to begin…" Noah said with a small sigh, looking skyward. "Alright. I just want to preface this story by saying I'm not the best person to talk to for it. Aria knows more by a long shot, but she's not around anymore. I was in the hospital several times over the course of our run-ins with Cipher, so I'll likely end up missing a few points. So I apologize in advance if there's any confusion…and I may just leave out a few details because you're still kids, and I'm not going to retell some of the stuff that Cipher has pulled just on that principle. Hugh, if I miss something important, can you cover for my lapses?"

"I'll try," Hugh replied, sighing a little.

"Cipher is a criminal syndicate that was once based in the Oore region." Noah began to say, but was interrupted by a confused Lillie.

"Oore?" Lillie asked, confused.

"A mostly desert continent south from these islands. There's a few spots of activity here and there, but it's mostly wasteland and the people there are very rough. It's easily the least populated of the regions of our world. And there, once upon a time, Cipher reigned supreme."

"The organization itself is comprised of highly-skilled trainers, for the most part. Not just anyone can join, and from what I can tell most of the grunts and admins have diverse teams. They weren't just idiots with Zubats and Rattata. They are ruthless and aggressive, and with some very smart people leading them. Because of this, they were able to acquire a power base in Oore and begin researching and constructing something to give them an edge against their opponents, because you better believe there were people in Oore not happy about Cipher becoming more and more active."

"This edge…was the development of Shadow Pokémon."

"Shadow…Pokémon?" Lillie asked, confused.

"Shadow Pokémon. A Pokémon that has had the door to its heart artificially closed through scientific means. Basically, Cipher tortures a Pokémon until they become a Shadow Pokémon. They go through so much pain and cruelty that they become nothing more than a feral beast. Shadow Pokémon are incredibly violent, with no free will of their own. They become weapons, fit only to react to their master's commands. Their powers become twisted, allowing them to find a strength that they wouldn't have access to normally. Their bodies are cloaked in an invisible aura of darkness. And Cipher has created hundreds upon hundreds of these things..." Noah trailed off, shaking his head, though Sun piped up.

"Aren't Shadow Pokémon supposed to be undetectable though? I saw a few of them on the broadcast and I could see the auras of them." Sun asked the two Trainers.

"We'll get to that. Now…if that wasn't bad enough, Cipher tends to broker alliances with the other criminal syndicates as part of their strategy. They combine forces, supporting one another through different means. The first and most important of these groups was Team Snagem. They were similar to Team Rocket and Team Galactic, basically just thugs who stole people's Pokémon and caused trouble. Except through Cipher, they were given the tools to steal Pokémon from their Trainers through special machines. With the two of them backing each other up, thing's looked bleak for people in the Oore region. If left unchecked, Cipher would have completely controlled the region as more and more Shadow Pokémon got pumped out and the opposition got struck down…but then one person decided enough was enough and took the fight to Cipher." Noah said with the first smile had been able to muster thus far.

"Their name was Wes. A Snagger from within Team Snagem that decided to rebel against them. He stole one of the only mobile Snag Machines from the group and destroyed their base, destroying all of the machines that the group had been relying on to do their dirty work. With the help of another victim of Cipher, a girl named Rui who could detect the Shadow Pokémon without help, he managed to lead a crusade against the two groups and cripple them at every turn." Noah continued, though Hugh interrupted him.

"Wes did this by stealing the Shadow Pokémon away from those who were using them. But he didn't use those Pokémon as weapons, but treated them as friends. Partners. Equals...Through kindness, and a little help from a relic powered by Celebi, he managed to reverse the effects of what Cipher had done to all of the Shadow Pokémon created at the time." Hugh explained, a smile of his own gracing his face.

"Sounds like quite a striking figure." Lillie remarked, glancing between the two Trainers.

"You could say that. Wes defeated Cipher and ruined Team Snagem, but that wasn't the end of it. Snagem was irreparably scattered, but Cipher had plenty of fire in the tank. They began expanding to other regions, attempting to set up shop in Sinnoh. Wes and Rui chased them there and spent four years fighting them there. This was where Cipher began a campaign of terror that swept through the region, with even the Champion having issues putting the Admins and their leader done. Wes, however, put a stop to their plans there. He defeated both Cipher and Team Galactic, who had partnered with Cipher to regain their old strength, and recovered all of the Shadow Pokémon he could from them. However…that's where things get nasty."

Noah sighed and said, "Shortly after that, they encountered Amber, and everything went to hell."

"…Amber?" Lillie asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Amber Fontaine…" Hugh hissed, a rather furious look leaping into the young man's face.

"Who?" Sun asked, looking at Noah.

"Cipher's assassin. She's a serial killer that we've run into a couple of times. She's a woman with no empathy, no remorse and shows no mercy to those she comes across. If you ever find yourself unlucky enough to come across her…run." Noah warned the two children, his expression deadly serious.

"Don't try to fight. Don't bother reasoning with her. She'd a cold-blooded monster that serves as Cipher's Eliminator. An Admin who doesn't care who or what she kills, person or Pokémon, so long as it serves Cipher." Hugh elaborated, a sharpness to his voice that was lacking before.

"I'm guessing you both have bad memories of her," Lillie asked quietly.

"Yeah. Bad memories. She's evil. I got to see her kill that Gym Leader from Kanto just the other night on TV." Hugh explained, his voice nearly a snarl.

Sun felt the breath get driven out of his chest. This Amber woman...She was the one who had killed Erika? She was the one who had slaughtered the Grass-type Gym Leader and those news people in cold blood before delivering a grisly message to the world?

Sun felt a hand on his shoulder and sighed angrily, trying to well back the torrent of emotions. He'd remember that name. Amber Fontaine...The Eliminator. The assassin of Cipher. He'd remember that woman and someday...make her pay.

"Did I...You knew that Gym Leader, didn't you?" Noah asked quietly.

"She was...someone I looked up to, back home. She was a family friend." Sun said quietly, feeling the anger ebb away and be replaced with sadness.

"I'm sorry for your loss. Truly, I am." Noah said sincerely, looking somber. For a moment, there was a silence. A moment to remember the fallen Gym Leader who had died protecting her city. Noah spoke again after about half a minute passed.

"So yeah. Amber is a piece of work who should be avoided at all costs. She killed one of Hugh's Pokémon and has made attempts on our lives before. She actually shot Vivian, once." Noah explained, stroking the violinist's hair. "She's also responsible for killing several of Wes's Pokémon and also killing Wes's partner, Rui. Wes was…well, according to him he spent the better part of a month trying to track down and kill the woman himself, but was waylaid by something not even he could have expected…Shadow Celebi."

"Celebi…That's the time-travel Pokémon, right?" Sun asked Noah, who nodded.

"Yep. Cipher got ahold of one in Sinnoh and corrupted it into a Shadow Pokémon that served them. With that thing under their belt, they flung Wes through time so that they could reorganize themselves without having the Snagger breathing down their necks." Noah continued, but Hugh cut him off.

"Of course, since Wes was gone, they tried to reestablish themselves in Oore as well. They began pumping out more and more Shadow Pokémon, attempting to gain total control over the region through whatever means possible. However, a child prodigy named Michael managed to overwhelm most of their forces and with some help, managed to thwart their plans. Cipher retreated from Oore after that and declared the region a lost cause and decided to go elsewhere."

"And that brings us to Unova. As you all probably know, that region went through its own share of problems. Team Plasma, led by a man known as Ghetsis, attempted to overthrow the region using the legendaries of Unova twice, and they were beaten twice. Our own Hugh over there helped the second time." Noah explained, grinning over at his friend. Hugh grinned back at him, shutting his eyes and chuckling.

"But…As Team Plasma well and truly crumbled for a second time, they gained a powerful ally that helped them rise from the ashes stronger than ever."

"Cipher." Sun finished for the older Trainer.

"Bingo. Cipher, after getting rid of Wes and his partner and having spent some time recovering from their setback in Oore, pooled all of their resources and time into Unova. They began helping Neo Team Plasma get back on its feet upon arriving in Unova, allying themselves with Ghetsis and those loyal to him. I guess they were hoping that setting up shop in an isolated region like Unova would prove to work better for them."

"I have a question." Lillie stated, drawing the attention of the group. "What is the difference between Team Plasma and Neo Team Plasma? I've heard of both before, but…"

"Neo Team Plasma was the second iteration of the group, the one that decided on a much more brutal and honest approach to conquering the region. Those that still go by Team Plasma are more concerned with helping Pokémon as much as possible. They retain the good of the group that had been there from the beginning," Noah explained, frowning. "From there, the two groups, Cipher and Neo Team Plasma, began assisting each other and establishing a power base in Unova. This continued for two years, where they operated in secret…"

"And then they had to deal with a furious Snagger that came floundering through time." Hugh chimed in, smirking.

"Yep. Wes returned at last, winding up in Unova and losing track of Celebi. After crashing landing into the future, he quickly got back in touch with his old contacts and prepared himself to once again face Cipher. This time, however…he wouldn't go about it all alone."

"Heh…Yeah, he ended up picking up a protégé not too long after winding up in Unova. Aria...Man, she was something else." Hugh remarked, his smile returning as a distant expression appeared on her face.

"The protégé of the Snagger…" Sun muttered before asking, "You said _was_. What happened to her?"

"We'll get to that. Anyways, Wes and Aria made for one heck of a combo. Aria was a Trainer just starting out, but with a Trainer like Wes as her teacher, she became quite a force to be reckoned with, even as a rookie Trainer. Hugh met up with them and got roped into their little group, with Vivian following. It was around this time that, from what I can gather, Cipher made a breakthrough in the Shadow Pokémon process. They found a way to make them much stronger, at the cost of them losing their invisible shadowy aura whenever they used their full strength. It was now quite visible, but at that point they didn't care."

"Wes led our little group throughout the region, taking down Admin after Admin and confronting Cipher and Neo Team Plasma wherever they showed up. All the while, dealing with the fallout and danger that comes from taking on such a group. Amber showed up from time to time, causing us grief, of course. Wes nearly killed her twice but she slipped away before he could finish her off."

"We eventually stumbled upon the game plan on Ghetsis and Cipher. Reacquire the legendary dragon known as Kyurem and covert it into a Shadow Pokémon. The resulting change would give the ice dragon enough firepower to do whatever Ghetsis demanded, as it would willingly obey whatever orders it received and spell doom for the region, as opposed to the limited damage the beast did when it was trying to fight free from Neo Team Plasma's control the first time.. Obviously once we learned this, we redoubled our efforts to bring them down."

"Eventually, with the backing of a former champion and the Gym Leaders of Unova, we took the fight to the Cipher base set up in between the wastes of Nimbasa and Castelia City. At that point, Cipher and Neo Team Plasma had wracked up a pretty good body count, and had taken out one of the former champions already and stolen another Pokémon from him using Kyurem's powers. Needless to say things came to a head at this compound. Our little group stormed the place, causing mayhem while Wes went on to confront Ghetsis…and during that fight, something happened."

"…What would that be?" Sun asked Noah, after waiting a few moments. To his surprise, the teen shook his head in reply.

"No idea. Wes battled Ghetsis, who at that point was using Kyurem's power to rain down ice all over the region. A regular Kyurem? That's pretty bad. A Shadow Kyurem that only Cipher and Neo Team Plasma control with looked like some seriously ridiculous strength even for a legendary? Even Wes couldn't stand up against something like that." Noah explained, closing his eyes and thinking hard for a few seconds.

"After that…things went south. Really far south. On top of that, we found out that our friend who had been supporting us was, in fact, working with them. They sold us out, stabbed us in the back, and shortly after that, condemned Nimbasa City to be reduced to nothing short of an icy graveyard. So many died…all because one man's betrayal. It was because of him that Wes wasn't able to put down Ghetsis and because that...well..."

"I feel like you're leaving some details out," Sun remarked, earning a tired look from Noah.

"Sorry, little buddy. But these were some bad times. I'll spare you the details, but let's just say a lot of very good people met a very nasty end because of Cipher. That fire in Celadon isn't the first time they ruined a city. At least half of Celadon was spared. There's nothing left of Nimbasa City except memories and a frozen tomb."

"What happened to Wes?" Sun asked after a moment.

"Well, we managed to get him out of the Cipher base he had battled Ghetsis in. After that, though…He disappeared. Vanished. I…really don't know where he is now. But the state he was in, after losing to Ghetsis and seeing what had happened to Nimbasa because of his loss…He was broken, from what I had heard. So much was riding on his victory, and he couldn't overcome Kyurem…I think letting down everyone like that broke him psychologically. I don't really know, but he left shortly after we got out of harm's way. And if that wasn't bad enough, Aria went looking for him and she's gone too…"

"After that, we got out of there. We were down one of our heavy hitters and our leader, and we didn't have any game plan on how to stop them. So we left and went for the last place they'd think to look. A tropical paradise with sunny weather." Noah explained with a rueful smile.

"And that's the grisly tale in a nutshell, for now. We're here regrouping in Alola and trying to figure out where to go from here-" Noah was cut off by a loud yawn from the violinist in his lap, who stared up at the young man with a wide smile.

"Hey you." Vivian murmured, reaching up and brushing her fingers against Noah's face.

"You sleep alright?" Noah asked, grinning down at her.

"I would have slept better if I had been kissed awake. But to answer the question, I slept well. Thanks for letting me do that, by the way…Last night wasn't a good one for me." Vivian replied as she yawned again before sitting up and kissing Noah on the lips. She went back to lying down on Noah's lap with a content smile on her face.

"I know, I know. By the way, we have guests." Noah remarked lightly, making Vivian's eyes shoot open. She looked over at Lillie and Sun and bolted upright with wide eyes and a horrified expression. She frantically scooted away from Noah, who was snickering at her as the young woman stared at the children with a large growing blush on her face. She then noticed Hugh standing next to her and yelped, scooting further away from him and back over to Noah.

"Hello Vivian!" Lillie said cheerfully to the older Trainer, glancing at Sun after a moment. Sun met Lillie's eyes and both of them looked over at Vivian with shark-like grins.

"Oh shit." Vivian muttered, her blush becoming somehow darker. She knew this wasn't going to end well.

"So, we were just chatting with your _boyfriend_ …" Lillie put extra emphasis on the word, making Vivian's face grow another notch redder.

"I…Uh…That is we…" Vivian mumbled, having absolutely nothing to say as Lillie got a mock confused look on her face.

"What's wrong Vivian? You look a bit flushed. Do you have a fever?" Lillie asked, barely holding back her laughter. Sun was just snickering while Noah smirked as he watched his girlfriend continue to sputter in embarrassment. Hugh was outright cackling with delight at seeing the girl so flustered.

"Oh no, she doesn't have a fever. She just gets embarrassed when she's with me in public. She's all confidence and sass until she gets embarrassed…" Noah had scooted over to Vivian while she was distracted and pulled her into a hug, making her yelp in surprise. She didn't fight it though, but she did growl.

"N-noah! Stop!" Vivian said before Noah nuzzled the violinist, making her stop struggling.

"Nah. You're even cuter when you're flustered. And I've got a sinking suspicion that you've teased these two at some point, so I'm fine with them getting some payback." Noah gave Sun and Lillie a wink and said, "Feel free to lay it on, you two. She's had some teasing coming for a long time."

"How long have you two been together?" Lillie asked, giggling as Noah continued to smother the violinist with affection. Vivian pretty much just stopped struggling, despite the fact that she could probably break free from Noah's weak grip with ease, and just shut her eyes and sighed with contentment, though the massive blush she had never left her face.

"Three months. We went on a few dates before that, but it took her ages to admit she had feelings for me. I told her shortly after we met that I liked her, but she's pretty stubborn sometimes and was adamant that she didn't have it in her to fall for someone. She fought it for a while, but finally admitted she was smitten with me shortly before Nimbasa City fell." Noah said as he began to pet Vivian like a cat, making the young woman wince slightly.

"Well, I'm glad you've got someone like that, Vivian. Good for you." Sun said sincerely, making the violinist's eyes open with surprise for a moment before she closed them once again.

"She's in a huff because she doesn't like being embarrassed in front of people." Noah giggled, though he thought about it for a moment before shrugging as much as he could. "That said, it's not like I usually get like this with her in public too often, so it's just something she'll have to suffer through."

"Well, since you thought me and Sun looked so adorable together, I think it's only fitting to say that you and Noah look even cuter together." Lillie said to Vivian, who scowled at the younger girl in reply.

"Well, I don't know the two of you that well, but if what Vivian said to me last night was any indication, you both seem like quite good friends. I'm not going to be a prissy dork and make fun of you two just because you two seem cute together. Which you do, but again, I won't give you both crap for it." Noah remarked with a wide smile.

"I appreciate that. It seems like I get more grief about the subject then I should." Lillie said to the older Trainer with a grateful smile.

"Thanks for letting us mess with her. That was pretty funny." Sun chuckled, earning a thumbs up from Noah in response.

"So what are you both going to do now?" Noah asked the two children.

"We'll be heading out of the city in the morning. We need to start heading out towards the Verdant Cavern to finish the Normal Trial. Lillie has some work to do the Professor, so she can't join me and my friend on our trip." Sun replied to the older Trainer.

"I really wish I could, Sun but…I have other obligations." Lillie mumbled, looking rather upset.

"Hey, don't worry about it. I completely understand. Besides, it shouldn't take that long to get there…Will it?" Sun asked Noah and Hugh.

"We managed to trip in ten days. If I hadn't been slowing him down, Hugh could have made the trip himself in a week. It'll likely be two weeks for you, give or take. The route is straightforward and pretty nice, so I wouldn't worry about it too much. Just enjoy the sights and the pleasant weather," Noah advised the Kanto-native. "I'd recommend leaving at first light too. Need to make as much progress as you can, you know? Oh, and don't travel after dark. Not recommended. Some of the nocturnal Pokémon around these parts can be fierce," Noah cut himself off with a yawn, making Hugh and Vivian look at him. "Or do whatever works for you. I know I'm about ready for a nap. Being outside and walking around today has me really drained." Noah said to the others. Vivian finally broke away from his hold and looked at him worriedly.

"Why didn't you say that you were tired? If you were so exhausted, you should have just woke me up!" Vivian said to Noah, who simply rolled his eyes.

"You don't get nearly enough sleep. I get plenty, I'm just tired from the usual nonsense I go through. Nothing major, so stop worrying." Noah said with a small smile as Vivian got to her feet, bristling.

"Your health isn't something you can just brush off, Noah. Now let's get back inside so you can get some rest." Vivian grabbed Noah by the arm and lifted the man to his feet with no difficulty, looking annoyed now.

"Whelp, I'm in trouble. You two both have a good day. If you ever need anything, let me know, alright?" Noah then rattled off a phone number that Sun added in his own phone (Lillie did the same). Vivian rolled her eyes but also exchanged numbers with the two children. Having access to their numbers would probably come in handy, since they were both much older and experienced Trainers and had been plenty helpful so far. Hugh remained with them, watching the couple make their way back inside.

"I'll never understand what that guy sees in her." Hugh muttered under his breath, shaking his head. The trio began walking away from the Hospital and made their way down the sidewalk to another part of the city.

"So, what's next for you, Hugh?" Sun asked the older Trainer.

"I'll keep exploring the city, I guess. I came from a small town, so this place is really interesting to someone like me. I'm really liking Alola a lot. I had a lot of fun trekking out to the Verdant Trial." Hugh said, smiling as he looked up at the cloudless sky above him. "It's a bit warm for me, but the people are nice and the Pokémon are interesting. It's a nice change of pace, you know?"

"Yeah, I understand that completely. I moved here from Kanto, so it's a bit of a shock seeing all of this." Sun replied, making Lillie giggle beside him.

"It's still surprising to me how kind and wonderful the people in Alola are. Professor Burnet, Professor Kukui, Hau, the Kahuna, and so many more. It's nice to know that I'm not the only one who appreciates this region so much," Lillie said to the two boys, sighing as she closed her eyes.

"Well, you get to help the Professor, so I bet you meet a lot of cool people, don't you?" Sun asked Lillie. The girl nodded in reply, but Hugh asked, "You're an assistant to the Professor?"

"Y-yes. I've been helping Professor Kukui with his research for the past couple months." Lillie answered, making Hugh smile a bit at that.

"I know a girl who's the assistant to Unova's regional Professor. It's a nice job, and you'll learn a lot. Keep at it, alright? The work that the Professor's do help a lot of people. Even if you aren't a Trainer, understanding Pokémon better just benefits everyone in the long run." Hugh remarked as they continued down the street. Hugh then turned to Sun and said, "How about you, Sun? You're heading towards the Normal Trial, right?" Hugh asked the Kanto-native, receiving a nod in response.

"Then you'll want to be prepared. I've been a Trainer for a good while and that Totem Pokémon still gave me a good challenge." Hugh smirked as he crossed his arms. "Heh. You both are giving me a nostalgia trip."

"Did you go on a journey too, Hugh?" Sun asked the spiky-haired young man.

"Yep. I even helped my best friend fight Team Plasma…Well, Neo Team Plasma. Did they ever officially change their names?" Hugh wondered aloud before shaking his head. "Doesn't matter. I helped deal with them when they came back about a year and a half ago. Learned a lot during my time exploring Unova. You should have fun on this, don't you worry. I know I'm enjoying my time here, that's for sure."

"That's good…Hey, Hugh?"

"Yeah?"

"You…wouldn't happen to be interested in joining me and Hau on our trip to the Normal Trial, would you?" Sun asked the older Trainer. Hugh looked over at the Kanto-native with surprise.

"Huh…Well, I wasn't expecting to be asked that. Why do you ask, anyway?" Hugh asked Sun.

"Well, I've never been outside of a city on my own before. I'm sure Hau knows how to live off of the land, but I sure don't. If you don't want to, I understand, since you've already done the Trial and it'd be a bit of a waste of time but…I don't know. Having an experienced Pokémon Trainer on hand would help us out a lot. Its just a thought I had, is all." Sun explained, shrugging.

Hugh remained silent for a good little while, actually thinking it over. Eventually the teen shrugged and said, "Why not? I never got a chance to catch an Alolan Pokémon on my first go around anyway. I'll tag along with you two until you get to the Trial spot. I can catch a Pokémon along the way and show you a few things about surviving in the wild. After that, I'll be coming back here. Alright?"

"Really?" Sun asked, surprised. Hugh nodded and Sun grinned, extending a fist out to Hugh. The older Trainer smirked and tapped it with his own. Lillie just giggled at the display between the two Trainers.

With that, the trio continued their trek through the city. Eventually, Lillie and Sun had to catch a taxi back to the Pokémon Center so that Lillie could pack. After exchanging numbers with Hugh, Lillie and Sun said goodbye to the Unovan Trainer and again thanked him for all of his help today. Hugh told Sun to meet him outside of the Pokémon Center at dawn so that they could get going on the right foot.

"So…What did you think?" Lillie asked Sun as they began their journey back to the Pokémon Center.

"I think that I'll be having a few more talks with those three. Cipher…They're monsters. All of them. They took over Unova and they're trying to do the same with Kanto. But now that I know a bit more about them, they're not as scary as I first thought. Because they're not invincible…They can be beat. It's just a matter of who will do it and when. I didn't ask Hugh to tag along just so I can learn a bit about surviving in the wild from him. He's really strong, and he's fought Cipher. If I can pick up a few things from him, that'd go a long way to helping me get stronger." Sun explained quietly, leaning back in his seat and closing his eyes. Lillie remained quiet at that, and so silence reigned on the taxi ride back.

Lillie and Sun arrived at the Pokémon Center and regrouped with Hau. Hau seemed pretty excited when Sun mentioned that Hugh would be joining them for a short time on their journey, and had no issues with it at all. After some dinner, Lillie got all packed and ready to go when Kukui eventually arrived to pick her up. The assistant to the Professor gave both Sun and Hau a hug goodbye and when she vanished with Professor Kukui, Hau let out a sigh.

"Still kinda sucks. I was really hoping to have her hang around a bit longer." Hau muttered as the two of them walked back inside of the Pokémon Center.

"I know. But we're just going to have to deal with it and keep on going by ourselves. At least we'll be on our way tomorrow. I'm starting to get excited about what's waiting for us at the Normal Trial." Sun said to Hau, offering him a small grin. Hau seemed to pick up on Sun's enthusiasm, and smiled a bit as well.

"Yeah. We're going to beat that Trial! That way we can show Lillie how awesome with both are, right?" Hau said to Sun, making the boy nod with an even wider grin.

When morning arrived, the duo checked out of the Pokémon Center. It was there that they learned that Trainers could only stay at any given Pokémon Center for a week at most, and Trainers were kicked out on their 8th day, which was incredibly convenient for Sun and Hau. Apparently after checking out at any given Pokémon Center you had to wait three days to be able to check back into one again, for obvious reasons.

With that, the trio of Hau, Sun, and Hugh made their way out of the city and out onto Route 2, in high spirits and with their Pokémon in tow, ready to face whatever came their way.

* * *

 _Alright, so that was a way longer chapter than intended (again). But now we're on our way to the Normal Trial and eventually a battle against the Kahuna! But what lies in wait along the way?_

 _Find out next time!_

 _Special shoutout to 127294AlexTheReaper for correctly guessing that Hugh would be the first special appearance for this story! Well done!_

 _Thanks to all who participated in the mini-contest and for all of your guesses. I'm actually seriously considering adding another character to the story, mainly because the feedback and suggestions were awesome and actually made me really think. Problem is, I don't want to just add more characters just for the sake of adding them. But it's definitely something I'm considering. I'll likely be doing another one of these things down the road the next character shows up, so…look forward to that!_

 _Thanks again for all of the support and feedback. It means the world to me and I can't thank you enough for the love that this story has gotten so far. And to those who have wished me luck in regards to my potential career in the Air Force, thank you even more so! I'll be sure to keep you all updated on my progress!_

 _You all take care, and I'll see you next update._

 _Until next time, FlygonNick out!_


	18. On the Road

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _So this story had another big delay. Sorry about that, but considering the following news, I think that'll be forgiven._

 _ **So this past week, I went through MEPS (Military Entrance Processing Station) and am now proud to say that I passed it with flying colors, and that I have been sworn into the United States Air Force. After 7 months of dieting, working out, and dropping 35 pounds I have finally achieved my goal.**_

 _So I'm feeling pretty good about that._

 _Now, as for when I'll be leaving to go in, I don't know. I'll find out more soon, but I figured I should let you all know what's going on in regards to that. Again, thank you so much for all of the support and well-wishes._

 _Now, back to story stuff._

 _In regards to some of the questions posed in the review section, it should please you all to know that these are exactly the kind of questions that I enjoy being asked about the story and that in due time, you'll get your answers. Some sooner than you'd think._

 _And in regards to making sure that the new plot-lines being interwoven into the existing Sun and Moon story don't mess up the main plot, I say don't worry too much about it. I'm taking some great lengths to ensure the two plot-lines complement one another and do not overshadow each other, though the main plot of Sun and Moon will of course take precedence. This story is going to be a long one, even with weekly updates. So keep that in mind._

 _Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes Cottonmouth25, Raikou927, Madame Rodoshe, Sai Og Sus, NullSilver2005, Dunka99, and Ways, as well as a new reviewer known as ShadowDragon9000. Thanks for the love, support, feedback, and general awesomeness that you throw my way._

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 _Chapter 18: On the Road_

* * *

Sun quickly learned a few things during the first hour of travelling.

One. Proper footwear was essential. While he had done a lot of walking in his time at Hau'Oli City, that was on smooth pavement and not the rough trail that winded through the western side of the island. Sun resolved to get some supportive boots or shoes of some kind that would make walking easier. Hau didn't seem bothered, nor did Hugh, but Sun was starting to ache after just an hour on the rough road.

Two. Alola was _hot_. Yes, Sun had already known that before coming to the island region, and knew that after his second week in Alola. However, being out and about on the trails away from the wonder that was air-conditioning was more than enough to make the boy sweat bullets. So he made sure to keep drinking water. Hau seemed to have little issues with the heat, but then he was used to it by now, having lived in Alola his whole life.

Three. Alola was beautiful. Sun had been blown away before by the epic sights of the tropical region, but somehow being in a more wild setting seemed to give the sights around him an extra bit of depth. The Pokémon watching them curiously from the grass and trees, and water crashing against the cliffs in the distance, and the cry of the Wingull's above them made it very clear that they were quite a ways from civilization at this point. It made Sun nervous, in a way, but also excited to finally feel like his adventure had finally begun.

Hugh pointed out that they were pretty much alone out here on this side of the island, which Hau confirmed. There was a cemetery, a berry farm, a hotel, and a few houses in between their current location and the Pokémon Center on the northern section of the island. Aside from those spots, there was nothing but wilderness all around them.

The trio did little but walk, stopping only to battle or to point out an interesting sight. All the while, Hugh kept up a running conversation about how to live out in the wild, eager to teach the two younger trainers what he knew. He was quite happy to hear that Sun was very well-supplied for his journey, and that his mother had been able to prepare for him to survive away from the cities.

Over the course of their morning walk, Hugh explained several ways to find one's bearings and warning signs to look out for when it came to aggressive Pokémon. Between him, Rotom, and Hau, Sun was almost overwhelmed at the amount of information coming his way regarding simple survival outside of civilization. Hugh laughed when Sun admitted this to him and Hau. Sun eventually decided to start taking notes as the two Pokémon Trainers talked, though Rotom helpfully explained that it could just listen to what Hugh and Hau were saying and record notes automatically.

Sun was very grateful for this.

It was nearing noon when the trio of Trainers decided to take their first break. Hau and Sun had battled a few Trainers along the way, of course, with Hugh observing most of the time. Thankfully those that the two greenhorns battled were unable to overcome Sun and Hau, so the two boys managed to get a couple of wins under their belt after just a few hours. Hugh would always offer a bit of wisdom or advice after each battle, usually offering another way to have done something or a recommendation for the next time they battled. Sun and Hau intently listened to the older Trainer during these times, keen to learn from someone much more seasoned than they.

When Sun and Hau sat down in the grass, sighing with relief, Hugh couldn't help but laugh. The teen was just leaning against a tree, drenched in sweat himself, though this was more from the intense heat of Alola rather than just walking around in the heat of the day. He was amused at the sight of the two boys exhaustedly resting in the grass, and couldn't help but comment on it.

"You two have done pretty well on your first day out!" Hugh said to the two rookies, grinning down at them. "So we'll hang out here for an hour. Let our Pokémon out so they can enjoy the day a bit and then get back to it. If we keep up this pace, we'll be at the Verdant Cave in two weeks."

"Sounds like a plan…come on out!" Sun released Penny and Oliver, who both fluttered over to their Trainer and landed on his lap. Hau released Duke and Cassy, who both relaxed in the grass. Hugh pulled out four Poké Balls and released his Pokémon as well.

Samson let out a snort as he was released, the Samurott taking in his surroundings for a moment before looking over at Hugh. The spikey-haired teen opened his mouth to speak to his starter when a large bird behind him let out several tweets and chirps, flaring its wings. It was a mixture of grey, black, pink, and green and eyed the smaller birds in Sun's lap with interest for a moment before returning its attention to Hugh. Sun took that moment to use Rotom to scan the Pokémon.

" _Bzzt! Unfezant. The Proud Pokémon._ _Males have plumage on their heads. They will never let themselves feel close to anyone other than their Trainers."_ Rotom piped up as the bird eyed the device with suspicion.

"Yeah, Faolin, you can scout the area if you want. Just be back here in an hour. And keep out of trouble." Hugh advised the bird, who nodded and launched itself into the sky. Hugh looked over at his two remaining Pokémon, a green and red dragon with round red eyes and a large green monkey wearing a wide grin on his face.

"Rell and Sage, do whatever you want, but stay out of trouble and be back in an hour." Hugh advised his two Pokémon. Sun had Rotom scan both of them, and after a moment Rotom spoke up.

" _Flygon. The Mystic Pokémon._ _The flapping of its wings sounds something like singing. Those lured by the sound are enveloped in a sandstorm, becoming Flygon's prey."_ Rotom explained as the dragon glanced over at them before shooting off into the sky as well, though it was in the opposite direction as Hugh's Unfezant. Sun turned to the grass monkey that had taken to sitting against a nearby tree and closing its eyes.

" _Simisage. The Thorn Monkey Pokémon._ _It attacks enemies with strikes of its thorn-covered tail. This Pokémon is wild tempered."_ Rotom explained as Hugh finally looked over at them.

"I meant to ask, what's up with your Pokédex? I've never seen one like that before." Hugh asked as he sat down next to his Simisage and Samurott, leaning against the side of the latter of the two.

"It's a special Pokédex that Professor Kukui got for me since I'm new to the region. It's called the Rotom Dex, since it, well…Has a Rotom living inside of it." Sun explained as the Pokédex flew back out of his backpack and waved over at Hugh. The older Trainer grinned at the Pokédex and waved back.

"That reminds me, though. Rotom, what happened to you the other day? You freaked out when that Team Skull guy insulted you." Sun asked the Rotom Dex, who's reply was a shrug.

" _Hey, if someonezz gonna make fun of me, I'm gonna scare the living daylightzz out of them. As best as I can in this body, anyway. Bzzt!"_ Rotom replied almost sassily, a small smirk on its face.

"Scare? What you said to them was horrifying! Does Professor Kukui know you get like that when mad?" Sun asked the device.

 _"Nope. Well, maybe. If he did, he certainly didn't tell you, now did he?"_

"Well, can you not do that anymore? That seriously scared us, you know." Sun said to Rotom, to which the Dex replied with a mechanical beep.

"Sun, I wouldn't waste your breath. Ghost-type Pokémon can be really to control sometimes. It looks like Rotom likes you and seems to be happy to help you out. But if Rotom got mad for being insulted by someone, I think it's something that it can't control all that well. You may just have to roll with it, or at least have Professor Kukui or Doc look at the Pokédex for you." Hugh replied to Sun.

"…Doc?" Sun asked.

"Eh, never mind. You'll probably never meet him anyway." Hugh remarked before continuing. "Just a heads up, there's a few Pokémon types that are harder to control than others, and I'd recommend holding off on capturing these types until you're stronger as a Pokémon Trainer."

"What types would that be?"

"Dragon-types for one. Dragons are incredibly hard to train for the most part, and are immensely prideful. It takes a skilled Trainer to keep a Dragon-type Pokémon under control, and I definitely don't recommend getting one yourself until you have a few more Pokémon under your belt." Hugh advised, patting the Poké Ball that likely had contained his Flygon for reference. "Dark-types are something I'd avoid as well, at least for a little while. They're not nearly as rough to handle as dragons, but they can be a handful and it's difficult to get a Dark-type to listen to you. They also tend to be a bit more violent at times, though this can be curbed with time. Ghosts are the same way, in a sense, but a bit easier to get used too. They're more mischievous than anything else and rarely get violent."

 _"Mischievouzz? I am insulted by this slander being hurled my way!"_ Rotom declared, ruining its statement by giggling.

"All in all, I've got to say, your Rotom Dex is pretty cool. I heard that those are going to become the standard for Pokémon Trainers in a few years…Man, it's crazy the kind of tech we've got nowadays. Still, nothing beats being out and about in the wilds with just your Pokémon and your wits." Hugh remarked as he closed his eyes. Sun decided to do the same, and for a time the trio rested in the shade of the trees around them.

Sun was snapped out of his reverie by the sound of something buzzing around him. As he glanced around, he caught sight of a small bug Pokémon soaring overhead and landing in the grass nearby. The Pokémon then looked towards them before flying towards some nearby flowers, curiously looking at the trio of Trainers.

"Huh…Hey Hau? What's that?" Hugh asked, pointing towards the small Pokémon watching them from the small patch of flowers within the grass.

"Looks like a Cutiefly." Hau remarked as Sun opened his backpack and pulled out the Rotom Dex. After the device woke up, it cheerfully scanned the Pokémon watching them.

" _Cutiefly. The Bee Fly_ _Pokémon._ _It feeds on the nectar and pollen of flowers. Because it's able to sense auras, it can identify which flowers are about to bloom."_ Rotom said as the Pokémon warily adjusted its stance.

"Interesting…" Hugh said as he got to his feet with a grunt. The teen took a few moments to stretch before pulling out a Poké Ball that was blue and white with red grooves on top.

"My Pokémon are all way too strong for this area. So I think I'll do this a different way." Hugh said as he walked towards the Cutiefly, which buzzed softly as he approached. Hugh smiled as he stopped about twenty feet away from the small Pokémon before throwing the Great Ball at the creature. The Cutiefly let out a squeak and was unable to fly away in time before the ball lightly bounced off of its head, sucking the Pokémon sucked into the device as it fell to the ground. The ball shook three times before an audible click sounded out.

Hugh walked over to the Great Ball and picked it up, admiring it for a moment before releasing the Pokémon within. The Cutiefly buzzed around in the air before stopping level with Hugh's face.

"Hey there. Sorry about surprising you like that." Hugh remarked as he held out his arm. The Cutiefly let out a soft noise before fluttering to Hugh's arm.

"Hmm…I'll have to come up with a name for you." Hugh mused as he reached up and gently patted the Bug/Fairy-type. The Pokémon closed its eyes and made a soft noise, which made Hugh smile. "There we go. Alright, you two. Let's get moving!" Hugh said as he grabbed his backpack off of the ground. At that point he had already returned all of his Pokémon except his Samurott, who was returned as Sun and Hau picked up their packs and began walking out of the area they were in.

As the day went on, Sun and Hau continued to battle the odd Trainer and Pokémon that they came across. Both of the younger Trainer's kept their Pokémon out, since it wasn't too much of a bother and Hugh didn't mind.

Nothing of note happened until Hau decided to battle a friendly Hiker, who happened to be one of the more experienced Trainers on the route. After knocking out Cassy, Hau found himself battling a very tough Machop with just his Pichu. As the battle reached its climax, both Pokémon were battered and exhausted, but Hau wasn't going to give up just yet.

"Machop, use Brick Break!" the Hiker yelled to his Pokémon, which let out a cry before dashing towards its opponent.

"Hit it with Charm!" Hau called out to his Pichu, which just nodded mutely in reply as the Machop sprinted towards it. The Pichu put on an adorable face and looked at the Machop just as it leapt towards him. The Machop winced at the move, allowing Duke to dodge the attack, slipping behind the Machop.

"Machop, behind you!" the Hiker called out, knowing what would happen next.

"Thunder Shock, now!" Hau yelled out, smiling widely. The Pichu took a deep breath and became engulfed with electricity before unleashing its attack on the Machop as it slowly turned around. The Superpower Pokémon let out a scream of pain as the attack hit it directly, and as the attack was released it tumbled backwards, having finally fainted.

"Hehe! Nice one Duke!" Hau scooped up his Pichu, spinning around and laughing with joy. Duke joined in with the laughter, happy to have been able to bring his Trainer a win despite the tough opponent.

And then the Pichu began to glow.

"Whoa! What's going on!?" Hau yelped, holding the Pichu further away from him. The Pokémon was silent, save for the high-pitched hum of energy focusing around the Pokémon, who was glowing bright blue and shining, it's body slowly growing larger with its tail and ears growing longer.

"That, my friends, is what we call evolution." Hugh said with a wide grin as the glow finally began to die down, revealing a brand new Pokémon that each of them knew very well. Gone was Duke the Pichu, and in his place was a more yellow and larger mouse wearing a wide smile on his face.

"Pika Pikachu!" the Pokémon cried out happily, throwing his arms apart. Hau laughed happily and hugged Duke the Pikachu tightly, giggling happily. A now-awake Cassy leapt up and joined the Trainer and Pikachu in what became a group hug of joy.

"I'm so glad for him. That's so awesome." Sun said with a grin, watching the three laugh at their accomplishment.

"It goes to show that, while he may lack… _urgency_ , Hau really does love his Pokémon. For a Pichu to evolve that early on in its life and level? That shows a very close bond with his Pokémon. I can appreciate that kind of thing," Hugh remarked, wearing an approving smile.

The trio continued to trek ever forward, with Duke the Pikachu riding proudly atop Hau's shoulder while Hau beamed like a madman, his face in danger of breaking from sheer excitement and joy. The group was in pretty good spirits by the time the sun was beginning to set, which was when Hugh decided that they should set up camp for the night. Hugh decided on them stopping in a small clearing beside a small cliff face, surrounded on all sides by trees and well off the beaten path. Hau and Sun were panting and drenched in sweat by the time this happened, so they were grateful for the reprieve. Hau and Sun gratefully set down their bags before they saw Hugh release his Flygon.

"Your turn for dinner tonight." Hugh said to the dragon, who looked at him for a moment before shrugging and launching itself into the air.

"What do you mean by that?" Sun asked as he began releasing items from their item capsules.

"Rell's going to kill some stuff for us to have for dinner." Hugh explained as he grabbed some of his own stuff.

"Oh…" Sun said, feeling a bit uncomfortable. He had been wondering a little bit how that worked out on the road, but had never really considered that hunting Pokémon for food was something that happened, or at least happened so often, since this was their first night out in the wilds.

"Yeah, trust me. Never stops feeling a little wrong. But that's how life works, and there's no beating yourself up over it. People and Pokémon have to eat, right?" Hugh asked Sun, who mutely nodded. Hugh turned to Hau, who shrugged.

"Stay away from Rattata. Got food poisoning once from eating one of them with Tutu." Hau simply commented, not really bothered by the idea of hunting. Sun imagined that, as the Kahuna's grandson, he had been out in the wilds before and had probably eaten freshly killed Pokémon before. Sun found himself bothered by the idea of it, but understood that it was just something that happened as a Trainer.

Rell the Flygon quickly caught a few local Pokémon for them to eat, in a dinner augmented by some of the supplies Sun had brought with them. Hugh showed Sun and Hau how to skin, clean, and properly cook Pokémon (a Smergle in this case) and explained the ins and outs of preparing meat. Sun made sure that Rotom was recording the information because Sun was trying not to throw up, so he wasn't paying that much attention.

Dinner itself was actually pretty good for Sun, once he got over enough of his disgust. Penny didn't partake in any meat, but Oliver did. Hugh continued his never-ending stream of training wisdom but stating that having sauce for whatever you hunt in the wilds is paramount above everything else you did as a Trainer.

Once the BBQ sauce was brought out, the Kanto-native had a much easier time of eating.

Eventually, the food was eaten and the group simply sat around the campfire. Sun was practicing his flute, once he was assured that it wouldn't bother the others, and he managed to learn how to play a new short song on his own. It was harder to play in the limited light around them, since the campfire wasn't exactly great for keeping light on a paper, but Sun managed well enough.

Sun, to his surprise, found himself missing Lillie. Her constant companionship over the past week had been something Sun had taken for granted, and now that that she was gone, Sun missed having her around. He decided that the next time he saw her, he'd make sure they play their flutes together in a duet or something. She seemed to really like the idea of being able to share her love of music with someone else.

"Hey Sun?" Sun snapped out of his thoughts as Hau looked over at him, looking fairly sleepy. "You should probably call your Mom before bed, shouldn't you? I know I'm about to hit the hay myself." Hau remarked with a yawn.

"That's probably a good idea. I'll head out a little ways over there," Sun said to Hau and Hugh, pointing to a clearing a short distance away.

"Alright. Yell out if you need anything and keep your Pokémon with you." Hugh said to the young Pokémon Trainer, staring into the flames of the campfire with a distant expression on his face. Sun nodded and began walking out into the trees, with Oliver and Penny fluttering off after him. Sun pulled out his phone and thought for a few moments about what exactly to say to her, but then remembered that this was his Mom and that he was being silly for being nervous about calling her. So he did so.

"Hello?" came Laura's voice after two rings.

"Hi Mom." Sun said as he leaned against a tree, keeping his voice level.

"Hello, dear. How's your trip been so far? I want to hear all about it!" Mom gushed, sounding fairly upbeat. Sun couldn't help a smile at that. At least his mother was staying strong. Sun recounted everything he could remember over the past week or so, explaining everything he could. Of course, this led to him being teased a few times over the time he spent alone with Lillie, but he was expecting that.

"Sounds like you're having a wonderful time. You said it'll be about two weeks before you get to the Verdant Cavern, right?" Mom asked Sun, who nodded…and then replied yes when he realized that she didn't see the nod.

"Well, I'm glad you and Hau are sticking together. And that you found someone who's a bit more experienced in outdoors stuff to show you the ropes. Hopefully your first hunting trip went better than mine." Laura chuckled before adding, "I swore off meat for a month after my Padma brought me a Pidgey to eat for dinner. By dropping it on my brand new shoes. Leaking blood still. _On my brand new shoes._ "

Sun giggled at that, imagining the shriek of horror from his mother at such an event happening. Laura laughed at that as well, and for a moment all was smiles and laughs. But, like with all things, the happy moment came to an end.

"Mom, didn't you want to talk to me about Celadon?" Sun asked his mother. Silence reigned, but it was broken by a long sigh.

"Yes. As you can imagine, this week has been pretty rough on me. On us, really. I know that because of your father, you didn't get out as much into the city, so you have limited experience with it…but I know seeing what Cipher did the other night had to have been nothing short of a nightmare for you, Sun." Laura said quietly, her own pain and loss raw in her voice. Sun knew that his mother had lived in Celadon for years, and had been born in the city decades ago. Seeing so much death and destruction like that had been painful to watch to say the least.

"It was terrible…All those poor people. All of those poor Pokémon…And Miss Erika…" Sun trailed off, his voice unable to continue.

"Erika went down protecting her people. She wasn't the violent type, but if she had to die, she would have been proud to have gone down helping others. She loved Celadon, she loved the people there and loved the flowers that bloomed within the city most of all. But…I can't believe that they could do something like that. I'm still in shock that it happened. To such a wonderful person…But…that's what I've come to expect from Cipher." Mom said, a bit of bite coming to her voice.

"Mom…When they did what they did, I felt so mad. So frustrated…And really sad. Like…a sadness that went down to my bones. I don't know what's going on, Mom. Lillie thinks I might be depressed from all the stuff that's been happening lately. I've been feeling like this for a while, but it's really hard to explain." Sun said to his mother, who went quite for almost a minute.

"It's possible." Laura said tentatively. "After everything your father pulled, and with us having to move, and then with you seeing that broadcast, I wouldn't be surprised if you were feeling depressed about it, dear. That said, you are a very joyful and strong boy, Sun. You're so much stronger than you think you are, and you brighten up a room with your smile. From the sound of it, you're dealing with this situation and your feelings in a very mature way, and I'm proud of you for that. Who else have you talked to about this?" Mom asked.

"Lillie. When Celadon got attacked, I ran out into the storm so I could be alone. I needed some time to just figure something out. I was so mad and frustrated and upset that I didn't know what else to do but get away from that TV. So Lillie went after me and we talked for a while. I explained everything I felt and she suggested I talk to some people about this to see if it was depression." Sun explained quietly, sinking to the ground and sitting down in the grass.

"I'd tease you about Lillie, but now's not the time for that. But I will say that her suggestion is a very good one. Once you clear your Trial and beat the Kahuna, which you'll do because you're my awesome son, then come on back home and we'll see if we can talk to some people about what's going on. Okay?" Laura said to her child, who smiled a little to himself. Despite everything going on, the torrent of emotions roiling through him, he felt better knowing that he wasn't alone in all of this. He may have lost his Dad to Cipher, but he'd always have his cheerful and goofy mother always looking out for him.

"Thanks Mom…But what about Cipher? What about Dad? They might come after us, won't they? What if they come here and start hurting people?" Sun asked his mother, who thought about his question for a few moments before replying.

"Sun, they have no reason whatsoever to come to Alola. Your father _despised_ living here. He hated the culture of Alola, he looked down upon it and everything it stood for. Even when he became an Island Challenge Champion, he held little happiness in his heart at his accomplishment. Its' an attitude a significant amount of people hold towards Alola and its customs, for one reason or another. I believe a group called Team Skull is founded on such ideals." Laura remarked, musing for a moment before continuing. "Your father Alola the place as soon as he thought it was appropriate, after proving that he was above it…At least that's how he explained it to me. He'd never think to look for us in his old home. Trust me." Laura remarked, a small bit of humor in her voice. Sun thought about the logic in her statement and realized that it was true. His father may have been an expert trainer and a cutthroat businessman, but he did have a habit of overlooking the little things. Maybe that would keep them safe.

"So here's my advice to you, my little Sunshine. Enjoy yourself. Become strong and enjoy your wonderful new home in the best way there is out there. Spend time with your friends and meet all kinds of new people. Alright?" Mom said to her child, sounding a little choked up. Sun managed a small smile and nodded before, again, realizing that she couldn't see the gesture.

"Y-yeah. I'll kick some butt out there on my Island Trial. And I'll try not to think about Cipher too much. It's hard, but…If you say that we're going to be okay from them, then…" Sun began to say before his mother cut him off.

"If they come, they come. We've done all we could. If that's still not enough, then we've got an Island Guardian, a Kahuna, Professor Kukui, and myself to contend with Cipher's nonsense and your father, should he come calling. Don't think I've been completely idle in my time here, Sun. I'm working on getting stronger myself, just in case your father comes knocking at our door. But I seriously doubt he'd care about Alola, Sun. He's got too many other problems to deal with." Sun was surprised at the lighter tone his mother's voice had taken.

"What do you mean?" Sun asked.

"Let's just say that…Even when up against some pretty heavy odds, there's some people willing to take a stand against people like Cipher. I've been talking to some of my old friends back in Kanto, and…well, let's just say that Cipher will have their hands full dealing with the fallout from their attack on Celadon and allying themselves with Team Rocket. Maybe you'll see what I mean soon enough on TV. I'm sure the news will get out sooner or later," Laura replied, her voice a bit more upbeat. Sun opened his mouth to speak, but his mother wasn't done.

"So don't worry. Keep smiling and being strong, dear. And know that whatever happens, I am so _so_ proud of you, and that I love you with all my heart." Sun smiled into the phone, laughing a little as his mother laughed as well.

"I love you too Mom. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Yep. Goodnight Sun! Sleep well, sweetie."

"You too Mom. Bye."

Sun hung up his phone and looked over at his two birds, who were watching him with interest from a nearby tree branch. Oliver flew over to Sun, with Penny following him a moment later. Sun held out his arms and Oliver flew into them, as did Penny. Sun looked down at both of his Pokémon, loyal and growing stronger every day, and grinned down at them.

"We just have to keep moving forward, don't we? If they come…We'll show them. If they don't…Maybe someday we'll be strong enough to stand up to them. I shouldn't be stressing out about them though, not when I have an Island Challenge to work on." Sun said as he began walking back towards the camp. Penny chirped lightly in response, looking at Oliver, who shrugged. Sun grinned and hugged both of his birds tightly, with both Oliver and Penny returning the gesture after a moment. The trio returned to camp, where they found Hugh watching the fire with a tired look on his face.

"Your talk go well?" Hugh asked Sun as the boy began pulling out his sleeping bag. Hau was already out cold, snoring with his mouth wide open.

"Yeah. I feel a little better about everything. Not a whole lot, but some." Sun said to the older Trainer.

"Good. No one should have to feel the weight of something like that on them. Trust me, I know." Hugh said with a smirk before adding, "You should get some sleep. We'll be up again bright and early in the morning."

"What about you?" Sun asked.

"I'll be heading to sleep shortly. Just trying to figure out some stuff." Hugh explained as shifted his position against his slumbering Samurott. Sun shrugged got ready for bed, with Penny and Oliver watching the fire all the while with drowsing eyes.

"Alright, if you say so…Goodnight Hugh."

"Goodnight Sun."

Sun slipped into his sleeping bag with a small yawn, with Oliver and Penny fluttering over to the boy and landing on top of him.

"Heh. Goodnight you two." Sun said with a laugh and a smile, closing his eyes as his Pokémon chirped at him.

Hugh watched the younger Pokémon Trainer fall asleep with a small smile before closing his own eyes, feeling the weariness seep into him. He heard the rustling of leaves above him and glanced up, only to see Sage the Simisage keeping watch above him.

"Keep an eye out, alright? It's just like Wes used to say…Never let your guard down. Especially at night." Hugh said to the Simisage as it shifted its stance. The monkey saluted his Trainer with a wide grin, making Hugh chuckle before he leaned back and observed the two slumbering Trainers for a few moments.

"Yeah…They'll do just fine out here. They're great Trainers and love their Pokémon. Heh…Reminds me of Aria." Hugh closed his eyes with another soft laugh, reflecting on his friend.

"I miss you, you know. More than I can say…I never did get the chance to tell you…" Hugh trailed off, shaking his head. There was no use wondering what could have been or reflecting on things you couldn't change. She was gone, and there was no changing that. Vanished into the shadows, along with her teacher. Hugh had given up hope seeing his friend alive again months ago.

 _"But maybe with my time here in Alola, I can get strong enough to make sure no one else has to disappear like she did ever again."_ Hugh thought as he shut his eyes, resting his head against Samson.

Soon enough, the older Trainer had fallen asleep with a sad smile on face, unaware that his Simisage was watching a figure floating in the sky with alarm. Sage's eyes narrowed as the figure flew towards the small campsite, silently weaving through the night like a specter from beyond the grave. The Simisage locked eyes with the strange Pokémon that had drifted into the area, but with a nod, the Simisage decided to continue his watch, deciding that the Pokémon in question was a trustworthy one based on what he had heard about it…though he'd still be watching the visiting Pokémon nevertheless.

Tapu Koko dropped down silently to the ground, undetected by any of the young Pokémon Trainers slumbering away. The Guardian Deity turned to Hugh and watched him for a few moments, thinking as it gazed upon the fierce Trainer from Unova.

With a satisfied nod, it turned to the tanned boy from Alola. Hau's snores were almost deafening to the sharp senses of the lightning warrior, who took several steps towards the boy and almost snorted at him. With a small shake of the head, Tapu Koko slowly turned to look at the Kanto-native amongst the trio. The one who had caught its attention the most.

The protector of Melemele Island glided forward, electricity humming around it as it moved towards Sun. The boy was sleeping peacefully for the first time in over a week, his Pokémon resting on top of him. Tapu Koko continued moving towards the young boy, its eyes narrowed slightly. It wondered exactly what this feeling was within it. The feeling that this boy was greater than he knew. That this boy may very well one day prove to be someone who changes the world…

Truthfully, the Guardian Deity wasn't sure what these feelings were, but it knew this boy was something special. It'd be keeping a very close eye on the child, that was for sure. If nothing else…it'd be interesting to say the least to see what this child would become, in time. Tapu Koko was always a curious Pokémon, after all.

Tapu Koko drifted silently back into the air, back to level with Sage the Simisage and nodding to it, before soaring off into the night. With a twirl and a growl, Tapu Koko flew into the clouds, a cloak of lightning trailing behind it and deep in thought about the events to come.


	19. A Fine and Private Place

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _Happy Easter everyone!_

 _Alrighty, we're back on track with regular updates, at least for the foreseeable future. Again, I can't thank you all enough for the support about me getting into the Air Force (still have yet to get a MOS and a shipment date, but hoping for that soon.) It means a lot to me and I seriously appreciate the well-wishes._

 _As for the status of this story once I get to Basic Training, I will hopefully have a few chapters pre-done by that point and have a friend of mine post chapters for me bi-weekly until I am able to get to a computer again and write. Be prepared for some kind of delay though (some have already stated that they expect this in the review section and I appreciate the patience and understanding), and I apologize in advance for that. However, once I'm able to post again, I should be able to resume the schedule as normal, more or less. I'll keep you all updated once I get more info. If_ _I'm lucky, we'll be able to get to the Kahuna battle before I leave for Basic, but that's a bit of a stretch. I'll definitely shoot for that, though._

 _Again, this story is going to be 200 chapters as of now, with most of that planned out. If it seems like things are on a bit of a slow burn, it's because they are to an extent, but hopefully that'll make the long-awaited showdowns all the more awesome. Plus it means this story goes on for longer, which is fine with me because I'm having a blast while writing for the first time in years._

 _Shoutout to the fantastic dudes/dudettes who reviewed since the last update, which includes Madame Rodoshe, Cottonmouth25, Raikou927, Ways, NullSilver2005, Autumn Affinity (AKA Wings of an Eternal Blaze), ShadowDragon9000, My Wunderwaffle iz missin, a Guest reviewer, Sai Og Sus, and a new reviewer known as The Enigmatic Mysterious Man. Thank you all so, so much for the support and feedback._

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 _Chapter 19: A Fine and Private Place_

* * *

On the eighth of travelling, the group encountered a familiar figure blocking their way. Well, lounging in the shade of a nearby tree while eating a chocolate pudding cup, but it was still a surprise nevertheless.

" _Tutu_!? What are you doing here?" Hau asked, completely confused as to why Kahuna Hala was sitting underneath a nearby tree in the middle of nowhere. Sun meanwhile was wondering when lunch was going to be, because pudding sounded really good just about then.

"Hello, you three. And to answer your question, I'm taking a break with my good friend Tauros over there." Hala pointed to his left where a massive bull was grazing quietly nearby, a few Pikipeks sitting atop the Pokémon and chirping to each other. Penny and Oliver flew away from Sun to greet the birds while Sun, Hau, and Hugh sat down with the Kahuna.

"If all goes well, I'm hoping that my friend over there will consent to becoming a Ride Pokémon. He's certainly becoming more used to Pokémon Trainers, which is an important step in the process. Best of all, he's healthy and strong with a decent temperament. A fine Poké Ride Pokémon in the making indeed." Hala said as he looked over at the Tauros.

"Poké Ride?" Sun asked, confused.

"Poké Rides are a system here in Alola that allows people to call upon the power and skills of nearby Pokémon who are trained to assist them. Usually, this is used by Trainers who wish to navigate a particular environment, though Poké Rides are also used by tourists and those who live on the island as well, as a simple means of commute. It's a way to display the bond that humans and Pokémon share and have shared for centuries, especially in Alola, where the bond runs a bit deeper." Hala explained to the Kanto-native.

"Interesting. So I could just call on a Pokémon and start riding it?" Sun asked Hala. Hau chimed in to answer Sun's question.

"Not exactly. For one, the Poké Ride Pokémon aren't just roaming about the place. Sure, there's a few out in the wilds that are there just so they can help Trainers who need them away from the cities, but for the most part they're in specific spots or locations. Another thing is that there's only so many of them, and they're used pretty heavily. I know for a fact the Charizard Glide is really hard for people to use nowadays, just because it's used so often by everyone in Alola."

"That's a shame." Sun said, crossing his arms.

"Yeah." Hugh agreed, nodding. "You also have to have a Ride Pager to use the Poké Ride system. They're only given out to Pokémon Trainers who've beaten at least one of the Island Kahunas, or super important non-trainers or other people."

"Interesting. So you're hoping Tauros will be a Ride Pokémon and help out around the island?" Sun asked Hala as the old man stuffed another spoonful of pudding into his mouth.

"Yes. It's not to the first Ride Pokémon I've trained and it certainly won't be the last. Ilima scouts out good candidates and I train them up in my spare time, and eventually we'll have a Pokémon that will come and assist others when called. Now…speaking of training, how are you two boys getting along?" Hala asked Sun and Hau.

"Getting stronger every day." Sun remarked, giving the Kahuna a cheery grin.

"Absolutely. Duke evolved just last week, and we're making progress towards the Normal Trial…You know in regular conversation, that sounds weird. Normal Trial. You know, as opposed to all the other Trials that are really _really weird_." Hau mused while everyone just stared at the boy with bemused expressions. Hala snapped out of it quickest, grinning at his grandson.

"Good! Though I'm surprised your little Pichu evolved so quickly. Just goes to show that despite your reservations, you're excelling just like I thought you would, my child!" Hala boomed, with Hau blushing slightly at the praise of the Kahuna. Hala slowly got to his feet, stretching as his Tauros lumbered over to him. Penny and Oliver were riding atop the beast, looking amused if Sun didn't know any better.

"And now…We get back to work. Sun, would you like to pet Tauros again before we leave?" Hala asked the Kanto-native.

"Sure, why not?" Sun replied, grinning at the bull Pokémon. Sun slowly walked over to the Tauros, who was watching him carefully, and stood in front of it for a few moments before reaching forward. Sun patted the Tauros gently on the head, making the Pokémon slowly close its eyes and grunt softly.

"Moo…"

"Like that, huh?" Sun said with a small laugh, petting Tauros, much to the Pokémon's delight.

"Like I said before, it all comes down to how much care you treat your Pokémon with. I can see from those two birds you have that you care dearly for the two of them. Hau also shares a close bond with his Pokémon, as evidenced by Duke evolving so quickly into his life. And Hugh, I was able to see what kind of Pokémon Trainer you were during our little battle back in Iki Town." Hala said to each of them in turn, his smile widening.

Hugh laughed at that. "That was the best battle I've had in ages. Definitely a lot more challenging than some of the Gyms back in Unova, that's for sure."

"What were those like?" Sun asked, curious.

"Some of them were easy, some were hard. That's usually how it works, depending on the team you set up. I've kind of tried to keep a balanced team of sorts, so I can take on anything, so it was a case by case scenario with the Gyms. I know Drayden and Elesa were particularly rough for me and my team." Hugh said with a little smile, as if lost in the memories.

"Ah, I remember Drayden. He came to these islands a few years ago, on holiday with Miss Iris. Though she was a little girl back then and not a Champion. He and I sparred quite a bit and I learned that despite Dragon-types being his forte, he knew how to fight quite well." Hala said with a chuckle.

"Doesn't he _wrestle_ with his dragons, though?" Hugh asked Hala, receiving a nod in response.

"Yes. But I do the same with my own Pokémon, so that makes sense. Anyways, what I'm curious about is why you're traveling with these two, Hugh?" Hala said to the older Trainer.

"Yeah, I'm more or less just accompanying these two and giving them some pointers on how to survive out in the wilds. Hau has some experience with you, but Sun has none and it's always nice to pass on some lessons that I learned back when I was a newbie. Plus it kills time while I'm waiting for Noah to bounce back from his current round of Hell." Hugh explained, making Hala frown.

"That boy would do well to realize that he shouldn't push himself like that. It'll only reduce his time left on this planet." Hala said slowly, making Hau and Sun exchange a confused look.

"I've had that discussion with him a dozen times. He's a Pokémon Trainer, and leukemia or not, he's determined to keep on travelling and training until he's dead and gone. As much as I want him to take it easy, I know he's stubborn and driven enough to become an Island Challenge Champion through sheer will." Hugh said with a small smile on his face.

"I see…Well, I will not judge the lad for his decision. I only wish him the best of luck." Hala said with a nod, though he added, "I would have thought that the girl with him would keep that in check, though."

"Vivian's a high-class pain in the neck, but even she can't keep on top of how stubborn Noah is. That guy has put himself in the hospital at least three times in the past year and a half because he refuses to take things easy." Hugh said with a shake of the head.

"Perhaps time will change that. Nevertheless, I wish you all good luck on your travels. Hugh, I hope you find your friends someday. And Sun and Hau…" Hala smiled down at them, a small laughing escaping him. "I look forward to seeing your fighting spirit when we meet again in Iki Town."

Sun started as Oliver landed on his hat and Penny landed on his shoulder, but he grinned up at Hala along with Hau.

"Absolutely, sir. We'll give you a battle to remember, right?" Sun said to his birds, who chirped and hooted an affirmative.

"You betcha, Tutu!" Hau said to his grandfather, making the Kahuna nod.

"You all take care. Be safe and always stay vigilant. But most importantly of all, have fun." Hala said as he made his way back down the road, with his Tauros friend in tow. Amusingly, all the Pikipeks were still sitting on the back of the beast and hadn't bothered to move, which made Sun giggle a bit.

"I guess we can stop here for lunch, since we're here." Hugh said, lying back on the ground with a sigh. Sun watched the older boy for a moment before exchanging a look with Hau, but both boy's attention was grabbed by Hugh.

"Hey Hau…What's it like being the grandson of the Kahuna?" the older Pokémon Trainer asked, opening a single eye.

"Oh, well…I mean, being the grandson of a Kahuna is lots of fun. I've always looked up to Tutu, ever since I was a little boy. I've gotten to see so many awesome fights and battles. It's scary when my grandpa is going at full strength, and I've learned a lot from him that I don't think I would've otherwise." Hau admitted with a small shudder. "For the most part though, it's fun."

"When he's going at full strength?" Sun repeated. "Does he usually fight while holding back?"

Hugh decided to jump in and answer that. "Hala most likely has weaker Pokémon that he uses when dealing with less experienced Trainers, so to an extent he's holding back. He'll still use all of his knowledge and experience when using his weaker Pokémon, however, so he'll still be a challenge even if he's not using his best Pokémon. Usually Gym Leaders or Pokémon Trainers who have to do a great deal of battling and even judging will have Pokémon of all kinds of strength on them. Like, I know a guy back in Unova who had a Normal-type Gym and used super weak Pokémon when I first fought him, but he also had a ton of super strong Pokémon on hand to battle stronger Trainers and when he helped me and my friend Nate against Neo Team Plasma. That's probably the kind of thing Hala does for rookies."

"Wait, Hugh, didn't you battle Hala already?" Sun asked the older Trainer.

Hugh nodded. "Yep. That man is no pushover. He made us earn that stamp on my passport. Noah had a bit of an easier time, with that Gyrados of his. That said, I don't think he was going all out on me either. He said this was the team he was training up for something special."

"Something special?" Hau asked, curious.

"Yeah. He didn't explain when I asked. Do you know anything about that, Hau?" Hugh asked the younger Trainer, who shook his head.

"Interesting…Well, it's probably none of my business." Hugh said with a shrug. With that, the trio began making lunch.

Two days later, the trio found themselves standing in front of a signpost.

"Looks like we've got two options." Hugh mused, eyeing the sign that informed them at Route 2 continued on the left, or a small path that went to the right and back the way they came, which led to the Hau'oli Cemetery.

"I say we keep going forward." Sun said, crossing his arms. "I kind of don't want to keep Ilima waiting, or have my Trial take longer because we got sidetracked."

"Sun, he has to wait for you anyway. That's his job. And we're not in a rush or anything, remember? I kinda want to go left, myself." Hau said to Sun, who sighed and nodded.

"Same, actually. I never got to see Hau'oli Cemetery on my first lap around the island." Hugh added after a moment, and with that the trio's next stop was decided.

* * *

Hau'oli Cemetery

* * *

It took the remainder of the day to travel up the path, but they eventually made it to the Hau'oli Cemetery in the late afternoon, after navigating some rather steep ledges. As the trio stepped through the gate to the area, Sun stopped in his tracks.

"It's…Actually kind of nice here. Is that weird?" Sun asked, sounding somewhat bewildered as he looked around.

"Not really. Hau'Oli Cemetery is taken care of pretty well. Tutu says there's a lot of important people buried here, even though a good amount of people get cremated and have their ashes dumped into the ocean." Hau explained as he led the way into the main area of the cemetery. It was quite a large place with simple adornments on the stone and marble for decoration. The lawn was very carefully maintained and there were a few bushes sculpted into Pokémon like Pikachu and Charizard.

"Really? I…Well, that makes sense, actually." Sun admitted, looking around with interest as the trio began walking around, making sure to keep their voices down out of respect for the dead and the few others that were also with them in the cemetery.

"Hey Hau, you want to hear a story about ghosts?" Hugh asked the boy suddenly, a smirk on his face.

"Not really. Ghost stories freak me out."

"See, that's the _spirit_!"

After a few seconds Sun burst out laughing while Hau face-palmed. Hugh looked pleased with himself, which is all that mattered to him. After Sun forced back the giggles and ignored the scandalized looks of a few nearby elderly people, he looked back up at Hugh and Hau.

"C-come on. Let's have a look around." Sun huffed as he began walking ahead of them. He began inspecting the grave markers and tombs neatly aligned within the area, but was surprised to see large swaths of tall grass arranged off to the left and right side of the main area, quite a distance away from where he was at.

" _I wonder if that's for the wild Pokémon to hang out in."_ Sun thought as he began walking towards it. After a moment, he released Penny, deciding that he could get a little training in with her. After a minute, he stumbled upon a glittering CD of sorts that he nearly stepped on.

"Is this a TM?" Sun asked. Rotom popped out of Sun's backpack and the boy held out the object for the Pokédex to inspect.

 _"Yes indeedy, my friend! That looks like TM Number 100. Confide! Not a popular one, but I'm sure you'll find a use for it…Or it'll sit in your bag for the rest of your adventure. Either or! Still pretty neat though!"_ Rotom buzzed happily as Sun put away the CD in a random area of his backpack, deciding to get a TM Case when he got back to civilization. He continued his trek through the grass with Penny watching around them carefully, preparing herself for a fight. Sure enough, two Gastly appeared in front of Sun just as he made his way into the center of the tall grass, laughing cruelly as they advanced towards him.

"Penny, use Peck!" Sun ordered, pointing towards the left ghost. Penny chirped and launched herself into the air before darting towards the ghost in question, her beak glowing white before it pierced the specter and sent it reeling back. The Gastly tried using Lick on Penny, but its tongue phased through the bird like it wasn't there. With another Peck, the Gastly went down.

"Nice job, Penny!" Sun cheered as he bird soared through the air, flying back around him and landing on his arm, making him wince. He really needed to get arm-pads or something so that his birds could do that without causing him pain. Sun held out Penny as the other Gastly narrowed its eyes and charged forward.

"Peck again!" Sun called out. Penny took flight once again, but this time the Gastly was ready for her. With a cry, the Pokémon widened its eyes as they began glowing. Thankfully, Sun recognized the move and knew it was Hypnosis.

"Penny, shut your eyes and keep going forward with Peck!" Sun called out. Penny chirped an affirmative, shutting her eyes and increasing her speed towards the Gastly. The Pokémon let out a cry of dismay before Penny slammed into it, knocking the ghost to the ground. It tried licking Penny as she soared away, but the bird was unfazed by the attack again and hit the Gastly with another Peck, downing it.

"That was fantastic, Penny. Great job!" Sun said as he walked over to his bird, hovering overhead. To Sun's surprise, Rotom popped out of Sun's backpack with a small beep.

" _Well, lookee there! Looks like Penny just learned Rock Smash!"_ Rotom chirped as Penny swooped down, fluttering nearby.

"…Isn't that a Fighting-type move?"

" _Yep! Not a super strong one, but itzz excellent for type-coverage on a bird like her. Plus having a whole bunch of different attacks makes her good against a whole bunch of enemiezz, bzzzt!"_ Rotom replied as Penny landed on Sun's hat.

"Well, looks like you're catching up quick, aren't you?" Sun asked Penny, grinning widely as she landed on his hat.

"Pi Pikipek!"came the bird's happy reply. Sun grabbed the bird from his hat and released Oliver, who took Penny's place on his head while he held Penny in his arms.

"Hey Sun." Sun turned around and found Hugh watching from nearby, his Cutiefly on his shoulder buzzing happily. "Let us know when you're gonna wander around, alright?"

"Sorry Hugh." Sun said sheepishly. "Wanted to get in a bit of training. Penny learned a new attack though, which is pretty awesome."

"Oh, cool. What attack?"

"Rock Smash."

"…That's a Fighting-type move. How'd a bird that young and inexperienced learn a move like that?"

"No idea. Rotom?"

" _Why do you ask me all the weird questionzz? I'm just a Pokédex…OK, probably the wrong thing to say, but my point still standzz!"_

Hugh shook his head, but jerked his thumb behind him. "There's a few Trainers over there itching for a fight. You want in?"

"Sure. Oliver can get in a little more training, since Penny can just keep battling ghosts with almost no problems." Sun said as he followed Hugh back into the Cemetery proper, where Hau shaking hands with a man in a colorful shirt.

"That was a pretty good battle, sir." Hau grinned at the man.

"Indeed! Getting all worked up like that over a good bout does seem to have improved my mood. Thank you for that, my lad." The man walked away then, heading out towards the exit of the graveyard. Hau turned around and giggled at Hugh and Sun, who were just shaking their heads.

"Did you beat all of the Trainers while I was gone, Hau?" Sun asked jokingly.

"Nah, there's one left over there!" Hau said, pointing to a girl standing behind Sun a few feet away.

"How'd I not notice you?" Sun asked the girl, who shrugged.

"Because the writer didn't think of it until the last second." The girl replied, smirking as she put a hand on her hip.

"Yeah, probably…Wait, what?"

"So, you wanna battle?" the girl asked, cutting Sun off with a smirk and a tilt of her hat. "Fine by me. My name's Ikue, by the way."

"Sun. Pleased to meet you." Sun said to the girl, smiling at her and quickly forgetting her comment from a moment before. The two stepped away from each other so that they had plenty of room to battle, and before long Sun sent forth Oliver, who swooped to the ground and prepared himself for a fight.

"Pikachu, let's go!" Ikue said with a grin, releasing a yellow mouse with a chip in its tail lightning-shaped tail.

"Oliver, let's start this off with Tackle!" Sun ordered his bird. Oliver nodded and soared towards the Pikachu, hooting loudly.

"Alright, let's use the moves it was good at…Pikachu, use Thunder Shock!" Ikue shouted as her Pikachu fell to all fours. With a nod, the Pikachu bounded forward, leaping above Oliver and dodging his Tackle and unleashing a bolt of electricity that slammed into Oliver.

"Oliver! Shake it off and use Peck!" Sun called out. Oliver flared his wings and shot into the air, breaking free from the attack and darting towards the Pikachu, who's eyes widened in surprise before Oliver crashed into it in midair, making the Pikachu tumble through the air in pain before crashing onto the ground harshly.

"Pikachu! Are you alright?" Ikue asked her partner. The Pikachu slowly rose to its feet, gritting its teeth but nodding slowly in response to the question.

"Oliver, hit that Pikachu with Leafage from above!" Sun called to the owl. Oliver nodded and began spinning in midair, willing a series of swirling leaves into existence. Ikue pointed at Oliver with a wide grin.

"Now, while it's focusing on the attack. Full-power Thundershock!" Ikue yelled to her Pokémon. The Pikachu began sparking wildly before releasing a surge of electricity that rushed towards Oliver, who also released his Leafage. The two attacks collided in midair, and for a moment the two attacks halted one another in their tracks, but eventually Oliver's Leafage pushed through the Thunder Shock and swirled downwards, consuming the Pikachu on the ground. Ikue let out a yell of dismay as her Pikachu was flung back towards her, covered in dings and scraps and very clearly knocked out.

"Looks like I won." Sun remarked as Oliver soared down and landed on his head. Penny chirped something to Oliver, who replied back with a hoot.

"Y-yeah. That Rowlet of yours is strong." Ikue paid Sun for his victory and bid him a goodnight, and after reviving and healing her Pikachu, departed from the area while whistling an unfamiliar tune.

Rotom then popped out of Sun's backpack once again and buzzed in midair.

"Yes Rotom?" Sun asked, grinning at the Pokédex.

 _"Guess who just learned Razor Leaf?"_ Rotom asked, appearing quite happy.

"Is it you?" Sun asked cheekily.

 _"I wish. I'm kinda stuck in this body for a while. Maybe someday I'll find a nice lawnmower no one would miss and have some fun..."_

"One of these days, you're gonna have to explain some more stuff about Rotom. Your species sounds so cool." Sun said to the device.

 _"Why thank you sir! But seriously though, Oliver just learned Razor Leaf. Two new attacks in one day. I hear if you get one more, you get a free sundae!"_ Sun's expression deadpanned at the terrible joke, but Rotom's cheery smile never-wavered. Sun shook his head and looked at Oliver, who was preening contentedly. It took the owl a moment to notice Sun smiling up at him, and turned to face him. Penny also looked up at her Trainer, who looked down at her. Sun chuckled then, beginning his walk out of the area.

"You both are awesome."

Oliver pecked Sun in the head in reply.

* * *

"Hey Sun, when you're done chasing Oliver around, get over here!" Hugh said to Sun as the boy chased down a laughing Rowlet, who was now chirping down at him from a statue in the graveyard. Sun sighed and just walked over to the teen, with Oliver following a moment later.

"You are just the worst sometimes…" Sun muttered to the bird, who simply hooted at him. Sun then turned to Hugh. "So, what's up?"

"I was wondering if we were done here. I've explored every inch of this place and got to take a few pictures for my sister back home. Did you want to head back now?" Hugh asked Sun.

"Is that smart?" Hau asked the two of them from his sitting position on a nearby bench. "It's getting really late…Maybe we should just set up camp inside Hau'oli Cemetery tonight. Is it really worth it to try and get back onto the route with so little sunlight?" Hau asked Sun and Hugh, who were both watching the setting sun now.

"You want to make camp inside of a _Cemetery_?" Sun asked Hau incredulously.

"I don't see why it's not." Hugh said as he looked around the graveyard. "Level terrain. Well-kept grounds. It's a clear night, so the little amount of cover here isn't an issue. The only problem I see is that there's a few Ghost-type Pokémon lingering around that I know will try and bother us, but if we sleep with our Pokémon out like we've been doing they should stay away."

"Why would they stay away with our Pokémon out?" Sun asked Hugh.

"…Sun, I was a serious contender for the Unova Championship back when the place wasn't a war zone. Any one of my Pokémon, save for Kiki, would be more than enough to keep away the ghosts that haunt this place. With all of them sleeping out of their Poké Balls at once? We'd probably be more comfortable here than we would be back out on the route." Hugh explained as the Trainer began walking away from the largest tombstone.

"If you say so…I mean, I'm not really creeped out by this place, but it still feels weird."

"That's what she…Never mind." Hugh stopped himself before he could finish the phrase, chuckling a little to himself to the bemusement of Sun and Hau.

"That's what who said?" Hau asked.

"I'll tell you when you're older."

"Or you could tell me now."

"Hau, I'm not ruining your childhood wonder and innocence. Unlike some people, I have some self-control when it comes to what I say around children." Hugh remarked as he finally found a clearing that he deemed good enough for them to make camp.

"Wait hold on a moment." Hau and Hugh looked over at Sun, who was staring at Hugh. "You named your Cutiefly…Kiki?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Just…weird. Samson, Rell, Sage, Faolin, and Kiki."

"Says the kid who named his Pokémon Penny and Oliver."

"Touché…But another thing. Do you think whoever oversees the Cemetery is alright with us making a fire here?" Sun asked Hugh.

"Probably. I didn't see anything saying not to do so on the entrance sign thing, and we're far enough away from the tombstones and the graveyard proper to be able to do this anyway. So long as we remain quiet and respect that this is where the dead sleep, we'll be fine." Hugh said as he released Sage the Simisage and Samson the Samurott.

After about thirty minutes, the trio had a small campfire going and hurriedly ate their dinner consisting of ramen noodles and a few vegetables Hau had brought along in an item capsule. As the trio rested, their bellies full and the three of them slowly getting more tired, they became aware of a soft sound nearby. Hugh pointed into the trees and saw a few Gastly and a Haunter floating above them, looking interested at the trio.

"Hey you all. We're just hanging out here for the night. We'll be gone in the morning, alright?" Hugh called to the ghosts.

"Feel free to share the fire. Plenty of it to go around." Hau offered, grinning them.

"Is that…wise?" Sun asked tactfully, earning a few looks from the ghosts above.

"Probably not. But I'm not all that worried, and they look curious more than anything." Hau said as he pointed to the Haunter floating down and begin chatting with Rell the Flygon. The Gastly dispersed after a few minutes of hovering around, and soon enough the Haunter departed as well.

As the group decided to take that moment to get some shuteye, and began preparing for bed, Hugh received a phone call.

"Unknown number…" Hugh muttered, staring at his phone before shrugging and answering it.

"Hello?" The older trainer answered. After a moment his eyes widened and sputtered, " _Elesa!?_ I thought you died in the Nimbasa attack! You…That makes sense. Nate said he was getting together any Gym Leaders he could. Doesn't surprise me that he managed to find you in that mess…So what's up?"

Hugh walked out of the campsite and back into the graveyard. Samson snorted and got up, following his Trainer into the graveyard.

"Wasn't Elesa the Gym Leader of Nimbasa City?" Sun asked Hau quietly. The other boy nodded slowly, watching Hugh depart from the campsite. Both boys may not have been very much aware of what happened around the world, being so young, but Elesa was famous worldwide and the world was sure that she had perished in the brutal massacre of the city that she had presided over as Gym Leader.

"What I'm wondering is why she's calling Hugh…" Sun asked quietly, leaning against his tree. Penny and Oliver looked up at him, and Sun began stroking both birds in attempt to calm the small bit of worry he felt creeping into him.

Hau was less worried, and simply shrugged and continued preparing for bed. Sun bid the boy goodnight and began setting up his own sleeping bag, though he was intent on staying awake until Hugh returned. As Sun laid down on his pillow, with Penny and Oliver settling in on top of him, he saw Hugh finally enter the area again after half an hour had passed, with the boy wearing a small smile on his face.

"Good news?" Sun asked quietly, catching Hugh's attention. The teen nodded, his smile widening, and walked over to the other boy.

"Looks like things are moving again back home. My best friend Nate managed to help a few of the Gym Leaders and now they're organizing an attack against Neo Team Plasma. Wish I could be there, but Nate says he wants me preparing away from the mess just in case things go south for them. He said he'll keep me in the loop and let me know if anything happens…So yeah, I'm feeling hopeful for the first time in a while. We thought Elesa had died when Nimbasa got frozen, so it's good to hear from her and know she's alright." Sun felt relief wash over him as Hugh laughed quietly, shaking his head.

"Things might look really bad, Sun. But you better believe that as long as they're still kicking, my friends back home are going to keep those idiots from Neo Team Plasma and Cipher on their toes. And I'll get stronger while I'm here too, so when I get back to Unova, I'll be able to make them fear my name…Maybe I'll make _Borlath_ pay as well. I'd love to see that man again and show him what rage is all about." Hugh's smile turned into something much darker, with a emphasis on the name that Sun vaguely recognized.

"Borlath?" Sun asked, curious.

"Borlath was the man who screwed us all and ensured Unova's destruction. He's your best friend one minute, and your worst enemy the next. That's all you need to know…Between him and Amber, I'm not sure which one I hate more." Hugh shook his head for a moment before smiling. "Enough of that, though. I finally got some good news for once and I'm not going to ruin it by thinking of those two evil jerks. I'm heading to bed. I recommend you do the same, since we'll be up at first light."

"Goodnight then, Hugh."

"Same to you, man. Goodnight."

The boy from Celadon shut his eyes and snuggled into his sleeping bag, smiling slightly. So things were looking up in the Unova region, huh? The Gym Leaders and Hugh's friends were preparing an attack on the allies of Cipher. He wondered how that would go. If they would be successful…if they would survive the might of Neo Team Plasma.

Sun decided to hope for the best, and fell asleep feeling assured and comforted by the knowledge that things were looking up. A Gym Leader thought dead was alive and the forces working against Cipher and those who were with them were now plotting a way to strike back at them.

All Sun had to do was wait and see just what happened next, and hope that in the end, good would triumph over evil.


	20. Broken Souls

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _Let's get this show on the road. No updates or news to speak off, so let's get this thing going._

 _Shoutout to those who reviewed last chapter, which includes Madame Rodoshe, NullSilver2005, BraviaryScout (AKA My Wunderwaffle iz missin), and Sai Og Sus. Thanks for the support and feedback!_

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 _Chapter 20: Broken Souls_

* * *

Professor Kukui couldn't help but smile as he leaned against a tree, observing the scene before him. On a day like this, he felt like doing nothing but taking his Pokémon out into the wilds and learning all that he could. He had been at it for decades (not many of them, mind you, but it still counted) and could easily keep at it for many more to come.

So as he observed his Rockruff battling with three wild Spearow, all the while with a Tailwind bolstering the bird's speed thanks to a nearby Pellipper, he felt relaxed and happy and all sorts of other emotions.

Sitting at his side was Lillie, who watched the display with evident distaste. The poor girl who had fallen under his care unfortunately didn't share his love for Pokémon combat, but nevertheless took to the educational aspect of it with gusto. Incredibly intelligent and with a very kind heart, Lillie was definitely the kind of person he had been hoping to gain as an assistant.

Even if, between the two of them, the Pokémon Research Lab was kind of in shambles most of time. But that's what gave his home that special kind of charm!

"Professor?"

Kukui snapped out of his musings and glanced over Lillie, who was holding her precious Cosmog to her chest. The Professor glanced back at the fight for a few moments before he looked back at her.

"What's up, Lillie? Something on your mind?" Kukui asked, grinning at her.

"No…Well, nothing important, anyway. I was going to ask if you had seen what you were hoping to. At your Rockruff's current strength, it's certainly more than a match for those Spearow, so I was just wondering why you were dragging the fight on." Lillie wondered aloud as two of the Spearow dove down at the Rockruff, cawing loudly with fury in their eyes, only for the dog to roll to the side with surprising speed and launch a volley of rocks at them both, downing them at the same time. The final Spearow and the Pelliper supporting them took that as their cue to leave, so they did, leaving a happy and panting Rockruff barking in excitement.

"Well…As we've gone over in the past, a good bit of my research comes from working out moves in different settings. I mean, take for example our little experiment the other day concerning Rainy Day." Kukui said to Lillie, who nodded.

"I see your point. Hmm…" Lillie put a hand to her chin and was about to speak when Nebby suddenly burst free from her bag, letting out a loud cry.

"Nebby! Get back in the bag!" Lillie yelped, snatching up the Cosmog and frantically stuffing the Pokémon back in the bag, hoping no one had seen it. Lillie had spotted a Trainer a few minutes ago and couldn't chance the wrong person spotting it.

"Lillie…A lot of your problems would be solved if you just caught Nebby. Plus you wouldn't have to carry that bulky bag everywhere." Kukui said to the girl, though he knew what her answer would be. This wasn't the first time he had said this.

His assistant sighed as she zipped up the bag containing Nebby, leaving it just open enough for the Cosmog to get some air. She turned around to face the Professor and shook her head.

"You know why I can't do that, Professor." Lillie said quietly. She then pointed forward and Kukui turned around, only to see a panting and happy Rockruff sitting behind him.

"Ah, Rockruff! Excellent work over there, my friend! Lillie, can you take notes while I heal Rockruff?" Kukui asked his assistant, receiving a nod in reply. Soon enough the girl was jotting down the Professor's thoughts, though her own turned towards other things.

 _"Hau and Sun are supposed to be coming this way, aren't they? I wonder how they're doing…"_ Lillie thought with a small smile, hoping to see her friends again soon.

* * *

Meanwhile…

* * *

"I still don't understand why we couldn't stay at the hotel."

"Sun, for the third time, there's no point in wasting money on a hotel when you'll be getting all dirty and sweaty just a few hours later."

"It's the principle! Those were really cheap prices back there, Hugh. We didn't need to hang out by the path for the night. Those Zubat wouldn't stop waking me up." Sun grumbled, not particularly happy at the moment. On day twelve to their destination, the constant heat and lack of any sort of modern comforts besides communication were starting to wear on Sun. Plus he was a bit grumpy from his lack of sleep the previous night.

According to Hugh, this was something very common amongst rookies during their first month. Hau even admitted it happened to him back when he got Cassy and tried going out into the wilds himself, only to be turned back several days later by lack of supplies with Cassy sporting a nasty injury that required medical attention.

So onwards the trio walked, battling the odd trainer here and there. Hugh kept up a running conversation as always, this time talking about the time he and his best friend Nate had fought Neo Team Plasma. As Hugh ended the story, Sun asked Hugh a few questions about it.

"So whatever happened to Purrloin…or I guess, Liepard? The one you got back for your sister?" Sun asked.

"It's back home with my sis and my family. I tried getting them to leave Unova, since it isn't very safe, but they couldn't just get up and leave like that. Neo Team Plasma hasn't made any moves towards the island that area of Unova lives on, so for now, they're alright. Liepard and my Eelektross are keeping an eye on things over there and are ready to protect my family should anything happen." Hugh explained as he stuck his hands in his pockets.

"Looks like you thought ahead, huh?" Hau asked.

"Brace for the worst, hope for the best." Hugh replied. "My friend Aria had a habit of saying that, after a few months of training with Wes, so I've taken that lesson to heart now that she's…gone."

"…What were they like?" Hau asked hesitantly, almost scared of asking Hugh about such a painful subject. After a few seconds, Hugh answered with a small smile.

"Wes was…heh, he was something else. I thought the guy was just some thief, but he was one of the most down-to-earth and good guys out there. An actual hero, you know? He was always looking out for other people and just wanted to stop Cipher from hurting anyone else. Weirdly enough, for an ex-criminal who knew how to make homemade bombs, the guy had a great sense of humor and loved Pokémon with a passion. I'm proud that he called me a friend." Hugh said, a smile on his face now as he stared off into the sky.

"And Aria?" Sun asked. Hugh's smile vanished, replaced with a more somber, aching expression that vanished almost as quickly as it had appeared, leaving Hugh's face in a neutral expression.

"Aria was kind of a tomboy. She wanted to become stronger so she could get revenge on Team Plasma for killing her brother. Wes helped her achieve that power, but taught her that wanting strength out of revenge is never a good road to go down. Because of that, she decided she wanted to become the Unova Champion and protect others with her strength…We used to joke about that. Vivian used to make jokes about her and Wes, and Vivian even nicknamed her Aria the Heroine. She was a natural Trainer though, even with just a year under her belt. She was kind and brave and awesome and always had a way of cheering people up, even in their darkest hour. She was also very, very determined. No matter what, she never gave up. Not on me, not on her Gym Battles, or even when Ghetsis beat Wes and Nimbasa City fell…She refused to ever give up."

"When Wes…well, when we realized Wes wasn't going to be able to help us out of our current mess, we looked to Aria to lead us. She had a plan to try and make things right, but she went missing when Wes vanished one night. I don't know what happened to her. But…There's nothing else to do but keep on going. It's what Aria would have wanted." Hugh said haltingly, hunching his shoulder and shutting his eyes. Despite what he had said, it was obvious the young man was still coming to terms with what had happened to the heroes he had known back in Unova. Sun decided to remain quiet at that, but Hau didn't.

"You loved her, didn't you?" Hau asked in a very quiet voice.

"…Maybe. I'll never know if she felt the same way, though, so it doesn't _matter_ how I felt towards her. Thanks to Cipher and Neo Team Plasma, I'll never see her again. Now can we change the subject?" Hugh said pointedly, and with that the trio lapsed into a silence.

Hugh eventually reigned in his emotions and released his Cutiefly, deciding to take that time to continue to bond with his newly acquired Pokémon. Oliver and Penny flew from Sun's hat and arms and began playing with the Cutiefly, the three of them flying around in midair playing some kind of game.

Sun, however, was thinking about what Hugh had said. Was wanting to gain power for the sake of revenge really such a bad thing? He hadn't wanted to become a Pokémon Trainer out of power, he had wanted to become one out of the sake of exploration and self-discovery, and his own love of Pokémon.

But now?

Sun didn't know what he wanted. He didn't know if he wanted to become stronger for revenge or become stronger just so that he could prepare himself for the day that he faced down Cipher…Or the day that Cipher come for him.

The Kanto-native thought long and hard about the subject, but was snapped out of his thoughts when he spotted something odd down the road.

"Wait…What's that?" Sun suddenly piped up, pointing directly ahead. Both Hugh and Hau looked forward (since both were zoning out at that point) and were confused by the sight of a strange red and white bird that looked like it was carrying a sack of sorts with it. The bird itself was scrambling down the road, chirping loudly.

"Looks like a Delibird. Wonder what it's doing all the way over here? Isn't it too hot for a Pokémon like that?" Hau asked, confused.

"Not really. Ice-types might not enjoy the heat, but they're not going to melt or anything. Some even enjoy the heat, since it balances out the inner cold that they must feel inside…I don't actually know if that's true, I don't have any ice Pokémon." Hugh said with a sheepish laugh. Sun meanwhile had Rotom pop out of his backpack and scan the distant bird, which was now approaching them with a frantic look on its face.

" _Bzzzzzt! Delibird. The Delivery Pokémon._ _Although it naturally prefers colder locales, Delibird in_ _Alola_ _seem able to withstand the heat to a certain extent. Guess that answers Hau's question then. Delibird here in Alola are tough little guyzz, huh?"_ Rotom remarked, landing on Sun's head. At that point, the bird had reached the trio and was waving its arms frantically, looking agitated.

"Brrr! Deli deli!" the strange bird screeched, pointing back down the road where it came from.

"Looks like this little guy needs a hand. You two want to check it out?" Hugh asked Sun and Hau. Both children exchanged a brief look before nodding at the same time. Before Hugh could do anything else, the bird flew forward and grabbed Sun's backpack strap, making the boy yelp as the bird dragged him forward.

"H-hey! Help!" Sun called out to Hugh and Hau, who began following at a sedate pace. Penny and Oliver hovered nearby, with Penny looking ready to attack the other bird while Oliver watched with an neutral expression on its face. The owl hooted a few times at Pikipek, calming her slightly…

Only for Oliver to swoop down and knock Sun down into the dirt.

"REALLY!?" Sun yelled out at his starter as the Delibird continued to drag Sun through the dirt, uncaring that he was no longer on his legs. Penny glared at the now-laughing Rowlet and smacked him upside the head with her wing, shutting him up. Hau and Hugh just watched on in absolute confusion, slowly following the Delibird and Sun.

" _Man…Oliver is kind of a jerk, huh?"_ Rotom asked as it floated above all of them, looking somewhat amused and somewhat concerned.

"Hey Hugh!" Sun called out after being dragged through the dirt for about ten minutes. Penny and Oliver were now chirping and squawking at each other in the air, apparently having a fight, but Sun was too busy being dragged to care.

"Yeah, Sun?" Hugh replied.

"What's a really good, inappropriate word for a big jerk?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Because jerk doesn't quite fit Oliver anymore. I thought he was calming down with the whole assaulting his Trainer thing, but I guess I was wrong. I need a good insult for him." Sun replied, wincing as he hit a rock.

"Alright, I can help out. But you have to promise never to tell anyone you heard it from me."

"Deal."

"Hmm…How about douche-canoe? That's Noah's favorite."

"What is it though?"

"An insult. And don't you dare ask what a douche is, because you're waaaay too young for that."

"…I'm eleven."

"Okay, and you're still too young."

"Fine." Sun agreed with a sigh before looking up at his two birds, still arguing.

"Oliver!" Sun called to his starter, getting the bird's attention. "Stop being a freaking douche-canoe!"

Oliver had the grace to look somewhat offended before Penny chirped even louder, slapping Oliver with her wing again. Oliver glowered at her before resuming their argument and Sun prepared himself for even more dragging…

Only to be dropped into the dirt as the Delibird finally reached its destination.

"Where are we?" Sun asked as Hugh helped him to his feet, his entire body aching. He was hoping that they'd be able to get to the Pokémon Center soon.

"Looks like we're at the Berry Fields…Oh yeah! Tutu said that the farmer there helps supply Melemele Island with all kinds of different berries. There's even a few special one's that don't usually grow at other places here too." Hau explained as he helped dust Sun off. The Kanto-native returned his two squabbling birds, intent on having a heated discussion with them later. Sun then looked down at the Delibird who had dragged him for the past fifteen minutes with a glare.

"I hope you're prepared to offer an explanation for that. Because if not…well, I'm not going to do anything but give you a really annoyed look for an entire hour." Sun admitted lamely, sagging his shoulders. The Delibird replied by hopping up and down on its feet and pointing towards the Berry Fields, a worried expression on its face.

" _Izz something going on in the Berry Fields then? Bzzt! We can't let this stand! Get in there, Sun! We have to keep my berry supply safe!"_ Rotom buzzed from atop Sun's head.

"What are you talking about? Also, can you even eat in that body?" Sun asked, confused.

" _Zzzt! Nope! But it's the principle! Onward, noble steed! Through grit and determination we shall overcome all!"_ Rotom buzzed happily, pointing forward as the trio began following the Delibird down the path.

"Professor Kukui needs to update your programming when we get back to civilization…"

* * *

Berry Fields

* * *

The trio of Trainers were initially surprised at the sight of the Berry Fields. Dozens and dozens of bright and colorlful trees teeming with berries loomed above them on all sides of the farm, with several fields of berries sitting in patches ready to be picked or still in the process of growing. Sun was almost overwhelmed by the sight of so many berries at once, since he had never been at a farm where they were harvested for Trainer use.

"Looks like we've got trouble." Hugh said as he pointed forward, his eyes narrowing as two familiar figures came into sight.

"Team Skull? What are they doing here?" Hau asked, sounding a little nervous.

"Nothing good, I can tell you that." Sun said as he quickened his pace, seeing two of the Team Skull grunts accosting an older man who had to have been a worker or owner of the Berry Fields. A cowering Delibird was hiding behind the man, looking terrified. As the group drew closer, they could hear one of the grunts speaking.

"Looks like you got a lame bunch of Berries…Now Team Skull's your adversaries!" Grunt A said with a laugh, throwing his arms about. "Takin' your Berries off your hands is just the start of our plans, yo!"

"Let's get Figy with it! Watch while I Nanab me some Berries!" Grunt B said as he took a step towards the man. Sun couldn't help a snicker at the wordplay, even if it was from someone from Team Skull.

The other man scowled at the two Grunts before him. Sun read the name-tag on the man's chest that informed him that his name was Stanley and that he was indeed the owner of the Fields. "I'll happily share my Berries with any Pokémon for free. But you won't be getting a single one from me!"

Grunt A stepped towards the man, getting up in his face with a growl. "So, what? I'm lower than a Pokémon!? I already got self-esteem issues, man!"

At that point the two Grunts had noticed Hugh, Hau, and the other child who's name didn't start with the letter H. Team Skull Grunt A whirled around, his eyes narrowing in anger.

"And what are you three looking at, huh!? Huh? Huh? HUH?" Grunt A yelled, getting even more upset. Then recognition hit the young man fully and he blinked in surprise.

"Yo, hold up, you're-" Grunt A began to say.

"You got a bone to pick with us, homie?" Grunt B asked, sounding a little annoyed. "You and Cap may have beat us at the Marina, but you won't get so lucky if we get serious, yo!"

"Really, because if I remember right I beat like, a dozen of you with just one Pokémon back at Hau'oli City." Hugh said with a smirk, making both of the Grunts give the older Trainer a nasty look.

"Getting back to why we're here…You guys can't just go around stealing this man's berries." Sun said to the two Grunts, who seemed amused at the statement and seemed ready to offer a rebuttal, but Mister Stanley beat them to it.

"I appreciate your concern, children. But these Team Skull punks do nothing but talk big and act small. You three just carry on with your Island Challenge. Don't give them a moment's notice."

"Yo, we're standing right here!" Grunt A yelled at Mister Stanley. "At least act a little bit afraid of us or something, y'know!?"

"It's okay dude. I think you're pretty cool." Grunt B said to Grunt A, making the other Grunt give B a thumbs up.

"Same to you, man. Same to you."

"These guys…I can't even." Sun said with a sigh, shaking his head. Hugh seemed to be in agreement, but Hau seemed amused. Both Grunts however heard Sun's remark and zeroed in on him.

"Yo, you trin' to run away? We're gonna have to take your Pokémon along with the Berries!" Grunt A said as he pulled out a Poké Ball. Grunt B walked up to his partner, smirking at Sun underneath his bandanna.

"Yo, check out how hardheaded Team Skull Grunts can be!" Team Skull Grunt B proclaimed, drawing up his own Poké Ball…

Before Sun held up a hand to stop them.

"Uh…huh?"

"Tell you what. I'll battle the both of you on my own. No Hugh or Hau backing me up. Just me." Sun said to the two Grunts, who seemed a bit surprised. So did Hau and Hugh.

"Sun, are you sure?" Hau asked the other Trainer. Sun nodded and then turned back to the Team Skull Grunts.

"Well…Alright, little homie. Two-on-one it is!" Grunt A said with a laugh, stepping away from the child to give them both room to battle.

"On one condition."

Both Team Skull Grunts stopped in their tracks, wondering what Sun's condition was. Grunt A rose to take the bait and said, "And what would that _condition_ of yours be?"

"You tell me your names." Sun said simply, earning confused looks from the duo.

"Huh? Our names?"

"This whole Grunt A and Grunt B business is getting really annoying. I know you guys are part of Team Skull and all…But that's still really demeaning to you, isn't it?" Sun asked the both of them, making them exchange a look.

"What do you mean?" Grunt A asked, confused.

"I mean that…You guys aren't just nothing but lower-ranking guys from Team Skull. You're people, with names and hopes and identities and stuff, right? Seems really weird to just go by Team Skull Grunt whatever letter you are…I don't know, but that bugs me really bad. Yeah you're part of Team Skull, but don't you want to known as something more than that? I know I would if were in your shoes, but that's just me." Sun explained to the two Grunts, who seemed thoughtful.

"That was pretty well said, Sun." Hau said to his friend, smiling widely as he put his hands behind his head.

"Dang…Little homie might be onto something. It'd certainly make things less confusing." Grunt A said quietly, putting a hand on his chin.

"Alright You've convinced us. I'm Kevin and this is Axen." Grunt B said to the younger Trainer.

"Alright then. I'm Sun. Now, like we agreed on, I'll take you both on!" Sun said with a grin. He pulled out Penny's Poké Ball and released the Pikipek, who let out a chirp upon being released.

"I'll start this one off, man." Team Skull Grunt A, or Axen, said to the other delinquent. Axen drew a Poké Ball and released a Drowzee.

"Penny! Use Peck!" Sun ordered the bird as it fluttered above him. Penny nodded and darted forward, her beak glowing bright white before she reached the Drowzee, pecking it repeatedly with her elongated beak of energy.

"Drowzee, hit that little birdie with a Pound!" Axen called out. His Drowzee yelped at the attack before it's arms glowed white and it smacked away Penny, making the bird reel away in pain.

"Use Echoed Voice!" Sun called out to the bird, who chirped before making a loud screech, creating a small sound-wave of energy that washed over the Drowzee and made it yell out in pain as it skidded backwards in the dirt.

"Pound again!" Axen ordered the Drowzee. The Pokémon somehow kicked off of the ground, surprising Penny and smacking her out of the air and making her fall to the ground.

"Penny, no! Uh, hit it with Echoed Voice again!" Sun commanded the bird as it slowly rose out of the dirt. Penny released another sound-wave of energy, this time much larger due to the power of Echoed Voice being increased after repeated uses. As the attack buffeted the Drowzee, Axen growled.

"Hit it with another Pound! Make this one hurt it bad, yo!" Axen said to his Pokémon. Drowzee replied by trudging forward and hitting Penny with another Pound, this one making her screech out in pain as she hit the dirt again.

"One last time, Penny! Echoed Voice!" Sun called to the little bird. Penny launched herself into the air with a defiant cry and swooped down to meet the Drowzee.

"Hit it with a Pound! This time, knock it out for good!" Axen yelled out. The Drowzee crouched for a moment before leaping it the air, both of its arms ready to deliver the final blow. Penny then released one last Echoed Voice, this one creating massive waves of sound that halted the other Pokémon in midair and sent it hurtling back towards the ground. It slammed into the earth hard enough to knock it out completely.

"Yes! Awesome job, Penny!" Sun called to the Pikipek, who just replied with a chirp as it tiredly flew down onto Sun's hat.

"Yo, I'm feelin' mad annoyed that my team just got destroyed." Axen said as he crossed his arms before digging into his pockets and flinging a few bills on the ground. Sun was surprised that the criminals would even follow the general rule of Pokémon Trainers that if you lost in a battle, you give the winner half of the money you had on you. Sun scooped up the money while Grunt B, AKA Kevin, sauntered up to him.

"Yo, for real!? You best stop trying to act hard, kid!" Kevin said to Sun, who was just smirking like crazy. Hugh and Hau were wearing similar expressions of amusement, which did little to help Team Skull's mood.

"Yo, I'm so annoyed right now, homie! Let's go mess with Ilima again!" Kevin said to Axen, who perked up slightly and nodded.

"Aww yeah, let's do it! Verdant Cavern is pretty close by anyway…And you!" Axen pointed to Sun, who cocked his head in mock confusion.

"Me?"

"Yes you! You better listen to what my boy says and drill it into that thick skull of yours! For real! You better not forget, numskull!" Axen yelled to Sun, who just shrugged.

"It's not my fault you guys are sore losers." Sun said to the duo as they both sprinted by them, with Hugh shaking his head in disgust.

"Not even sure why you tried reasoning with them like that, Sun. They're idiots who just like to cause trouble. That other Grunt didn't even want to battle you after you beat the first one." Hugh said as he stepped forward.

"They're Axen and Kevin. They're not like Team Rocket or Cipher. I'm starting to see that, now..." Sun mused quietly, shaking his head before looking at Hugh and Hau. And I'm betting I'll see them again anyway. They said they were going to go cause trouble at the Verdant Cavern, didn't they? I say we call Ilima in advance and see if we can help him out." Sun said to both of the other Trainers.

"Good idea. Mister Stanley, how're you doing over there?" Hau asked the owner of the Berry Fields, who was wearing a big smile.

"Just fine, lad! You and that little Pikipek did a number on those two!" Mister Stanley remarked as he addressed Sun. "Allow me to thank you three for driving off those Team Skull numskulls."

Mister Stanley handed each of them an Oran Berry each and explained how the Berry Trees all over the islands of Alola dropped berries of all kinds pretty frequently. With that, the trio bid Mister Stanley farewell and exited the area, with Sun wincing as he walked.

"Yeah, we're going to have to have Nurse Joy look you over. I imagine getting dragged through the dirt for that long had to have hurt a lot." Hugh remarked as Sun grabbed Penny off of his head and held the Pikipek in his arms. Sun opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by Rotom suddenly flying in front of them.

" _Now, enough of this whole 'helping folks outta pinches' stuff! Let's get on to the main event! The Normal Trial at Verdant Cavern!"_ Rotom declared as it zoomed ahead of them, with Sun staring in bemusement at the boisterous machine. Hugh shook his head, but then was surprised when his phone started ringing.

"You sure do get a lot of phone calls, Hugh." Sun noted as the teen pulled out his phone and checked who was calling him. Rotom returned then and slipped into Sun's backpack with a mechanical and over-dramatic sigh.

"I've got a lot of people to keep in touch with. Friends, family, associates like Gym Leaders. Being part of the group that helped take on the bad guys back in Unova makes you pretty well-known." Hugh said as he answered the call.

"What's up, Nate?...What? You're coming here? Why, they need you…Alright, fine. I wasn't _super_ busy anyway. I'll meet you there in two days. Talk to you later, man. Bye." Hugh hung up, stuffing his phone into his pocket and looking over at Sun and Hau.

"Looks like once we get to the Pokémon Center by the Trial Site, I'll be leaving our little group. My buddy Nate is coming to Alola to drop something off to me, and says I have to meet him back at Hau'oli City. If he's coming all the way here to do it personally, with everything going on in Unova, it has to be important, so I have to go once you both are where you need to be. Sorry guys." Hugh said with a sigh to the two children.

"Hey, don't worry about it! We've learned a whole lot from hanging out with you, Hugh! We're just happy you got to come along for the trip!" Hau said brightly to the older teen, who smiled at that.

"Absolutely. I think me and Hau should be able to manage out here on our own, thanks to your help. Seriously, do what you've got to do, Hugh. Thanks for coming along with us and showing us the ropes." Sun said gratefully to Hugh.

Hugh smiled at that and laughed sheepishly. "Heh. I had fun hanging out with you both. You both have some serious promise as Trainers. I bet with some time and effort, you'll be Island Challenge Champions in no time!"

With that, the trio continued their way towards the Verdant Cavern. They arrived later in the evening on their 12th day, having been stalled by several wild Pokémon encounters and a few Trainer battles. Hugh bid his two friends farewell and managed to hitch a ride back to Hau'oli City thanks to another Trainer with a Kadabra. After some dinner and a quick call with Captain Ilima to confirm that they were nearby, that they were ready to do the Trial, and giving the Captain a warning about Team Skull, Sun and Hau settled in for the night, preparing themselves for their Trial the following day.

* * *

Eastern Kanto

Celadon City

* * *

Amber stifled a yawn as she shifted in her stance, trying to find some comfort after having stood still for so long. Having stayed up through the night on security detail, the assassin was finding her patience and alertness slipping by the hour.

The woman eventually decided that pacing through the room may alleviate some of the boredom and get her to wake up a bit, so she began walking through the boardroom, wondering just what was taking so long for him to get there.

Cipher had always been a complicated affair for her. She supposed that for him, that fact was even truer.

Amber finally grew bored of pacing and sat down on the table itself, looking over at the window that allowed her a glimpse of the ruined city in the early morning. Scars of fire and destruction were still very clear, even on the half of the city that hadn't been attacked by the Shadow Moltres under Cipher's control. She smiled thinly at the memories of the night.

Killing Erika the Gym Leader had been very, very satisfying for Amber. One of her best kills in quite a while.

She took note of her reflection for a moment, cocking her head slightly at the red-haired woman looking back at her with light-blue eyes filled with amusement. She was startled by the door opening suddenly, surprising the tiring assassin and making her jump off of the table in surprise, hurling a throwing knife from her belt that barely missed the entering figure.

"…Well, hello to you too." The man said with a small chuckle, reaching up and yanking the blade that rested an inch away from his head free from the wall. Amber regarded the imposing man clad in a white suit before her for a moment, having not seen her superior in over a week.

He was tall, standing well over six and a half feet, with a heavyset build and board shoulders. His tired, calculating gaze landed on Amber, with one of his eyes blue and the other brown, with his mouth was curled into the smallest of smiles. His long jet-black hair was tied into a simple ponytail, swaying slightly behind him as he walked towards her, examining the blade in his hands for a moment before tossing it back to her.

"My apologies, sir. Reflex." Amber said as she stood up a bit straighter, regarding her superior for a moment before preparing herself for whatever he had to say. After all, she really wanted to get some sleep…

"Let's get this over with, since I know we both would rather be sleeping instead of dealing with idiots." The man said with a sigh, walking over to the nearest chair and sinking into it.

"Meeting not go well, Borlath? Why does that not surprise me?" Amber asked, a smile coming to her face.

"Because Greevil's losing his touch and everyone knows it. Pretty soon he'll have lost all of his credibility and his power over us will begin to truly slip away." Borlath said as he looked over at Amber, shutting his eyes for a moment. When they opened again, they were red and purple respectively. Amber shivered for a moment before Borlath continued.

"Our _fearless leader_ , Grand Master Greevil, is losing the support of the Admins. Venus told Greevil directly that his failures in the past make them question his leadership. She used me as an example of someone who actually got something done right as of late, which makes me suspect that the others are trying to get me to overthrow Greevil as leader of Cipher…" Borlath continued, shaking his head slightly.

"And that would be a bad thing because…" Amber trailed off, confused.

"Because power corrupts, Amber. And absolute power corrupts absolutely. I have no desire to lead this den of devils down a path of further destruction." Borlath said firmly, though he shut his eyes again and said, "But that's not how life works, I'm afraid. I have no doubts Greevil will keep making mistakes, and with me taking a step back to focus on furthering the Shadow Project, I don't think he'll survive to see the end of our campaign in Kanto."

"Wouldn't that be a shame?" Amber said sarcastically. "Stupid fool has it coming, after what he's pulled. And why would you want him to survive anyway? You hate him, don't you?"

"Hate's going a bit too far. I don't approve of his methods and he doesn't approve of mine. He actually complained about the fact that I donate to charities still, despite my position within Cipher as Senior Admin." Borlath replied to his assassin, who blinked at that.

"He actually got mad because you donated to the Pokémon Ranger Union? Why would he care? It's your money, not his." Amber asked, genuinely confused.

"He's grasping at straws and trying to deflect attention away from himself, ignoring the fact that I've funded Cipher's efforts for years and made all of this possible...But that's another matter for another day. We need to talk about you." Borlath's gaze hardened and Amber braced herself for the scolding that was coming.

"You're getting worse. You walked into a meeting with investors, coated in blood, and threatened one of our Admins. You can't keep doing whatever you want whenever you want, Amber. It sets a bad example and undermines my authority, and it makes you look bad in the eyes of the other Admins." Borlath explained, receiving a roll of the eyes from Amber.

"I am what I am…A sociopath that could kill every single person in this building with a smile on my face. Their perspectives won't change that. Besides, you hardly inspire me to act like a good little girl when you're actively trying to piss off the boss in meetings. You actually insulted the guy. How do you defend that, sir?" Amber replied with a small smile, though she did sheath her throwing knife with a single fluid movement, the blade hitting the holster with an audible metallic _click_.

"I piss him off because he needs to be able to take the heat. I'm hardly the only one questioning his leadership, after his failures in Oore and Sinnoh. I can't keep having you act out like this. While you did wonderfully during the Celadon mission, what with you taking out Erika and sending our message to the world, we can't afford to look weak in front of those financing the revolution here in Kanto. We have to appear as strong as possible. No weak links." Borlath continued, closing his eyes.

"Are you calling me weak? After everything I've done?" Amber asked, her tone becoming dangerously cold. Borlath's eyes didn't even open, though his mouth did twitch into a smile.

"So, how's the therapy going?" Borlath asked her, ignoring her remark. It wasn't as if he didn't want to answer it, he just saw no need to. Amber knew exactly how much Borlath had trusted her, so he was immune to her threats. As expected, Amber sighed and grabbed the nearest chair, sinking into it with a frustrated look on her face.

"Poorly. The people you have me speak with know nothing about me and what's wrong with me. The self-help exercises are particularly insulting and a waste of my time. Time that could be better spent killing those that may be a thorn in our side later. My soul is twisted and broken sir…No amount of therapy will change that. Besides, killing is fun. I enjoy it, and no amount of therapy will save those who Cipher deems unfit to live." Amber replied with a shrug.

Borlath shook his head, muttering, "You _can_ be saved, Amber. Those who are damaged beyond repair often find that they were simply not looking for the proper tools. Continue the sessions and stay out of my meetings. I'm tired of cleaning blood out of the carpets. Until I see an improvement, no missions for you."

"…What." Amber's tone become frigid then, the woman rising from her seat and taking a step forward, but she stopped when Borlath opened his eyes. One a stormy grey, the other a bright forest green.

"You heard me. You're becoming unhinged, even more so than you were when I found you. You are the ace up my sleeve. The Eliminator. Cipher's very own angel of death. The one who strikes down the ones who wish to damage the work we've sacrificed so much for. I cannot afford to have any mistakes be made at this juncture, Amber. Especially if Greevil falls, because I'll have to pick up the reigns and guide our path. So, no more missions until I can see some sort of breakthrough with you. If you continue down this road, you will destroy yourself, and I'd rather not have that." Borlath said calmly, not even remotely phased when the assassin drew her knife and took another step forward, a look of abject fury on her face that proved the point he had just made about the killer in front of him. Amber sheathed her blade with a frustrated growl and leaned against the window, glaring at Borlath.

"Good…But not enough to tip my hand. However, if you're really in that much need of some kind of way of getting rid of your pent up emotions, I suppose I can scrounge together an unimportant recon mission for you. A simple one that will allow you to get away from the stresses of this job and allow you to enjoy yourself in your own deadly little way." Borlath's words were calm and smooth, fitting for a businessman like himself, but Amber eyes widened slightly at the sudden change of heart and felt the fury ebb away, replaced by confusion and a bit of curiosity.

"What's the catch? You always have an angle, sir." Amber replied slowly, shifting her stance as she crossed her arms.

"Just catch as many Pokémon as you can while you're out. I can arrange a list of Pokémon we currently don't have within the Shadow Project and you can search these species out, capture them, all the while killing the rest. That should allow you to release your pent up emotions and maybe work on cultivating those that you believe to elude you. Just because you're a monster now, doesn't mean that you can't become something better...or stop yourself from becoming something worse." Borlath explained as he rose to his feet, towering above the tall woman as he pulled out his hair band, his long jet black hair tumbling down to his shoulders. The man pushed his chair in and walked to the door and looked over at Amber, who was staring at him with surprise on her face.

"Besides, I know _exactly_ where to send you. While we don't have any operatives there, per say, it'd be interesting to see if you can stir up some trouble while you're catching us some exotic Pokémon for experimentation. Now…come along, Amber." Borlath's words turned curt as he opened the door wide, allowing Amber to walk out of them with a dazed look on her face, confused but also curious as to what the man in the white suit had in store for her.

* * *

 _Mmm…I wonder what'll come of that._

 _Alrighty, folks. We're twenty chapters in now and next chapter we'll be finally at the long-awaited Normal Trial/Totem Battle. They'll be two separate chapters, but I'm feeling pretty hyped about it and hope you all are as well. Oh, and Lillie will be showing up a bit more often soon, so don't worry about that. Gonna make an effort to keep her more involved, but its hard since some of the story stuff doesn't have her around at all. She's absent for a large part of the game, despite her being a main character in it. Same with Hau, though that's more easily fixed since he's on the same path you are._

 _I'll work on it._

 _So since we've hit another ten chapter mark, how about another poll? Nothing crazy this time, just a simple gauge of interest._

 _What is your favorite generation of Pokémon?_

 _Everyone's got a favorite region or generation of Pokémon, more or less, and I'm curious as to what the census is amongst you all. If you're feeling more awesome than usual, vote on the poll on my profile and/or drop a review in the section below and give me your thoughts. For the poll I'm only letting people choose one choice, but feel free to explain your answer (or answers) in the review section below if you feel like it. You can expect my own answer next chapter as well._

 _Thanks again for all of the support. We're a tenth of the way through this story and I'm more excited than ever to keep this thing going strong. The support and feedback I've gotten so far is absolute bananas and I'm looking forward to even more awesomeness soon._

 _Until next time, FlygonNick out!_


	21. Normal Trial! Hunters Now Hunted!

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _The time has come. The firs_ _t Trial of the story has arrived!_

 _Keep in mind that_ _ **next chapter**_ _ **will be the actual Totem Battle**_ _. This chapter would be way too long if I included the entire thing (both the Trial and the Totem Battle) in one chapter. Apologies in advance for that, but it'll be easier to make sure this chapter comes out on time._

 _Also, thanks for voting on the poll and offering your thoughts for last chapter. Pretty big general consensus that Generation V and Generations VII are the two big favorites amongst reviewers and the poll. Personally I'm in the same boat as you all._

 _Gen V was something truly special, with a wonderful story, fantastic music and a cast of unique characters that I actually felt invested in. Even more so in the sequel games because they did everything the previous games did, but expanded on it and did it even better (Hugh and Colress being the highlights). It was the Generation that finally dethroned Gen II as my all-time favorite Gen of Pokémon._

 _As for Gen VII, it honestly did everything Gen VI should have done with X and Y. With a heartwarming and even sad story at times, an awesome cast of characters, great soundtrack, beautiful environments, a game that was actually quite difficult at times (which I praise most of all), and several other unique twists on the established core mechanics, and you have a game that many (including myself) herald as one of Pokémon's crowning achievements in the past 20 years._

 _So yeah, I hope you all enjoyed that bit of insight. Again, just my thoughts and don't read too much into me talking about X and Y in that way, because they were still pretty good, just not my favorite Generation of Pokémon game-wise. That probably would've changed if they did Pokémon Z instead of ORAS (since that would've expanded on everything and addressed all of my complaints), but what can you do?_

 _X and Y anime was pretty damn great though, I will say._

 _I enjoyed reading your thoughts and feelings on the various Pokémon Generations as well. Hmm…Makes me wonder what they'll do next. Maybe I'll ask that in the next poll, if Nintendo doesn't drop that bombshell on us in the meantime._

 _Also, I want to drop a quick little note on something a bit personal._

 _ **This week has been a pretty rough one for me. This week I found out that my grandmother's health took a turn for the worst and that she's unlikely to survive through the weekend. I've already spoken to her and found some peace with the whole situation, but…It's been rough this past week. Really rough, that I can't deny.**_

 _ **I'll admit that this chapter difficult to do, just because my mind's been elsewhere this week. I'm tired, frustrated, and admittedly upset because I'm about to lose a grandparent who did nothing but love me, even after having not seen her in many years due to family issues beyond my control. It hurts…But she'll be in a better place soon enough.**_

 _ **So I apologize if this chapter isn't quite as good as normal. It should be, hopefully, but with how things have been this week I'm not in the best mindset to buckle down and kick butt like normal. If any serious issues pop up, I'll be more than happy to revise this chapter and re-upload it when my head's back in the game. Hopefully I won't have to and this chapter ends up awesome.**_

 _Thanks for understanding._

 _Anyways, shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes Raikou927, Cottonmouth25, Autumn Affinity, Madame Rodoshe, NullSilver2005, Sai Og Sus, and Ways, as well as two new guest reviewers known as Some Idiot and ImAPikachu, and four new reviewers known as Consumer of Fantasy, razgriz108, Technetium2, and FedoraGalaxiez. Thank you for the fantastic support and feedback!_

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 _Chapter 21: Normal Trial! Hunters Now Hunted!_

* * *

"Coo!"

"Pi!"

"…no."

"Coo coo!"

"Piki Pikipek!"

"No. Let me sleep, darn you. It's bad enough that Hau snores like a concussed Snorlax. I don't want to have to deal with you two birdbrains being my alarm clocks."

Oliver rolled his eyes before fluttering up to Sun and pecking the boy square in the middle of the forehead. The boy sat up with a yell, clamping a hand to his forehead and glaring at the smug owl sitting on his lap. Penny just gave Oliver a dirty look as Sun rubbed his head, which thankfully wasn't bleeding.

"You…Are such a jerk."

"Coo!"

"Penny, use Peck on Oliver."

The Pikipek wasted no time in obeying the command, pecking the Rowlet repeatedly, making the owl screech bloody murder as the two of them began flying around the room, squawking at each other. Hau suddenly jerked awake, wiping his face and seeing Oliver and Penny crash onto the floor, screeching. Sun rolled out of bed, hitting the floor with a groan as he got to his feet.

Hau grinned at the sight and said, "Looks like they're all fired up and ready to go."

"More like one enjoys being an jerk and the other is finally getting tired of her Trainer being abused. Ugh, now I have to actually wake up." Sun huffed as he began picking out an outfit for the day. After a week of wearing the same outfit, Sun relished the chance to wear something different. He decided on a pair of tan cargo pants and a white T-shirt, and swapped his hat for another hat, a tan one that fit a bit more for where he was than his previous one. Sun couldn't place the name for his kind of hat, but it kept the sun out of his eyes and was comfortable, so he didn't care all that much. Sun ducked into the bathroom once Hau was done, determined to start today off right despite how his Pokémon were acting.

"So, those two still going at it?" Hau asked once Sun had gotten downstairs, with his two Pokémon returned for the moment.

"Oliver just keeps acting out. It's getting to be a bit too much, now. I'm still aching from yesterday, even if Nurse Joy says it'll all heal in no time." Sun said with a small sigh as he put his face in his hands.

"You know, I've been thinking. Maybe it's just a phase." Sun lowered his hands at that, confused.

"A phase? You mean, this is just a passing thing?"

"Yeah. Happens all the time, I think. Pokémon are just like humans. They go through phases, pick up new abilities and new ideas and yada yada yada. On top of that, your Rowlet is still pretty young. Tutu always offers younger Pokémon to new Trainers. I'll bet Oliver grows out of the jerk phase he's in once he evolves and turns into a super reliable partner for you." Hau said bracingly, though Sun sighed.

"It's not that he isn't reliable. I mean…I feel like he cares a lot about me, and the feeling is mutual. It's just that he's a total douche-canoe sometimes…I need another insult. That one doesn't sit right with me." Sun admitted, though Hau looked thoughtful.

"We'll have to consult Hugh about it. I don't want to bother him for a while though…From what I can tell, he's dealing with some serious stuff." Hau said, his smile taking a small hit. That reminded Sun of something.

"Hey, yesterday, you mentioned something that I wanted to ask you about." Hau nodded, and Sun continued. "When Hugh was talking about his friend Aria, you asked Hugh if he loved her. What made you ask something like that? And how did you know that Hugh loved that Aria lady just from hearing him talk about her?"

Hau closed his eyes, looking contemplative.

"Well…Being around someone like my grandpa lets me hear all kinds of advice that I probably wouldn't be able to make sense of until I'm a bit older in life. I'll admit not understanding some of that advice with no shame. A lot of what he says passes over my head…But one thing he said about love a few weeks ago sticks out in my mind because it makes a whole bunch of sense to me. And what he said was that love can make you really vulnerable."

"…Vulnerable?"

"Yeah. Tutu said love exposes you for who you truly are at your core. And he meant love in general, not just romantic love. It can show you all sorts of things you've never seen or felt before. Happiness that you never could have imagined and it can help you become something more than you ever thought you could be…But the opposite is true too. It can be like a pain unlike anything else. And just from hearing Hugh speak…He was hurting really bad. He's got a broken heart that's shattered to pieces over what happened to his friend. She vanished months ago, according to Hugh's friends, and he still hasn't recovered from that." Hau explained with a sad little smile on his face.

"When did you get so…wise?" Sun asked.

"Psh. Wise? That's just me using what Tutu taught me and applying it to real life. Seriously though, I want to do something to cheer Hugh up. He's a friend and we should help him out."

"I agree. We'll brainstorm once we're back on the road. I want to focus on the Trial before anything else. You know?" Sun said to Hau, who thought about it for a moment before nodding. The duo finished off their breakfast before they switched to another topic.

"So, you know that Verdant Cavern we'll be heading too, right?" Hau asked Sun. The boy nodded and Hau continued with, "I hear that it's like…super sacred to Tapu Koko."

"Really? I wonder if it ever goes there." Sun mused, but Hau shook his head.

"Probably, but I do know that absolutely no one is allowed in unless they're currently on their Island Challenge. And even then it's only during periods of time when no one is doing their Trial." Hau explained as he leaned back in his chair, only to let out a yelp and topple out of it.

"…owie…"

"Smooth. Real smooth."

"Well fiiiine!…I was going to actually share something amazing with you, Sun, you lucky thing. But after that bit of sarcasm I don't think you deserve it." Hau huffed, crossing his arms and failing miserably at looking annoyed. He looked like he was about to laugh if anything else.

"Eh, I'll manage without it. Unless it's a portable cheesecake dispenser. I'll happily take one of those." Sun replied with a smirk. Hau rolled his eyes but dug into his backpack, pulling out three gem-shaped objects that Sun recognized as Revives.

"Got a bit carried away and got too many of them. Heh. Figured you might want a few." Hau said, handing them to Sun, who took them with a wide smile.

"Thanks Hau."

"No problem. Happy to help, you know?" Hau remarked with his usual grin. "Those things are really helpful, and it's always good to have them on hand. If your Pokémon faints in battle and can't go on, then give them a Revive and they'll be perked right back up in no time!"

"Yeah, I remember what they do. We can't buy them yet though, right? We'll have to get further along on our Island Challenge to do that…Which begs the question, how exactly did you buy these?" Sun asked Hau, narrowing his eyes slightly in suspicion.

"Well…Being the grandson of the Kahuna has a lot of perks. People recognize me and are sometimes a bit eager to please, so…Yeah, it's not exactly something I like taking advantage of, but it's not like I usually make a habit of using items in battle. I keep them on hand in case of emergencies. You know? Sometimes a Revive can really come in handy." Hau explained a bit seriously, though this was ruined a moment later by someone the writer occasionally forgets about from time to time.

"~ _You need a little reviiiiiive!~"_ Rotom suddenly sang out, popping out of Sun's backpack before playing a strange jingle from within its Pokédex.

"You can play music, Rotom?" Sun asked the device.

" _Sure can, bzzt! I've actually been debating playing music while you battle. Wanna try out some tracks while we do your Trial?"_ Rotom asked Sun, who seriously thought about it.

"Sure. So, what kind of music did you have in mind?" Sun asked the device. Rotom floated over to Hau and began playing a very upbeat, cheerful melody that made Hau start bobbing his head up and down.

" _Catchy, huh? This is the theme I picked out for Hau. Adds a bit of something special to your battles, right? Plus I can take pictures on top of that, hehehe!"_ Rotom swooped back into Sun's backpack, turning off the music as he did so.

"Well, I've got the first afternoon appointment of the day while you've got the second night one. What are you going to do in the meantime while you're waiting, Hau?" Sun asked his friend, who replied by kicking his feet up onto the table with a wide grin.

"Watch the news, have some snacks at the bar, play with my Pokémon, daydream about Lillie. I'll figure something out."

"…What was that last one?"

"Play with my Pokémon."

"…"

"…Don't judge me, Sun."

"I'm gonna go."

"Seeya!"

* * *

Outside the Verdant Cavern

* * *

"Rotom, remind me to have a talk with Lillie about that the next time I see her." Sun said to the Pokédex as he neared the cavern. Sun had restocked himself with supplies (mostly medical) from the Pokémon Center (or the PMC according to Hau), so he was ready to go.

" _Is that all you're going to do, Sun?"_ Rotom asked cheekily, earning a smack from the young Trainer.

"I get enough crap from everyone _and my mother_ about me and Lillie. I'm drawing the line at my own Pokédex making fun of me." Rotom giggled at Sun's dry reply, but settled on top of the boy's hat.

" _Wasn't making fun of you pally. Anyone can see that you two became really good friends really quick. Hau's got a thing for her. That much is obvious. So what about you?"_ Rotom asked Sun.

"No, I don't. She's a friend. Now can I please focus on my Island Trial?" Sun asked the Rotom, who laughed again and hopped back in Sun's backpack. Just as well, as Sun spotted a girl skipping down the path. She had dark-skin and her long black locks were tied into a ponytail and she wore a bright yellow sundress and an even brighter grin on her face. The girl spotted Sun as soon as he saw her and the girl's smile only widened as she drew closer.

"Hiya! I'm Demi! You heading up to the Trial Site?" the perky girl asked, putting her hands behind her head in a very Hau-like way.

"Yeah. Did you just finish up there?" Sun asked the other Trainer. Her response was beaming with even more joy and holding up a small crystal that Sun assumed was the Z-Crystal. The girl pocketed it a second later before turning back to face Sun.

"You betcha! Me and my team had a rough time, but my little Feya here showed them who's boss!" Demi replied with a laugh as a bird soared over to shoulder. It was a small little bird that was orange and red and when it moved, there was a very slight shimmer in the air.

"What kind of Pokémon is that?" Sun wondered aloud. Rotom sighed dramatically and popped out of Sun's backpack, surprising Demi and her bird before scanning it.

" _Fletchling. The Tiny Robin Pokémon_ _._ _This amiable Pokémon is easy to train. But when battle is joined, it shows its ferocious side. Note: This Pokémon is also categorized as a Shiny Fletchling, due to the coloration it has…Bzzt! Don't see one of those very often, do ya?"_ Rotom remarked as it floated down to eye-level. Sun looked back at the Shiny Fletchling with awe, wondering just how the young Trainer in front of him had found such a rare creature.

"What is _that_?" Demi asked, bewildered at the even stranger sight of Rotom.

" _Howdy! I'm Rotom!"_

"Well hi to you, too, Rotom!" Demi said to the device with a laugh.

"This is my Rotom Dex. Basically a Pokédex but with a Rotom living inside of it to help me find my way around and get used to things. Oh yeah, and my name is Sun. Pleased to meet you." Sun said to the girl as his smile widened as he extended his hand to hers. The girl shook the boy's hand, beaming even more.

"Nice to meet you too! I'll probably be hanging out at the PMC for a few days while I decide on what to do. If you stick around, tell me how your Trial went!" Demi said excitedly before she began walking down the path.

"Sure thing!" Sun called to the girl, receiving a wave from the Demi as she happily bounded down the path. Sun turned around then, grinning with a new sense of drive, and continued his walk to the cave with Rotom floating above him, buzzing happily.

" _I like that girl's attitude. Reminds me of you and Hau. Stay positive and keep on smiling. Ah, and now it's time to finally take on that Ilima guy! I'm just tingling with excitement here, Sun!"_

"Are you sure that's not just the electricity?"

" _Bzzzt! Maybe it's a bit of both. Either way, I'm pumped! How're you feeling about all this?"_ Rotom asked Sun, who shrugged.

"Excited. A little nervous, but I'm feeling good about facing whatever is in there. Penny and Oliver, and you, have my back so I'm not too worried." Sun said, flashing the Rotom a confident smile.

With that, the duo finally reached the entrance of the Verdant Cavern, where Captain Ilima was discussing something in hushed tones with a young man beside two giant wooden pillars decorated with designs not unlike the ones on his Trial Amulet. Sun stood patiently to the side while Ilima finished his conversation with the young man dressed in something sort of like a uniform. The other teen walked off and Sun approached the Captain.

"Greetings. Captain Ilima here. And my Trial…" Ilima turned around and gestured grandly behind him, where a massive hole that led into the earth was open in front of them. "…Begins mere steps from here in the majestic Verdant Cavern!"

"…Go on."

Ilima turned around, grinning at Sun. "I'm quite looking forward to seeing how you preform. Now, I'd like you to take a note of a few things. The Pokémon living within the Verdant Cavern are quite fierce. Certainly stronger than the Pokémon you encountered on your trip to this location. If you haven't prepared accordingly, I would recommend you go back to the Pokémon Center and get some Potions and whatnot."

"I'm all set." Sun said to the Captain, his smile widening. Ilima simply laughed, crossing his arms.

"Well, well. So you are. Now, through attempting the Trials during the Island Challenge, one can exceed his or her own limits. That is what the people of Alola believe. That through the sacred customs that have stood strong for hundreds of years, one can achieve a strength that radiates throughout their entire being. And because of that, the bond that those who endure the Trials go through with their Pokémon is strengthened to new levels as well."

"Once you enter the Verdant Cavern, you will be unable to leave until you have completed the Trial, as is custom. Are you ready to begin the Normal Trial of Melemele Island, Sun?" Captain Ilima asked, his voice gaining a formal edge to it.

"Absolutely. Let's do this." Sun said firmly, still smiling. Ilima began walking ahead of him, offering a grin of his own over his shoulder.

"I'll be waiting for you then!" Ilima remarked as he continued walking towards the cave, eventually getting swallowed up by the darkness that was ahead of them.

 _"Woo! Let's storm that cavern and show them our stuff!"_ Rotom suddenly yelled out from Sun's backpack. Sun nodded and jogged ahead, eager to see what was awaiting him within the cavern's depths.

* * *

Verdant Cavern (Normal Trial)

* * *

Sun's jaw nearly dropped in surprise as he beheld the Verdant Cavern. The rather beautiful-looking cavern was lush with plant-life, with even the rocks being covered in mossy greenery. Slopes and rocks stood out all around him as he gazed around the massive cavern, with holes in the ceiling allowing the Alolan sun to shine through, illuminating the cavern and culminating in a sight that stopped the child in his tracks for a moment. He then remembered what he was here for, smiled widely as the excitement set in again, and walked forward to join the Normal-type specialist that was watching him with amusement. Ilima spoke up once Sun had joined him again.

"Allow me to once again engage with the formalities. I am your Captain, Ilima. Welcome to the Verdant Cavern. Allow me to explain the basics of my Trial." Ilima said to the Kanto-native before turning around. "What you should attempt to do is…"

Ilima stopped speaking and pointed forward, and Sun spotted a Yungoos watching from behind a nearby rock. The Pokémon let out a screech before turning around and scurrying off in the other direction, diving into a hole within a rock. Sun could barely make out the form of the Pokémon within, though it peeked its head out a moment later, sniffing the air.

"Defeat three of the Pokémon that lurk here in their dens! Then, you must reach the pedestal deep within the cave…and collect the Z-Crystal there!" Ilima turned to Sun once again, a calm smile on his face as he regarded the young Trainer. Sun could tell he was barely back his own excitement, and wondered if he felt this way every time he presided over a Trial.

"You'll need to be completely in sync with your Pokémon to succeed here." Ilima began to say before a massive roar suddenly bellowed out from within the cavern, shaking the ground and making Sun clamp his hands over his ears. Ilima appeared unfazed, however, though he did look a bit sheepish.

"Oh dear!...Um, there's one more thing I forgot to mention." Ilima said with a small laugh before continuing. "Many strong Pokémon make their home in this cave. But there is one that is far stronger and more fearsome than all of the rest. This special Pokémon is known as a Totem Pokémon, and it resides here as the protector of the Trial Site. It will be the greatest obstacle you face here as you attempt to clear my Trial. You should be prepared for an intense battle unlike any other you have faced thus far on your journey."

"Really wish I had known about this beforehand. That roar sounded like something I really don't want to mess with but…We'll manage. Anything else I should know?" Sun asked the Captain, who nodded.

"Yes. Until you clear the Trial, you will not be able to catch any Pokémon in the Verdant Cavern. This is but one of the seven Trials you will face during your Island Challenge, Sun…"

"And it begins now! The Trial of Captain Ilima!" Ilima shouted, waving an arm in benediction to gesture Sun forward. The child grinned again in excitement, despite his nerves, jogging towards the closest hole he could find. The one the first Yungoos had hidden in.

"Hey there…Wanna come out?" Sun asked the Pokémon as he knelt down beside the hole. The Pokémon hissed at him, making Sun realize what he was doing wasn't the smartest move. The boy scrambled away in time to release Oliver, who let out a hoot as the Yungoos slithered out of its den, growling at it.

"Oliver, use Razor Leaf!" Sun commanded his starter. The Rowlet nodded and flared out its wings, sending a barrage of spinning leaves that twirled in midair towards the Yungoos, who's eyes widened in surprise at the speed of the attack…

Which knocked it out in one hit.

"You really are getting stronger, huh?" Sun asked his Rowlet as the bird began preening its feathers. The owl hooted cheerfully and soared up to Sun's hat.

"Oh, now you're being nice. Can you decide which one you want to be?" Sun asked the owl. Oliver rolled it's eyes and pecked Sun in the side of the head, but it was a bit lighter than it had been this morning. Sun sighed as he began walking away, deciding it was time to have a talk with Oliver.

"I really don't get why you act this way, Oliver. Sometimes you're like the Pokémon partner I've always wanted. Loyal, strong, and just an awesome Pokémon. But at other times you can be so mean and…well, kind of a jerk. Why is that?" Sun asked the Rowlet. Silence enveloped the two of them, and Sun wondered if the bird was thinking about the answer he would give Sun

"Hoo…Coo. Coo, coo!" Oliver replied after a few moments. Sun hadn't been able to quite pick up what the Rowlet had said, but he could have sworn that the bird at least sounded apologetic. Oliver even fluttered down to the ground to look at Sun, staring up at him intensely. Sun knelt down onto the ground so that he was on the same level as his starter, and silence reigned a little longer.

Rowlet then chirped quietly before hopping forward a few times, getting closer to Sun, nodding once. Sun hesitantly picked up the owl Pokémon, who didn't peck him or do anything of the sort. Instead Sun set the owl back on his head and continued the Trial like nothing had happened, though he was wondering what was going on in the head of his starter.

After picking up a fallen Super Potion and stuffing it into his bag, Sun began walking down a slope and spotted a large mossy rock sitting in a patch of sunlight. The Kanto-native walked towards the rock, almost mesmerized by it, but snapped himself out of it and scooped up a fallen Revive sitting on the ground. Sun stood back up and examined the rock, putting his hand on it.

"Weird…it's sitting in the sun, but it's cool to touch." Sun muttered, walking around the rock with his hand brushing against it. Oliver hooted loudly, catching Sun's attention as a Yungoos began running towards him from a nearby hole.

"Oliver, use Razor Leaf!" Sun called to his starter as it took flight. Oliver nodded and released another barrage of spinning leaves, which pelted the mongoose Pokémon and made it screech in pain. The Yungoos crouched lower on the ground and growled at Oliver, making the Pokémon wince slightly at the move.

"Peck! Let's wrap this up!" Sun commanded Oliver, who swooped down with a glowing beak and jabbed it into the Yungoos, sending it tumbling to the ground where it fainted. Sun grinned as Oliver soared through the air and landed back on his head.

"One more left." Sun said quietly, though he did grab an Oran Berry off of the ground, wiped off the dirt on it, and stuffed it into a pouch on his backpack. The boy made his way up a rather steep slope, huffing and puffing as he did so, and continued to trek through the massive cavern, wondering where the last Yungoos was. He eventually sent Oliver out to fly around the area, to maybe pinpoint where the last hole was. Sun eventually began crossing a rather unsafe plank walkway that led to another section of the cave when he heard Oliver hoot loudly from up ahead. Sun turned his head towards his starter, who was circling above a hissing Yungoos on the ground.

"Nice job, Oliver! Hit it with a Razor Leaf!" Sun called to the bird, almost losing his balance in his excitement. Oliver unleashed his attack, but this Yungoos seemed to be smarter than it's friends because it dove back into the hole to dodge the barrage. Sun safely made it across the plank, sighing with relief, and walked over to his Rowlet, who was hooting in an annoyed fashion as it flew over to Sun. The boy dug out a Poké Bean and fed it to Oliver, calming the bird down.

"There's no easy way up there…" Sun muttered, eyeing the high cliff that the hole (where the final Yungoos was hiding) was at. Sun quickly spotted a small tunnel sitting off to the side that looked like it led up to the area where he needed to go, so the child quickly ran over to it and slipped through, with Oliver following him into a small area where Sun found another Super Potion lying there.

 _"People really need to stop dropping stuff. Or maybe Ilima needs to look around here for dropped items more. This is ridiculous."_ Sun thought as he hopped down from the ledge he was on, grunting as his feet hit the ground. He knelt down and looked inside of the hole…

Only to find nothing.

"Huh?"

"Scree!"

Sun looked up and saw the Yungoos peering down at him from a ledge about twenty feet up, wearing a smug look on its face. It then scampered off into another nearby hole while Sun sighed. This last Yungoos would be a bit of a challenge to take out, that was for sure.

Sun hopped down from the ledge and began following a long path that led up a slope to the other hole that the Pokémon had been hiding in. Sun peered inside once again, with Oliver landing on the ground beside him to help look inside…

Only to find nothing.

"What on earth…" Sun mumbled, standing up again and looking at Oliver. The Rowlet shrugged before looking off to the side and pointing outward with its wing. Sun followed where he was pointing the saw a familiar-looking Yungoos waving at them from across the cavern.

"Oliver?"

"Coo?"

"That Yungoos is just messing with us now, isn't it?"

"Coo hoo."

"I thought so."

Sun began walking along an upper path that led to the spot where the Yungoos was now hiding (the Pokémon having dived into its hole yet again), but spotted a man standing at the exit to the cave wearing a small smile as he saw Sun approach.

"Good morning sir." Sun said to the man.

"Good morning to you as well, young man. Just so you know, I am the Trial Guide of Verdant Cavern. I'm here to help young boys and girls attempting the Island Challenge, and I assist Captain Ilima in supervising Trainers to make nothing too crazy happens. After all, we want Trainers to be safe and have fun while out here, you know?"

"Of course."

"It looks like you've still got one more Yungoos to track down and prove yourself against. I wish both you and your team good luck." Sun nodded and thanked the man before making his way down the path, doing so more slowly this time in order to make sure he didn't slip. Sun grabbed an X Defense on the ground, a little annoyed at the excess litter once again, and peered down into the hole where the Yungoos had been hiding.

Only to find jack squat.

"Come on!" Sun stood up quickly, turning around and looking around the cavern. To his annoyance, he found the Yungoos watching him from afar, outright laughing at him. Sun watched the display for a moment before he smiled a little, shaking his head.

"Coo coo! Coo hoo!" Oliver hooted out as Sun began walking.

"Yeah, I know you like that guy's style. No need to rub it in, jerk-butt." Sun said as Oliver landed on his head. While he didn't really know if that was what Oliver had said, he could tell that the Rowlet was finding this all hilarious from the way the bird was giggling to itself from time to time. Sun made his way across the plank walkway and was surprised when two familiar figures suddenly leapt out at him from behind the rocks.

The two Team Skull Grunts looked quite smug as they approached. Axen and Kevin stopped a few feet away from him, with Kevin stepping forward and pretending to swat an invisible fly with his hands.

"Yo, yo, yo!" Kevin called to Sun, who raised an eyebrow.

"…Uh…Yo?" Sun said awkwardly, unsure of what that even meant. He'd have to consult Rotom after this was all over. Maybe the Pokédex was fluent in whatever language they were speaking.

"It's your Berry thief boys, back…back again!"

"The Berry thief boys are back?" Sun asked.

"Yeah, tell a friend!"

" _~Guess who's back, guess who's back, guess who's back, guess who's back, guess who's back, guess who's back, guess who's baaack!~"_ Rotom sang out, flying out of Sun's backpack.

"Oh, it's that thing again. Huh…So, you remember us?" Axen asked Sun, who deadpanned. How could he NOT remember them!?

"Sorry, who are you?" Sun asked the two of them, pretending to be confused. Oliver started cracking up while Rotom giggled in response. Team Skull, however, was anything but amused. Both of them looked surprised before shrugging, looking incredibly disappointed.

"Oh, I see…" Kevin said with a nod, looking to Axen for a moment. Both of them nodded and then switched places, making Sun even more confused.

"Just 'cause we switched places, you can't tell who we are anymore!?" Kevin asked Sun, who sighed deeply. He could tell the two apart easily enough, even if they were dressed the same and had the same dyed hair color. Axen had a rougher voice and was a bit paler than his companion, who stood a little shorter than his friend.

"Who cares about that anyway?!" Axen demanded, sounding fed up. "We're here to mess up his Trial, yo!"

Kevin nodded in understanding, chuckling. "Oh yeah, that's right! Yo, let's get that Pokémon, homie!"

Axen jogged down the slope, grabbing a Poké Ball off of his belt with a laugh. Sun was surprised when Rotom flew out of his backpack and began playing a strange song of sorts.

"Oh hey, that's the Official Team Skull Theme we released last week on AlolaNet! Good to hear we have fans, yo!" Kevin said to Sun, grinning underneath his bandanna. Sun gave Rotom a questioning look, but the device just grinned back at him in response.

"Drowzee! Let's smash that little guy!" Axen said, releasing his Pokémon.

"Oliver, use Peck!" Sun said to the bird resting on his head. Oliver hooted and took flight, doing a small spin in midair before soaring towards the Drowzee on the ground, who was crouching low in anticipation.

"Hit 'em with a Pound, homie!" Axen ordered his Pokémon as Oliver swooped low, pecking at the Hypnosis Pokémon. Drowzee then leapt at Oliver, with both of it's arms glowing bright white.

"Dodge it Oliver!" Sun shouted to his Rowlet. To Sun's surprise, Oliver's eyes caught his for a moment before the bird weaved underneath the Drowzee, dodging the move completely and effortlessly.

"Razor Leaf!" Sun called out as the Drowzee turned around in midair, surprise etched on its face.

"Use Pound to drop to the ground. Then bounce up and hit the bird!" Axen commanded. Drowzee swung its arms downwards, making the Pokémon fall quickly to the ground and dodge the Razor Leaf attack. Sun was surprised at the maneuver, taken aback as the Pokémon hit the ground with a grunt before springing back up and slamming into Oliver, making the owl hoot in protest.

"One more time! Razor Leaf!" Sun said to Oliver as the bird glared at the Drowzee. Oliver obeyed quickly, launching a barrage of leaves that flew into the Psychic-type and sent it falling back to earth unconscious.

"Dang!" Axen sighed, returning his Pokémon and looking at the Poké Ball. "Nice work anyway, homie. We'll smash 'em next time."

The Grunt then turned his attention to Sun, who seemed to be surprised at the small display he saw. Sun also became aware that Rotom was playing a different tune now from behind him, but Sun was ignoring that and focusing on Team Skull. Axen's eyes narrowed for a moment before the Grunt shrugged. "So, is it cool to be in Team Skull if I'm this brittle? Seriously, what's up with that? I even got in some extra training so I could become even harder, and I still got thrashed."

Kevin looked impressed too, joining Axen in throwing his arms apart as he said, "For real, though!? I can't get my skull around it! This kid's mad strong, yo!"

Both of them suddenly backed away and began talking in hushed tones that Sun was able to easily hear...because if there's any Team that doesn't embody subtlety, it's Team Freaking Skull.

"Naw, it ain't even like that, Kev. This kid is straight up dangerous, homie!" Axen exclaimed.

"I don't know man…Isn't this whole place trouble?!" Kevin asked.

"Yeah! It totally is, homie! That thing is so strong that regular Pokémon don't even wanna come out and battle, you know?" Axen replied with a shudder. With that, the two ran up the slope and left Sun questioning his life choices.

"Seriously, just what happened? And why are you playing that song, Rotom?" Sun asked the device.

 _"Turns out Team Skull has their own songs and stuff on the internet. Well, AlolaNet. Anyways, remember how I said I was going to play music to keep things interesting? Well its working!"_

"You're not wrong." Sun agreed with the Pokédex. He turned around and let out a yelp as Kevin was suddenly in his face.

"Yo, kid! You know there's a mad strong Pokémon lurking back here somewhere, right? I'd run if I were you." Kevin advised Sun, completely serious.

"Why? Me and my team can take it." Sun replied to the young man, who shook his head. The young man sighed and looked directly at Sun.

"Me and my boy Zubat lost out on a lot of fun times because of that nasty thing. This is where our Island Challenge came to an end, when I was even younger than you. So do the healthy thing and bail on this stupid place, yo. Ain't worth losing faith in yourself over, like I did." Kevin said to Sun, almost pleadingly. Sun was again surprised by this, and wondered if all of Team Skull were like this. Mostly bluster with some actually good battlers, but all of them hurt by the Island Challenge due to their failure to overcome it.

"Then I'll overcome the Trial for not just myself, but for you guys too." Sun said to the young man, grinning back at him. Kevin blinked in surprise at the statement, but was caught off from what he was about to say by Axen.

"Naw, homie! We're not going out like that! We gotta get our revenge! Go stand over that den and catch that skulking Yungoos, yo!" Axen called to Kevin, who put his hands on his hips and sighed again.

"For real, homie!? While I'm balls deep in bad memories and good advice?...Fine! I got no bones to pick with you, kid." Kevin said to Sun, nodding at him before chasing his friend up the slope. Sun saw them both split apart, running to both of the other holes in the cavern. Sun slowly turned to face the out of the way hole that he had first gone to and smiled. Two minutes later, he and Oliver were peering into a hole and were surprised when a familiar snarl greeted them.

A much larger and more fierce-looking Yungoos greeted them with a growl as it crawled out of the den. Sun then realized that it wasn't quite a Yungoos after a moment as the Pokémon stood on it's hind legs, watching them warily.

"Rotom, what is that?" Sun asked the device as it floated by, playing a new song. Rotom shut scanned the Pokémon and beeped for a moment before speaking.

 _"Gumshoos. The Stakeout Pokémon. When it finds a trace of its prey, it patiently stakes out the location...but it's always snoozing by nightfall. So lazy."_ Rotom commented, giggling a little.

"Right…Oliver, use Razor Leaf!" Sun commanded his starter, who was already flying at that point. The owl hooted loudly and released the attack, hitting the Gumshoos directly and sending it to the ground. The Pokémon rolled to its feet, glaring up at Oliver before bending down and scrapping down at the ground and flinging a torrent of dirt and rock upwards, hitting Oliver with a Sand Attack.

"Oliver! Are you alright?" Sun asked his Rowlet, who nodded an affirmative, despite wincing with discomfort. "Then use Tackle!"

Oliver hooted and dove back towards the ground, crashing into the Gumshoos despite its efforts to dodge the attack and even with Oliver's limited visibility. Sun then spotted the Stakeout Pokémon open its mouth wide, its razor sharp teeth glowing bright white.

"Oliver! Watch out!" Sun shouted as the larger Pokémon leapt at the Rowlet while it was desperately trying to get the sand out of its eyes, with both of his eyes shut at the moment. Oliver's head perked up and the bird flapped its wings hard, barely dodging the attack and listening to Sun despite not seeing the attack coming.

"Razor Leaf, dead ahead!" Sun said to Oliver.

"Coo coo!" Oliver hooted loudly, swooping forward and releasing a torrent of leaves toward the Gumshoos, hitting it directly in the back. The Normal-type screeched in pain and tumbled to the ground, where it crashed in a heap and remained still.

"…Yes! That was awesome Oliver!" Sun yelled to his bird, who had fluttered to the ground. Oliver hooted happily back at Sun, his eyes shut. Sun fished out a water bottle and began washing and wiping the sand off of his Pokémon. Oliver sighed with relief once the sand was clear, and after grabbing the Tyranitar-shaped comb from the case, he began combing the Rowlet while the owl preened.

"You did awesome out there…Guess we can go get our Z-Crystal now. I wonder where that Totem Pokémon is though…" Sun wondered aloud, gently combing Oliver's feathers. The Rowlet didn't replied, its eyes shut as it relaxed before the big battle it knew was coming.

All too soon, Sun had the comb put away and had returned Oliver, looking up towards the exit of the cave that the Trial Guide had been guarding. Sun made his way over to the man, who nodded to him as he approached.

"Fantastic work! Not only did you show up those two goons, but you proved your strength to all three Pokémon!" the Trial Guide said with a wide grin. Sun matched it with one of us own. "Go on inside. Best of luck to you!"

Sun nodded and walked forward, where he shut his eyes as the light from outside began shining directly on him. Thankfully he was able to hear Rotom buzzing excitedly above him just fine, and as Sun's vision began to clear he continued walking down the path, wondering where it led.

 _"Bzzt! Now, my friend! Let us go into the heart of the cave! It's time to get your mitts on your first Z-Crystal!"_ Rotom cheered as he flew above Sun as the boy continued his trek and made his way into the deepest depths of the cave, shivering with anticipation and excitement at what was waiting for him within…


	22. Totem Battle! Gumshoos Takes the Stage!

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _I did first draft of this entire chapter in just one day (roughly 4,300 words at that time). I am very proud of this._

 _THE TIME HAS COME._

 _TOTEM BATTLE._

 _Before the chapter begins though, I do have some big news I'd like to drop here. Kinda fitting since this is an important chapter, but hey, what can you do?_

 _I can now confirm that I will be leaving in mid-June_ _to go to Basic Training for the Air Force. It's a bit longer than I expected, but I can roll with that._ _Now, as far as what the status of the story will be after Basic, I'm honestly unsure. I plan on giving my best friend command of the story so that he can upload pre-done chapters in my absence. That way, this story can keep going for a little bit while I'm gone, but there will definitely be a hiatus of sorts once those chapters are exhausted, at least until I can get to a computer or reacquire my laptop in Tech School, which I have been reassured is a thing I'll be able to do._

 _So yeah, I'll be gone for a little over two months and then I should be able to get back to a decent schedule, more or less._

 _Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes Cottonmouth25, BraviaryScout, Madame Rodoshe, Some Idiot, Ways, NullSilver2005, Sai Og Sus, and ShadowDragon9000, as well as two new reviewers known as Anasazi Darkmoon and skyguys. Thank you all for the support and feedback._

 _And thank you to those who offered their condolences last chapter. I sincerely, from the bottom of my heart, can't thank you enough for that or show how much I appreciate your words._

 _On that note…_

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 _Chapter 22: Totem Battle! Gumshoos Takes the Stage!_

* * *

"I wonder how Sun's Trial is going…" Hau mused as he shut his eyes from his position on a couch, where Duke and Cassy had been snoozing on his chest. He had been chilling all morning, waiting for something interesting to happen. He had done all of the things he had told Sun he was going to do and was now bored. He hoped the boy would beat his Trial quickly. That would mean he and Sun could chat and maybe even battle. He had gotten a lot better and wanted to test his skills against his friend.

Or rather rival. Or both, really. Sun may have been the new kid on the island, but Hau had taken a liking to the boy right away. He was a rather cheerful child like himself, despite everything the other 11-year old had gone through. He admired Sun, in a way, for his determination to keep going despite the bad things in his life. The boy tried to keep smiling even when it was hardest for him to, and Hau appreciated that about his friend. He too was something who believed in positivity, in bringing people up and being supportive. Sun had been nothing but to him and Lillie, and because of that he felt the two of them had become pretty good buddies.

As for Lillie…well, that was why he considered the two of them rivals as well as friends.

Hau had fallen for Lillie the moment he had met her at Professor Kukui's Lab almost four months ago. Hau, up to that point, had never been interested in girls or anything like that. He just didn't see the appeal at all and was just content to be friends with them. But then he met Lillie, nervous and awkward and clutching a large bag with a strange Pokémon hiding within it, and he was smitten.

Lillie was special in his eyes. Beyond pretty, incredibly intelligent, and she had a great personality. No, she wasn't perfect, but Hau liked her despite those flaws. She was a great friend and the first person he ever felt this sort of connection with. They did get to become good friends fairly quickly, after all. He wanted to spend as much time with her as possible, and with any luck maybe one day she would realize that she might feel the same attraction towards him as he felt towards her.

However, Sun was a roadblock standing in the way of that idea.

Hau would have been an idiot not to see the strong friendship between Sun and Lillie. They had become close more quickly than he had become with the blonde-haired girl. Both of them shared a love of music and reading and had both been through their own special brand of hardship. Sun had dealt with the darkness of Cipher and Lillie had…well, she had never explicitly told Hau what had happened to her, but he could take a few guesses and none of them were pretty.

That was why Sun was his rival. Someone to push him to improve, to become a better person and a better Trainer. Someone who was worthy of being related to the renowned Kahuna that was his grandfather. And maybe prove a little something to the father that had left his family behind…

Of course, there was also the little idea of becoming stronger so that maybe, one day, Lillie would recognize his growth and strength and see him worthy of her affection. Yeah, it wasn't particularly noble, but the thought of it did appeal to him. He cared for the girl as both a friend and maybe something else, and wanted the best for her. In his eyes this would either be himself or Sun, another kind-hearted boy that had proved to be a steadfast friend. So they were also rivals for Lillie's affection, in Hau's eyes. He'd be happy no matter what the outcome was, because he wanted his friend to be happy, but he was determined to make that first outcome with him.

"Ooo?"

Hau opened his eyes and saw Cassy and Duke watching him, and Hau grinned at both of his Pokémon. He slowly sat up and shook his head slightly, breaking himself out of his musings. Hau was about to reply when his Pokédex suddenly beeped twice, catching Hau's attention. Hau grabbed the device from his bag and opened it, surprised at what he found.

"Looks like Professor Kukui just added an update to the Pokédex. More info on Pokédex readings and improved grammar fixes, whatever that means. Guess this just means that if I scan a Pokémon, I get more info on it? That's interesting." Hau remarked before he stashed away the device and leaned back against the couch. This lasted for roughly six seconds.

"Whelp, I'm bored. Let's go get some training in, you two. Sun will be back when he gets back." Hau said as he grabbed his two Pokémon and hopped off the couch, though his thoughts turned to his friend/rival. He wondered if he had battled the Totem Pokémon yet.

" _He'll beat it, and then it'll be my turn. I can hardly keep myself under control! I'm so hyped!"_ Hau thought to himself, grinning as he made his way outside to prepare for his first ever Trial, unaware that his friend was venturing to the deepest depths of the Verdant Cavern at that moment.

* * *

Sun and Rotom continued their journey through the tunnel as more and more light poured in from the end of it. Sun was notified by Rotom about an update for the Pokédex as they walked, which Rotom downloaded as they walked. Eventually they arrived at their destination and as Sun's eyes adjusted to the light, he was able to take in his surroundings.

It was a small clearing, surrounded on all sides by walls that rose around them, so the Alolan sun was streaming down on him from above and dousing him in heat, but also made the area incredibly bright. Grass grew all around them, even on the cliffs that loomed above. A nearby path leading up the cliffs was blocked by what looked like several large clumps of rocks, so Sun ignored that for now and focused on the small shrine ahead of him. Resting on it was a glittering gem that Sun recognized as the same Z-Crystal that Demi had held in her hand earlier that day.

"There it is…" Sun muttered, walking forward. Rotom was humming beside him, clearly excited about what was to come. What that was exactly, Sun had no idea, but he knew they were ready for whatever came next.

Sun finally reached the shrine and saw the Z-Crystal glittering from within. As he reached out to take it, he felt a strange shiver in the air. He felt as if something was watching him…a piercing gaze that seemed to cut right through him…But where was this coming from?

Rotom suddenly began playing a very creepy, haunting tune that just screamed suspense and bad things coming. Sun would have to have a talk with the Pokédex after this was all over, but for now he ignored the admittedly creepy music playing and fought back the feeling of intense nervousness and reached forward to take the Z-Crystal. Sun nearly jumped when Rotom suddenly yelled out, _"Sun! Above you!"_

Sun jerked his hand back and looked up and gasped at the sight of a massive Pokémon standing above him, though it was facing the opposite direction. The beast kicked off of the ground with a snarl, suddenly leaping thirty feet into the air and rolling through the air several times in an impressive show of agility. It flailed out its arms and legs to cease its movement before landing on all fours in front of Sun, who had taken several steps back as he beheld the Pokémon before him.

The Pokémon slowly rose to its feet, its expression fierce as it threw out an arm and bellowed furiously at him, the child that dared approach its domain. The impressive beast towered over the child and was much bigger than the one they had encountered a short time earlier, with a more ragged and wild look to it.

" _Gumshoos, the Totem Pokémon of Verdant Cavern, has appeared!"_ Rotom announced as he floated behind Sun, who had pulled out a Poké Ball and took a step back. As he did so, Gumshoos let out another roar, though this time an sharp orange glow came to its eyes. A massive, fiery aura of energy suddenly exploded out from the Totem Pokémon, creating a shock-wave of force that sent Sun skidding backwards on his feet with a yell. When Sun looked back up, the Totem Pokémon was staring him down with a burning aura around it, looking even more intimidating than it did before. Rotom switched to another song, a much more intense and dramatic song that Sun actually thought sounded pretty awesome, before speaking again.

" _That aura there is Z-Power! It's something that all of the Totem Pokémon here in Alola can call upon in battle! Looks like it got a Defense boost from using it!"_ Rotom said to Sun before adding, _"That won't be enough to stop you! Go for it buddy! Bzzt!"_

"Alright then. Let's show this thing what we're made of! Penny, let's go!" Sun called forth his Pikipek, who let out a chirp before fluttering down to the ground, flaring out its wings and preparing itself for a fierce battle.

"Rock Smash Penny!" Sun commanded the Pikipek, who soared towards the Totem Pokémon that seemed content to take the blow. Regardless, it snarled in pain as the Pikipek rushed into it with a beak that was glowing a harsh orange color, dealing a super-effective hit and making the Totem Pokémon stagger backwards with surprise in its eyes. As Penny began flying away, the bird looked back at Gumshoos, just in time for the Pokémon to look up at her with a horrifying expression that made the bird screech in horror.

" _Scary Face…"_ Sun thought with a wince as Penny soared over to him, more wary of the Totem Pokémon than before. Sun then saw Gumshoos inhale deeply before roaring out into the sky. Sun wondered why this was and was about to order Penny to attack when he saw a Yungoos suddenly leap down from one of the cliffs, joining the Gumshoos on the battlefield.

"Looks like its two-on-one…Then let's even the odds! Oliver, let's-" Sun began to say before the Totem Pokémon bellowed at Sun, fury in its eyes.

" _That's a no-go, Sun. Here in Alola, Pokémon are able to call upon their friends to assist them in battle. The Totem Pokémon are really well-known for this tactic. The Kahunas made it then part of the rules of battle here in Alola that if a battle becomes what's known as an SOS Battle, a fight with two wild Pokémon against a Pokémon Trainer, then the Trainer must only use one Pokémon at a time."_ Rotom explained as both mongoose Pokémon ahead hissed at him. Sun felt a pang of worry then. Sure, the Totem Pokémon was strong but he figured he could take it. Two Pokémon at once though? He wasn't too sure.

"Piki Pikipek!" Sun looked over at his bird, who was looking at him now. Penny nodded once and fluttered to the ground, chirping loudly at the two Pokémon, showing no fear despite the odds against her. Gumshoos roared at the small bird and Sun felt his worry and fear ebb away slightly. If Penny wasn't going to let this development worry her, than neither was he!

"Let's show these two that numbers aren't everything! Use Peck on Gumshoos!" Sun said to Penny. The Pikipek darted towards the larger of the two Pokémon, which opened its mouth and bellowed at the bird as it raced towards it, albeit slower than before thanks to being hit with Scary Face. Penny was intercepted by the Yungoos, which leapt at the small bird to try and Tackle it. The Pikipek dodged the attack by ducking low, and continued shooting towards the Gumshoos, which leapt to the side to dodge the attack.

"That thing is nimble…Penny, use Rock Smash on that Yungoos! Get it out of the way!" Sun ordered his Pikipek. Penny nodded and darted towards the smaller of the two rodents whose eyes widened in fear. However, the Totem Pokémon stepped in front of the attack and lunged at Penny, catching the small bird it its mouth and chomping down on her, making her screech in agony.

"Penny! Hang in there!" Sun called to the bird, worry in his voice as the Gumshoos spat out the Pokémon, who managed to catch herself in midair and was sporting some serious damage. This was worsened by the Yungoos suddenly tackling Penny from behind, knocking her out of the air for a few moments before the bird whirled around in midair to deliver a Rock Smash to the smaller rodent, sending it crashing to the ground with a squeal of pain.

" _This is bad…Penny's strong, but even she's not good enough to take on these two at once!"_ Sun thought before he said, "Penny, use Echoed Voice on Gumshoos!"

As the Pikipek flew towards the massive Pokémon, it lunged forward again in a great burst of speed and caught the smaller bird in its jaws. Sun screamed out for his Pokémon as it cried out in pain before the Totem Pokémon spat it out on the ground at Sun's feet, looking smug. Sun ran forward and scooped Penny off of the ground as the Gumshoos snarled at him, but Sun looked down at Penny with a pang, realizing he had once again sent her out into a battle she couldn't have possibly won.

"I'm sorry Penny. I missed up again…" Sun muttered, cradling the fallen Pikipek. Penny opened her eyes a fraction and chirped quietly, nuzzling Sun's hand to show that she held no ill-will towards her trainer. Penny then shut her eyes and Sun looked up at the Totem Pokémon and its ally with a glare.

"We're not done yet!" Sun growled at the Totem Pokémon. Gumshoos nodded at the boy as he pulled out his other Poké Ball. "Oliver, come on!"

Sun released the Rowlet, who beheld the two Pokémon ahead of him with indifference, instead looking to his Trainer and his injured ally.

"Oliver, this is going to be a two-on-one fight. This thing can call on other Pokémon to help it, so stay sharp, alright?" Sun said to the Rowlet. Oliver nodded before turning around, hooting loudly at the duo opposing it.

"Let's get some payback for Penny! Use Razor Leaf on both of them!" Sun commanded the owl, who responded by letting out a loud chirp before flapping its wings as hard as it could, releasing a series of rotating leaves that whirled towards the two mongoose Pokémon. Gumshoos snarled in pain, taking a step back as the attack hit it, but its partner suffered a worse fate, falling to the ground covered in scratches and dings with swirls in its eyes.

"One down, one to go! Just keep an eye out for any more of them, Oliver!" Sun said, a fierce grin on his face as the Totem Pokémon looked down at its fallen companion. Gumshoos then looked up at Oliver with a horrifying expression on its face and Sun winced as Oliver too was hit by Scary Face.

"Use Tackle, now!" Sun said to his starter. Oliver nodded and shot towards the Gumshoos, who responded by narrowing its eyes as they gleamed white, hitting Oliver with a Leer attack before the bird slammed into the Totem Pokémon, making the beast stagger backwards with a roar of anger.

"Now, use Peck!" Oliver shot back towards the Totem, but the Pokémon was done playing around. Gumshoos leapt forward with a snarl, opening its mouth and catching Oliver in its teeth.

"Oliver!" Sun screamed as the Totem began shaking the owl around before releasing it, making the Pokémon flinch in pain as it struggled to remain flying.

"Peck again!" Sun commanded as the owl swooped by Gumshoos another time. Once again the Gumshoos used Bite on the owl, dealing another dose of damage to the smaller Pokémon, but this time Oliver broke free from the Totem's attack and began pecking it with its glowing beak, making the beast roar in protest as Oliver soared into the air.

"Razor Leaf!" Oliver nodded and flapped his wings harshly, releasing another barrage of swirling leaves that raced towards the Gumshoos. The Totem hissed before kicking off of the ground and leaping high into the air, dodging the attack with ease and lunging at Oliver at the same time, its mouth wide open and revealing a row of glowing white fangs.

"Dodge it, Oliver!" Sun shouted, recognizing Super Fang as the attack the Totem Pokémon was using. Oliver swooped to the side, just managing to dodge the attack as the Totem flipped in midair and landed with a crash on the ground, glaring at Sun and then at the owl soaring above him.

"Hit it with Peck!" Oliver soared towards the mongoose Pokémon, who responded by lunging at the Rowlet once again with Super Fang. To Sun's surprise, however, both Pokemon collided with each other, Oliver's shining beak pressing against Gumshoos elongated fangs, the two of them frozen in midair as the two Pokémon tried to overpower each other. Suddenly a wave of sheer force blew out from the two of them, making Sun yell out as he was knocked to the ground and both Pokémon were forced apart from one another.

"Time to wrap this up, Oliver." Sun said to his starter as he hopped back to his feet. Gumshoos dropped to all fours now, roaring in fury, as if it sensed that the battle was coming to a head. Both Oliver and the Totem Pokémon had taken a great deal of damage, so things would definitely be ending soon.

And Sun was determined to make sure that it was with him walking out with his Z-Crystal.

Sun then realized that Gumshoos wasn't going to wait around for Sun to call out an attack, instead leaping high into the air with its mouth hanging wide open, ready to bite down on Oliver again and end the battle.

"Oliver! Dive down to dodge, and then hit it with all you've got with Razor Leaf!" Sun yelled up to his owl as it watched the massive Totem race towards him. Oliver again, like it had earlier, locked eyes with Sun for a brief moment before the Totem had reached it. The beast snarled as it snapped at Oliver, who had flown to the side. Gumshoos turned around to face it and tried to use Bite on Oliver again, but the Rowlet ducked underneath the second attack and swooped out of range with a hoot before whirling around, eyes narrowed, and flapping its wings. Gumshoos' eyes widened as a torrent of spinning leaves flew from the small owl, slicing into the Totem Pokémon and making the beast yell out in pain as the attack rushed through it.

For a moment, the Totem hung there in midair, defying gravity as its body was frozen in pain. The Pokémon then began falling back to earth, it's body going limp before it crashed down onto the ground with an almighty crash, leaving a large crater in the ground.

"Is…is it over?" Sun whispered, eyeing the mass shifting in the crater. Oliver soared down to him and began watching the crater as well, looking pensive. After a moment, however, the Totem Pokémon began to rise once again, looking over at Oliver and Sun with narrowed eyes, a soft growl escaping the Gumshoos. Then, the beast stiffened up and slowly fell to the ground with a massive thud, its eyes shut tight. Sun waited several seconds to see if the creature would rise again, but as the Totem Pokémon remained still, a fierce sense of joy erupted within the boy.

"We did it! We cleared our first Trial! We beat the Totem Pokémon!" Sun yelled out, triumph in his voice. Oliver flew around, hooting loudly in excitement. Oliver landed on the ground as Sun sat down himself, applying a Revive to Penny and restoring her strength. The Pikipek let out a chirp upon returning to consciousness.

"You both were fantastic out there." Sun praised his Pokémon, pulling both of them into a tight hug as the boy began laughing, relieved that the battle had been decided in his favor. Oliver and Penny returned the embrace, and for a few moments the trio stayed still, reveling in their victory. Sun then let both of his birds go and both of them fluttered to the ground. Oliver then chirped loudly, getting Sun's attention.

"What's up, Oliver?" Sun asked the Rowlet, who was staring at him intently.

"Coo coo!" Oliver replied, extending its wings out and closing its eyes, a joyful expression on his face.

And then the Rowlet began to glow.

"Oliver…you…" Sun tailed off, his words fading into nothingness as white and blue light began to engulf his starter Pokémon. A serene and ambient glow filled the small area as ribbons of light circled around Sun's Rowlet. Rotom was busy taking pictures of Oliver and playing a little tune, but Sun again ignored that and focused on what was going on…

Oliver was evolving.

All too soon the glowing stopped as the new Pokémon that stood where his starter had been standing flared its wings, breaking the aura of light that had surrounded it and let out a louder, deeper cry that filled the clearing. It was a much larger owl with white and brown and green feathers, a familiar bowtie-like leaf sitting at the base of its neck. It now had a hair-like leaves on top of its head and it's eyes were much narrower, almost shut completely.

"Daaaarrtrix!" the Pokémon trilled, kicking off of the ground and soaring into the air with a quick burst of speed that it hadn't possessed as a Rowlet. Rotom giggled as it floated by Sun, scanning Oliver and speaking a moment later.

" _Well, well, well. Let's check out what kind of Pokémon your pal Oliver turned into, eh, bucko? Zz-zz-zz! Here's the entry, now with even more info!"_ Rotom said with a laugh before reading aloud the entry. _"Dartrix. The Blade Quill Pokémon and the evolved form of Rowlet_ _._ _A bit of a dandy, it spends its free time preening its wings. Its preoccupation with any dirt on its plumage can leave it unable to battle. It throws sharp feathers called blade quills at enemies or prey. It seldom misses."_

"Oliver…You evolved!" Sun yelled out, a wide grin on his face as the Dartrix swooped down and tackled Sun down to ground, making the boy yell out as he tumbled onto the rock.

"Daar!" Oliver agreed, hooting loudly. Penny chirped out at the larger owl, who chirped back at her. Oliver then turned his attention to Sun, bending down and gently pecking Sun in the forehead before hooting and taking off into the air.

"Wonder what that was all about…" Sun wondered as he staggered to his feet, groaning in pain. He hadn't quite recovered from being dragged yesterday. Sun then caught sight of Gumshoos rising to its feet with a wince, looking at Sun and nodding before running towards the Verdant Cavern and disappearing within the depths of the cave…

"What an incredible Trainer you are!"

Sun whirled around in surprise and saw Ilima approaching, the young man beaming as he walked closer. Oliver had landed on the ground again, and was watching the Captain with interest as he stopped a short distance away.

"For you to be able to defeat the Totem Pokémon that I had trained up to such a powerful state…I don't know what I can say!" Ilima admitted, shrugging after a moment.

"That I'm awesome and my team is too?" Sun suggested, making both of them start laughing.

"That's a sentiment I can agree with, actually. By working in harmony with your Pokémon, you have cleared the Trial of Ilima! You're a phenomenal Trainer, Sun. As the Captain of the Verdant Cavern, I offer you my most sincere congratulations. The Z-Crystal from the pedestal is yours now!" Ilima said to the boy, pointing behind him to the small shrine. Sun walked over to the pedestal and scooped up the Z-Crystal, which was warm to touch. The child grinned widely as he held out the Z-Crystal in his hands before tossing it skyward, catching it, bending low to the ground and raising it to the sky.

"If you want to try victorious poses out, I'll have to say that one wasn't all that impressive." Ilima drily remarked as Sun looked at the Z-Crystal in his hands, now alight with some strange form of fiery energy. As Sun brought down the Z-Crystal to look at, however, the glow vanished. Sun then looked over at the Captain with a sheepish grin.

"Sorry. Couldn't help it." Sun admitted with a chuckle, blushing slightly.

"Indeed. Also, I must also congratulate your Rowlet on evolving into a Dartrix. May your new form fit you well." Ilima said to Oliver, who just nodded because that's kind of how he is. Ilima then returned his attention to Sun, his expression a bit more serious.

"What you have just received is the Normal Z-Crystal. It is known as Normalium Z. From now on, if you let a Pokémon that can use a Normal-type move hold that…" Ilima then began to strike a series of poses, ending with both arms crossed in front of him with his thumbs pointing in opposite directions. "…and strike an elegant pose like this one…then you will be able to strengthen a Normal-type move by unleashing Z-Power!"

"That looks absolutely ridiculous. Can't I just skip that part and just _use_ the Normalium Z?" Sun asked, receiving a shake of the head in response.

"No. Sorry, that's just how it works."

"How does that make any sense?"

"We live in a world of creatures that can shoot lightning, summon water and rocks from out of nowhere, and shoot beams of energy that can wreck cities. Not much that goes on here makes any sort of sense, Sun." Ilima deadpanned, making Sun sag slightly. Ilima then ruined it by chuckling a little before saying, "Moving right along…"

Ilima turned on his heel and began walking out of the area, but his steps slowed and he looked over his shoulder at the Kanto-native. "First, there is one thing I forgot to mention."

"Yes?"

"The Totem Pokémon! In every locale where a Captain holds his or her Trials, you will encounter a particularly strong Pokémon, much like Gumshoos just now. During such battles against Pokémon of their nature, they may summon allies to shore up their offense and provide a much more difficult battle." Ilima explained, but Sun cut him off.

"Yeah, that gave me some trouble. Rotom said that's something special to Alola." Sun replied, making the Trial Captain nod in response.

"Yes. It's not a tactic often seen in other regions. Perhaps Pokémon in Alola are simply more inclined to help one another?" Ilima mused before shaking his head and offering Sun a cheery smile. "Anyway, since you have managed to defeat the Totem Pokémon and proved yourself, you can now try to catch any of the Pokémon you find here in this cave. In fact…" Ilima reached into the small pack he had strapped to his back and tossed several red and blue Poké Balls towards Sun, who caught them.

"Have some Great Balls." Ilima then tossed a few more at Sun, who couldn't hold all of the balls and dropped them onto the ground. One awkward moment later and the last of them were stowed away.

"Truthfully, I think we're going to head back to the Pokémon Center. I'm feeling a bit rough after yesterday and I think some rest for these two is in order." Sun said as Oliver soared by him, hooting joyfully. Penny fluttered onto Sun's head with a tired chirp.

"If you'll allow me, let me see to your Pokémon after all of their hard work in here." Ilima offered, which Sun accepted. One healing session later and the three of them were all ready to go.

"If we're done here, I have something interesting I'd like to show you later on. Meet me at the beginning of Route 3 tomorrow morning." Ilima said to Sun before walking out of the area without so much as another word. Sun sighed before walking ahead, with Oliver soaring beside him and Penny resting on his head. The Kanto boy couldn't stop smiling though, triumph and relief filling him after a long and hard-fought battle against the Totem Pokémon. They had conquered Ilima's Trial, and now that they had completed it…

All that remained was the showdown with the Kahuna of Melemele Island himself.

* * *

 _Post Edit Note:_

 _The site for whatever reason was acting super weird this morning and crashed the first time I tried uploading this chapter. I deleted and uploaded this chapter two more times since I didn't get any kind of email notification that it was published, like I normally do, but despite that I never received a email from this site. If anyone feels like letting me know if they got the email for this chapter going up via message or review, that'd be appreciated. Thank you for your time._


	23. Peering Through the Haze

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _Good news! The last chapter I'll have up before I leave, baring any delays, will be the Kahuna battle._

 _So yeah. That's pretty awesome. No other news other than that, I believe. Got a pretty long one set up for you all, with some Sun/Lillie adorable fluffiness to follow next chapter. That's going to be fun._

 _Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes Cottonmouth25, skyguys, ShadowDragon9000, Madame Rodoshe, Raikou927, BraviaryScout, Sai Og Sus, and NullSilver2005, as well as two new reviewers known as The Dragon Legend and TyForestGames. Thank you all so much for your feedback and support._

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 _Chapter 23: Peering Through the Haze_

* * *

Sun was still on cloud nine as he continued his trek out of the Verdant Cavern.

"So, all in all, pretty good day, right?" Sun asked Oliver and Penny. Penny chirped from within Sun's arms while Oliver hooted cheerfully, swooping by with a flap of his stronger wings. The Dartrix certainly seemed quite happy with his new form, using the stronger body to effortlessly fly ahead of them. Penny let out another chirp and broke free from Sun's grip to join her teammate in the air, where both birds soared around each other.

" _How's it feel, knowin' you managed to overcome the Trial?"_ Rotom asked Sun.

The boy grinned back at the Pokédex and replied, "Great. Plus, Oliver's evolved, meaning we're that much more ready to face Hala when we get back to Iki Town."

" _I wouldn't feel so confident. Hala is the Kahuna, and he's no pushover."_ Rotom said with a small shudder.

"Not confidence. Just relief and happiness. It's about time something went right in my life." Sun countered, his smile taking a hit as his mind caught up with his words. His good mood quickly began to fizzle out as the boy scowled and shook his head, trying to plaster his smile back on. This was supposed to be his big moment of triumph! He couldn't spend it feeling bad about things he couldn't change, darn it!

* * *

" _You becoming a Trainer is the most ridiculous thing I've heard. Get your head out of the clouds, Sun, and focus on the present! What is here and tangible. Do_ not _disappoint me. I'm counting on you more than anyone else right now, alright?"_

* * *

Sun shut his eyes, stopping his tracks and clenching his fists tightly as the words from the past hit him. The child breathed in and out, trying to regain control of himself. Sorrow, anger, regret, guilt. All of these emotions pounded through his skull, threatening to overwhelm him.

" _Hey buddy? You good?"_

Sun opened his eyes and kept walking, forcing back the words of his father and the memories and the hurt and hating the fact that despite how great a moment this way, his thoughts had to ruin it for him.

"Just fine." Sun muttered as he glanced over at both of his birds, who had both flown ahead and were battling a few Zubat. Sun just watched the display for a few moments, marveling at how much stronger Oliver was now. The Dartrix effortlessly dodged the attacks of multiple bats at once before downing them all with Razor Leaf. However, he had missed one and that Zubat was now lunging at Penny with a screech.

Sun then watched as Penny ducked under the Bite attack and blasted the bat with a soundwave of energy, knocking it to the ground unconscious.

" _So…uh…Now what?"_ Rotom asked, a bit thrown off by Sun's change in mood and unsure of how to improve the situation.

"I think my next step is evolving Penny. That way I've got two evolved birds ready to take on Hala…Isn't Hala a Fighting-type specialist?" Sun asked Rotom as Penny soared over to Sun, chirping happily as she landed on the boy's hat. Sun tried to focus on the happiness he had felt upon first beating the Trial and his joy at Oliver having evolved and tried to will away the bad memories.

"… _Yep. By the way, Penny just learned Supersonic."_ Rotom said to Sun as the bird peered down at him. Sun managed to smile up at Penny and stroked the bird's head, continuing his trek outside of the cave as Oliver flew circles around them, hooting out in happiness. Sun wondered how good it must feel evolving like that, fresh off of their greatest victory yet. The thought of his starter being that happy made Sun feel a bit better.

As Sun made his way down the ledges that led to the cave's entrance, he spotted an orange CD lying on the ground. Sun picked it up, regarding it for a moment before Rotom flew over and examined the disc.

" _That's TM 31. Brick Break. Pretty good move, actually. It's used quite a bit and can be learned by a lot of Pokémon."_ Rotom said to Sun as he put away the TM.

"Yeah, but not by two birds." Sun said to the Rotom, who shut its eyes and remained silent for a moment. Sun walked past the Rotom and continued his trek out of the cave, but stopped dead in his tracks at Rotom's next words.

" _Penny is able to learn Brick Break."_ Rotom replied as it floated forward, earning a baffled look from Sun.

"How does that make any kind of sense?" Sun asked the Rotom Dex.

" _All Pokémon are different. Pikipek and its evolutionary line have a few neat tricks that they can take advantage of. Them being able to use a few Fighting-type moves is one of them."_ Rotom replied cheerily as Sun looked up at his Pikipek.

"Interesting…Well, we can teach that to Penny. Brick Break is much stronger than Rock Smash, if I remember right, so it'll be good to have on hand." Sun said to the device as they finally exited the cave, entering the harsh sunlight once more. It had been a few hours since the boy had entered. Sun set out on the path and when he finally returned to the Pokémon Center, he saw both Hau and the cheerful girl from earlier sitting on the front steps.

"~All hail the conquering hero!"~ Demi sang, pretending to play a trumpet or a trombone. Probably the former since it's the cooler instrument.

"Here he comes! Woo!" Hau laughed as he sprinted off of the steps and ran towards Sun. The boy dug the Normalium-Z out of his pocket and showed it to Hau, who marveled at the sight of the Z-Crystal.

"Ooh…Shiny." Hau remarked as Sun pocketed the Z-Crystal. Demi quickly joined them, grinning at Sun.

"Nice job, though, seriously! That Totem give you any trouble?" Demi asked Sun, who nodded.

"It certainly gave me a good fight. Oliver managed to take it down after Penny weakened it and its partner a bit." Sun explained as both of his birds chirped an affirmative. Hau grinned even wider as he beheld the newly evolved Dartrix flying in front of him.

"Look at you, Oliver! You evolved!" Hau cheered as the owl landed on the ground. Oliver trilled happily in response before he began preening himself when he and Penny landed on the ground.

"Hopefully that means he'll stop being such a butthead. But that remains to be seen." Sun remarked as he stuck his hands in his pockets. Oliver gave him a dirty look, but didn't reply further.

"So, what did you think of Ilima doing the Z-Pose?" Demi asked Sun.

"Z-Pose?"

"You know, the cool pose that lets you use the Z-Move? Pretty neat, right?" Demi replied.

"That's really a thing? I thought Ilima was messing with me," Sun admitted, shrugging.

"Oh no, it's a thing. I hear the Kahunas can skip that step sometimes if they're in the zone though. Doesn't happen often. Or I could be totally wrong. You want some help with getting it down? Sometimes these dances are hard to get just right." Demi asked with a laugh.

Sun thought about it for a moment before sighing and nodding to Demi. He the turned to his Rotom Dex. "Rotom, if I find out this is being recorded by you through any means, I'm replacing you with an Easy-Bake Oven."

" _I agree to these terms, sir!"_

Sun and Demi practiced doing the Z-Pose for a while, with Hau and Rotom laughing at them the entire time. Sun eventually had to turn Rotom off and kick Hau in the shins to get them to stop. The trio eventually decided to get out of the heat and head into the Pokémon Center, where Sun gratefully sat down to ease his sore body. Hau bought him a Moomoo Milk out of pity while Demi giggled at the exhausted child. Sun bought a few cookies to be shared between Penny and Oliver to celebrate their hard work. Sun had also taken that time to teach Penny Brick Break.

Sun and Hau chatted for a good while, with the upbeat Demi chiming in whenever she could with her Shiny Fletchling resting on her shoulder. Sun also found out a bit about the cheerful Trainer with the Shiny Pokémon. According to the girl, she lived on the neighboring Akala Island and came from a line of skilled Pokémon Trainers (one of which had been a Kahuna, decades ago). According to her, she was looked up to by her younger brother and her family had high hopes for her Island Challenge.

"Sounds like a lot of pressure." Sun commented when he heard that.

"Not really. Well, maybe, but we're going strong and we'll make them all proud." Demi beamed as Feya chirped in agreement.

That, for whatever reason, reminded Sun of something. The Kanto-native turned to Hau and said, "Ilima wants us to meet him at Route 3 tomorrow morning, by the way."

"Did he say why?" Hau asked, confused.

"No. I think he assumes you'll pass your Trial, so you better knock it out of the park." Sun said with a smirk to Hau, who laughed as he put his hands behind his head.

"Naturally. I hear the Trial is totally different at night sometimes. Guess I'll find out for myself, huh?" Hau remarked before he looked over at Demi.

"So Demi, what are you going to do?" Hau asked the girl.

Demi grinned and said, "I'll be going the long way around the island. I have some errands to do in Hau'oli City, but I'll definitely be by Iki Town soon to battle your grandpa. If you two see me, make sure to say hi!"

"Absolutely!" Hau agreed, grinning at her.

"Keep an eye out for Team Skull. They're out and about on the island and even if they're silly, they shouldn't be taken lightly." Sun warned the girl. Demi nodded, a serious expression on her face, before grinning again.

"I've actually battled them twice. They're thieves, but nothing special. It's not like they're Team Galactic or those Cipher guys." Demi remarked with a shrug. Sun flinched when Cipher was mentioned, but Demi didn't notice as she shoved her chair in and patted the bird on her shoulder.

"On that note, though, I do need to get going. You two take care. Aaaaand if we ever meet up again, we should totally battle. Imma win, though." Demi remarked with a smirk, earning a grin from Hau and a laugh from Sun. Both boys shook the girl's hand and she walked to the counter to speak with Nurse Joy and then pranced out of the building, a shimmering trail flowing behind her thanks to the Shiny Pokémon resting on her.

"She seems really cool." Sun admitted as he leaned back in his chair.

"I actually talked with her for a while before you showed up. She's kinda like me, except a bit more sassy and also a girl and with a really colorful Pokémon." Hau remarked, making Sun giggle with amusement. With that, the two boys relaxed for the remainder of the afternoon until Hau departed for his Trial. Sun decided to take that time to call his Mom and tell her the news.

"And now I'm going to be making my way around the Island with Hau so we can both fight the Kahuna." Sun finished as Laura beamed at her child from the screen.

"Barely a month after getting your first Pokémon and you've already cleared your first Trial. I just can't express how proud I am of you, Sun." Laura said to Sun, who looked away for a moment, a bit embarrassed.

"Heh. Thanks Mom. How've you been doing though?" Sun asked his mother.

"Oh, I've been doing some work down at the Trainer's School. I'm considering applying there as a teacher, but so far I've been doing some volunteer work there to keep busy. All in all, I'm doing great." Mom replied, grinning at her boy. Sun then recalled his thoughts earlier about his father and his smile faded somewhat.

"What's wrong?" Mom asked her child.

"Sorry…I just was thinking about Dad earlier and how…well, he didn't want me to become a Trainer, right? I just beat my first Island Trial. He'd be so mad at me right now. Disappointed. It's been bothering me for a little bit." Sun admitted with a small sigh.

"Sun, your father was a Pokémon Trainer no matter how much he detested being one, and he trained regularly despite that. And…He's not a part of our lives anymore, dear. He's gone, off to do whatever he feels like doing now. He can't hurt us anymore." Laura replied quietly, offering her son a small smile.

"I know…But I still feel bad about it, Mom. I can't _not_ think about it." Sun muttered, his mother's words not doing much to comfort him.

"It'll take time, dear. It's a complicated and nasty mess, all around, what happened with your father. But right now you have your own life to live, your own journey to go on. This isn't about what he wants…It's about what _you_ want." Laura said to Sun, who nodded silently. For a time silence reigned, but it wasn't an awkward one. It was more contemplative.

"Did Dad ever talk about how he did on his the Island Challenge?" Sun asked his mother. To his surprise, Laura smirked in response.

"You bet he did. And your father didn't pass his first Trial on the first attempt like you did. Poor man had to try _three times_ to beat the Totem Pokémon on this Island." Laura remarked with a sigh, shaking her head in amusement.

"Did he ever say why he couldn't beat it?" Sun asked curiously.

"Oh, he was trying to use only one Pokémon. It took him a while, but your father managed to defeat the first Totem he battled with just Damien. After that he expanded his team, became Island Challenge Champion, and the rest is history." Laura explained, leaning back in her chair. "He hated being a Trainer though. He despised Alola's history. He didn't have the best upbringing himself, and even after he founded his company, he distanced himself from being a serious Trainer. If he wanted too, he probably could have dethroned Lance's predecessor when he moved to Kanto."

"Was Dad really that good of a Trainer?" Sun asked, amazed at the suggestion.

"He was. But that was then, and not now. Now…As long as he's away from us, I'm fine with whatever he's doing. He'll be put in his place one way or another, and that's as involved as we're going to get in his mess." Laura said firmly to Sun. The boy nodded slowly, getting the point.

Mom smiled at Sun again, though it was less pronounced than it was before. "Like I said, Sun. You're getting stronger, not just as a Pokémon Trainer but as a person. These journeys are supposed to make you think and feel new things. They're supposed to make you grow in ways you never could have imagined. Are you happy right now, on your journey, Sun?"

Sun thought about it for a moment before nodding. He was having fun out here, spending time with his friends and Pokémon. He had learned so much and had encountered so many new things in just the few short weeks he had spent away from home. He didn't regret being on his journey at all. Sun smiled then, and his mother chuckled.

"There's my answer. You'll do just fine, Sun. You're _my_ boy, after all." Laura remarked before she suddenly blinked and then snapped her fingers. "I just remembered! I finally had both of our names legally and officially changed. It took a while, but I managed to get it done." Laura said to her child, grinning at him.

"Me too?"

"Yep. Your Pokédex should notify you of the change-"

" _Hey Sun, I've got a change in your information you may want to look at."_

"Now, actually. That's convenient." Laura said cheerfully as Sun opened the Pokédex and began scanning the information on it. The boy then felt his heart sink with despair.

"No Mom."

"Sun, hear me out-"

"Mom, did you seriously change our last name to _that_? What is _wrong_ with you!?" Sun demanded from his mother, who had actually started laughing outright on her side of the call. Sun waited until his mother had calmed down, wiping a tear from her eyes, before saying, "I'm going back to Hau'oli City and getting a new last name."

"First off, I needed that laugh. Thank you, dear. Second, yes, the name is a bit silly, but it's fitting and it's something different, so I went with it. That's our new last name now. Third, you have to be 18 to request a legal name change in Alola, so you're out of luck, mister." Laura said with a wide smile while Sun slumped over in his chair, sighing.

"I thought you loved me. Why must you punish me so?" Sun asked, closing his eyes as he sighed again, but much more dramatically. He opened them again to find his Mom grinning at him.

"Because it's my job. Suffering builds character. Puts hair on your chest." Laura replied with a giggle before she heard a loud yowl in the background. "Looks like Meowth is getting into the pantry again, the rascal. Let me know if anything else comes up, okay?"

"Okay Mom. I love you, even though I know that Hau is going to laugh at me when he finds out what my last name is." Sun said to his mother.

"I love you too dear. Be safe out there, and have fun. I'll see you soon." Sun's Mom cut off the video feed and Sun watched the screen cut out before he leaned back in his chair.

"Daar?"

Sun looked down at his Dartrix and Pikipek, watching him from the ground, and offered them a small smile. He got out of his chair and scooped up Oliver in his arms, grunting at the effort. Penny fluttered to Sun's head as the boy carried the large owl up the stairs to their room, deciding to relax there for a bit and catch up on some reading while waiting for Hau to complete his own Trial.

* * *

Oliver opened his eyes in the middle of night and was the first to notice that his Trainer was unwell.

Penny awoke not long after that, jolted by the boy tossing and turning in his sleep with a pained expression on his face, sweating somewhat and clearly in distress. Oliver sighed inwardly at the sight, wishing there was something he could do. Sadly, dreams weren't his forte. That was Cresselia's jurisdiction if he remembered Hala's stories correctly.

The owl and bird were surprised when Sun's eyes suddenly snapped open, with the boy bolting upright and gasping for air, shivering as his eyes darted around the room. It took a few moments for the boy to calm, and upon realizing he was in a room at the Pokémon Center Sun sagged in relief. Oliver and Penny watched as their Trainer slowly reached up to his neck and felt around it for a moment, as is searching for something that wasn't there. Sun sighed then, and that's when Oliver hopped forward and nuzzled him for a moment before Penny moved forward, doing the same. Sun sighed again, more shakily this time, running his hands through his hair and looking into the faces of his two birds, worry in their eyes at their Trainer being so upset.

"I'm so sorry…I woke you both up, didn't I?" Sun murmured, reaching forward and patting them both on the head. Oliver hooted softly as Penny closed her eyes, rubbing her head against Sun's hand. Despite everything, Sun began to drowse once again and laid back down, falling back into an uneasy sleep. Oliver and Penny remained beside him, watching him for a while in companionable silence.

"His heart hurts." Oliver muttered as quietly as he could, but loud enough for his teammate to hear him. The smaller bird cocked her head slightly before nodding.

"Of course it does. Trainer was crying in his sleep without even realizing it. His nightmares must be horrifyingly powerful…I wonder what they're about?" Penny asked, her voice curious. Oliver liked that about her. His fellow bird was pretty darn smart, especially when it came to battling, but she always liked to learn more. She was nice too. She reminded him of his Trainer, actually. Always eager to gain more knowledge. It was a bit odd for a Flying-type to be a tactician, at least to him, but that was Penny in a nutshell. He wondered what she'd be like when she grew stronger…he could tell she was close to evolving, so maybe he'd find out soon.

"Probably that ruined city. Remember, Sun talked about it with his mother and they both seemed upset by it. His father seems to be a very sore point with them as well." Oliver remarked softly, tensing for a moment as Sun stirred next to him.

"All we can do is support him. He's strong, and he can get through this." Penny said firmly, yet tiredly. The bird shut her eyes then and muttered, "I can't stay awake much longer."

"That's because that stupid rat from earlier got the better of you." Oliver remarked casually. Penny gave him a dirty look, but then Oliver added, "Of course, I nearly lost to it even after you weakened it and its friend, so I kind of understand why that is."

"You're the worst Oliver…"

"Yes, yes I am." Oliver said proudly, bowing ever-so-mockingly to his teammate, who just shook her head in mock-annoyance. "Get some sleep, okay? I'll stay awake and watch over him. I'm nocturnal and have been fighting against my own sleep patterns for too long anyway. Besides, I feel so full of energy after evolving that I don't think I can sleep even if I _was_ tired." Oliver admitted, feeling a bit amused.

"If you're sure…So, are you feeling any more mature now that you've evolved?" Penny asked the owl, her voice gaining a bit of steel.

"Yes, yes, I know. You don't like my sense of humor and you think I'm acting like a hatchling. You would've hated me if you saw how I treated the Kahuna. Poor fellow is probably glad I'm gone. I was worse before I met our Trainer." Oliver replied quietly, but he added a moment later, "But I'll lay off of him. Now that I'm a Dartrix, it feels…beneath me, in a way."

"So you'll finally start acting your age?"

"Are you crazy? That's half the fun. I'll stop attacking him though, since that joke is getting old. I'll have to come up with something new…" Oliver mused quietly, a mischievous glint coming to his eyes that Penny almost face-winged at.

"I'm going to sleep. Goodnight Oliver."

"Goodnight to you as well, Penny." Oliver murmured as Penny shut her eyes. Oliver caught her smiling as she looked the other way, which made him almost laugh in amusement. The exhausted bird was out within moments, leaving the owl alone with his thoughts. His new body was allowing him to pick up on all kinds of different sensations and sounds, and it was almost overwhelming. Combine that with the strength and ease it was to move in his new form and how handsome he looked now and…Well, he knew he would enjoy being a Dartrix quite a bit.

But for now…

Oliver looked back down at his Trainer, whose face was set in a grimace as yet another nightmare hit him. Oliver shifted so that he was closer to his Trainer and set a wing on the boy's shoulder, hoping that maybe it would offer some kind of comfort to him. After a moment, Sun's expression relaxed a little and he seemed to fall into an easier slumber. The Dartrix remained unmoving in his vigil over Sun and his dreams. If he could help his Trainer in any way, he would do it. Oliver may have been a bit of a jerk, but at the end of the day he cared about his Trainer and wanted him to be happy.

So there he sat, by Sun's side, until morning came.

* * *

Route 3

* * *

It turned out that what Ilima wanted to show the two of them was his incredible power to make other people open easily climbable walls. According to him, these were barriers that kept regular non-Trainers and weaker Trainers going on their Island Trial from dealing with stronger Pokémon than they were used too. Hau was impressed, but Sun just walked past the Captain and tried not to laugh at how ridiculous the whole situation was.

And so the duo of Sun and Hau traveled along Route 3 for two weeks, the cliff-side stretching ahead of them. By the end of that second week Sun's patience finally ran out with his travelling companion and he was now actively resisting the urge to shove Hau off a cliff. Not because of his loud snoring or because he asked for a Pokémon battle every single day or even because Sun caught him eating his own boogers and then Hau refused to admit that he had done such a thing. None of those were what made Sun seriously consider pushing Hau into the ocean.

It was because he wouldn't stop singing with Rotom.

"~Baaaaby! I compare you to a kiss from a rose on the grey!~" Rotom and Hau sang as Hau pretended to waltz with Rotom. Penny and Oliver were about ready to attack the both of them while Sun had long since jammed his fingers into his ears, but that didn't help much. Sun was pretty sure the reason that the wild Pokémon were absent from the cliff-side they were on was because Hau's singing was driving them away.

" _~You remain…My power, my pleasure, MY PAIN!~"_ Rotom yelled as it floated above Hau, who was wearing a positively evil grin as Sun wondered where he went wrong in life.

"FOR THE LOVE OF MEW, MAKE IT STOP!" Sun finally screamed, glaring at Hau and Rotom with childish annoyance. Taking that as his cue, Oliver decided to take matters into his own wings and flew over to Rotom, smacking the device with his wings and making it stop playing music.

"Oh come on, Sun. That song is a classic! Lillie loves that one and I have to admit, it's pretty awesome." Hau said with a wide smile, putting his hands behind his head.

"And I've got a migraine. Rotom, go to sleep. Please." Sun asked the device as it floated back towards Sun. Rotom giggled with mirth but did as the boy asked, slipping into Sun's backpack as Oliver and Penny sighed with relief.

"Killjoy. I thought you were fun, Sun…"

"I am fun. I'm loads of fun. But I also have limits to my fun capacity and that stopped twelve songs ago."

"But this cliff is _boring_. We stopped battling wild Pokémon a few hours ago and none have attacked since then." Hau complained with a smile, closing his eyes.

"Maybe if you and Rotom hadn't been auditioning for _Alolan Idol_ we'd have more Pokémon to battle." Sun muttered grumpily, putting his hands in his pockets.

" _I'm sorry that my singing skill is unmatched by any living being ever, bz-zz-zzt!"_ Rotom replied with a giggle as it slipped back out of the backpack again to float alongside them. Oliver suddenly soared high into the air as Hau closed his eyes in amusement, sticking his tongue out at Sun.

"You're just jealous Sun. Admit it." Hau chuckled before opening his eyes, though this turned out to be a bad idea. In front of him was an angry Dartrix that flared its wings and screeched in Hau's face with a familiar and horrifying look on its face. Both Hau and Rotom screamed in horror and began running away from the owl as it began chasing them down the cliff path.

"Penny, I swear we're the only sane ones on this trip." Sun remarked as he sat down next to a tree, watching the display with amusement.

"Piki pi." Penny agreed, nodding as Oliver began smacking Hau in the back of the head with his wing. Sun and Penny just sat there and watched as the Dartrix griefed the other boy and the Pokédex, at least until Sun got bored watching them.

"Oliver, stop harassing Hau and get back over here." Sun called to his owl. Oliver swooped back over to his Trainer's side and glided beside him. Sun reached out and patted his Dartrix on the head, received a happy hoot in reply. Penny chirped to Oliver, and the two began chatting with one another while Hau slowly walked back over to them.

"Looks like they're getting along again." Hau remarked, panting now as he trudged forward.

"I don't think they ever stopped getting along. I think what kept happening earlier was Penny getting fed up with Oliver assaulting me all the time." Sun replied, earning a chirp of agreement in reply from Penny while Oliver shrugged.

"So…I've got a question for you Sun, since you're a jerk and I kinda want some revenge on you."

"Okay. Fire away...even though you deserved every bit of that." Sun replied with a smug grin as he hopped to his feet and began walking with his friend and Pokémon again.

"That's debatable. So, my question is this. What do you think of Lillie?"

* * *

"Fantastic work, Starmie! You too Magnezone." Kukui remarked as he observed one of the very latest tests he had done with the two Pokémon. They were definitely shaping up to be two of the better battlers the Professor had in his sizable arsenal of Pokémon. Most were that way for scientific purposes, but it always helped to have Pokémon of this caliber around for hairier moments.

"Documenting the results now, Professor." Lillie said quietly, shivering a bit as a hard breeze suddenly slammed into both of them and clutching her hat that threatened to fly away. Kukui chuckled, casually placing a hand on his own cap to ensure it was secure.

"What a beautiful day, isn't it?" Kukui said happily as he watched a few clouds roll by as Lillie continued taking notes on a tablet, her fingers rapidly typing away with a speed gained only through practice. Though she did agree with his statement, she just hummed in response as she diligently typed away. Working with Kukui and Professor Burnet had definitely turned her into an expert typist, that was for sure.

"When you're done, send it to Doc. He's meeting with some friends back in Hau'oli, but he'll definitely want the data for later." Kukui said to Lillie, who wordlessly nodded. A few moments later the tablet beeped loudly and Lillie looked up at the Professor.

"Sent. So, why does the Doctor need battle data like this? I don't believe you actually mentioned it yet." Lillie asked the Professor, who grinned at her.

"Mainly to assist in his main study. He should be coming our way sometime next week, so you can ask him more yourself. I know you've only met him the one time. He should be able to hang around longer this go around." Kukui explained as he returned his Magnezone and Starmie.

"I wouldn't mind that too much. Your associates are usually quite interesting, Professor. The Doctor seems quite nice and was interested in helping me sort out Nebby's past. It's a shame his translators don't work on it though." Lillie lamented, sighing a little. Nebby chose that moment to let out a cry, wriggling in its bag. Lillie reached into the small hole in the bag and began scratching the head of the Pokémon, making it coo softly in pleasure. Lillie smiled softly at that and patted the Cosmog before removing her hand.

"Maybe he'll have sorted that issue out while he was away. Either way, we've got another item on the agenda today. Meeting up with Sun and Hau." Lillie perked up at that and smiled wider at the man's words.

"It'd definitely be nice to see them again. I wonder how they're both doing." Lillie wondered aloud, making the Professor laugh.

"Well, you'll find out soon enough. We'll walk for a bit to see and then have Starmie teleport us." Kukui replied as he grabbed his bag off of the ground and began walking, accepting the tablet from Lillie and jotting down notes as he walked. Lillie watched the man for a time, marveling at the even faster speed he typed away at the device. For all of his silliness, the man was dedicated to what he did and was quite skilled as both a battler and as a scientist. A true Professor indeed. She wondered what a serious Professor Kukui battling would be like…

"Oh no…" Lillie looked forward and gasped in horror as Professor Kukui slowly walked forward, a solemn look on his face. In front of them was an unmoving form of a Alolan Raticate, blood trailing from its forehead from a small hole. The poor creature was clearly dead.

"That's the 4th one today…" Kukui muttered as he walked forward, examining the corpse. Kukui began typing something on the tablet before taking several pictures of the body.

"Sending this to Officer Jenny and Hala." Kukui muttered to Lillie, who had drawn closer.

"That hole in the middle of its head…" Lillie began to say, but Kukui cut her off.

"Yeah, that's a bullet-hole. Not _entirely_ uncommon for poachers and the like to come to these islands and cause trouble, but…they're not taking anything from them as far as I can tell. Why kill Pokémon like this and leave the bodies behind like this? It's just senseless death." Kukui murmured, thoughtful as he crossed his arms.

"I don't know." Lillie admitted softly, feeling deeply uncomfortable at the thought of someone going around the island and hurting Pokémon, let alone killing them. Lillie nearly jumped when Kukui's tablet pinged loudly. The Professor examined the tablet for a moment before nodding a little.

"Hala's looking into it. If they haven't been caught yet, then he'll ensure that they are soon. Best we can do is keep an ear to the ground and keep an eye out for anything odd." Kukui said as he stuffed his tablet into his backpack before giving his assistant a winning smile, making her smile a little despite herself.

Lillie and Kukui continued to wander through the Cliffside, taking in the sights. Lillie eventually began to zone out, even with her love of learning the boredom of travelling could wear her out. She was glad she was used to it at this point, otherwise she'd have just stayed with Professor Burnet.

The assistant's thoughts eventually turned back to her friends, Sun and Hau. She hoped that they were both doing okay. She wondered if they had managed to overcome their Trials. If they had caught any new Pokémon yet. If they were having fun on their adventures. Lillie found herself wondering what it would be like to become a Pokémon Trainer like them. She admitted the idea had a lot of merit, but at the end of the day she couldn't bring herself to do it. Maybe someday, when this mess was all over, perhaps…

She wondered what Hau would think. The cheerful boy would probably demand to show her the ropes and be at her side as she traveled. The thought wasn't a bad one, after all. Hau was the first child she had ever befriended after she had run away. Their bond was a strong one, even if at times he acted weird around her. Sometimes he could be a little creepy and too forward, and showed her affection in ways that violated her personal space, which was something that was important to her.

As for Sun…Lillie smiled inwardly. She had to admit that she had become rather close to the child from Kanto. They had similar interests and he had a personality that she melded well with. On top of that, she still happened to hold the boy in high regard after he risked his life to help her and save Nebby from those Spearow. Right when she needed someone most, Sun had stepped in to help her. He had no reason to assist her. He had every right to walk away…But he helped with a smile.

" _Of course, it doesn't hurt that he's quite smart as well. And that he likes music and can play the flute. And that he loves to read. Or that he's really handsome-"_ Lillie blinked as that thought crossed her mind, flushing crimson at the very thought of it, shaking her head. She quickly rethought her position on what she thought of Sun and somehow blushed an even darker shade of red, pulling her hat down to make sure Professor Kukui didn't see her face.

" _Just because you think he's cute doesn't mean you have a crush on him, Lillie! No way. It's perfectly natural to think certain boys are pleasing to look at. Absolutely…Yep, totally normal to think that!"_ Lillie reasoned with herself, absolutely mortified at her own thoughts. Of course, she did enjoy being around Sun quite a bit...But that didn't mean she had a crush on him!

However, she didn't have much time to dwell on the thought as Kukui suddenly piped up.

"I think we've seen all that we need to from this side of the Island. Let's Teleport directly to Hau and Sun, shall we?" Kukui remarked and released his Starmie again. "Alright Lillie, get close and prepare for Teleport!"

The girl silently drew closer to the man and was about to reply when her bag suddenly shifted and her Cosmog leapt out of the top of her bag, trying to sneak away for reasons she didn't understand. Lillie made a move to go after the Cosmog and took a few steps towards the Pokémon, just in time for Professor Kukui to vanish on the spot. Lillie glanced back at the spot where the Professor had vanished with a gasp.

Lillie then whirled around, watching Nebby float away happily.

"NEBBY! GET BACK IN THE BAG!" Lillie yelled as she jogged after the Pokémon, hoping the Professor wouldn't take too long to regroup with her.

* * *

"Um…What?" Sun asked, confused.

"What do you think about Lillie?" Hau asked again, a small smirk quirking at his lips.

"I still don't get what kind of question that is. She's a really good friend of mine and I'm glad I know her. I could say the same about you though, Hau. What's this about?" Sun asked Hau, who rolled his eyes.

"Alright, I'll be straight up with this. Describe Lillie with as much detail as you can." Sun raised an eyebrow, but obliged.

"I think that she's a very good friend. She's nice and sweet and smart. I feel like she's someone who understands me well and is someone I can talk to about my problems without feeling judged. I enjoy spending time with her. I like how much she likes to read, since that makes me feel like a bit less of a nerd. She's kinda shy, but that's not a bad thing in my opinion, if anything it's a bit refreshing. She's really pretty too, so I-"

"HA! I knew it!" Hau yelled in triumph, pointing a finger at Sun as the boy blushed scarlet in embarrassment. Had he really said that out loud!? That was _definitely_ going to come back to haunt him.

"Hau, shut up! I said that I think she's pretty, not that I love her!" Sun growled at the giggling boy. Hau began to outright cackle with delight at Sun as Penny and Oliver joined in on the laughter at Sun's expense. Even worse was when Rotom began playing some kind of weird song in the background that was obviously some kind of slow love song, which made Sun blush even harder. Sun turned off the Pokédex and stuffed it into his backpack with as much dignity as he could muster.

"I thought you two were supposed to have my back?" Sun said ruefully to his two birds. Penny had the decency to look guilty, blocking her amused expression with her wing.

Oliver decided to just tackle Sun from behind again.

However, as the boy tumbled to the ground with a yell, the owl swooped below Sun and pushed him back upright with a joyful hoot. Sun blinked a few times, surprised that the Dartrix had managed such a feat, before smirking at it.

"Fine. You get a free pass on that one."

"Daar dar dar!"

"And back to you…" Sun glared at Hau, who grinned wider at him. "I don't know why you started grilling me about Lillie, but I'll set this straight. Yes, I think she's pretty. Really, _really_ pretty, alright? But she's also a great friend and the first girl... _female_ friend I've ever had. She's smart and nice and really great, so stop giving me crap just because I think highly of Lillie. Alright? I don't know why you and everyone else thinks I have a crush on her!" Sun said hotly to Hau as he took a step towards the boy, who held up two placating hands.

"Hey man, I didn't mean to make you mad. Just wanted to test the waters. I mean, I know _I_ like her. Just wanted to see if you happened to be in the same boat as me." Hau explained as he stuffed his hands into his pockets, smirking at his friend.

"How can I like a girl I've only known for like, a month? I'm still trying to figure out a lot of things about myself and…other things, Hau. I don't know what to feel about Lillie. I only just figured out how to go about making _friends_ …How would I know how to feel about a _crush_?" Sun asked, sighing deeply. It was times like this that he really missed his Dad. His father may have been a terrible person for certain reasons, but he always gave great advice if Sun ever needed it. He'd know exactly what was going on here and how best to handle it...

Sun made a promise to himself to ask his mother about girls the next time he saw her. He could always be honest about his thoughts and feelings with her. Maybe she'd help clear some of the confusion about what he felt towards Lillie, even if he was sure she'd poke some fun at him. Maybe he'd ask the girl herself about it. Lillie was understanding and probably wouldn't think badly of him, would she? And even if he did have a crush on her...that wouldn't be a bad thing, would it? What if she returned those feelings? Sun was snapped out of his daze at the sight of a familiar man walking towards them.

"Isn't that the Professor?" Sun asked Hau, who looked in the direction of the man and grinned in response.

"Oh hey, Professor Kukui!" Hau called over to the man as he sauntered their way. Sun raised an eyebrow at the sight of the Professor without his assistant.

"Hey you two! How'd your Trial go?" Kukui asked cheerfully, crossing his arms as he took in the two battered children who held so much promise in his eyes.

"Pretty well. Me and Sun both beat the Totem Pokémon and get our Z-Crystals. Oliver even evolved for Sun!" Hau replied excitedly as Kukui grinned at Sun. Sun, however, looked up at Kukui with a frown.

"Professor…Where's Lillie?" Sun asked the man, who looked at him with a confused expression.

"What do you mean? She's right behind me!" Kukui said dismissively, gesturing vaguely behind him where there was nothing but air.

"There's no-one there, sir." Sun replied, feeling a bit nervous now. If Lillie was supposed to be with the Professor, and she wasn't…then where was she?

"Maybe she turned invisible? Is that an option? Because having an invisible friend would be awesome." Hau drawled, not worried about the situation for reasons Sun didn't understand. Kukui finally turned around and was bemused at the sight of absolutely nothing behind him.

"Huh…Lillie's not here? But she was right behind me when we teleported." Kukui mused, scratching his goatee in confusion.

"How long ago was that?" Hau asked.

"Maybe an hour. I teleported using my Starmie." Kukui replied, much to the amazement of Sun and Hau as he re-released his starfish Pokémon.

"So you teleported without her an hour ago? How'd you not notice she wasn't there?" Sun asked the man, unbelieving that someone this respected and intelligent could have such a massive lapse in judgement.

"If you think she's quiet and reserved with you guys, it's nothing compared to how she is in the field. Mostly it's so we don't disturb Pokémon, but it's also because she gets lost in her own little world sometimes." Kukui said to the two boys, putting a hand on his hip.

"So what you're telling me is that you abandoned _another_ child in the wilderness." Sun said, his voice filled with annoyance to the point where Kukui sweat-dropped in nervousness.

"Well…See…when you put it that way…" Kukui said with a nervous laugh, practically feeling the indignant rage of the 11-year old burning ahead of him.

"Penny, Oliver. Show the Professor the consequences of child endangerment out here in the wilds." Sun said to the two birds, pointing at the older man, who took a step back. Kukui looked over at his Starmie, who chose at that moment to sidle far away from the Professor, as if to indicate the Professor was on his own this time. The man turned around just in time to see two birds racing towards him.

"Well...poopie."


	24. Blossom

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _One of the hardest things to do with this story is show restraint._

 _I really wish I could get to some of the most sought after parts as quick as possible. Guzma, Lusamine, Gladion, all that stuff. Really I wish I could write and update faster, but I just can't. Granted I'm going to throw in some brief snippets, flashbacks, and cameos to help with that, but still!_

 _Oh well._ _I'll just have to take solace in the fact that when the chapters and scenes that I'm looking forward to the most do come…They'll be bloody amazing because they'll have even more passion thrown into them than usual!_

 _So yeah, this chapter Lillie FINALLY reunites with the crew. I'm worried this chapter might be too fluffy, but it's been a while since we've had some Sun/ Lillie adorkableness so I'm not too fussed about how it turned out. I've managed to figure out a few ways to keep Lillie around with Sun and co. longer this time and not mess with future events all that much, so that's awesome for the second and third island (and fourth, but that's obvious). Things should be a bit easier now that we're getting close to wrapping up Tutorial Island and the next few chapters will be...interesting to say the least._

 _Also, this story has over 20,000 views! in less than five months! Just...wow. You all are amazing. Thank you, seriously, for everything._

 _Shoutout to a Guest reviewer, Anasazi Darkmoon, BraviaryScout, Madame Rodoshe, Cottonmouth25, Raikou927, Sai Og Sus, and BouncingFish, as well as a new reviewer known as DAUNTEDSUPERIER. Thanks so, so much for your feedback and support!_

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 _Chapter 24: Blossom_

* * *

Hugh downed his second bottle of ice cold water with relief, wondering how on earth the people in Alola dealt with the heat here. Spring and summer back home were never this bad, even at their worst.

Vivian and Noah somehow made dealing with the heat look easy, but for him? It was awful. He had to admit that seeing someone like Sun struggle in the heat made him feel a little better about his difficulties with it. Doc managed to get around the heat issue thanks to his magical coat or whatever the hell it was that he said that he was using to deal with the heat of Alola.

After another hour of melting in the heat, Hugh finally spotted a Braviary soaring through the sky with a familiar figure sitting on its back. Hugh hopped off of his seat and walked forward just as the bird touched down, with its Trainer hopping to the ground and patting the bird on the head before returning it. The teen Trainer looked over at Hugh as he approached with a sheepish expression.

"You're late." Hugh said pointedly to the teen, who laughed nervously.

"Come on man. I'm here, aren't I?"

"Two weeks, Nate. Two weeks I've been bumming around this place waiting for you." Hugh said to the teen with a small smirk, who grinned back at him. He had messy brown hair and dark brown eyes with a cheerful grin on his face. Nate extended a hand to Hugh, who took it and pulled his friend forward, pulling him into an embrace. It lasted for a few moments before they separated.

"How've you been?" Nate asked his best friend as Hugh began walking away.

Hugh shrugged as Nate caught up to him. "Not bad. Been doing some exploring while Noah gets himself back under control. Avoiding Vivian so I don't strangle her. Training up my team and helping some rookies out, at least until you called me. You know how it goes."

"Yeah, I do. So, rookies huh?" Nate asked.

"Yeah. They're good kids, and they both have some serious talent. They're also pretty interested in what's been going on with Cipher, too. One of them was from Celadon City, actually, so that makes sense." Hugh remarked to his friend, who frowned.

"If they saw what happened to that city, I can't imagine how much suffering they're going through right now." Nate said with a small sigh.

"Sun's a tough little guy. Yeah, he's pretty upset by it, but I think he'll pull through. He kinda reminds me of you." Hugh remarked with a chuckle, making Nate give him a look.

"Right, as if anyone could remind you of how great I am." Nate said with a wide grin, making Hugh snort in amusement as the two rounded a corner, a breeze from the sea blowing past them both.

"Even if the heat is brutal, it's really nice here…The atmosphere in Alola compared to Unova is like night and day." Hugh commented as they continued their walk.

"Or the sun and moon."

"…How does that follow the analogy at all?"

"I'm…not sure. Forget I said it."

"Alright…But I understand what you mean. It's nice though, not be reminded constantly what happened there. This place really does have a relaxing aura around it. I can see why so many famous people flock here for vacations. Did you hear that this is where Grimsley was hiding out? I hear there's even a few Gym Leaders vacationing nearby." Hugh said to Nate, with the teen looking interested.

"I think they deserve it. Gym Leaders go through a lot of crap." Nate replied with a shrug. "That said, there's a lot of non-famous people we know coming here. Looks like you'll just have to keep an eye out for them."

"I'll do that. I know there's a certain scientific weirdo we both know who's itching for the chance to battle some strong Trainers here in Alola." Hugh remarked, making Nate burst out into laughter. The boy took a few moments to compose himself.

"So my question is why Doc is checking out this Island so much for? Isn't he trying to help Professor Burnet with something?" Nate asked Hugh, who shrugged.

"Yep. Well, he's helping both Kukui and Burnet while looking into something for Sycamore. I don't know the specifics though, but he said he'll tell us about it soon. I'm glad he's around though. He's weird, like I said, but he's a better Trainer than I am and he's a genius on top of that. It's reassuring that he's here. I'm still hoping he can help turn things around for us in Kanto and Unova, given enough time here." Hugh admitted as he stuck his hands in his pockets.

"Well, Zoey is gathering the Gym Leaders of Kanto and preparing to unleash hell there. We're giving Neo Team Plasma all they can handle in Unova. It feels like they're overstretching themselves…Cipher's main setup is in Unova, but their attention is on Kanto. Just this shift is helping us make headway since they're transferring resources to smothering Kanto while the country is reeling from the Celadon attack." Nate said as the two of them sat down underneath an overhang, providing them a respite from the heat.

"Well...I wish I was back home with you guys, and not here." Hugh said finally, closing his eyes. The teen felt a hand on his shoulder and opened his eyes to see his best friend looking at him with a worried look.

"Hugh…You know why I asked you to come here. Noah needed the medical help and I figured some time away from the fight would be good for you. I don't trust Vivian with a whole lot, so that's why I asked you to go with them both. I can trust you with anything. Besides…With Aria gone, you didn't need to be in that mess. You were really broken up about her vanishing. I figured some sun and beaches would cheer you up a bit."

"I'm surprised you didn't say Aria _died_ instead of _vanished_. Vivian and Noah gave up hope on seeing her ever again. Why haven't you?" Hugh asked, his tone becoming bitter. Nate squeezed his friend's shoulder, smiling at him.

"Because I'm stubborn like that. I'm not going to give up. Not after what Wes did for us. Not after the sacrifices that he and Aria and everyone else made for us. I'm going to stop those monsters or die trying." Nate said firmly as he let go of Hugh, making his friend smile a little. He was reminded briefly of their constant battles and their own adventures a few years ago. They were best friends from childhood and had that friendship strengthened in the fires of battle against Neo Team Plasma when they resurfaced a few years ago.

"Yeah…They'd want us to keep up the fight, wouldn't they?" Hugh muttered, shaking his head a little.

"Yep. But I didn't come all this way to discuss this. I actually wanted to give you something that I found back in Unova." Nate said as he reached into his pocket.

"What could be so important that you had to personally come here, alone?" Hugh joked with a smile. Hugh's smile dropped as Nate pulled out a pendant from his pocket and dangled it in front of him with a sad smile on his face.

"Look familiar?" Nate asked quietly, taking in the expression on Hugh's face. His best friend had always worn his emotions on his sleeve, and it showed at times like this. Pain, sorrow, grief, and wonder were plastered on Hugh's face as he stared at the pendent hanging from Nate's fingers.

"That's…" Hugh whispered, but he couldn't get the words out, instead reaching for the broken pendent. It had a thin silver chain that was heavily damaged, but still wearable. At the front of it was a beautiful heart-shaped ruby that was noticeably cracked down the middle, as if showing a broken heart.

"The heart pendant you bought Aria at the PWT. She bought you the topaz heart pendant you've got on right now, right?" Nate said after a moment, handing the pendant to his friend who looked at it with reverence.

"I found that on a trip to Nimbasa three weeks ago. I was scouting with Clay and…we found a section of the city that was weirdly damaged. Looked like signs of some kind of struggle, which is weird since no one can stay in that city for long without the cold or Neo Team Plasma getting them. So we looked around and eventually found that necklace…But we also found traces of temporal distortion. That's why the area looked unchanged even months after the struggle. Time's messed up there." Nate said to Hugh, who was suddenly jerked out of his reverie.

"Temporal distortion? Then…" Hugh trailed off for a moment before realizing what his friend was implying.

"I think Cipher's Shadow Celebi got to her. That thing's been causing trouble for ages, so it was only a matter of time before it upped its game. I mainly came here to give you that." Nate said as Hugh stared down at the pendant in his hands, threading the slender silver chain through his hands for several moments.

"So…she's really gone then." Hugh sighed shakily, shutting his eyes. He silently draped Aria's pendant over his own, wearing both around his neck. To Hugh's surprise, his best friend pulled him into another tight embrace.

"I'm so sorry, man. Really I am. We didn't find a body, so there's a chance she's still alive but…It's unlikely." Nate muttered as he broke apart from Hugh, who seemed to look genuinely lost.

"So…Now what?" Hugh asked quietly. Nate stood up and offered a weak smile to his friend, extending him a hand. Hugh looked at it for a moment before steeling himself and reaching forward, grasping his friend's hand and getting hauled to his feet.

"We keep fighting, that's what. I'll keep up the fight back home. You keep doing your Island Challenge here. Get stronger and sort out your feelings. Get Noah a bit healthier. Make Vivian get her act together. Find more support for us back home and even for Kanto. Get intel however you can. And help Doc find some kind of magic bullet to win this fight once and for all." Nate said with a fierce grin. Hugh looked at his friend for a moment before a small smirk graced his lips.

"Well said." Hugh said simply, stuffing his hands in his pockets. With that, the two friends began walking along the docks, hoping to catch up a bit more before Nate had to leave and Hugh had to continue on his journey. As they walked, however, Hugh was instinctively reaching for the two pendants resting on his neck, the two hearts that now rested there, his fingers brushing them both. Despite the pain, he felt some small comfort at the weight of the second damaged, but still intact, heart there. One that was a dull yellow, made of gold. The other a dark red, made of a ruby with a single crack down the middle of it.

Even if she was gone…He'd carry a little piece of her with him from now while he got stronger. Soon enough, he'd become powerful enough to ensure no one else disappeared like she did again.

* * *

"Magnezone, use Protect!" Kukui finally yelled out after being chased around the cliffs for about ten minutes. Sun and Hau were sitting down and watching the two birds chase the man around before he finally called out a strange metal Pokémon and had it create a barrier around him. Penny and Oliver slammed into it uselessly a few times before both of them began chirping at each other.

"Have you learned your lesson about child endangerment yet, Professor?" Sun called to the man.

"I'm having a talk with your mother when we get back to Iki Town, young man!"

"She'd do the same thing as I did, but send her Pidgeot after you." Sun retorted, though he was grinning now.

"This also doesn't help us find Lillie at all, you know!" Kukui called from his protective bubble. He then became aware of the fact that Penny and Oliver were now circling overhead, which made Kukui a little nervous.

"He's right you know. Better that we find Lillie sooner rather than later." Hau remarked as Sun looked over at him. Sun then looked back to the Professor and waved to his two birds, making them both return to him.

"So, I'm guessing that since you both are walking on this path that you cleared your first Trial, yeah?" Kukui asked as the shield around him vanished and he recalled his Magnezone.

"Yep. I beat Totem Gumshoos and Hau beat the Totem Alolan Raticate." Sun confirmed as the Professor Kukui walked over to them both, panting slightly. Both of Sun's birds were giving the older man similar looks that promised further bad times should their Trainer give them the command, so he ignored them both and grinned at the two children.

"Guess I can teach you both about Z-Power as a bit of a reward! Woo!" Kukui cheered as Sun crossed his arms.

"Lillie is still missing." Sun pointed out, making Kukui laugh sheepishly.

"True, true. But this is still important info. I'll give you a brief rundown as we walk. She's got to be somewhere on these cliffs. We can return to where I think we teleported from and look from there." Kukui said to the two boys, who both nodded. After teleporting to another section of the cliffs with the Professor's Starmie, Kukui launched into an explanation of the Z-Crystals and how they worked as the trio made their way through the area, searching for the lost assistant. Kukui gave a demonstration with his Rockruff along the way, which impressed Sun and Hau greatly. Sun decided to equip his Normalium-Z on Penny, since she was a Normal-type and would benefit more from it. The bird chirped happily as Sun clipped it onto her Attachment Collar.

Kukui warned the two of them about the strain that using a Z-Move can have on both Trainer and Pokémon, and heavily discouraged attempting to do two Z-Moves within the same battle, because it took a toll on the body and could have serious long-term effects on their health. Sun wondered if that was why the Professor looked so ragged sometimes, despite his endless energy.

"Is it possible she backtracked the way that you came before you teleported back to where we were?" Sun asked the Professor after about an hour of walking with no luck.

"Maybe. I think I'll go check out that way, actually. You two keep looking around." Kukui released his Starmie and had it look at the both of them. After a few moments the red gym in the middle of its body glowed several times before Kukui nodded.

"There. Both of you have a Mind-Lock with my Starmie, so it'll be easy to find you both again so long as you remain on this Island."

"Don't you have a Mind-Lock on Lillie with Starmie, though? Can't you find her that way? Or call her on her phone?" Sun asked the Professor, who shook his head and was about to speak when Hau interrupted.

"What's a Mind-Lock, again?" Hau asked, sounding a little confused.

"A Mind-Lock is an ability that a Psychic-type Pokémon or a Pokémon with psychic abilities can use to locate a Pokémon or person that they've come into contact with. With some training, they can locate whoever they wish with a flick of their mind. It's pretty handy, especially when you're teleporting all around Alola like I do," Kukui explained cheerily.

"So we can just teleport to Lillie then!" Hau exclaimed, but Kukui shook his head.

"Starmie doesn't have a Mind-Lock on her, actually. My Abra does, but I loaned it to a friend who's also on Melemele Island conducting some studies. Having too many Mind-Locks on a Pokémon at once can have some negative effects on their memory and powers, so I try to keep a handful of Pokémon that can teleport around to help ease the stress. We'll have to hunt down Lillie the old-fashioned way." Kukui explained with a rueful laugh.

"Why can't we just call her then?" Sun asked, pulling out his cell phone.

"Her cell phone is dead and I have the charger on me. I keep telling her to charge her phone before we set out for the day, but she's…got other things on her mind I guess." Kukui said with a shrug, but added, "We've never had this happen before. I'll have a discussion with her when we find her so that this doesn't happen again."

"So do we have any kind of game-plan here?" Sun asked the Professor.

"We should split up. You both have my number, right?" Two nods answered him. "Then we'll call each other as soon as we find her. We can cover more ground this way. Sun, you should probably have Oliver and Penny help in the search as well. My Rockruff can help as well, since he has such a good sense of smell. This strong wind may throw it off a bit, but it still shouldn't take long for us to find Lillie." Kukui said as he called out Rockruff.

With that, the trio split up and began searching for the wayward girl. It didn't take long for Sun to get bored as he walked along the cliff, avoiding the Spearow that lunged at him in a manner that made his now-healed shoulder twinge slightly as if from some kind of pain memory. Oliver soared above him while Penny scouted ahead. Hau backtracked towards the way they had come while Kukui teleported towards Iki Town and was working his way up from there. Sun had chosen to venture forward from where they were so as to find their friend as quickly as possible.

" _Where could Lillie have gone? It's not like Route 3 iz all that big…Though it iz a little bit bare. Maybe pick up the pace a little?"_ Rotom remarked after about twenty minutes. Sun agreed with the Pokédex and was admittedly pretty worried about his friend, especially with Team Skull out and about. He began speed-walking at the Rotom Dex's urging until he heard a familiar cry alert him.

"Pi piki!"

Sun looked up and saw Penny soaring down to him. The bird jerked her head towards a cave entrance in the distance that Sun had spotted a few minutes ago and the boy smiled in response.

"Did you find her in there?" Sun asked the bird, receiving a sharp nod in reply.

"Fantastic work, Penny."

"Dar!"

"You too, Oliver. If you had let me finish, I was going to thank you too."

"Dar…trix dar!"

"I'm going to assume that was bird for 'Sun I apologize for being rude, you're the best Trainer ever.'" Sun replied to his starter with a grin, earning a smack in the back of the head from his Dartrix. Sun quickly ran to the cave entrance, huffing and puffing and making promises he wasn't planning on keeping about exercising more, before he spotted a sign.

"Melemele Meadow…'A place where the Oricorio dance.'" Sun read aloud as Penny and Oliver hovered beside him. Sun ventured into the cave itself and was surprised when a consistent breeze began flowing by him. Within the area, however, Sun was struck dumb at the beauty within. Trees, grass, and other fauna all flourished along the sides of the massive meadow that stretched out before him, tucked away within the cliff itself. A sea of golden yellow flowers were in full bloom ahead of him, extending outward almost endlessly like an ocean before him.

Directly ahead of him was Lillie, standing at the edge of the rock path with a worried look on her face. Sun took a moment to smile in relief, noting how the girl looked almost picturesque when standing next to the flowery meadow with the sunlight streaming down on her from above. Sun felt a strange emotion well up within him that he promptly brushed aside as he walked over to his friend just as she took a step forward.

"Nebby! Nebby, come back! Please!" Lillie shouted over the meadow, her voice desperate and filled with frustration. Sun's smile took a hit at Lillie's upset tone as he approached the girl, who finally spotted her friend and sagged with relief.

"Ah…Sun…" Lillie smiled weakly before looking behind her. "Nebby ran off into the meadow here. I don't understand why it gets up to such trouble. You would have thought that the incident at the bridge would have taught it to behave better but…"

"Some Pokémon are just like that. Oliver's only just now starting to not act like a total butthead." Sun remarked as the Dartrix and Pikipek flew over to Lillie, chirping greetings to her. Lillie's smile widened as she beheld the two birds, petting and stroking them both as she knelt down to their level.

"You both look like you're doing well. And look at you, Oliver! You evolved! I'm so happy for you!" Lillie said to the Dartrix, who puffed up his chest in a proud manner while Penny giggled at the other bird.

"So, why not just wait for Nebby to just get this out of its system and fly back over here?" Sun asked Lillie. The girl seemed horrified of the idea.

"What if a wild Pokémon attacks it? It doesn't have any moves it can use to battle!" Lillie exclaimed worriedly, clutching her bag as she watched her strange little Pokémon from across the meadow. Sun joined her in watching the Pokémon, but Rotom got their attention.

" _Sun, you better hurry up and just save Nebby yourself, zz-zzt! We little Pokémon can use all the help we can get!"_ Rotom chimed in before going back into Sun's backpack.

"Then I'll go over there and grab it. Do you want to come with me?" Sun asked his friend, who hesitated.

"I…I don't have any more Repel. I used the last of my supply when I arrived at the meadow." Lillie said quietly, looking away.

"I'll keep you safe. Promise." Sun said to his friend with a smile. Lillie looked back at Sun for a moment before nodding slowly. Together they began walking to the edge of the path, where the yellow flowers awaited them. Sun could see a few Cutiefly fluttering through the flowers and there were several areas where Pokémon were barely visible through the flowers, as if waiting for the chance to leap out at them. Sun hopped across a few rocks and made his way down from the ledge, landing in the thick field of flowers below. He turned around and extended a hand to Lillie to steady her as she looked over at him. Taking a shaky breath, the girl took the first step and grabbed Sun's hand before carefully joining him within the flowers.

"There you go. Come on." Sun said to his friend as the two of them began their trek to the Cosmog. Lillie stayed as close to Sun as possible, brushing against the boy and glancing all around her. Sun could almost _feel_ how uncomfortable and upset she was at the whole situation, and that was on top of having been alone without any kind of protection or help for a few hours. It was no wonder she was scared. He probably would've felt really stressed out if he were in her shoes.

"You can hold onto my arm if you need to, Lillie." Sun said quietly, looking to his side and offering the girl a comforting smile. Lillie looked into Sun's stormy eyes but shook her head, though she did smile a little at the boy.

"Thank you, Sun. But I'll be okay. I'm with you, after all." Lillie said quietly as she walked a bit faster to keep up with her friend so that she could walk alongside him. Sun felt a strange joy in him at the girl's words, so he grinned back at his friend and decided to talk with her to ease her mind.

"So, how've you been? I haven't seen you in a month." Sun started off as he saw Oliver and Penny soaring overhead, watching for any signs of Pokémon being hostile.

"I've been well. The Professor is doing his research and I help how I can. Professor Burnet swung by last week and I got to spend some time off with the both of them…I can't help but feel grateful for how good the two of them have been to me." Lillie said quietly, sounding a little awed as she reflected.

"Why wouldn't they treat you well? You're a great person who's in a rough spot." Sun said to his friend, making her smile a little wider.

"You really think I'm a great person? Why?" Lillie asked Sun, her smile fading a little.

"Same reasons I told Hau when he asked what I thought of you earlier today, actually. You're kind, selfless, intelligent and reasonable. You're a great friend and you've gone above and beyond for me ever since we've met, doing nothing but support and help me. You are the first friend I ever had, Lillie. I think that makes you a great person in my eyes." Sun explained matter-of-factly as he saw Penny and Oliver shoot into the flowers and begin fighting a flock of Cutiefly that had been glaring at Sun and Lillie. Oliver dispatched some with Razor Leaf while Penny used Peck on the stragglers.

"I…Wow." Was all Lillie could manage to say, a pink tinge coming to her cheeks. Hearing all of that from someone that she admired was a bit overwhelming. She felt a rare bit of pride within herself that her friend felt so strongly about her character and friendship, even if she felt she wasn't all that great herself. Lillie and Sun continued to walk side by side as they made their way through the field of flowers. Oliver and Penny continued to protect the duo from wild Pokémon, but not once was Lillie scared or worried, because she was with Sun. She felt a bit more comfortable and at ease as she walked with her friend through the rather beautiful meadow. Lillie figured that to some people the area might have looked romantic…

Lillie shut her eyes, trying to snap herself out of her daydreams. It was okay to do that when she was wandering around with the Professor. Not when the boy you were thinking about is less than six inches away from you!

Eventually the duo reached a small rock platform where the Cosmog had been seemingly waiting for them. Sun helped Lillie up the rocky pathway again, wondering how she navigated her way through the wilds in boots like hers, and was surprised when Nebby flew back towards Lillie with a happy look on its face.

"Pew!" the Pokémon cried out, nuzzling Lillie as the Pokémon flew into her arms. Lillie hugged the Pokémon before holding it out before her.

"Oh, you! Stop making me worry so much!" Lillie said in a firm voice, making Nebby look at her with confusion in its eyes.

"Pew?"

"Oh…Never mind. Thank you again, Sun, for your help. You too, Oliver and Penny." Lillie said as the two birds landed nearby. Both of them chirped at Lillie, who smiled at them both.

"Here Sun. Let me at least heal your Pokémon for you, after all their hard work." Lillie offered. A quick healing session later and Oliver and Penny looked ready to take on anything. Sun was a bit surprised at how well-prepared Lillie was, and asked her why she kept so many healing supplies on her. He was a Pokémon Trainer and he didn't have nearly as much stuff as she did.

"I always carry lots of Potions on me to keep Nebby healthy…You know, just in case. It's the best that I can do, since I'm not a real Trainer or anything…" Lillie mumbled, looking away from Sun.

"I bet you'd be a fantastic Trainer if you wanted to be." Sun said firmly to his friend, making her look at him in surprise. Sun looked so certain as he said those words that she felt confused.

"How can you be so sure?" Lillie asked slowly.

"Because you share a bond with Nebby just like the one I have with Oliver and Penny. You love that Cosmog. You want to help it grow and achieve its full potential, right? That's what being a Trainer is all about. The only difference between you and me is that my Pokémon are kept in balls and you keep yours in a bag. You're not a Trainer, and that's okay. No one is or should be pressuring you to be one and I don't think anyone thinks less of you for not being one anyway." Sun replied with a shrug. Lillie hugged Nebby close to her chest, thinking about what Sun said. Sun then started as a rumbling noise suddenly rang out from his stomach, making the boy chuckle sheepishly as Lillie looked at him in confusion.

"Guess we skipped lunch when we decided to go look for you." Sun remarked as Lillie giggled at him a moment later.

"Well, no one says we have to leave right away. We can eat here for a bit and then regroup with the others." Lillie suggested, earning a nod from Sun.

A few minutes later, the two friends were sitting on a blanket overlooking the meadow and enjoying some snacks that Lillie had brought along. Sun fed some Poké Beans to Nebby, Penny, and Oliver who simply just relaxed as their Trainer caught up with their friend. Lillie explained the ins and outs of the Professor's research to Sun, who was fascinated by what his friend explained. He definitely needed to seek out Kukui for some tips before he battled the Kahuna. Lillie also took some time to explain some facts about the meadow that they were in, including the fact that the Flying-type Pokémon Oricorio could change its appearance by feeding on the Yellow Nectar that was within this area. Sun recounted his own adventures, including the conversations he had with Hugh and his mother. Lillie was captivated by his description of the showdown against Gumshoos, and was beaming by the time Sun had finished his story.

All too soon, Sun and Lillie had to leave their comfortable little nook and begin heading back out onto the route to rendezvous with Kukui and Hau, who had just been told the news. Lillie and Sun quickly made their way back across the flowers with Penny and Oliver running interference, and stopped to catch their breath when it was clear they were out of danger.

"Well…That was a nice little side quest." Sun panted, grinning a little at his companion.

"This isn't an RPG, Sun. Stop being a nerd." Lillie panted as well, though she was chuckling as she did.

"Didn't peg you as a video game kind of girl, Lillie." Sun said to his friend as he slowly recovered, standing upright.

"I'm not really, though some of the people I knew back home were fond of them. I grew to like a few since I got to watch and sometimes play them. Books are better, but I can appreciate video games since they're also ways of telling a compelling story. It's just in a more interactive manner," Lillie replied with a shrug before she looked down at the Pokémon in her arms.

"Now…please get back into the bag, Nebby. I know that Sun's looking out for us and that there's no one around, but that still isn't an excuse to be careless." Lillie said to the Cosmog in her arms. Nebby nodded and slipped back into its bag, much to Lillie's relief.

"Well…I guess we should be going now." Lillie said after a moment, looking back over the meadow. She'd like to come back here someday. When the moment of panic was gone and she had a chance to appreciate the beauty of the place with a friend, she found that she quite enjoyed her time here. Lillie turned around and began walking with Sun, and she continued to talk.

"I can't convey how happy I am to see a familiar face. Being alone out here was…frightening, to say the least. I worry so much about Nebby, since I can't really do all that much for it." Lillie said quietly as they began to make their way back out onto the path. "I mean, I always get lost so quickly. I have a terrible sense of direction. I can't figure out the roads here…I can't even buy my own clothes!"

"Didn't we go shopping back in Hau'oli? I'm pretty sure you bought some clothes that day, didn't you?" Sun asked the girl, who actually scoffed.

"Socks, Sun. I bought socks and a pair of sunglasses. Those things are not that hard to pick out." Lillie said ruefully, her smile becoming a little bit less pronounced.

"I wouldn't say _that,"_ Sun remarked, smirking. "I wonder if that's why Hau doesn't like to wear shoes. He has trouble picking out socks!"

"…You're silly."

"I know. It's fun."

Lillie giggled at that, becoming a bit more upbeat, which made Sun smile a bit more. He didn't know why, but he always felt happier when he saw that his female companion was also happy. He wondered why that was, and chalked it up to being a friend thing.

"But…Then there's you Sun." Lillie began to Sun, but Sun's confusion cut her off.

"What about me?" Sun asked.

"You just completed your first Island Trial. You beat the Verdant Cavern Trial on your first attempt, barely a month after becoming a Pokémon Trainer. These Island Challenges…You know, I read something in a book once that the Island Challenges were once a journey made to prove yourself and gain the strength to battle against the Guardian Deities of Alola." Lillie explained as they continued walking.

"Like Tapu Koko," Sun chimed in, making the girl nod.

"Yes…" Lillie hummed for a moment before saying. "The people in Iki Town say that Tapu Koko loves Pokémon battles, don't they?"

"Yeah. Seems like it loves a good fight. I wonder how it's doing." Sun wondered aloud, smiling a little.

"I wonder if we could meet Tapu Koko once more. Maybe we could find the answer as to why it saved you and Nebby that day, Sun." Lillie said quietly, looking over to her friend.

"Pew!" Lillie yelped as Nebby squirmed in its bag, letting out a loud coo. Lillie grabbed the bag and eventually Nebby calmed down, making Lillie sigh. After a minute of walking Lillie spoke up again, though her voice seemed subdued.

"It's all happening so fast, Sun. I try and keep up, but I keep stumbling along this path I'm on…I try and I try but it just doesn't ever seem to be enough." Lillie sighed as Sun cast a look at his friend, who seemed quite downcast. It worried him a lot. Even when he was feeling bad about stuff, he didn't get like this, did he?

Sun wondered just how long Lillie had been carrying whatever burden she had decided that she had to bear. He knew that, similar to him, she was struggling with something awful in her past. He wondered if whatever was wrong tore at her from the inside every single day. From the looks of it…He wasn't too far off. He looked forward, in deep thought.

"Lillie, do you want a hug?" Sun suddenly asked, looking back over at her. Lillie looked over at the boy in surprise, to see if he was messing with her, and to her surprise he actually seemed completely serious. Lillie looked at him for a few moments and, to Sun's own surprise, she nodded. The two stopped walking as Sun moved closer to Lillie and wrapped his arms around her, hugging the girl around the middle and pulling her close to him. Lillie did the same, slowly wrapping her arms around Sun and sighing as the two children embraced. After a few moments she rested her head against his shoulder, closing her eyes.

"It's so difficult, Sun…I just don't understand why things have to be like this. I just feel like giving up sometimes…why is everything such a struggle?" Lillie asked in a whisper, sounding like she was close to tears. Frustrated, upset at herself for reasons the Kanto-native didn't understand.

Sun didn't reply, as he was wondering the same thing himself as of late and knew what it was like not knowing why life had to be so difficult. Why things seemed so hopeless sometimes, no matter how hard people tried. Regardless, he patted the girl on the back and held her in his arms for a while as she calmed down, trying to show her through his actions that she was not alone and that he was supporting her through whatever she was going through. Sun felt an odd warmth suffuse his body as he held his friend, and even felt his face getting a bit hot. He thought back to his conversation earlier with Hau, and how he had described Lillie in detail…he had called her really, really pretty.

Sun felt himself blush, realizing that someone so pretty and wonderful was pressed up against him in a tight embrace. He ignored the warm shivers he felt, instead focusing on hugging Lillie a bit tighter since the girl had sighed again.

"Thank you, Sun. I'm so sorry…I hate people seeing me like this." Lillie mumbled, pulling her chin off of Sun's shoulder. The boy grinned at his friend and lightly tapped her on the nose, making her blink in surprise as she pulled herself away from the boy.

"Boop." Sun chuckled, making Lillie smile after a moment and giggle in response, which made Sun smile wider and increased the warmth he felt in his chest. He stepped forward hugged Lillie again, making the girl squeak rather adorably in surprise. She returned the hug before they finally separated, both of them embarrassed and smiling.

"W-we should get going. Thanks for cheering me up Sun. I needed that..." Lillie said quietly as she walked past him, looking away from him with blush on her cheeks. Sun felt a bit proud of himself for improving the girl's mood and quickly caught up with her.

"Anything for a friend," Sun replied cheerily, putting his hands in his pockets.

"Pew pew?"

Sun looked down at the Cosmog floating beside them and laughed, amazed that the small Pokémon had escaped its bag yet again. Lillie looked down at the Pokémon, her blush fading a bit as she sighed.

"Nebby…Can you please get in the bag?" Lillie asked the Cosmog. Nebby looked at her with a confused expression on its face before leaping up to Lillie, hopping into her arms.

"Guess it wants to be carried like that for a bit." Sun said with a snicker. The girl smiled and hugged the Pokémon, making it nuzzle her.

"You know, that little Pokémon may give you a lot of trouble…But it really does love you, doesn't it?" Sun asked Lillie. Cosmog let out a cry of agreement, closing its eyes in contentment as Lillie beamed at Sun before hugging Nebby again.

"It's part of why I want to help Nebby out. I want to help it learn more about itself and why it's here. And if I can do that…Maybe I can help stop some bad things from happening. Maybe I can help make things right…Maybe I can save…" Lillie trailed off, her smile fading away as she looked contemplative. Sun decided to snap her out of that with another hug, which made the girl squeal in surprise as her earlier blush returned.

"I've decided every time you look sad, I'm hugging you." Sun stated as he and Lillie stood there, as Nebby made a strange sound that almost resembled laughter. Lillie felt a mixture of happiness and embarrassment that Sun was trying so hard to cheer her up. That he cared that much about her happiness.

"S-sun, you don't have to do that." Lillie stammered, turning around to face the boy who was still embracing her.

"Does it make you uncomfortable at all?"

"Well…No, actually. I don't really like people touching me all that much, but…Well…" Lillie's blush intensified and she looked away, and Sun felt a bit of confusion.

"Well?"

"It's nothing I just…um, I like hugs... _from some people_ …" Lillie finished lamely and quietly, looking back at him with a small smile that didn't quite answer the question, her cheeks bright red. Nevertheless, Sun let go of her with a wider smile.

"Good. If it doesn't bother you and helps cheer you up, then I'll be happy to give you a hug whenever you need one." Sun said cheerily as Lillie shook her head.

"Could you not do it in…um, public? I already get several remarks about the both of us…um…being a… _couple_." Lillie couldn't help her blush deepening even further as Sun sighed, nodding.

"Yeah, I got a lot of crap from Hau and my Mom about it. It's…annoying. And a little frustrating and confusing too," Sun admitted with a rueful smile as Lillie nodded. "I was considering talking to my Mom about some things when I got back home."

"Really? Like...what, exactly?"

"Um…I'd rather get really specific here." Sun replied as he averted his eyes, a bit embarrassed now. This didn't work as Lillie walked a bit ahead of him to be able to look him in the eyes with a curious expression, her own blush fading as Sun's face began to grow a bit red.

"Now I'm even _more_ curious. Are you sure you can't tell me? I…You're a very good friend of mine, Sun. You can trust me with anything, you know what, right?" Lillie asked Sun, her curiosity evident in her voice as well as some concern. She was obviously just trying to help and was wanting to show Sun that she could be just as supportive in their friendship as he had been.

Part of Sun wanted to just try and explain some of the confusing emotions he was feeling towards his friend, but another part of him was worried that his friend would ridicule him for them. That maybe he'd lose a bit of her respect if he did that. Hau had laughed at him when he said that Lillie was pretty. What would _she_ say if he told her that? Would she be happy? Flattered? Angry? Hurt? Would she want to be his friend anymore? He didn't want to do anything that might hurt her or their friendship, so he decided to just explain why he couldn't tell her what he was hiding.

"I just think it's something I should talk about with her before anyone else. It's nothing serious, okay? Just some…guy questions. I don't have my Dad around to talk to about this stuff so…You know, my Mom is the next best person." Sun explained slowly, trying to relieve Lillie. The girl did nod after a moment, smiling at him.

"Alright." Lillie said simply, as if that closed the matter. Sun felt a small rush of affection for the girl, glad that she had stopped asking about something when she knew that Sun definitely wasn't comfortable discussing it. After a few moments he realized something about his friend that he knew he could tell her.

"Just so you know, Lillie…I think besides my Mom, I trust you above anyone else right now." Sun said after a moment, drawing the girl's attention to him again. Lillie beamed this time and after a moment stepped forward and hugged Sun herself, surprising the boy enough to where he didn't even have a chance to return the embrace.

"I'm happy to be someone you can trust and count on, Sun." Lillie said brightly as she stepped away from her friend, grinning shyly at him now and feeling a bit proud of herself for coming out of her shell a little bit there. This had been the first time in a while that she had initiated any kind of physical affection towards anyone, so maybe this was a sign that she too was growing stronger like her friends were.

Regardless, Sun smiled at her words and the two exited the flowery meadow in a comfortable silence, warmed by both the sun shining overhead and the happiness they felt with each other's company.


	25. Walk With Me

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _I'm glad that so many enjoyed the fluffiness of last chapter. There's plenty more where that came from, with some moments going from hilarious to adorable for Sun and Lillie. I've got some fantastic moments lined up for the next few chapters._

 _Also, for those curious about Hau getting a ship, don't worry, I've got that covered. Gladion gets one too! And no, I'm not shipping them together. Though I might make a few jokes about it because that ship is waaaay too popular and their interactions in-game are funny not to make light of._

 _I will say though, that if people correctly manage to guess who Hau and Gladion get paired with, I'll personally message you to confirm it. So feel free to fire off some guesses. Amuse me, mortals!_

 _Also, I've just now realized we're nearing 200 reviews for this thing. I wonder if we'll hit that point with the 25th chapter..._

 _LET'S FIND OUT!_

 _So yeah. Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes Cottonmouth25, skyguys, BouncingFish (who I believe is ShadowDragon9000 but I am unsure of this), Madame Rodoshe, a Guest reviewer, BraviaryScout, and Sai Og Sus. Thank you all so much for the support. It hasn't been an easy week for me, so seeing the kind words and feedback in my emails/review section really give me a boost at times like this._

 _And without further ado..._

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 _Chapter 25: Walk With Me_

* * *

Hala almost winced as his Mankey slammed into the ground hard enough to leave an indent in it. His latest challenger had been quite the fierce one, alright. The Kahuna watched his Pokémon struggle to its feet once again, panting in pain.

"Mankey, use Karate Chop!" Hala commanded. The Fighting-type nodded and sprinted forward. The Kahuna observed his opponent, a strange boy with blonde hair watching the approaching Pokémon with intense, focused green eyes.

"Tackle! Stop it in its tracks!" the boy commanded the strange beast in front of him. In all of his years, Hala had never seen a Pokémon quite like the one in front of him. If he wasn't a more polite man, he would have described the Pokémon as a monstrosity. Regardless of what he thought of the Pokémon, it crouched low and lumbered forward, smashing into his tired Mankey after ducking its head to avoid the Karate Chop attack. The Pig Monkey Pokémon's eyes widened in pain before it flew backwards and crashed down in a heap in front of Hala, unresponsive.

"Well, young man. You have defeated this Kahuna and the Pokémon he commands. Even without a Z-Ring, you have proven yourself more than worthy of the Fightium-Z." Hala declared as he returned his Mankey and smiled at the young man before him, making his way over to his younger opponent.

"I feel like you were holding back." The teen said grunted as Hala chuckled, despite the boy's expression remaining rather sour.

"I may or may not have. If I fought every Trainer I encountered at my full strength, I'd never get a decent battle here on this Island. Regardless, you have proven yourself skilled in battle and are more than strong enough to wield this!" Hala chortled as he reached into a jacket pocket and extended a hand out to the young man, offering him the Z-Crystal. The teen took it and stuffed it into a pocket, a small scowl on his face as Hala also stamped the boy's Trainer Passport with the stamp of Melemele Island.

"So, where to next for you, son?" Hala asked the teen.

"That's of no concern to you, sir. I'm leaving this Island, though. I need to face stronger Trainers, and that won't happen if I stay here." The teen replied, reaching over to his Pokémon before grimacing slightly, his other hand going to a barely concealed cut on his left arm. The boy's sweater around the cut looked mangled, as if attacked by some kind of animal.

"Are you alright-?" Hala began to ask, reaching towards the teen, but the boy's Pokémon growled at him and the young man took a step back.

"I'm fine. It's nothing. It's a reminder of what's at stake. And how far we have to go." The teen muttered as he released his own arm and turned around.

"Null, come on. We've got a boat to catch in a few days and we can't miss it." The teen said to the Pokémon at its side. The beast grunted after a moment and padded after its Trainer, who had begun walking away.

"My boy, I do have one last question before you leave." Hala said after a moment, crossing his arms. The teen hesitated at the words of the Kahuna, but eventually turned around to face the older man, frowning even more.

"Yeah?"

"What is your name, if I may ask? I always like to know the names of Trainers who have shown me that they possess a fierce strength about them. Just like you have." Hala said kindly to the blonde-haired Trainer. The two Trainers looked into each other's eyes for a moment. Hala could see that the boy was only older than his own grandson by maybe two or three years. This teen had the eyes of someone who had suffered and seen the harshness of the world. The way he carried himself, the constant frown on his face and seriousness he held himself with. The child was a fighter in every sense of the word. Maybe it was just him, but he had been around long enough to get a sense of who people were when they battled him. And Hala was sure this child was special.

A moment later, he received a curt and quiet answer.

"My name is Gladion." The boy replied before turning forward once again and walking out of the village without another word. Hala smiled as he saw the young man rest a hand on the head of the strange Pokémon he had at his side, and wondered just where that teen's journey would take him.

* * *

Sun and Lillie flinched as the sunlight slammed into them from above, dousing them with even more warmth. Oliver and Penny soared past them with two chirps, and Sun returned his Pokémon after thanking them for their help.

"So now what?" Sun asked his friend.

"Um…I don't know. I was expecting Hau or Professor Kukui to be here by now. Did you-" Lillie began to say before suddenly Hau!

"Heeeeey!" Hau whooped as he sprinted up to them, grinning like a madman. Hau pile-drived Lillie into a hug, nearly knocking the girl down completely. Hau squeezed the girl giddily as Lillie hugged the boy back. Sun chuckled at the antics of his friend as he crossed his arms. After a few long moments Sun wondered why Hau wasn't breaking the hug.

"Hau?"

"Yeah Lillie?"

"You can…um, let go now?"

"Do I have to? You're warm! And you smell nice!"

"Hau, don't make me smack you again."

Hau broke away from Lillie with a smirk while Sun watched the boy with a small pang of annoyance. He didn't know why, but he felt a strange emotion stirring within him at the sight of Hau hugging Lillie. A sort of weird, unpleasant burning sensation that made him feel a little mad. Sun shook his head slightly, trying to brush it off. Hau was his friend, he couldn't feel this way towards him as he had done nothing wrong.

"So, how've you been doing, Hau?" Lillie asked her friend politely, snapping Sun out of his musings.

Hau put his hands behind his head, a small chuckle escaping him. "Not too bad. Hanging with Sun, clearing Trials, you know how it goes. I'd give you a sneak peek of my skills, but Sun's being a dork and doesn't want to battle me."

"Hau, if I battle you, can you stop bugging me about it?" Sun asked the boy exasperatedly. Hau beamed at his friend with his eyes shut before nodding. Sun sighed and looked over at Lillie.

"You two battle. I…I'll watch." Lillie said to the two of them, offering them a small smile. Soon enough Sun and Hau were separated and ready to battle along the cliff.

"Alright Hau. I'll start this off. Oliver, let's go!" Sun yelled, calling out his starter. Oliver swooped to the ground with a hoot, regarding Hau with amusement before beginning to preen itself.

"Heh. Been looking forward to this. Duke, come on and show them your stuff!" Hau said as he yanked a Poké Ball off of his belt, tossing it into the air for a brief moment before hurling it forward. Duke the Pikachu appeared on the ground with a wide smile, ready to fight.

"Duke, use Growl!" Hau ordered the electrical mouse, his grin widening in excitement.

"I've seen that trick before! Don't give him a chance to set up! Razor Leaf!" Sun ordered Oliver as the bird took flight, even as the Pikachu let loose a furious growl at the owl. Oliver unleashed a series of spinning leaves at the Pikachu on the ground.

"Dodge, Duke! Stay lively!" Hau yelled to his Pikachu, who quickly began running along the ground frantically as Oliver continued to hurl Razor Leafs at the evasive mouse. Despite its speed, Oliver's aim couldn't be denied, and the Pikachu was quickly covered in dings and scraps as the attack caught up with him.

"Yikes. Forgot how strong that bird is. Use Electro Ball and knock it out of the sky!" Hau called to Duke, who spun around twice and unleashed a ball of yellow electricity at Oliver, making it back off as it flew higher to avoid the attack.

"Hit it with Peck!" Sun commanded the Dartrix hovered in the air, eyeing the mouse on the ground. The owl nodded and shot forward with a great burst of speed towards Duke, his beak shining bright white.

"Dodge by jumping, and then aim down with Electro Ball!" Hau yelled out, grinning widely. Duke waited a few moments for the owl to come closer before suddenly leaping into the air and spinning around rapidly, charging up a swirling ball of wildly charging electricity before hurling it downwards at the Dartrix as it swooped just past. Oliver winced in pain as the attack hit him from above, sending electricity surging through him. Nevertheless, Oliver turned around and glared at the Pikachu as he fell towards the ground, making Duke shiver in fear.

"Huh. I thought that would've done more damage. Oh well. Quick Attack!" Hau said to his Pikachu. Duke crouched low before darting forward, almost quicker than the eye could follow.

"Meet that Pikachu halfway! Use Tackle!" Sun yelled to his starter. Oliver almost smirked as it soared forward and collided with Duke, a small shudder running through the air as the two Pokémon fought for dominance.

The attacks then broke off suddenly, as Oliver surged forward and knocked Duke to the ground. The Pikachu tumbled several times before finally collapsing with a groan.

"Duke is unable to battle! The victory goes to Sun!"

Hau and Sun both looked over to Lillie who had her hands raised and gestured over to Sun. The girl was smiling as Nebby floated nearby, having escaped the bag yet again.

"Lillie, are you going to be our referee?" Hau asked, laughing as the girl put her hands on her hips, an embarrassed blush coming to her cheeks.

"If you two are going to make me watch you battle, I'm going to make the most of it and have some fun too. Now choose your next Pokémon, Hau." Lillie huffed as Nebby cooed on encouragement.

"Heh. We should take you shopping for a referee shirt or something. Maybe a flag too." Hau mused quietly as he let out Casey the Popplio. The Water-type watched Oliver land down on the ground across from them and sighed inwardly. This wasn't going to last long.

"Oliver, use Razor Leaf!"

"Casey, use Disarming Voice!"

Hau's Popplio opened its mouth wide and unleashed a pink heart-shaped beam of energy from its mouth as a strange shrieking sound rang out across the cliffs. As she did this, Oliver flapped his wings and released a barrage of spinning leaves at the Pokémon. The Razor Leaf tore through the attack as it connected with it, disrupting it completely to Hau's surprise. Casey's eyes widened in horror as the Razor Leaf attack smashed into her, making her squeal in pain for several moments before she collapsed and remained completely still.

"With…just _one attack_?" Hau muttered in horror, returning his Popplio as Sun ran forward to hug Oliver.

"Casey is unable to battle…The winner of the battle is Sun!" Lillie declared as she gestured over to Sun again, grinning now. Sun chuckled at his friend's antics, glad that she was at least having some fun.

" _Bz-zz-zzt! Heya Sun. Guess who just learned Foresight?"_ Rotom asked cheerily, floating out of Sun's backpack.

"Was it Professor Kukui?"

"… _I wish. Zz-zzt! But seriously though, Oliver learned Foresight. Pretty neat stuff_!" Rotom declared. Hau and Lillie walked over to Sun, both of them looking pretty happy.

"Aww…Lame. I wanted to show off my Pokémon's best side some more, you know?" Hau drawled with a smile on his face.

"That was kind of fun." Lillie chimed in as she knelt down and began healing Oliver. After a minute, she brought both of Hau's Pokémon back to perfect health again.

"You bet it was. Even though I get wrecked by just one Pokémon. You know, Sun…We've both beaten the Totem Pokémon. That means that at this point, we've gotten pretty strong. I wonder though…are we really good enough to beat my gramps at this rate?" Hau asked, his smile fading a little.

"Hey there you three!"

The trio of children turned around to see Professor Kukui jogging up to greet them. The man stopped short of them, not looking the least bit out of the breath with his Rockruff happily panting at his feet.

"Glad to see everyone's alright. Sorry about leaving you behind like that Lillie. I'll be sure to be more careful in the future when we're traveling around." Kukui said with a laugh as he rubbed the back of his head.

"It's okay Professor. I should've made sure my phone was charged before we set out this morning," Lillie replied.

"Alright. We'll have a discussion about that later then. So, you two." Kukui said, turning to address Sun and Hau. "You excited for your trip back to Iki Town? Old Hala must be rubbing his hands with glee at the thought of being able to battle you two."

"What do you mean, Professor?" Lillie asked, tilting her head slightly in confusion.

"Heh, it's all a part of the Trials, yeah? After you clear one Island's Trials, you gotta battle that Island's Kahuna! Taking on the Island Kahuna in battle is called a Grand Trial. For someone like me, who's researching Pokémon moves and studying the subtleties of battle, nothing could be better than the chance to see some more fierce and fiery hot Pokémon battles in a Grand Trial! I'm so pumped!" Professor Kukui whooped with excitement gleaming in his eyes. From what Sun could tell, the Professor seemed more hyped for their battle then they were!

"Well…I don't know about fierce or fiery…" Hau mumbled, looking suddenly nervous. Kukui clapped Hau on the back with a wide smile, brushing aside whatever reservations the boy had.

"Ha! I'll be the judge of that! Let's all get back to-" Kukui was cut off by a small ringtone going off. The Professor frowned and pulled out a small cell phone and put it to his ear.

"Yeah Doc? I…Oh really? A breakthrough? That's…Got it. Pretty strong readings like that indicate some sort of abnormality. My wife will definitely be wanting at least two of us there investigating this, so I'll definitely join you. Give me a few and I'll be right there, alright cousin? Seeya." Kukui hung his phone with a small sigh.

"Well, turns out Doc just had a small discovery over by the Normal Trial Site. Seems important enough for me to go check out. Do you three want a teleport to Iki Town or do you want to walk there? It's maybe a two days walk from our current position, at a normal pace," Kukui said to the group.

"I'm fine with walking. It's a nice day out with plenty of clouds and a nice breeze. It'd be a shame to just waste it." Hau remarked before he looked over at Sun.

"I'm indifferent. Lillie, your call." Sun said with a shrug before looking to his blonde friend. Lillie thought about it for a moment before shaking her head.

"You get going, Professor. We should be okay. If there's an abnormality going on that relates to the Ultra Space at all, you should be there to see what's going on. Especially since it might help out Nebby." Lillie said to the Professor, who seemed a bit surprised that his assistant would be willing to risk something happening to her in the wilds.

"You sure, Lillie?" Kukui asked the girl, who resolutely nodded.

"Alright, if you're sure." Kukui said as he set down his pack and began exchanging some items with Lillie. Once that was sorted out, Kukui released his Starmie.

"I should be back in two days or so. If there's any issues, Lillie, call me or text me. That goes for all of you. Okay?" Kukui said to the trio. Each of the children nodded, so Kukui then flashed them a bright smile.

"Then just catch that Tailwind and blast right on through Route 3!" Kukui said with a laugh before vanishing on the spot.

"Well, now it's just the three of us." Lillie said with a bracing smile, though she was met with a curious frown by Hau.

"Kinda surprised that you didn't just go with him, Lillie. Usually you're a bit…you know, cautious about stuff." Hau remarked as Lillie's smile faded.

"I know…But...just because I'm trying to be careful doesn't mean I should live my entire life in fear. If I want to spend some time with my friends, who I trust to help me if something happens, then I should be able to do that…Right?" Lillie asked Hau and Sun with an almost pleading look. As if hoping she wasn't being a burden on them.

Hau and Sun exchanged a brief look before they both embraced Lillie in a tight hug, which the blonde-haired girl returned. Oliver and Penny joined in, as did Nebby, making the heap of children and Pokémon fall to the ground laughing, Lillie the loudest of all.

After taking a few minutes to recover, the trio set out on their trek back to Iki Town, where the Kahuna awaited them…

* * *

Nightfall came quicker than the trio liked, having spent most of the afternoon walking around looking for Lillie. The three of them quickly set up camp and ate a dinner that consisted of some sandwiches Hau had made. Sun and Lillie practiced their flutes together, much to their delight. Hau and all of the Pokémon acted as an audience, chirping and dancing along at the appropriate times. Lillie seemed to be greatly enjoying herself, much to the relief of the boys, and the assistant to the Professor almost appeared to glow with joy at being with her friends and having fun.

"You've improved Sun!" Lillie said to her friend, a wide smile on her face as they finished a simple but face-paced duet. Sun grinned at his friend while Hau clapped loudly along with all of their Pokémon.

"Another awesome song, you two. Lillie, you ever think of doing any professional playing?" Hau asked Lillie, making the girl look away bashfully for a moment.

"Oh no. I'm not that good. I'd like to be some day, though." Lillie admitted as she and Sun put away their instruments, having played for the better part of an hour.

"Well, keep that up and you'll be famous! Just like that pretty lady from your favorite band!" Hau stated as he leaned back against a tree, chuckling.

"Zoey's a professional musician in a world-famous band, Hau. I'm moderately skilled with a flute. There's a big difference, though I appreciate the sentiment." Lillie said to her friend as she stowed her flute case in her bag, where Nebby had been sleeping peacefully.

"We really should be heading to sleep though. Especially if we want to make it to Iki Town by tomorrow." Sun remarked as he put his flute case into an item capsule and sealed it, stuffing it into his bag and flopping down on his sleeping bag. It didn't take much longer for the children to chatter tiredly and fall asleep underneath the stars.

* * *

Lillie found out quickly that she wasn't the only one who suffered from nightmares.

They had plagued her for quite some time, even more so after she left home. But as she grew more comfortable and gained a few friends, the nightmares stopped being so bad, even when they did come. However…this allowed her to see that her friend Sun was beginning to suffer from the effects of them.

She noticed it after the first night she spent with the boy out in the wilds. How hard it was for him to wake up and how tired and strained he seemed. He smiled, like always, brushing it off and meeting the day with his usual enthusiasm.

As their little trio talked and chatted and laughed and carried on, Lillie kept an eye on the boy she admired and saw him staring off into the sky with a lost expression, deep in thought about something that he couldn't get around. Lillie was a pretty smart girl, however, and could guess what kind of nightmares were keeping her friend up and making him unhappy at the moment. He certainly presented a better facade of being fine to the world than she did. Two breakdowns already this week for her. But Sun? From what she had heard from Hau that morning, Sun had held strong ever since their talk in the rain storm.

 _"But…Just because he's holding himself together doesn't mean he's not hurting. How…Can I help him?"_ Lillie thought, biting her lip in worry as she reached into her bag to pet Nebby, something to keep her busy as well as soothe the Pokémon she was trying to protect.

Lillie was lost in her thoughts for a long while that day. Thankfully Hau and Rotom launched into a full-scale musical and were completely oblivious to her and Sun's personal brainstorming sessions. The Professor's assistant finally remembered a bit of advice that Professor Burnet had told her after Lana and Kiawe had gotten into a fight, which had upset her.

 _"Sometimes when people are struggling, Lillie…It's better to just ask them what's going on. If they're okay. Extend that hand, even if the other person doesn't think or know that they need it. The thought itself that you care is almost as important as the act."_

Lillie nodded to herself, a motion of resolve to help herself help her friend…if that made any sense. Nevertheless, Lillie quickened her pace a little and caught up with Sun. The boy was currently watching Oliver and Penny swoop through the sky, his hands in his pockets and looking quite tired. Lillie gripped her bag with one hand, nodded to herself again, and reached forward and tapped Sun lightly on the shoulder.

"What's up?" Sun asked, looking over at his friend in surprise.

"You okay?" Lillie asked gently. Sun hesitated for a moment before shrugging. Lillie gave the exhausted-looking boy a confused look for a moment before Sun sighed and shook his head. Lillie drew closer to the Kanto-native and asked very quietly, "What's wrong?"

"Just…stuck in my own thoughts. It sucks, but I just can't stop thinking about some stuff. And when I think about that stuff, it just…brings me down. It makes me just wonder what I could have done. If this was all my fault…that maybe I deserve everything that's happened to me." Sun said to Lillie, sighing again as he looked upwards, a wretched smile on his face.

"Sun, as someone who also doesn't think that much of themselves…please stop. It's not healthy." Lillie replied, giving her friend a soft smile.

"I know it isn't. But it's really hard to stop thinking about it. All that bad stuff happened and we just ran away from it all-" Sun began to say but Lillie shook her head, making Sun stop speaking. Hau suddenly stop walking and the two children caught up with their smiling friend, with Rotom floating overhead and watching with curiosity.

"Dude, I'm Lillie on this. I know bad stuff's going on in your life, but dwelling on that stuff does nothing good for you." Hau remarked with as he suddenly slung an arm around both of his friends.

"Bad things in life come at you. You deal with them one way or another, and then life goes on. Dwelling on it and wondering what could have been and blaming yourself is just bad. Bad, bad, bad, you know? It's just like Tutu says. You gotta look forward and just enjoy life as it happens, because tomorrow ain't guaranteed buddy." Hau said with a laugh as Sun and Lillie exchanged a look. Sun thought about it and knew that Hau and Lillie were both right. Getting hung up on the past and on bad thoughts wasn't healthy or beneficial in any way, but it was hard not to think about these things when they were a core part of his life for several months, and some of these things had been factors of his life for as long as he knew, like his father.

However…Sun knew what he needed to say to his friends _and_ do. He knew this was something he needed to work on. He could overcome this.

"You're right…Both of you are. Sorry about all this it's just…hard. Trying to stay positive and keeping up a smile while all this bad stuff happens back home is proving to just be really, really difficult." Sun admitted to his friends. "But I'll keep trying. I'll be having a talk with Mom when I get back home and I know there's others I can talk to about this. Like you two."

"Yep! What else are friends for?" Hau asked cheerfully, pulling both of his friends into a bear hug. Sun couldn't help but laugh as his friend's efforts to cheer him up.

"If you ever need anything, I'll be happy to help in any way I can." Lillie added after a moment, smiling at Sun while she vainly tried to escape Hau's death grip of a hug. Sun found himself smiling at the sight, finding it funny.

"Thanks you two…You're the best." Sun said to his friends, his smile becoming a bit more genuine as he spoke. Hau finally broke the hug and the trio continued their walk towards civilization. After crossing a large bridge, the trio made note that the sun was setting once again for them.

"I can see Iki Town in the distance, but it's still a few hours off. You two want to set up camp or do you want to just keep going?" Hau asked his two friends. Lillie looked at the setting sun with dismay, as she was hoping they would be able to make it to town before night fell.

"Rotom, how're we looking? Can we make it there before sundown?" Sun asked the device as Penny landed on Sun's head.

" _About twenty-two minutes until sundown. It'll take roughly three hours and ten minutes, by our current pace, to reach Iki Town. My recommendation is that we camp for the night and get to town in the morning."_ Rotom replied as it floated by with a buzz.

Sun opened his mouth to reply when a loud, deafening sound erupted outward nearby. The three children flinched in surprise, having not expected the noise. The sound was sharp and quick, descending into reverberations within moments.

"W-what was that?" Hau asked, looking around the path that they were on.

"Was…that a gunshot?" Sun asked after a moment, confused as he began looking towards where he thought the sound had come from.

"I…It may have been. I wonder if someone's in trouble." Lillie muttered, rubbing her ears after the surprisingly loud noise. Sun took a cautious step towards where the sound had come from, and Hau spoke up.

"Uh…Maybe it's not a good idea to head towards the loud noises." Hau said nervously, putting his hands behind his head with an uncharacteristic frown. Sun nodded in agreement, but then a second gunshot rang out. And then a third. And a fourth. A loud, furious snarl then began emanating from the direction the shots had rung out from.

"Oliver, Penny. Stay close." Sun said as he turned directly towards where the sound was coming from and began heading towards it. Hau and Lillie hesitated before following their friend, with Lillie catching up to Sun quickly while Hau lagged far behind, still nervous. It didn't take long for them to stumble into a clearing and find the person who had been firing the gun.

What they soon realized, however, was that it was the absolute worst-case scenario for them.

Standing in the middle of the clearing, surrounded by several dead Pokémon was a slender woman wearing all-white body armor. Her bright red hair stretched out behind her like raging flames, a small demonic smile on her face as her bright blue eyes regarded the three children entering the area with amusement. The woman was armed to the teeth with guns and blades, wielding a pistol in her hand that was aimed at a Growlithe that was crouched low on the ground, growling furiously as it stood protectively over a very small Rattata. After a moment the smaller Pokémon scurried off into the bushes, leaving the Growlithe standing alone against the woman.

"Well now...I need to work on being more subtle in the wilds." The woman said conversationally before she fired a shot, which the dog Pokémon dodged as it lunged forward-

Only for a second bullet to tear through its chest and send it to the ground in a heap.

"NO!" Sun screamed as he ran forward, falling to the ground to check on the Growlithe. The dog was bleeding profusely from its chest as it struggled to move through the pain, fury in the Growlithe's eyes. Lillie quickly joined Sun's side in making sure the Puppy Pokémon was okay before looking up at the woman and feeling horror sink into her as she realized something truly awful.

"S-sun…I know that woman…" Lillie whispered as Sun looked up at the woman, taking in her appearance. After a few moments it finally clicked home for him.

* * *

" _Keep fighting everyone! We can do this!" Erika shouted, urging the group of frightened Pokémon Trainers forward as the battle around Celadon raged around them. The Gym Leader began rallying the Trainers forward atop her Venasaur that was unleashing deadly attack after deadly attack on the criminals, completely focused on what was ahead of her. Sun watched the screen helplessly as a lone figure garbed in the white armor of Cipher suddenly leapt atop the Venasaur that was attacking her comrades, drawing a slender silver blade and twirling it in her hands with an expert flourish as she approached the Gym Leader unawares._

 _"No…You_ _can't_ _." The woman hissed into the Erika's ear, like a whisper in the wind as she plunged the knife through Erika's chest and through her heart, sealing the woman's fate and ending her life. Erika tumbled forward as the assassin removed her blade, still dripping with crimson as she smiled down at the fallen fighter._

* * *

Sun felt his body tremble with rage and horror as Amber Fontaine stared him down, her smile widening a little as she took in the sight of the boy and girl in front of her. Sun stood upright, even as the Cipher Admin shifted the gun's aim to the Kanto-native. Lillie felt herself slowly hiding behind Sun, unnerved by the almost _familiar_ maniacal gaze in the assassin's eyes that sent shivers down her spine and reminded the small girl of her own nightmares.

"You…" Sun breathed, fury and hate pounding through his voice. His body trembled with anger at the sight of the murdering assassin from Cipher, the one who had cut down Erika.

"Yes, I am often guilty of being me. Sorry about that." Amber joked evenly, though the two children saw a spark of curiosity flash to her eyes.

"I wasn't expecting to actually run into anyone while I was here. Guess I got careless. Oh well…looks like you know me from somewhere, though. I've got so many victims I can't even begin to start guessing, so let's skip the formalities. Yeah, they're dead. And soon you will be too." Amber remarked as she leveled her gun at Sun's head and fired the pistol.

"Ko ko kooo!"

An orange and yellow blur suddenly dropped down from above, blocking the bullet from reaching either one of the two children and crashing down onto the ground with authority. Sun and Lillie took a step back in surprise while Amber lowered her weapon, eyeing the newest arrival with interest. To Sun and Lillie, it was obvious who had just saved them from being shot.

"Tapu Koko…" Lillie whispered, standing upright and shuddering with fear as she clutched Sun's arm tightly enough for it to hurt. The legendary protector had its arms held out, creating a shield of sorts that protected them from further harm. Amber scowled and was about to say something when all of a sudden Sun's Z-Ring began glowing like a beacon, sending out a pulse of energy that enveloped the entire clearing.

" **DON'T YOU DARE HURT THEM!** " the voice spoke from the Z-Ring, its voice ethereal and sounding like it was amplified by a hundred, but the identity of the speaker was undeniable.

"What on earth are you?" Amber whispered, looking a bit awed at the sound of the strange voice now speaking to her.

" **THESE TWO ARE SPECIAL…I WILL NOT ALLOW EITHER OF THEM TO BE HARMED SO LONG AS THEY ARE ON MY ISLAND.** " Tapu Koko continued, ignoring the woman as it released its shield-state and revealing its face to the assassin, eyes burning with righteous fury.

"So…I guess this is the Island Guardian I was briefed about. I wasn't told you could _speak_." Amber remarked, curiosity on her face.

" **LEAVE THIS PLACE OR YOUR LIFE IS FORFEIT.** " Tapu Koko demanded, its voice echoing out from the artifact that it had entrusted to Sun, and that it was now channeling its power through at the moment. The Pokémon shuddered then, an fierce aura of lightning crackling into existence around it, making the air shiver with the power radiating from the legendary protector. Sun then realized that the entire clearing was now glowing yellow and an odd surge of electricity was running through the air and ground around them.

"Alright then...Show me your power, Island Guardian!" Amber replied with a razor sharp smile, leveling her pistol at Tapu Koko and pulling the trigger.


	26. The Angel of Death

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _HOLY. SHIT._

 _Over 200 reviews in five months, and just 1/8_ _th_ _of the way through the story._

 _That's bananas. B-A-N-A-N-A-S._

 _This is a pretty big milestone for this story and it's one I can't thank you all enough for. Praise, criticism, questions, suggestions, and more have lead to this point that's all because of you, my loyal and awesome readers. I know I do this quite a bit, and it's got to wear on some of you just a little but...Thank you for your support. Your feedback. Your guesses and speculation. Every single thought and emotion you feel while reading this all contribute to this story. And I thank you all for making this as fun as it is._

 _Now, two points I'd like to make, since they've been brought to my attention recently and I figured it's about time I've officially addressed it._

 _1\. If you're reading this story and have NOT beaten Pokémon Sun and Moon, then I will officially warn you now. **This story will spoil everything that game has to offer**. There'll be times where I explain information to the readers in story that is revealed to the main characters later. Meaning that I might have a scene in chapter 52 that spoils something that isn't revealed in game until chapter 107, to give an example. So if you're okay with game spoilers, then by all means continue. But if you're still playing Sun and Moon and don't want some of the plot twists ruined for you, I'll highly recommend that you please take the time to finish that game (or at least get to Island #4), before returning to this story. Trust me, it's good enough of a game to warrant doing that._

 _2\. Next point. Guns. Yeah, there's guns in this story. Why? Because criminals use guns pretty frequently. Cipher is, in my mind, one of the more brutal and serious criminal organizations in all of Pokémon. Why would they NOT use guns? Yeah, they could just rely on Pokémon to do their dirty work. By why use one when you can use both? Especially since they don't care about their image or have a lofty goal they're trying to build towards._

 _Also, just as a point of reference, some of the best Pokémon stories in the entire archive have characters who use guns with no problems. Check out "Pedestal" by Digital Skitty, or even "The Road to be a Pokémon Master: Kanto Arc." Guns are used a few times to great effect in both of those fantastic fics. Same thing in this story. There's even been guns in the actual Pokémon show once, before that episode got banned._

 _Anyways, just figured I'd finally address that. I've gotten a few remarks about that in the past and just think that's kind of an odd thing to comment on in a story. I'm sorry if I come off as rude and I mean no disrespect to those who voiced concerns or disapproval over guns in the story. Just figured I'd address those who raised questions and offer my stance on why I've done things how I have. Hopefully that explanation helped a little._

 ** _I would also like to take a moment and apologize for the brief delay on this chapter. It would've been up earlier, but my grandmother (who I spoke of a few weeks back), passed away this week and I needed to attend her viewing and funeral, which took up a great deal of my time this weekend._**

 ** _Thank you for your patience and all of the support that you all have given me._**

 _Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last chapter, which includes Anasazi Darkmoon, Technetium2, Madame Rodoshe, Sai Og Sus, FedoraGalaxiez, BouncingFish, Cottonmouth25, skyguys, Raikou927, a new guest reviewer known as anonymous, BraviaryScout, Ignaci0, a Guest reviewer, as well as two new reviewers known as Gokan123 and Kmburn. You all are amazing. Just figured I'd throw that out there._

 _Here's to another 175 chapters of sheer awesome._

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 _Chapter 26: The Angel of Death_

* * *

Tapu Koko darted forward faster than the bullet, effortlessly snatching it out of thin air as the Pokémon lunged at Amber, swiping at the assassin with an arm charged with lightning and a furious cry escaping the Guardian Deity. Amber reacted just as quickly, jumping backwards to dodge the initial attack but was surprised by the lightning that Tapu Koko hurled at her, sending her crashing into a faraway tree with a scream of agony as she writhed in place as the electricity coursed through her body.

" **I WARNED YOU."** Tapu Koko intoned through Sun's Z-Ring, getting in a fighting stance and rushing at the woman. Tapu Koko reared an arm back and threw a strike aimed at the woman's head-

Only for Amber to throw herself to the ground and fire a shot into the Guardian's back as she rolled to her feet. The bullet bounced off of the arm of Tapu Koko who whirled around with a growl and flung an arm down. The act released another blast of lightning that struck down the assassin, making her howl in agony and fall to one knee.

And then Amber smiled. A horrifying grin that made the Tapu's eyes narrow in anger. He wasn't just doing battle with a human.

He was fighting a monster.

"Let's make this an even fight." Amber hissed as she forced herself to a standing position as Tapu Koko rushed at the woman again, only for an Xatu to appear in front of it and release a massive wave of psychic force that sent the legendary hurtling backwards through a tree, sending it toppling to the ground. Amber snatched up two Poké Balls from her waist and released a massive Infernape and a Kingdra and pressed a finger to her temple.

"Command. This is Admin Amber. Looks like I got my wish. Expect that unique Pokémon you were wanting me to get…Understood. Admin Amber out." The assassin reloaded her pistol and drew a knife from her armor, twirling it in her hand expertly.

"Avis, sync up. Everyone else, get ready!" Amber commanded as Tapu Koko burst out of the trees with a battle cry escaping its mouth. The Infernape leapt forward, with fire and a swirling torrent of water flying forwards and slamming into the legendary protector with a massive explosion of force and creating a thick cloud of smoke. Tapu Koko barreled through the smoke with a yell, firing off two massive Shock Waves that crashed into both Pokémon, making them scream in pain. The Kingdra snapped out of its first, firing off a Hydro Pump that just barely missed the Tapu. However, the Island Guardian stiffened as a harsh blue glow surrounded its body and made the Pokémon screech in pain and shut its eyes tightly, subject to the Psychic attack being administered to it by the Xatu floating below. Amber's Infernape unleashed a Fire Blast while Kingdra fired off a massive Hyper Beam, hitting the immobile god Pokémon with ease and creating an almighty explosion of force within the sky.

"Come on Tapu Koko! You can do it!" Sun yelled to the legendary Pokémon. At Sun's words the smoke cleared, revealing Tapu Koko standing tall, glaring down at its opponents as it's electrical aura fired up again. With a yell as it threw its arms apart, the legendary protector's entire body exploded with lightning that rained down from above, striking Amber and her three Pokémon. Amber fell to one knee, clutching her head and extending a hand towards Tapu Koko.

Without a command, the three Pokémon reacted quickly. Infernape unleashed a torrent of flames from it's mouth while Kingdra spewed out a Water Pulse. The Xatu teleported and reappeared behind Tapu Koko, allowing the Guardian Deity to hit it with a blast of lighting before soaring downwards, dodging the other two attacks with an elegant twirl and landing right in front of Sun and Lillie.

"Lillie, do you see Oliver or Penny?" Sun asked his friend quietly, looking around for his Pokémon. He wanted them to help Tapu Koko if at all possible. Sure, the Island Guardian was holding its own and was incredibly powerful, but it was still four against one, if you included Amber.

"I haven't seen them Sun. They vanished into the trees when we walked into the clearing." Lillie whispered, shaking with fear at the horrific battle before them.

 **"DO NOT INTERFERE."** Tapu Koko said suddenly, its voice echoing out from Sun's Z-Ring.

"I want to help!" Sun tried to argue.

 **"I WILL DEAL WITH THIS MATTER. REMAIN HERE."** Tapu Koko said to Sun, offering him and Lillie a glance within its wild eyes before turning forward, just in time for an Ultra Ball to hit it square in the face. Tapu Koko was sucked into the ball in a flash of light.

"NO!" Sun screamed as the ball clattered to the ground, shaking once.

"You're an idiot if you didn't think I wasn't going to try that." Amber remarked with a chuckle, taking that moment to apply Full Restores to her Pokémon as they drew closer to her. Amber watched the Ultra Ball warily as it shook a second time with a strained smile on her face, pausing to look down at her fingers and flex them with a wince. Amber looked up again as the Ultra Ball shook a third time, but yelled out as Sun raised his foot up and stomped down on it as hard as he could, shattering it on the ground and releasing Tapu Koko with a massive explosion of light.

"Oh, you little brat." Amber sighed, shaking her head as Tapu Koko shook with fury. The legendary protector got into a fighting stance, growling softly.

 **"FOR THE RECORD, I WAS ABOUT TO BREAK FREE…BUT I APPRECIATE THE ASSISTANCE, YOUNG ONE."** Tapu Koko remarked, giving Sun a small nod before it turned forward and held out both of its hands, charging up a sphere of lightning before hurling it forward, where it slammed into Amber's Xatu and made the Pokémon screech in pain as the attack shocked it beyond all reason.

"Damn it. Should've figured you'd be hard to get...that's alright. It's more fun this way!" Amber muttered before snapping her fingers. Infernape and Kingdra both responded by firing off two Hyper Beams, both of which were blocked by Tapu Koko shifting into its shield-state to protect both itself and the children behind it.

"This thing really is tough, though. It'll make a wonderful Shadow Pokémon…" Amber mused aloud while her Xatu flared its wings with its eyes glowing bright blue, hitting Tapu Koko with another Psychic attack. A few moments passed with nothing happening, but soon enough Tapu Koko's arms were flung apart, revealing itself to its opponents and allowing the Tapu to be hit with a Flamethrower, driving the Pokémon back with a snarl. The Island Guardian replied by leaping high into the sky, dodging another Hydro Pump and a Shadow Ball, before plummeting towards the ground with red flames erupting around it, making the very air shudder with power. Then, as it reached the ground, the legendary protector's body exploded into a fiery blue aura as it rushed towards Amber's Infernape, slamming into it with Brave Bird and hitting it hard enough to send the Pokémon to the ground unconscious.

Amber scowled and snapped her fingers, making her Xatu and Kingdra lunge forward. Both of them began shooting water and orbs of darkness at the Tapu while Amber sprinted to her downed Infernape, sliding under an Electro Ball thrown at her and reaching into a pack on her hip and pulling out a strange spiky rock that Sun recognized as a Max Revive. She pressed it against her Infernape and it began to glow and then dissolve, but it also made all of the fire monkey's wounds heal before their very eyes. The Infernape hopped to its feet and charged at the Tapu as Amber pulled a small box off of her back and set it on the ground. The assassin opened it, quickly drawing out two black pistols and a pulling out a series of parts to something bigger. That something was quickly assembled by the assassin, and turned out to be a very lethal-looking shotgun. Amber shuddered, flexing her fingers and rolling her neck for a moment before slinging the shotgun's strap over her back and stowing one pistol in her belt, firing the other on the Guardian Deity repeatedly.

Tapu Koko raised its shields to block the bullets, drawing its attention away from the Xatu and Kingdra that both launched a Psychic and a Hydro Pump at the Tapu's back, knocking it forward into a Flame Wheel from Infernape. Tapu Koko was knocked through the air with a cry, burn marks seared into its body and making the Pokémon cringe in pain. As the Infernape leapt into the air to attempt a second Flame Wheel, it was caught in midair by Tapu Koko, who stared down at the Pokémon with thinly veiled fury.

"What!?" Amber shouted in surprise as Tapu Koko suddenly hurled the fire monkey sky high into the air and pointed up at it, releasing a deadly arc of lightning that struck the airborne monkey repeatedly. Tpau Koko dropped out of the air to dodge a Shadow Ball and slammed a hand onto the ground, creating a strange circular pool of pink energy at its feet that suddenly reappeared beneath Kingdra, exploding outwards and making the Pokémon scream in pain. Tapu Koko felt another stream of bullets slam into it and the Guardian Deity fired an Electro Ball at Amber in response, making the woman leap back to dodge the attack with a fierce grin on her face. Sun wondered how she was even alive after getting hit so many times. It was...horrifying to think someone could continue to fight like she was after being hurt so badly.

As if reading Sun's mind, Lillie muttered, "That armor is the only reason she's survived this long. No way could a normal human survive so many direct attacks from a Pokémon like Tapu Koko. But this is really scary...what is this woman?"

Amber's Infernape landed on the ground with a harsh crunch, shakily getting up as Kingdra and Xatu continued to launch attacks at the nimble legendary protector, who continued to elegantly dodge the attacks and rain lightning down on the three Pokémon. Amber watched the display with an eager smile, as if she wasn't in a duel to the death with a powerful Pokémon but watching an exciting game. The woman straightened after a moment, making a swift hand gesture before her Xatu swooped above the Tapu and opened it's mouth wide before releasing an almighty beam of raw energy that rocketed towards Tapu Koko, enveloping it completely and creating a massive explosion that sent Sun and Lillie tumbling backwards. Sun caught the injured Growlithe with a yelp, and kept it from moving further by carefully bracing himself against it as the shock-waves from the Hyper Beam settled. Sun could have sworn he felt the Puppy Pokémon stir in his arms, but he figured he was imagining it.

"Haha! This thing is _really_ tough! Haven't fought a legendary with this much moxie since…Ever." Amber remarked with a laugh, leaning against her Xatu with a small sigh of relief, only to step away from her bird as the smoke cleared and revealed Tapu Koko standing tall, panting slightly and looked a bit ragged but otherwise fine.

Tapu Koko tilted its head for a moment before holding out a hand, creating a black shimmering rift within the air itself. Amber swore loudly as a Hyper Beam erupted from the rift and soared towards her Xatu, slamming into the Pokémon and making it scream in pain as it crashed onto the ground before the Pokémon was enveloped in an explosion. Tapu Koko then raised both of it arms, both of them sparking wildly, only for an Infernape to ram into it with a blazing inferno known as a Flare Blitz roaring around it. Tapu Koko tumbled back into the forest with a yell, getting hit by Water Pulse a moment later and sending it further away from the battle. A raging Flamethrower hit it a moment later as the Infernape chased after the Island Guardian. Wordlessly the Kingdra began to follow the pair of fighting Pokémon deeper into the forest, leaving the clearing much less crowded. The Xatu slowly rose to its feet with a wince before looking at Amber and then vanishing without another word.

" _I wonder…is she using her Xatu to command those Pokémon without yelling out orders?"_ Sun wondered before Amber spoke again, cutting off his train of thought.

"Alright, so Avis is helping the others and combined, that'll keep the giant rooster god thing out of the way. Good...Let's get back to business." Amber said as she turned around, aiming her pistol at Sun and Lillie, cracking another smile as she fired her weapon. Just as the assassin pulled the trigger of her weapon, Sun felt something collide into him with hellacious force.

However…it was not a bullet. But rather an owl moving faster than it had ever moved before.

Lillie and Sun crashed onto the ground as Oliver tackled them both, knocking them just out of the way of Amber's bullet as her gun fired. The furious owl released a barrage of blade quills with a flap of its wings, disarming the woman.

"Huh. Should've expected that." Amber remarked as she eyed her fallen weapon carelessly before turning her attention to the Dartrix that had landed on the ground, glaring at the murderer as he stood protectively over Sun and Lillie with his wings flared out. Amber shrugged before pulling out her second pistol again and aiming it at Oliver, who remained still, staring down the barrel of the gun pointed at him. Sun was amazed that Oliver had not only saved their lives, but was now staring death in the face to protect them.

"That's adorable. You really think you can stand up to me?" Amber asked the owl. Oliver gave the woman a horrifying look of pure rage in response and _hissed_ , a sound that made even Sun flinch at the harshness of the noise and was all the answer the woman needed. The woman fired her gun at Oliver, but the bullet was sliced in half by an expertly thrown blade quill. Amber sidestepped the quill as her smile widened.

"Daaaaartix! Dar dar dar trix!" Oliver screeched at the woman.

"Really now? Well, I commend you for your bravery, but bravery didn't stop the last thing I killed." Amber remarked lightly, gesturing to the bleeding dog Sun was trying to check on as she spoke. Sun growled at the woman, trying to burn a hole through her with his gaze.

"Dar…trix." Oliver replied, bending a little lower and making the woman in front of him tilt her head in confusion before a white and red blur slammed into the back of her head, sending her toppling to the ground and knocking the woman's helmet off of her head.

"Penny!" Sun yelled as he saw his smaller bird flying above the downed woman, chirping triumphantly. He had been wondering where the other bird had gone, and was curious as to whether or not she had been lurking within the trees and waiting for the right moment to strike. Sun realized that was exactly the case and that Penny and Oliver had figured out a plan of attack somehow and he felt a fierce rush of pride in his Pokémon for that. The little bird soared over to Sun with a twitter and landed on his shoulder.

"Nice work you two! Come on, we need to get out of here." Sun said to Lillie and his Pokémon, wondering where Hau was at the moment before shaking his head and turning his attention to the injured Growlithe beside him. The dog was regained consciousness and was weakly breathing fire on its chest. Sun watched the dog in fascination as it burned the horrifying wound shut, cauterizing it and stopping the bleeding. If the situation wasn't so terrifying and dire, he would have thought the dog was really cool for doing something so… _hardcore_ to save itself.

Sun made an attempt to lift the Puppy Pokémon, but Lillie stopped him, having regained her senses after being paralyzed with fear for most of the encounter with Amber.

"S-stop, Sun. You'll hurt him. He needs medical attention, fast. He may have stopped the bleeding, but that Growlithe has lost far too much blood. It won't be conscious for much longer and it may not wake up a second time." Lillie said softly to her friend, pulling out a Super Potion from her bag. Sun grabbed it from her and prepared himself to apply the healing substance to the Growlithe's wound when a gunshot rang out, making the bottle explode in Sun's hands as Lillie screamed.

"That hurt…I'll kill you all slowly for that." Amber grunted as she staggered to her feet, clutching the back of her head with a dazed expression. Oliver and Penny both flew at the woman with glowing beaks without needing an order from Sun, forcing the woman back even as she began firing at the two birds, her disorientation showing as she wasn't able to land a shot. Amber ducked under a Peck from Penny and leapt backwards to avoid a series of Razor Leafs from Oliver, dodging the expert aim of the Dartrix as she glared at the two birds swooping overhead.

"Ugh, I forgot what being knocked out was like. That said…" Amber growled as she fired her pistol at Oliver, who intercepted the bullet again with a blade quill.

"I'm not letting a few kids get the better of me!" Amber yelled out as she suddenly lashed out with her foot, connecting with Penny as the bird attempted to attack the assassin from behind again. The Pikipek tumbled to the ground just outside of the clearing without a sound as Oliver screeched in fury, darting towards the woman with a Peck. Amber sidestepped the attack and pulled out a small purple ball from the belt on her waist.

"Catch!" Amber yelled as she squeezed the ball and hurled it at the Dartrix. The owl tried to dodge the ball, but it exploded in his face and engulfed him in a cloud of purple smoke. The bird fell out of the sky and crashed onto the ground, eyes shut tight in pain as a strange pale fell over the owl. It didn't take a genius to figure out that the gas from that ball had poisoned the Dartrix.

"Oliver! Penny!" Sun screamed as he got to his feet, running forward to help his Pokémon despite the yell from Lillie.

To Sun's surprise, the Xatu from before flashed into existence in front of him, flaring its wings with a horrifying laugh. Its eyes began glowing blue as Sun was lifted into the air against his will, a strange force taking hold of him.

"That was fun. You definitely put up more of a fight than Erika did, that's for sure. But I don't like being knocked out, even if for only a few moments. Avis…Let's make our little friend here _scream_." Amber said lightly, almost playfully as she held out a hand in front of her.

"DAAARR!"

Amber ducked as Oliver soared back through the clearing, barely avoiding having her head impaled by a Peck attack. However, the attack still managed to collide with Avis the Xatu, who was knocked out of the air in surprise and was hit with a barrage of super-powered Razor Leafs due to Oliver's Overgrow ability kicking into effect. The Mystic Pokémon screeched in pain before Oliver smashed into it with a vicious Tackle, sending it to the ground. The Xatu landed on the ground with an audible crunch and looked up at Oliver with a furious glare.

"Oliver, use Astonish!" Sun called out as he picked himself up off of the ground, having been dropped by the Xatu. The Dartrix widened its eyes and made a horrifying face as shadows surrounded it. The Xatu was so surprised by this that it didn't even move as Oliver flew forward and slammed into it yet again with the Ghost-type attack, knocking it backwards with a cry. Oliver released another flurry of leaves at the Xatu before being flung through the air by a Psychic attack from the furious Xatu.

"I'm surprised you let that bird do so much damage to you, Avis." Amber remarked as she watched Oliver crash through the trees and slam into the ground, shuddering with pain as it looked over at them before passing out.

" _He won't do much more."_ Avis replied as she began flying over to the Dartrix, but Amber stopped her with a wave.

"Nah. I'm having fun. If I actually cared about this, I'd make the kid give me half of his money, since he just lost that fight…" Amber turned her attention fully to Avis. "With that Tapu Koko thing gone, I can actually enjoy myself. I haven't let loose and really gone nuts in a while. Once we're done here I'll have to wash the blood off though and get back to HQ for that status report. Borlath hates it when I track blood inside the buildings." Amber remarked with a shrug, pointing at the small splotches of crimson on her boots.

While the woman was chatting with her Pokémon, a soft growl caught Sun's attention and he turned forward in time to see that the Growlithe that Amber had shot was now on all fours, panting and looking like it was in indescribable pain but looking at Sun with an intense expression that Sun recognized after a moment.

It wanted to fight.

"You're hurt..." Sun said quietly to the dog, amazed at its will to keep fighting. The Growlithe crouched down to the ground, a grunt escaping it as it turned towards Amber. It was obvious what that meant, even to the younger Trainer. Sun wracked his mind for what attacks a Growlithe might know, trying to overcome his amazement that the dog was still conscious after being shot. A voice from behind him almost made the boy jump in surprise.

" _Sun, that Growlithe can use Bite, Roar, and Ember. Use that to your advantage!"_ Rotom whispered from Sun's backpack. _"You can do it buddy! I know you can! Kinda trying to stay hidden, since I'm not very strong in this state. Just let me know if I can help in any way! Zz-zzt!"_

"Use Ember on the ground! Keep your distance and distract her!" Sun commanded the Growlithe. The dog nodded and opened its mouth wide, spewing a flurry of fire at the assassin as she turned back around, eyes widening in surprise as she jumped back.

"I'm done with this and you." Amber said calmly as she walked forward, through the flames and drew a silver knife from her belt, a deadly smile leaping to her face as she advanced towards Sun and the Growlithe. Sun felt guilty for even ordering the wild Pokémon to do this, to try and attack while so badly hurt, but he didn't have a choice. Sun then remembered something and smiled as Amber's Xatu floated above her Trainer.

"Use Roar!" Sun yelled out. The Puppy Pokémon let out a loud, powerful roar of fury as the Avis the Xatu rushed towards them with bright blue glowing eyes. The Pokémon stopped in her tracks, blinking, before it was suddenly whisked away back into her Poké Ball to the dumbfounded surprise of Amber.

" _Seriously_ …Did you just…" Amber muttered, amazed that the child had been so quick-thinking. Regardless, Amber hurled the knife at the Growlithe, making Sun and Lillie yell out in horror as the knife buried itself in the Pokémon's chest exactly where it had been shot before. The Puppy Pokémon fell to the ground again, remaining still. Lillie rushed forward, trying to figure out how to stop the Pokémon from losing even more blood and staining her dress with crimson.

"That little pooch stopped the bleeding from the gunshot from before with its fire. Smart. Man, you Alolans are full of surprises, aren't you? Now I can't use Avis for at least a few minutes. But I don't need her for what comes next, do I?" Amber asked Sun with a wide smile as she walked forward, unclipping a Poké Ball from her waist and calling forth an Electivire, a lumbering beast that glared down at the boy in front of him that took a step back from the Thunderbolt Pokémon.

"Psychic." Amber commanded, lifting a hand as if in benediction. Sun stiffened as he felt a strange force take hold of him again and lift him into the air, sending painful shudders down his body. Lillie watched on in silent horror as her friend floated several feet off of the ground. Amber flung her hand outward and Sun went hurtling backwards into a tree, slamming into it hard enough to make the boy scream out in pain.

"NO!" Lillie screamed as Sun floated away from the tree, only to smash into it again. Sun remained silent this time, teeth grit in pain as his body was drug through the dirt, thrown onto the ground and through the air like a ragdoll, every inch of him in agonizing pain as the Electivire dominated his movements with ease. Lillie felt nothing but horror and helplessness as she watched her friend being attacked in such a manner. Finally Sun was flung into the grass, panting and heaving in pain as the Electivire released its attack before it assaulted him anew, forcing him into the dirt as every inch of him exploded in pain, making him finally scream out before the attack was released.

"No! Leave him alone, please!" Lillie yelled at the woman, tears running down her face as she watched Sun try and get to his feet, his arms and legs bleeding from various cuts and scrapes he had acquired. Lillie felt her heart almost shatter as Sun slowly got to his feet, his expression _defiant_. Ready to stand against the evil woman who had caused so much pain. He didn't look the slightest bit scared, staring down the woman with his grey eyes a hurricane of emotions. Amber swaggered towards Sun, a happy smile on her face like she didn't have a care in the world, even as her Electivire threw Sun to the ground again with ease with Psychic.

"Alrighty. I'll have fun with you instead." Amber changed direction mid-step, walking towards Lillie with an even wider grin. Lillie gulped and tried to get to her feet, but with a hand gesture from its Trainer, the Electivire froze her in her tracks with a Psychic attack.

"You're a pretty little thing, aren't you? Like a princess. You remind me of someone…Can't remember who though. Ain't that funny…Oh well." Amber mused as she drew a slender dagger from her boot and leveled it at Lillie, stepping closer to the girl and knocking her hat aside and grabbing her by the hair. Sun rolled over on the ground and saw what was going on and felt pure fury course through him, white-hot anger that mixed in with the horror of seeing his friend in such danger. He rolled back onto his stomach, putting his hands in front of himself and forcing himself up.

"LEAVE HER ALONE!" Sun yelled as Amber cast a wide smile at the boy, holding the knife in her left hand while the right was clamped down in Lillie's hair. Lillie's expression was one of abject terror, tears rolling down her face as she shook in horror at the woman beside her. Sun got to his feet, trembling in pain but refusing to let Lillie get hurt. The boy took a step forward and stumbled, but a burst of Psychic from the Electivire sent him back into the tree with a scream of agony, his body pinned there by the Electivire before it dropped him to the ground again.

"Sorry kiddo. But like I told your owl…Being brave doesn't make you invincible." Amber said as her smile became Cheshire at the boy's fury and fear, unsure of what to do as he tried to get up.

"Nope! But it does make my job a whole lot easier!"

Amber whirled around just in time to get a fist to the face, courtesy of a familiar man wearing a white lab-coat and sunglasses. Professor Kukui's punch made the assassin stumble back with a yell of pain, only to have her arms suddenly grabbed by the Professor and yanked forward so that the man could throw the woman over his shoulders in an impressive display of strength and agility. Amber crashed onto the ground with a grunt and tried to rise to her feet after a moment, but a kick to the side of the head from Alola's Regional Professor knocked her down again.

"How's it feel to throw down with someone who can actually fight back!?" Kukui said harshly to the woman before turning around to face a furious Electivire, which flung down its arms to release a blast of lightning that was stopped by a Protect from a Magnezone that suddenly appeared next to Kukui alongside a Starmie.

"Psychic and Flash Cannon, full power!" Kukui commanded. The Electivire's body began glowing blue, a roar of pain escaping the beast before a shimmering beam of energy slammed into the Pokémon and knocked it to the ground.

"Ice Beam, Starmie!" Kukui said as he brushed past the Pokémon, even as it reached towards the man. The Thunderbolt Pokémon was then struck by an icy blue beam of energy, freezing it completely solid. Kukui walked over to Amber, snatching her shotgun off of her back and emptying it of ammunition before tossing it aside.

"Lillie, are you alright?" Kukui asked, rushing to the girl's side. Lillie fell to her hands and knees, shaking horribly in sheer terror as she began hyperventilating, throwing herself into Professor Kukui's arms with a sob as he approached her. The Professor embraced the girl, stroking her head and muttering something to her to try and calm her down.

"She'll be okay. Good work Sun." Kukui said to the young Trainer, who was struggling to stand. Kukui let go of Lillie, wiping her eyes.

"I need to check on the Growlithe. Be brave for me, okay?" Kukui asked the little girl, smiling at her. Lillie didn't reply verbally, only nodding in response as she grabbed Kukui's hand as the Professor walked over to Sun, only for a loud swear to answer them.

"I swear to Arceus. The next person who knocks me out is getting smacked." Amber growled, rising to her feet as she pulled out a Poké Ball.

"Let's see how you deal with this! Rhyperior!" Amber called out, releasing a massive Pokémon covered in armor plating that resembled a bipedal rhino of sorts…however something was off about it. The Pokémon had a glazed look to its eyes with a ferocious look on its face, one of pure fury and anger. The air seemed to distort slightly around the Pokémon, adding a feeling of inherent wrongness to the very sight of such a Pokémon.

"That Rhyperior…That's one of your Shadow Pokémon, isn't it? A Pokémon tortured by Cipher to become nothing more than a mindless fighting machine. The door to its heart shut completely…" Kukui muttered, clenching his fists tightly.

"Where's Tapu Koko?" Kukui suddenly asked the two children, not looking at them.

"Still fighting Amber's Pokémon. She's got an Infernape and a Kingdra that knocked it away from the battle." Sun explained as they eyed the Shadow Rhyperior. Kukui wordlessly released his Rockruff and a larger version of Litten that Sun later learned was a Torracat. His Starmie and Magnezone made their way over to them. As this happened, Amber's Electivire exploded free of the ice, leaping over to Amber as electricity surged around it.

"You think you can do it then? Be the big hero of the day and kill the villain? I'm a sucker for clichés, so go for it, big man. Show me what you've got." Amber said to Kukui, a small smile on her face as she slowly began waking forward. To the children's surprise, Kukui did the same, walking towards the woman with an unreadable expression of seriousness on his face.

"No. I've never killed anyone before. Never thought I'd have to either. But I'll be damned if I'll let a monster like you harm another innocent so long as I'm still standing, Miss Fontaine." Kukui said in a chilling tone that none of the three children had heard him speak in before. Amber shook her head in response, chuckling softly.

"Alright then, Professor-" Amber suddenly stopped speaking and lunged at the man with a dagger leaping into her hand. As the woman stabbed at Kukui the man swiftly dodged to the right, grabbing the woman's arm and jerking it upwards while delivering a harsh knee to her stomach in one of the less-armored areas of her body suit. Amber was bowled over as Kukui brought up both arms above her, bringing them together before delivering an axe-handle strike to the woman's back and driving her to the ground. Kukui leapt onto the woman's back, delivering several blows to her skull as she tried to fight the Professor off, and succeeded in slamming an armored forearm into his face before pulling out a Poké Ball and releasing a Breloom.

While the two struggled, their Pokémon had thrown themselves into an all-out brawl. Amber's Breloom, Electivire, and her Shadow Rhyperior all assumed positions next to their Trainer as Kukui took a few steps back, smiling grimly as he Pokémon gathered by his side.

"Starmie, sync up." Kukui said as he cracked his knuckles. Amber walked over to her shotgun, checking it over and sighing before grabbing a few shells from her belt and loading it into the weapon, slinging it over her back again before Amber returned her attention to the battle, a fierce smile on her face before both sides unleashed their attacks.

Lillie had run back over to Sun, helping the boy to his feet. Sun wordlessly pointed at the Growlithe on the ground, who had remained completely still since the knife had been buried inside of him with more blood leaking from the wound. Lillie dug out another Super Potion and Sun quickly applied it to the massive wound, stopping most of the bleeding. However, the blade was still wedged inside of the dog's chest and needed to be removed.

"We need to take him to a Pokémon Center. If he's out here much longer, it doesn't matter how tough he is…" Lillie whispered, grabbing Sun's arm tightly. The boy nodded and was about to reply when a yell caught his attention.

"Sun!" The Kanto-native whirled around in time to see Hau running towards them, with Casey riding on his shoulders and Duke running at his feet. Sun's heart leapt as he spotted Penny and Oliver soaring above him, completely healed.

"Sorry I couldn't help! I was…really scared and didn't know what to do. So I hid just outside of the clearing and texted Kukui and watched and ran around to find and heal Penny and Oliver when they got hurt and…Oh Arceus, she almost killed you both!" Hau stammered in a hurried rush, sounding absolutely horrified and like he was about to start crying.

"Hau. You're fine. It's okay." Sun reassured his friend with a smile as Oliver and Penny flew to their trainer, nuzzling him for a moment before Sun got to his feet, looking over at the battle. Kukui and Amber were still brawling, still in a deadlock of sorts as both the Professor and the assassin traded quick and furious blows with one another. While Kukui didn't have any sort of protection or weapons, he seemed to be able to dodge and hit Amber far more frequently than she could hit him. Amber, on the other hand, could easily do a lot of damage to Kukui if she could hit him, but the woman was moving noticeably slower than she had been before, after all of the attacks she had taken over the course of the battle that night and was tanking the blows with no problems.

"Let's help the Professor. Maybe we can help turn the tide of the fight. Lillie, please keep an eye on the Growlithe, okay?" Sun said to the girl, looking into her green eyes. After a moment the girl nodded, knowing that Sun trusted her to keep the Pokémon safe.

"Stay safe you two." Lillie whispered as Sun limped over to where Kukui's Starmie and Rockruff were being battered back by Amber's Breloom. Magnezone and Torracat were handling Shadow Rhyperior and Electivire more or less, with Kukui's Pokémon being slightly overwhelmed.

"Oliver, Penny! Double Peck attack on Breloom!" Sun commanded as both birds shot forward. Breloom dodged the attacks, but it allowed Starmie and Rockruff a brief reprieve before wordlessly joining their teammates in battling the Electivire and Rhyperior and leaving the Breloom to Sun as he commanded the birds to use Peck again to keep the Breloom from attacking the retreating Pokémon.

"Casey, use Disarming Voice! Duke, Electro Ball!" Hau called out, stepping up next to Sun. All four attacks rushed towards the Grass/Fighting Pokémon, who nimbly dodged every single one of the attacks and retaliated with a Seed Bomb that sent Duke and Casey flying backwards with pained expressions on their faces. As it did this, however, Penny and Oliver soared around and delivered two Peck attacks to the Pokémon, making it howl in pain. The Breloom glared at the two birds and kicked off of the ground, spinning around and delivering an Iron Tail to Oliver that he couldn't avoid, knocking the bird into the trees.

"Oliver!" Sun shouted as the Breloom landed on the ground, only for a Water Gun to blast the Pokémon, followed by a ball of electricity slamming into it and electrocuting it right proper.

"No worries buddy. I've got your back!" Hau said as Sun looked over at his friend, giving him a thumbs up and a worried little smile. Sun smiled back at his friend with a nod before noticing the Breloom was giving them a furious look.

"Bree…LOOM!" the Pokémon snarled, opening its mouth wide as energy began forming within.

"Looks like Solar Beam. Let's get it hard so that it can't finish the move!" Hau said to Sun before saying, "Disarming Voice and Quick Attack!"

"Penny, use Peck!" Sun commanded his other bird. Duke rushed forward and slammed into the middle of the Mushroom Pokémon, making it wince in pain before a pink beam hit it and made the Breloom's eyes widen. Penny soared forward and delivered a Peck to the back of Amber's Pokémon as Oliver soared back to the fight, releasing a Razor Leaf at the assassin's Grass/Fighting Pokémon. To Sun's horror, the attack continued to form in the mouth of the Breloom and even worse, the Pokémon was now moving, using a Seed Bomb to batter back Hau's Pokémon and hitting Oliver with a Mach Punch. The Breloom then looked dead at Sun with a triumphant gleam in its eyes.

Sun realized the Pokémon was preparing to unleash its attack at him.

"Piki pi!"

Penny smashed into the Breloom just as it opened its mouth to unleash its Solar Beam, shutting the mouth of the Pokémon and causing the attack to detonate within it's mouth. The Pokémon stumbled backwards with a moan of pain as smoke poured out of its mouth, only for a second Peck attack to slam into its chest from the enraged Pikipek. The Breloom fell to the ground with a pained cry before finally passing out.

"You did it…Penny you knocked it out! You saved me!" Sun said breathlessly as he ran over and hugged his Pikipek as she flew towards him. Penny chirped happily as she returned the hug before a bright glow suddenly enveloped the small bird.

Sun gasped and set the Pikipek on the ground, too stunned to do anything else but watch as his second Pokémon began evolving, slowly growing in size as swirling light filled the clearing. After several seconds the newly evolved bird's flared its wings, its new voice filling the clearing.

"Trumbeeeeeak!" Penny called out, flapping her wings and soaring into Sun's arms as the boy regarded his new Pokémon with a grin. She was much larger, with differently arrayed feathers and a longer beak that was bright orange, ending in red and black.

"Dar dar!" Oliver happily hooted as he rose from the ground.

"Alright. One down one to-" Sun began to say before a Torracat smashed into him, having been thrown through the air. Sun was thankfully caught by Hau and Penny before he fell to the ground, so Sun set down the larger cat and looked over at the battle taking place beside them.

"Shadow Smash!" Amber yelled to the Shadow Rhyperior, her psychotic smile unwavering as she dodged a punch from Professor Kukui and headbutted the man away from her. Sun felt a strange shiver roll through the air as the Drill Pokémon's body shuddered violently, the beast throwing its arms apart as it roared, a mighty cry that echoed throughout the cliffs. Sun then noticed a twisted aura of sorts enveloping the Shadow Pokémon as it began taking several steps towards Professor Kukui, slowly walking towards the man but it quickly began building up speed. Within moments the beast was charging towards the Professor as an invisible maelstrom of energy swirled around the Pokémon.

Kukui delivered a harsh backhanded blow to Amber's chest, taking care to hit her where the body armor was the least reinforced and kicking her directly in the face, making her yelp with pain. Amber staggered back for a moment before lashing out with a swift kick, making Kukui backpedal a few steps with a pained look as it connected with his chest. He then caught sight of the Rhyperior charging towards him with a gasp. To his surprise, however, his Starmie jumped in front of the beast and hit it with a Psychic attack, enveloping the Pokémon in a blue aura-

That shattered within moments, only serving to slow down the now irate Shadow Pokémon. Starmie tried to get out of the way, but Rhyperior let out a scream of fury and collided with the starfish Pokémon, creating a shock-wave of force that nearly knocked the children off their feet. Starmie let out a strange strangled noise as the massive gem in its center shattered into a thousand pieces, leaving little of the gem core behind as Starmie went hurtling towards a nearby tree, smashing into it hard enough to send it toppling down on top of the Pokémon.

"STARMIE!" Kukui shouted out as the Pokémon shuddered slightly, blackish fluid gently flowing from within what remained of the gem in its center. The Pokémon remained completely still as Kukui shook with a mixture of horror and anger. The Professor turned around with a furious look on his face just in time for Amber to plunge a familiar silver dagger into the man's chest with a victorious yell, kicking the man viciously in the chest as he staggered back with a gasp.

"Professor Kukui!" Lillie screamed as the man hit the ground, clutching the knife in his chest with a pained look on his face. Sun and Hau made a move to help but the Rhyperior moved to block them, growling mindlessly.

"Bastard. I'm going to be feeling that all week." Amber growled as she picked her fallen shotgun off of the ground and began walking towards the man, cocking the weapon with a sadistic scowl on her face. The assassin stomped down on the blade in his chest, making him yell out in pain as she aimed down into his face. She expected fear to appear in his eyes or for some other moron to show up and interrupt her kill, with the luck that she had been having that evening.

What she wasn't expecting was Kukui suddenly reaching up and grabbing the shotgun, pulling Amber to the ground on top of him.

The woman snarled in surprise as Kukui slammed his forearm into the woman and began punching her, jarring blows that rattled her head as she tried to fight off the bigger man. Amber drew back her hand as they rolled on the ground, finally finding the leverage to deliver a harsh blow to the man's face and break away from him. Kukui stumbled to his feet with a pained groan as more crimson fluid seeped down his chest, barely held back by the very blade lodged there. Amber staggered upright, panting from the combined attacks that she had endured. She caught her breath after a moment, scooping up her shotgun and taking a second to aim at the Professor-

"KO!"

The woman was snapped out of her thoughts as a flaming body suddenly crashed down in front of them with a strange yellow and orange Pokémon standing atop it. Tapu Koko looked down at her from atop the slain and very dead form of the Infernape she had sent after it, glaring down at her with hate in its eyes as it dropped an unconscious Kingdra to the ground. The Island Guardian had one eye shut and was panting heavily with massive burn marks all over its body, but it was in infinitely better shape than Amber's Pokémon.

"Rhyperior, use Rock Slide! Electivire use Fire Punch!" Amber yelled as she returned her Breloom and took a step back, wincing in pain as she flexed her arms and body. The stone beast roared as it hurled a barrage of boulders at the Tapu, who weakly raised its shield and blocked the boulders with its shield-state, only for a Psychic attack to wrench apart its arms as an Electivire rushed forward, decking the legendary protector with a flaming punch. The Electivire growled as Tapu Koko flew backwards with a yell, floating a foot off of the ground and looking exhausted but eager to keep fighting. As the Thunderbolt Pokémon approached the Tapu, a barrage of water and leaves slammed into its side, drawing its attention to Sun and Hau for a moment, ready to assist the Tapu.

"Don't take your eyes off of it!" Amber yelled to the Electivire, who turned back to the Tapu in time for the Island Guardian to launch a point-blank Brave Bird that slammed into Amber's Electivire and knocked it out, sending it collapsing onto the ground. Tapu Koko landed on the ground with a pained gasp, clutching its chest as the recoil damage surged through it.

"Rhyperior, use Shadow Break!" Amber commanded as the Shadow Pokémon returned to her side, raising a hand to return her Kingdra while dropping the Poké Ball for her slain Infernape and smashing it with her boot.

"Rhhyyy!" the beast replied, throwing down both arms with a roar as Sun, Hau, and Kukui ordered out attacks.

"Brick Break and Razor Leaf!"

"Quick Attack and Water Gun!"

"Flash Cannon, Ember and Stone Edge!"

A torrent of attacks rushed out from the group of Pokémon, all rushing towards the Shadow Rhyperior. The beast lumbered forward, black static crackling around the Pokémon as the invisible aura around it intensified. The attacks connected, creating an explosion of force that made the beast snarl in pain from within the smoke. Penny and Duke rushed into the smoke, making the Shadow Pokémon within roar again. Two cries of pain then echoed out and Duke and Penny flew from the smoke and crashed onto the ground, the Pikachu and the Trumbeak knocked out.

"That thing's tough." Kukui grunted, panting with pain now as the Shadow Pokémon, covered in dings and scrapes, walked out of the smoke with another roar of fury. The beast flung its arms down and prepared another attack when a pink circle appeared at its feet, releasing a blast of energy that made the massive Pokémon snarl in pain and fall to one knee. Amber looked over at Tapu Koko, who had both hands pressed against the ground within a similar pink circle of energy.

"Rock Slide!" Amber yelled as Rhyperior got to its feet with a roar, swinging an arm and releasing a cascade of boulders from out of nowhere. Oliver, Torracat and Rockruff tried to dodge the incoming deluge, but were quickly battered by the attack and were knocked out. Casey managed to dodge the barrage of rocks and fired off a Water Gun at Hau's command, but Rhyperior knocked it out with a Stone Edge after the water hit its side.

"I'll deal with this…" Kukui groaned, holding out his Z-Ring and taking a shallow breath as the artifact began to glow, lighting up the entire clearing. His Magnezone was soon engulfed in a harsh orange aura as the Professor began to strike a series of poses, serving to increase the amount of blood dripping down his front. "Magnezone, channel Flash Cannon...and use Corkscrew Crash!"

The Pokémon let out a loud screech in reply, glowing an ethereal silver color as it spun around like a top, too quick to follow and quickly becoming a tornado of power, kicking up a wild wind as the Rhyperior before them snarled.

"Shadow Smash! One more time!" Amber commanded as the Ryperior began charging up the attack. As it stepped forward to deliver it, the Magnezone rushed towards the Rhyperior as a tornado of force, channeled by the bond that Kukui shared with his Pokémon. Both Pokémon collided, the force of the Z-Move and the Shadow Move connecting and creating a shudder within the air as both attacks fought for dominance. Finally, after several seconds, Rhyperior was knocked back a step.

Which was all Magnezone needed to push through and slam into the other Pokémon, sending it to the ground with an almighty crash where it finally remained still, much to the shock of Amber. Tapu Koko took that moment to rise again, looking over at Kukui and nodding to the man before turning to Amber, a crackle of electricity sparking around it.

"You actually beat it…Not good. Avis!" Amber called out as she took a step back and released her Xatu from its Poké Ball. This was all Tapu Koko needed to lunge forward, intending on taking the woman out for good, but both her and the Xato teleported away just at it reached them.

"Ko…Ko ko ko!" Tapu Koko called out, an aura of raging electricity surrounding it as it leapt into the skies, determined to find the murderous woman and bring her down. The Pokémon soared higher up, closing its eyes and trying to determine where his target could be…

There.

The Island Deity flew quick and steady, despite the injuries it had sustained as a result of its battle. It was surprised that the humans had lasted so long against a superior foe, but it knew those humans were special. Perhaps that was why.

He knew the two children he had protected, as well as the one that had been hiding the whole time, were special. It sensed that much. _How_ they were special was unclear…Maybe they would change the entire world. It wasn't unheard of. Even here on his Island, the Guardian Deity of Melemele Island had heard tales of children who had protected the weak and saved the world from ruin. He had taken a liking to these children, and thought they had potential. The Pokémon swore to itself that it would try to keep them safe if possible.

Eventually it landed on the ground, staring at the woman limping through the forest, her Xatu floating nearby. Both of them turned to face the legendary protector, but neither of them were able to dodge or block the blast of lightning that was unleashed in their direction. Amber and Avis screamed in agony and the Xatu dropped to the ground while Amber remained standing, glaring at the Pokémon before her.

She was strong. Powerful in many ways. It was a shame that such an impressive human dedicated her life to committing evil acts. It could sense the blood on her hands, the deaths that weighed down the very earth that she walked on. Dozens, no, hundreds of lives extinguished by her hands.

"Ko…Ko ko." Tapu Koko intoned, shifting in a fighting stance. Amber sighed, shaking her head before she turned around and began sprinting through the trees. Tapu Koko easily caught up with the woman as she reached the each of the cliff, panting heavily and holding her arm in a pained way.

"Heh. End of the line." Amber said quietly, turning around to face the Guardian Deity of Melemele Island. Tapu Koko growled, letting its anger show for a moment, before vanishing and reappearing in front of the woman in a burst of sheer speed. Amber whipped out her shotgun and blasted the Tapu in the chest with the weapon, but the Pokémon ignored it and grabbed the woman by the throat, sending a deadly surge of electricity surging through her body that made the woman scream in agony, as her body twitched uncontrollably.

She almost didn't deserve to die at its hands. Maybe she'd be better off with the humans. They had their own ways of dealing with monsters like this…But then again, this was Tapu Koko's Island. And it didn't like this human one little bit.

"Gonna kill me…is that right?" Tapu Koko's eyes widened in surprise as Amber opened a single eye, a distorted but amused smile on her face.

"Do it. End it. I've had a good run, and my life ain't all that great in all honesty. Put me out of my misery." Amber sighed as she closed her eyes, resigning herself to her fate. Tapu Koko obliged, floating over the edge of the cliff before unceremoniously dropping the assassin towards the water below. Tapu Koko watched the woman plunge to her demise with some amusement. Even with her armor, in her condition such a fall would kill her easily.

" _NO! Amber!"_

Tapu Koko looked behind it in time for a Shadow Ball to slam into its back, knocking it out of the air for a brief moment in surprise. As the Tapu regained its position, it looked downwards and saw the Xatu from before teleporting in short bursts down to the falling woman as she plunged into the water and following her Trainer into the watery depths below. Tapu Koko soared after them and dove into the water to follow, but to its horror it found nothing around him but water.

"KO!" Tapu Koko snarled in fury as it exploded out of the water, unbelieving that the woman had escaped her fate. The Pokémon whirled around and winced in pain, a hand going to its chest, where purple fluid was dripping from where the woman had shot it. The Tapu shook its head for a moment before allowing energy to engulf its entire body. The Tapu leapt into the air at a slower pace, feeling its wounds finally catching up with it.

It wouldn't let this monster escape.

* * *

"Is it finally over?" Hau asked weakly, sagging with relief as he looked around. The boy looked over at the Professor, who was limping over to his Starmie.

"Everyone…Gather around." Kukui grunted, returning all of his Pokémon save for the Pokémon that hadn't moved since being hit by the Shadow Rhyperior's brutal attack.

"What about the Growlithe?" Sun asked, bending down to check on the dog. It was totally still, save for some very shallow breathing.

"It's too injured to be moved. It may cause complications, but I'd say capture it for now so it can be easily transported to the Pokémon Center." Kukui advised as he knelt down next to his Pokémon, examining it for a moment before sighing.

"Starmie is alive, but fading fast. This is bad…Starmie, can you manage one Teleport?" Kukui asked the Pokémon, only for the two of them to vanish on the spot right then and there.

"Oh no…" Lillie gasped, looking around for the Professor. He was completely gone, and likely didn't have a way to come back to retrieve them either. Meaning they were all on their own.

"I don't know if Starmie was there enough to understand that request…You know what? Doesn't matter. We'll have to run to Iki Town now. Hala might be able to help." Sun panted as he dug out a Poké Ball and knelt down, placing it against the Growlithe's head. The Pokémon was sucked into the ball which dinged immediately, signaling a successful capture. Sun stood upright with a pained wince, recalling both Oliver and Penny while Hau recalled his Pokémon. Lillie checked on Nebby, who had been thankfully quiet and behaved during the terrifying encounter.

Hau began trying to call Hala to get his help, but as they made their way out of the clearing Hau just got his voicemail time and time again.

"He's probably in a meeting. He always does those before dinner!" Hau moaned, jogging ahead of them easily before looking back, catching Sun limping behind them while Lillie watched her friend with concern. Lillie then ducked under Sun's left arm and began helping move him forward. Hau joined her after a moment and the trio were off, both of them supporting their injured friend.

They wordlessly trudged down the dark path in front of them, exhausted physically and emotionally from the events of today and knowing that a life depended on them getting help right away. They wondered if Tapu Koko was okay. If Professor Kukui and his Pokémon were okay.

Sun looked down at his belt, where the Poké Ball containing the Growlithe was hanging, and made a small prayer to Arceus that they wouldn't be too late.

"There you are. Are you three alright?" a new voice suddenly spoke up behind them. The trio of children nearly stumbled in surprise and quickly turned around to see a strange man standing behind them. A nervous-looking Absol was sitting beside him and an Abra was sitting on his shoulder. The man himself wore black slacks and a strange looking dress shirt underneath a long white lab-coat, regarding the children in front of him with warm amusement. He had blonde hair with a strange blue cowlick that wrapped around the side of his head. His yellow eyes regarded them behind a pair of glasses, before he turned suddenly around, his coat flapping behind him.

"Abra, Dusk. Use Protect." The man instructed both Pokémon calmly. A bright green force field surrounded the six of them before a series of black orbs of darkness exploded against the shield, making Lillie scream in fear and sending cracks down the barrier's side, but the shield held strong.

"Just made it. I'll have to be more accurate next time." The man sighed, a small chuckle escaping him as he looked ahead of them, where Amber and her Xatu were floating off of the ground. Amber looked as if she was barely conscious while her Xatu wasn't much better off.

"Doctor Colress!" Lillie gasped with relief, taking a step towards the man as he offered a glance back at the children, a light smile playing at his lips.

"Hello again, Lillie. Professor Kukui contacted me as soon as he was able to and I hastened to get here as soon as possible. It's difficult to Teleport within the Verdant Cavern with the…Well, I suppose it doesn't matter. I can explain how and why I was unable to join you all later. I have an assassin to deal with." Colress remarked with a shrug before looking forward and addressing Avis and Amber.

"I don't care much for having blood on my hands, but you both have harmed several close associates of mine and killed my Beheeyem. I wouldn't recommend trying your chances against me in your current state, because I can assure you that your murderous path will meet a _very_ swift end." Colress said simply as the Protect shield faded. The man reached forward, placing a hand on the head of the Absol.

"I know this is your first battle of this nature, but please, try your best. We've trained extensively and I believe that you can do this. Alright Dusk?" Colress said to the Disaster Pokémon beside him, a fierce glint coming to his eyes. To Sun's amazement, the Pokémon actually spoke back.

" _Y-yes sir. I…I'll try."_ Dusk replied softly, taking a shaky breath.

"Excellent. Use Dark Pulse!" Colress commanded sharply, his smile unwavering as the Absol in front of him crouched low, opening her mouth and forming an orb of darkness within, releasing a massive crisscrossing beam of energy that the Xatu ahead of them barely managed to dodge with a Teleport. The duo appeared a few feet closer, with the Xatu's eyes narrowed at the man in the lab-coat.

"Colress…" Amber hissed, staggering off of her bird and ripping her shotgun free from her armor, aiming it at the man in question before tossing it to the ground in disgust, stumbling forward with a gasp as her Xatu caught the assassin and balanced her with a wing.

"You really shouldn't anger the Island Guardian. Electrocution is quite painful from what I've heard. I would also imagine that even for your high-grade weapons, the electricity that a Pokémon like Tapu Koko could generate would be enough to ruin your weapons with just a few zaps." Colress remarked lightly, a small chuckle escaping the scientist.

Amber smiled painfully, shaking her head as she leaned heavily against her Xatu. "I think this is the end of my rope here then. As much as I want to slaughter you all, I know when it's best to retreat. Heh...Maybe I should come back. I haven't had fun like this in ages!"

"You people…" Colress sighed, taking a moment to pat the head of the Pokémon beside him as his smile became something a little more complicated with a small quirk of the mouth. "All of you. Cipher. Team Rocket. Even my old companions, Neo Team Plasma. Each of you believe that you are above your own actions. That you can escape from your wrongdoing just because you have power…" Colress said quietly yet firmly, removing one of his white gloves and putting it into a pocket. After a moment, he reached into another pocket and pulled out a Z-Ring of his own with a strange gleaming red band embedded within the artifact, a gemstone of sorts set within the ring that Sun didn't recognize as a Z-Crystal. Colress attached the Z-Ring to his right wrist, the strange gemstone shining in the moonlight.

"However… _I disagree_!" Colress finished as his smile widened, stepping forward and holding out an arm to block the three children from the murderous glare of the assassin in front of them. The band attached to the Z-Ring on Doctor Colress' wrist began to shine brightly, a beacon of light cutting through the darkness of the night that had descended upon them.

"Dusk, my friend...Let's prove my hypothesis correct and kill an assassin, shall we? Mega Evolve!"


	27. Receding Shadows

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _So…There was a Nintendo Direct this week._

 _First off. Hell to the yes for Gold and Silver being re-released on virtual console. Gonna do me a regular run and then a Nuzlocke run on both games. So much hype. They were my favorite Pokémon games for a very long time, and I have a lot of fond memories with them, so I'll happily buy them when the time comes._

 _And then…there's Pokémon Ultra Sun and Pokémon Ultra Moon._

 _Now, as per usual, the Internet lost their crap over the games. People wanted one thing and Nintendo did another thing. It happens, and people will get over it._

 _My opinion? Well, I'll admit to being disappointed but not really mad or anything. I would've loved a Sinnoh remake, just because I haven't played in that region in ages and OR/AS was a grand time, so I'd love to see what they could do with it._

 _Pokémon Stars/Eclipse would have been amazing on the Nintendo Switch, but I can see why they're holding off on that. Maybe once the Switch has some time on it and the Mario and Zelda furor calms down from this year they'll do it. That's what I'd do. It's a brand new console and they've got all the time in the world to get Pokémon on it._

 _Instead, what they did was pull a Black 2/White 2. Two sequels to very popular games by combining the third member of a legendary trio with the mascots of Sun and Moon. Add a bunch of new Pokémon and places and a fresh plot and bam, new game. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, because when B/W pulled the sequel game the sequels ended up better than the original games in my opinion._

 _Sun and Moon are fantastic and a sequel just gives us more time to spend in the wonderful land of Alola. But I'll admit to being disappointed because I just wanted other stuff more than a sequel so soon after Sun and Moon. I've got a lot of friends who still haven't beaten the game (for whatever reason) and now there's a sequel coming out. So…We'll see. I mean, it'll be awesome. It'll hopefully expand the story and maybe we'll get to see Lillie return from her journey as well as see where some of the others are after a time skip, maybe._

 _And as for incorporating US and UM into the story in any capacity? I have no idea right now, because we know so little about what's even happening with it. I'll get back to you once I'm posting regularly on the story again and we have more info._

 _However, I planned for this and I'm not worried about treading on ideas Nintendo might have in mind for the sequel._

 _See…I've been kinda screwed over twice now by publishers being on the same wavelength as me when it comes to the plots of their games. This has ruined two stories of mine, actually. Nintendo did it with Super Mystery Dungeon and Activision did it with releasing the COD Zombies Comics, but the point is that I was done with fighting with creators over ideas that they decide to do later._

 _So I decided, to ensure that this didn't happen, to create a plot-line that compliments the Sun and Moon plot-line and is so intricate that it couldn't possibly be done in a million years by anyone._ _Hence Cipher's involvement in the plot at all and the other small plot-threads that will occur later that make this story unique in its own right. Of course, there's a whole load of other reasons why things are happening that I'll go into later, but that was a big one of it. I anticipated getting messed up again with the next Pokémon game, so I took measures to prevent this from happening._

 _Don't believe me?_ _Pokémon Radiant Sun...Pokémon Ultra Sun._

 _Anyways, that's my thoughts on it. I'll likely find out more once I get out of Basic, which I leave for in less than 8 days. Next chapter will be up next Monday morning, right before I leave. It should leave this story on a good note for a two month break before I can hop back into the thick of things._

 _On a fun note. This is my longest chapter to date for this story. It really should've been two chapters, but screw that. I'm leaving soon and I'll give out nice big chapters if I feel like doing it!_

 _Shoutout to those who reviewed since last update, which includes Anasazi Darkmoon, skyguys, Raikou927, Sai Og Sus, Ways, Cottonmouth25, Madame Rodoshe, Gokan123, BraviaryScout, a Guest reviewer, BouncingFish, NullSilver2005, as well as a new reviewer known as Martial Arts Master. Thank you all so much for the support and feedback._

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 _Chapter 27: Receding Shadows_

* * *

Sun felt the air shiver with energy, this time from the strange dark pink ribbons of light blasting out from the Absol in front of Colress, with energy also radiating from the ring the man wore on his wrist. As for the Absol in front of him, the Pokémon was now consumed in a pink ball of light that suddenly exploded forth, revealing a Pokémon much different than the one that had been there previously. The Pokémon's fur had grown outward, giving it a wild yet regal appearance that was highlighted by the wing-like fur that had grown from its mane while its horn had become more twisted and intimidating.

"Excellent work, Dusk. For your first time Mega Evolving, that went well. Now, use Night Slash!" Colress ordered, his smile widening as the Mega Absol nodded, leaping into the air as it's horn glowed jet black. The Pokémon swung its horn downwards, releasing an massive surging arc of darkness that soared towards the Xatu across from them that barely managed to throw up a Protect to block it.

"There sure is a lot of Pokémon that know how to use Protect." Hau remarked as he crossed his arms.

"That's because so many Pokémon can learn it. It's quite helpful, and you'd be amazed at what you can achieve with a simple strategy using Protect or Detect. It's common for most high-level Trainers to have at least one Pokémon on their team that knows the move just in case of an emergency." Colress answered Hau, glancing back at the child for a moment before turning forward.

"Smash that shield. Use Slash!" Colress ordered, throwing out an arm as Dusk bounded forward, gritting her teeth as she lunged through the air and slashed downwards with her glowing white claws, ripping through the Protect shield and slashing Avis the Xatu deeply, spattering the ground with crimson as the powerful claws of Dusk tore through the bird. Amber fell off of her Xatu with a yell, glaring at the Mega Absol that flinched at the harsh glare of the assassin as the Xatu recovered in midair and let out a screech, followed by a massive Hyper Beam.

"Dodge with a jump and use Ice Beam!" Colress yelled out. The Mega Absol kicked off of the ground elegantly, propelled by the strength of her Mega Evolved state and opened her mouth, charging up an icy blue beam of energy as the first Hyper Beam exploded close to them, though the group was shielded by another Protect. On the ground Avis landed, eyeing the Absol with a furious look before opening her beak and charging up another black ball of energy that flickered for a moment before gaining strength. Both Pokémon fired their beams that collided midair, creating an explosion of force within the sky that resulted in an immediate stalemate between the Ice Beam and Hyper Beam.

" _Ugh! That Absol would be dead if I wasn't so exhausted. This is hardly a fair fight!"_ Avis complained, panting now as she tried to recover her energy even as more red dripped onto the ground. Dusk landed on the ground lightly, ready for her next order.

"All's fair in love and war, and you're an idiot if you don't we're at war…Weren't those your exact words, Avis, back in Unova when we last encountered one another?" Colress asked politely, his smile never wavering even as the Xatu chirped furiously. Amber however was smiling widely at the remark, as if thrilled.

"Evenly matched…Not looking good…Talk about Alola being a fantastic vacation spot! I'm having a blast on this little adventure." Amber declared with a laugh, bending over and coughing, though she wore a wide smile even as she braced herself against her Xatu.

"Vacation? Is that what this is to you?" Colress repeated, completely surprised by the statement.

"Why else would I be on this backwater Island? I mean I'm on a recon mission, but it's basically a vacation for me. I figured it'd just be a boring couple of weeks of murder and then back to the status quo, you know? But I just got to fight a legendary, one of my Pokémon actually got _killed_ , and I don't even know if I'll survive the teleport back to base! I haven't felt this excited since before we destroyed Nimbasa, and even then I only got to watch that happen!" Amber breathed out excitedly, even as Lillie shivered in fear of the woman who spoke of absolute madness. Not a battered eye for her dead Infernape. Uncaring that she could die as a result of her injuries. But she was excited at the thought of possibly dying because it was something different?

"So…Is that why you were so careless back there? I was wondering how on earth three children managed to survive your grasp. Even if Kukui got involved. Are there any more of you on this Island, Amber? Or are you just acting alone?" Colress asked, reigning in his astonishment and receiving a nod from the Cipher Admin, who smirked a moment later.

"Oh, I'm the only one from Cipher here. They have no interest in Alola. Why would they? I just came here to kill, since I'm failing at the whole trying to not be a murderous psycho thing." Amber laughed weakly, clutching her chest painfully.

"It's never too late to do the right thing, you know. As terrible as you are, there are things you can do to help make things right. Look at how far I've come." Colress replied, crossing his arms after a moment. Amber shot him an almost pitying look before she shook her head, dropping her arm.

"I know. Trust me, doctor, I know. I'm so broken at this point that anything that piques my interest if worth investing effort into. Killing is killing at this point, etched into my soul. I enjoy it. Even if some part of me does want to go back, I think I passed the point of no return years ago." Amber admitted with a twisted smile, wincing as she clutched her chest. "Now I see why Borlath has so much fun with his acting. Being over the top…it was kinda fun. Instead of doing things the usual way, I got to be dramatic just like he does. Might have to try it again next time, except without the whole 'everyone lives' thing."

"Except there won't be a next time. Dusk, use Dark Pulse!" Colress commanded the Mega Absol, who opened her mouth and unleashed a pulsating blast of raw darkness at the assassin and her Xatu. Avis threw up a Protect, but it was so weak that it shattered completely after a few moments and the bird squawked as the attack hit them and created a massive explosion.

"Is it over?" Hau asked quietly, shivering a little despite the heat of the night.

"Once more, through the smoke! Dark Pulse!" Colress said in reply, making his Absol fire another attack off into the smoke ahead of them. "No. Amber is notoriously wily and quite tough. If this attack doesn't kill her, I imagine she's fled the island for good now. Cipher has no reason to be here, based on our current projections, and Amber is many things but she's not usually a liar. She prefers to tell horrifying truths instead…"

The Dark Pulse cleared away the smoke, revealing absolutely nothing standing where the assassin and her Xatu had been just moments before.

"Might be best to cut out losses and regroup. We have no way of tracking her down. I believe for now she isn't a problem, but if she returns however…Well, maybe we can stop her for good next time." Colress remarked before a loud screech caught their attention. Tapu Koko soared back over to where they were, covered in purple liquid that looked a lot like blood and with a furious expression on its face.

"She's gone, Tapu Koko. I managed to drive her away for good. She may return, but I doubt it will be anytime soon. Thank you for your assistance." Colress said to the legendary protector. Tapu Koko bristled at that, it's fury manifesting in crackling lighting and a humming in the air that seemed to be pick up out of nowhere that-

Vanished in an instant. Tapu Koko was suddenly calm, as if nothing had ever happened. The Pokémon nodded to each of them before soaring into the air without a sound.

"I hear that even though Tapu Koko's temper is quite bad…It'll often forget about what made it angry and calm just as quickly." Lillie said after a few moments. All of a sudden a bright light erupted from behind them, making Lillie scream out in surprise, but it turned out to be just Dusk the Absol reverting back to her previous non-Mega Evolved state. Her eyes were wide and she began shivering, giving Colress a fearful look.

" _I…I can't maintain it. I'm so sorry, Master, I just c-can't…"_ the Absol hunched low, her voice getting even less comprehensible as she stuttered out more apologies with a terrified whisper. Colress smiled and knelt down to the Absol, reaching forward and making the Pokémon flinch, before gently setting a hand on the Pokémon's head.

"I suppose I may have been asking you a bit too much to attempt Mega Evolution so soon after joining my team. I apologize for that, Dusk. I will try not to rush into something you're not completely comfortable with." Colress said comfortingly to the Absol, making the Pokémon look away silently. Colress patted the Pokémon on the head before turning to the three children.

"Are you three alright?" Doctor Colress asked the three children as he returned his Absol. Sun wondered what the story with that Pokémon was. The Absol sounded so… _terrified_. Colress's question snapped him out of his thoughts.

"This Growlithe is dying." Sun replied right away as he held up the Poké Ball containing the brave canine Pokémon, and Colress nodded in response.

"Best to get to the hospital then. Hau'oli Medical Center doubles as the main Pokémon Hospital in Alola. If there's anywhere that Pokémon is in good hands, it's with them. Now, please grab my hand and prepare for teleportation." Colress instructed the three children, extending a hand to them. Lillie grabbed the man's hand with Hau joining in. Sun hesitated, but did the same and with that the group vanished into the night.

* * *

When a strangely-dressed man and three children, two of which were covered in blood, teleported into a crowded hospital lobby, you would imagine it'd gain a lot of attention…

And you would be correct with that assumption.

Colress quickly got Sun, Hau, and Lillie situated in their own room and began filling in a nurse as to what had happened. Sun was the worst off of the group, so he was checked over first, though he thrust the Growlithe's Poké Ball at the nurse.

"This Growlithe is dying! Help it!" Sun demanded the woman, who accepted the Poké Ball and examined it for a moment.

"Of course. What happened to it?" the Nurse asked quickly as leaned over and back typing at a small data pad attached to the wall.

"It was shot in the chest and had a knife thrown into that same spot it got shot at. It lost a lot of blood and…please, just help it. It was trying to protect a Pokémon from a killer in the woods." Sun explained to the woman, who seemed shocked at the description.

"A killer? Has Officer Jenny and Kahuna Hala been informed about this?" the nurse asked.

"Yes, they are both aware of Amber's presence on the island. I can explain more later but that Growlithe is clinging to life at best." Colress pointed out to the woman, who nodded and hurried out of the room after another few taps of the data pad. Sun sighed with relief, slumping over and feeling some exhaustion set in. Lillie pat Sun on the back, making the boy wince in pain.

"You three are fine, though? No serious injuries?" Colress asked the three children.

"Our Pokémon are all knocked out and Sun got hit by Psychic pretty badly but other than that I think we're okay." Hau said shakily, exhaling after a moment.

"Doctor Colress…Where's Professor Kukui?" Lillie asked quietly.

"Professor Kukui is currently being prepped for emergency surgery. He lot a great deal of blood and despite him being in exceptional shape, being stabbed in the chest will not do any favors to his health. He managed to contact me as soon as his Starmie teleported to the hospital and I managed to find you all just in time. I haven't talked to him since then, because was taken into the Emergency Room shortly afterwards." Colress replied as he sat down in a nearby chair, adjusting his glasses and smiling a little.

"However, I wouldn't worry. Kukui is a very strong man and wouldn't let something as trivial as being stabbed stop him from continuing on with his research. Now, since it may be a while before the nurse returns to properly do a check up on you three, could we go over what exactly happened?" Colress asked the trio of children.

"Before we do that…Who are you?" Sun asked the man, making Colress chuckle lightly at the question.

"I suppose that's a good place to start. My name is Colress. I am a scientist and inventor who has traveled this world in search of answers to questions that I have been pondering for my entire life. My travels have allowed me to befriend many fantastic people and go to many wonderful places, with Alola being one of them. I'm here to assist Professor Kukui and Professor Burnet in regards to the studies of the Ultra Space, as well as assist Professor Sycamore in an undisclosed secret project that may help tip the scales in Unova and Kanto to our favor. I came to this land to hopefully be able to end the villainous plans of some individuals and bring peace to those regions once more." Colress explained to Sun, making the boy's eyes widen in surprise.

"Unova and Kanto…You mean the fight against Neo Team Plasma and Cipher?" Sun asked.

"Correct. You're likely unaware of this, but I once led Neo Team Plasma in their second foray into world domination. We were stopped by the actions of many brave people and through their actions I saw the error of my methods. One brave boy became the catalyst for me to turn my life around in a completely new direction." Colress replied, his smile turning into a frown as Hau and Sun looked at the man in shock, having casually admitted to being a criminal mastermind. "I have hurt many people in my quest for knowledge…I continuously pushed aside my morals for curiosity, to prove a thesis that wasn't worth the collateral damage by any means…Now I walk my own path, seeking an answer to a question that, if I am correct, will benefit both human and Pokémon alike forever. But I will do so through the right methods and on my own terms. And maybe right some of the wrongs I committed in the name of science."

"…What's the Ultra Space?" Sun asked Colress, frowning as the term didn't ring any bells for him. He realized a moment later that Lillie had mentioned the term yesterday, when saying that Kukui needed to meet a "Doc" somewhere on the island because of something to do with the Ultra Space. Sun quickly remembered Lillie calling the man in front of them "Doctor Colress" and realized that this man and "Doc" were the one and the same person. Sun was snapped out of thoughts by the man speaking.

"Good question. But sadly I'm going to have to stop there, because the nurse has returned." Colress replied, pointing a gloved hand to the woman standing at the door with a Gardevoir. A glance at her name tag identified her as Sandra, with a Gardevoir standing behind her.

"Doctor Colress, it's good to see you again. Have their primary guardians been notified?"

"Of course. Hala and Professor Burnet will be here soon, if they aren't already on their way here. As for Miss Smiles, she should be coming here right away. She was fairly distressed when I told her that her child was in danger." Colress explained to the nurse, receiving a nod.

"We should probably get our Pokémon healed while we're here. Is that possible?" Sun asked Nurse Sandra, receiving a sharp nod.

"Of course. Please, hand me your Poké Balls and I'll ensure that they get a full-check up." Sandra said to the children, who handed over their remaining Poké Balls. Lillie didn't have to hand over Nebby since the Pokémon was never in danger in the first place. The woman pressed a few buttons at a nearby panel on the wall and after a minute, a younger man in lab-coat came by and took the balls away from Sandra with a nod.

"Hau'oli Medical Center may seem like a regular hospital from the outside, but it's one of the best hospitals in the world, especially when it comes to medical innovations. It's world famous for the technology they utilize to bring comfort and healing to their patients." Colress explained to the bewildered children as they stared at the panel on the wall that was lighting up with all sorts of buttons.

"Yes it is. Though we have you to thank for that to an extent, Doctor Colress. You have done much with your inventions and they've helped us so much." Sandra said to the doctor with a nod of respect before another nurse came into the room, holding a file of information. The nurse flipped it open and her mouth quirked into a small smile for a moment before fading.

"Alright, let's start with you. Up on the seat." Sandra instructed Sun, who obeyed the woman. Lillie and Hau moved aside while Colress simply sat back with closed eyes.

"Alright…Let's go over your information. Sunshine Smiles, correct?" the nurse addressed the Kanto-native, who felt his face suddenly heat up with embarrassment.

"Yes ma'am…" Sun muttered, looking down as the woman began confirming other bits of Sun's personal info with the hospital.

"Wait…what?" Hau asked, completely confused as Lillie blinked a few times in surprise. Lillie looked at the nurse, and then to her friend that was now blushing furiously and not meeting anyone's eyes.

And then it clicked.

"Wait, Sun…Your full name is…Sunshine Smiles?" Lillie asked slowly, a small smile creeping onto her face. Hau blinked a few times before his mind processed what was going on...and then the boy burst out laughing.

"Hau, I swear to Arceus, I'll make sure you end up in the ER if you don't shut up!" Sun yelled at the boy, fighting and failing to show his embarrassment as he got to his feet. The nurse stepped in front of him with a stern look, so Sun backed away, still angry and embarrassed as he sat back down on the seat.

"Sun, you…Why didn't you ever tell us what your name was?" Lillie asked the boy curiously, though she couldn't help a small giggle. The name was pretty silly, after all.

"Because of that." Sun said grumpily, pointing at Hau, who was on the floor pounding the ground with his fist while tears rolled down his face. Rotom chose that moment to pop out of Sun's backpack.

" _Zz-zz-zzt! Yep, he got his name changed a few weeks back. Heh. Wasn't too happy about it either. Sun's Mom sure does have a great sense of humor!"_ Rotom said cheerily as he floated over to Sun, who was sulking and not living up to his name.

"Ah, hello there Rotom. I was wondering where you were." Colress chimed in as he opened his eyes, smiling at the device.

 _"Heya Doc! Good to see you again! Did I ever say thanks for the new body? It suits me, I think! Zz-zzt!"_ Rotom said cheerily as he floated around the room.

"Wait, you know him too? WAIT…You made the Rotom Dex!?" Hau asked, bewildered.

"Oh no, of course not. It was a collaborative effort between me and a few of the regional Professors. I did assist with a bulk of the work, but it wouldn't have come together without Professor Kukui and the others." Colress said modestly, holding out a hand for Rotom.

 _"Well, either way, I'm having a blast with Sun and his friendzzz!"_ Rotom replied as he landed in the Professor's hand.

"I'm glad to hear it. You're the first of your kind, Rotom. If you continue to impress in the field, then you will herald in a new era for Pokémon Trainers everywhere." Colress said to the device, who just buzzed happily in his creator's hand. Colress turned his attention to Sun and said, "I wouldn't be embarrassed by your unusual last name, Sun. I go by Colress, after all. There's no shame in a name that doesn't line up with normal ones."

"Sunshine…freaking…Smiles. You are NEVER living this down, Sunny boy! Good Giratina, that's the most ridiculous last name ever!" Hau giggled as he bent his head down and broke down into laughter again. Lillie was now giving Hau an annoyed look that Sun ignored, hanging his head and closing his eyes.

" _I wonder if it's too late to get that assassin back here to kill me…or Hau. At this point I'm kinda flexible."_ Sun thought with an inward sigh.

"Well, I like it!" Lillie said with a huff, walking over to her upset friend and sitting beside him on the chair. Sun's furious blush returned, though he seemed a bit less unhappy at the compliment as Lillie put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Oh my…I can't breathe…This is the best day of my laugh…life…whatever…" Hau coughed, wiping his eyes and looking over at Sun with a wide smile, giggling breathlessly as Sun scowled at the boy.

"Oh yeah, ha ha ha…What's your last name then, huh?" Sun asked the boy beaming up at him from the floor.

"Hau Pakelaai. You know, a name that _doesn't_ sound ridiculous." Hau replied with a smirk, making Sun grit his teeth. His mother would be getting an earful from him later.

"What about you, Lillie?" Sun asked the girl, who's expression became unreadable after a few moments.

"I…I can't say." Lillie replied after a moment, looking away from Sun.

"Huh?" Hau asked, tilting his head in confusion. Lillie's expression shifted to a guilty one as she sighed, looking back towards Sun and Hau.

"I can't…I can't say, alright!?" Lillie said angrily, surprising both Hau and Sun as she looked at them with a flash of anger in her eyes before storming out of the room. Sun and Hau exchanged a look of worry. Sun made a move to go after Lillie but the nurse held him back.

"Not until you're done with this exam, young man. Hau, can you please wait outside? Maybe check on Miss Lillie while you're at it?" Sandra asked the young boy. With a small nod Hau headed outside, leaving Sun with his nurse and her Gardevoir.

"I wonder why she freaked out like that…" Sun muttered.

* * *

It didn't take long for Hau to catch up with Lillie. She had stormed away and was hiding behind a pillar, shaking visibly. Hau saw her reach into her bag to pet Nebby, trying to calm herself down. Hau slowly made his way over to his friend and leaned against the pillar she was on, remaining quiet.

"You're going to be alright…right?" Hau asked.

"Yes…I just…Need a few minutes. Today's been so awful and I…Hau…You know how much I hate keeping secrets from people, right?" Lillie whispered, walking away from the pillar.

"Yeah. But you have a good reason for that, though. Is that why you didn't want us knowing your last name?" Hau asked Lillie, catching up with the girl within moments.

"Yes…I…I'm currently in hiding, Hau. You know that much. What you don't know is that if the wrong people found out who I am and where I am…the entire world could be compromised." Lillie whispered, withdrawing her hand from her bag as Nebby peered up at her with worry in its eyes. Lillie looked down at the Pokémon with a sad smile.

"Professor Kukui and Professor Burnet are helping me try and fix things, but its not as easy as I'd like it to be. Things are so, so complicated Hau. And each day that passes makes me even more anxious that I'll slip up and then things will go bad. Very, very bad."

"Well…I think you can do it. So does Sun. We've got your back, you know?" Hau said simply, offering his friend a wider smile. Lillie looked at him almost pityingly and sighed.

"I wish it was that easy. Just…Please don't push me about my past. I'm scared to talk about it and even then, it's dangerous because I don't know what'll happen and I…" Lillie had said that all in a rush and paused, stopping herself and taking a breath to calm herself. Hau put a hand on her shoulder, genuinely worried. He hadn't seen her this bad since the first week she had come to live with Professor Kukui.

"Lillie…It's okay. We're okay. Professor Kukui is going to be okay. You are going to be okay." Hau said as he grabbed his friend's shoulders, turning her towards him and trying to get through to her by staring into those green eyes he often found himself lost in. Lillie stared at him for a good while before sighing deeply, taking a fortifying breath of air a moment later.

"Thank you, Hau. I needed that. I just…I get so worried. So scared that I'll mess up and that I can't do this." Lillie muttered, only for Hau to lean against her with a giggle.

"No worries, Lillie. Just don't forget you're not alone. Let your friends help shoulder your burden and you'll be right as rain!" Hau declared cheerfully, leaning off of Lillie and taking a few steps forward. Lillie regarded the cheerful boy for a moment. There were times where he came off as creepy and annoying, but he truly did care and she would've had a much harder time adjusting to her new life if Hau hadn't helped her as much as he did when she arrived on Alola's shores. He truly was a wonderful friend.

"Thank you, Hau." Lillie said after a moment, smiling at him. Hau chuckled as he put his hands behind his head, a faint blush coming to his cheeks.

"Not sure what for, but you're welcome." Hau replied as he and Lillie walked back to the room where Sun was being checked out by the nurse. Lillie looked down at her skirt and grimaced at the state of her dress, covered in dirt and blood. She sighed inwardly and decided that things could be worse, so she just dealt with it. She could change later.

Lillie knocked on the door and after a moment it opened, allowing Hau and Lillie to step into the room, where Sun was sitting on a chair with his shirt off while the nurse's Gardevoir carefully manipulated his arms, ensuring that there was nothing broken while the nurse took notes. Sun winced occasionally and the Gardevoir stopped whenever this happened.

"Man, that looks painful. Right Lillie?" Hau asked his friend, eyeing the newly forming bruises on Sun's body. After a few moments of silence he glanced at his female friend, confused as to why she didn't reply. That's when he realized that she had a bright red blush on her face and that she was staring at Sun with her mouth slightly open. A shirtless Sun.

" _She's absolutely freaking out over the fact he doesn't have a shirt on! Really!?"_ Hau pouted, crossing his arms as he lamented his plight. Sun seemed to be oblivious to the situation, though he did look over at them with a confused expression on his face. Upon noticing that he had noticed them acting odd, Lillie chose to turn around and read a poster at a wall (her blush reddening one notch) while Hau walked over to a nearby chair and flopped down into it, a little annoyed but calming down quickly. Colress watched the antics of the children with veiled amusement while he tapped away at a datapad, sending off a few messages while documenting the battle from earlier.

"So…Mega Evolution is tied closer to the bond between Trainer and Pokémon than I imagined. It IS the bond itself, proving Sycamore correct. But do the Z-Moves work in the same fashion? I must learn more…But for now, we focus on the matter at hand." Colress mused as he fired off a final message and stowed his data pad. He began paying attention to what was going on again, as the nurse was making notes.

"Well, your body is certainly in quite a bit of stress. Getting hit with that bad of a Psychic attack and then getting thrown about like you did sure left a lot of bruises, some internal." The nurse noted as a notepad was floated over to her.

"So what's the plan?" Colress asked.

"Oh, for something like this we can do a Healing Procedure. Thanks to yours and Professor Kukui's efforts we can work on healing the damage directly, at least to the point where Sun can heal on his own with minimal discomfort. Adjusted Heal Pulses can repair the serious damage he's sustained, but I would still recommend nothing strenuous for the next week or two, even after his treatment. Sun will also be kept here overnight just as a precautionary measure. We want to completely ensure there's no serious internal injuries before sending him on his way." Sandra explained as her Gardevoir nodded in confirmation.

"What about us?" Hau asked, pointing to him and Lillie.

"I'll have you both checked out separately, but you both seem fine and won't likely need to be here any longer than necessary. Though you are more than welcome to keep your friend company." Sandra explained before her Gardevoir spoke up.

" _I'm needed in Surgery A3. May I?"_ the Pokémon asked. Sandra nodded and the Pokémon bustled off.

"Looks like that Growlithe was in worse shape than we thought." Sandra said quietly, shaking her head.

"Is he going to be okay?" Sun asked, almost getting up out of his chair in worry but caught himself just in time.

"That dog got a bullet and a knife _in the chest_. It is most certainly NOT going to be okay. Will it survive, though? I…don't have an answer to that. By all rights, it should be dead. Even looking through its memories with Gardevoir, I'm astounded by how much willpower that Growlithe had in him. He's a fighter, and that's the only thing that kept him alive. Otherwise, this conversation wouldn't be happening. You caught yourself one tough Pokémon." Sandra replied to Sun, a smile coming to her face. Sun blinked at the implications of what she said. Technically he _did_ catch that Growlithe. He guessed that made it a part of his team now. But did it even want him to save it by catching him in a Poké Ball? Would he be okay with being on his team?

Sun wondered about that for a few moments. He had a strong love for Flying-type Pokémon and birds. This would kind of mess up his plan of having a Flying-type Pokémon team. Sun then thought about it and wondered if it was wise to go that route in the first place. If he ever encountered someone like Amber again, and he used a team that was all the same type, the outcome wouldn't have been pretty. That assassin had two Pokémon, an Electivire and a Rhyperior, that both would've laid waste to his team. That DID lay waste to his team. Maybe…maybe a balanced team would be a smarter option.

Sun thought back to the Growlithe and smiled. It would be pretty cool to have that dog on his team. It was tough and very brave, and was willing to risk its life protecting others, based on how Sun had seen him standing over that Rattata while under the aim of Amber's gun. Distracting the woman long enough for the rodent to escape.

Sun would have to talk to the Pokémon about it. And he hoped the Growlithe's response was a positive one.

* * *

Two hours went by, with Hau and Lillie being checked out and being given a clean bill of health after the trio of children explained to Nurse Sandra and Colress the details of what happened that evening. Sun went down to the food court with his friends and Colress, who tagged along partly to give the children a sense of protection and mostly because he was hungry, you insensitive monsters. Man's a scientist and saved a bunch of children, the least he deserves is a damn sandwich…

But I digress.

Sun and Lillie had just finished giving an in-depth account of their evening, having given the nurse the broad version, and left the mysterious doctor/scientist/inventor frowning.

"You three truly were lucky to escape that situation with your lives. Amber's notorious for being a murderous lunatic. She's one of the main reasons it's been so difficult to take down Cipher, from what I understand." Colress said after a small pause, taking care to wipe his face with a napkin before continuing.

"How can we stop her?" Sun asked the scientist, who offered Sun a small smile.

"You remind me of an old friend of mine. But to answer your question, you _can't_. Amber is ruthlessly tough on her own. She usually has a powerful team backing her up on top of that. The only person who was ever able to stand up to her properly was Wes, and he's gone now. Aria used to give her a run for her money, but she vanished along with Wes. If you run into Amber again, your best hope to get help or distract her somehow to escape. Aside from that…I don't have any more advice I can give." Colress admitted with a small shrug, surprisingly nonchalant about the topic.

"But…I don't understand. Why hasn't she been apprehended?" Lillie asked Colress.

"Because she has friends in high places and despite her being famous for all of the wrong reasons, she's smart enough to be able to get around with being detected. Something you have some experience in, Lillie." Colress remarked with a small smile, making the girl smile slightly.

"How do you two know each other, anyway?" Hau asked, looking to Colress and Lillie.

"Doctor Colress is friends with Kukui and Burnet. He's been helping them investigate some stuff in return for their help with some research. He comes around the lab every now and then. He's even promised to help me find out about Nebby's past!" Lillie answered as Colress smiled in response.

"I will certainly try. That Pokémon is quite special, but fragile in some regards. Thankfully we will be able to return to Akala Island soon and perhaps be able to run some tests there. Goodness knows that some clarity would help your situation greatly, Miss Lillie." Colress replied as Nebby suddenly erupted from its bag, letting out a happy cry.

"Eep! Nebby! Get back in the bag!" Lillie yelped as she grabbed the Cosmog and quickly stuffed it back in the bag.

"Quite the rebellious one, isn't it?" Colress asked, chuckling while Sun and Hau laughed.

"You have no idea…"

"So…Doctor Colress. Do you have an update on the Growlithe we brought here? Is he okay?" Sun asked the older man, who returned to his tablet and took a few moments to reply. Sun had been waiting patiently, but he was now growing nervous. The Unovan scientist regarded Sun for a moment, looking into the worried grey eyes of the boy before replying.

"The Growlithe you speak of did manage to survive its surgery and is currently sleeping in the PICU of the hospital. It's…still in critical condition and will be closely observed for a few days. You might be able to see it in once it's condition improves. But know this. You saved that Growlithe's life, Sun, and risked your own to help it. Be proud of that. Those are traits of a strong Pokémon Trainer, as well as that of a good person as well." Colress said seriously, a measure of respect coming to his eyes as he nodded at the young Trainer.

"Hey Doc! There you are!"

Sun turned around and saw Hugh walking towards them, wearing a cheery grin with his hands in his pockets. Sun noticed that he was wearing two pedants on his neck, a yellow heart and a red broken heart.

"How've you all been…Wait, are you all alright? Is that blood? And…what are you even doing here in the first place?" Hugh asked, his smile fading and looking at them in worry.

"Have you not checked your phone?" Colress asked Hugh.

"No. Mine's been dead for an hour. What happened?" Hugh asked.

"Amber attacked these three on their way back to Iki Town." Colress said to the young man. His reaction was immediate. His face paled for a moment, and then his fists clenched and his surprised look turned to fury.

"Where is she? _I'll kill that bitch myself!_ " Hugh snarled, rage leaping into his eyes as he took a step forward.

"She's gone. Calm yourself and watch your language. Children are present." Colress said calmly, glancing at the three children watching them with interest. Hugh flinched at that and his rage cooled after a visible force of effort from him. Sun noticed Vivian and Noah walking towards them from across the food court, hand in hand and smiling.

"Hey you lot, what's…uh, that's a lot of blood..." Vivian noted after a moment, staring at Sun and Lillie's battered outfits before she blinked and worry spread across her face. "Oh god, are you three alright?! What happened?"

"Oh hey, she does care." Hau remarked, earning an exasperated look from the violinist as she broke her grip from Noah's hand and inspected the children.

"We're fine. Roughed up, but still okay." Sun reassured the older Trainer, making her sigh with relief.

"Maybe we should've changed before coming here." Lillie remarked, feeling a little embarrassed as the worried girl looked them over.

"What happened to them?" Vivian asked Colress.

"You still have your bags on you. There's a bathroom down there. I'll explain what happened to these three while you're gone." Colress offered, smiling at them before returning his attention to the three older Trainers. Sun and Lillie shrugged and went off to change. Sun settled into a pair of brown cargo shorts and a bright green T-shirt, forgoing a hat. Sun walked out of the bathroom and patiently waited for Lillie, who exited the bathroom not long after in a white dress similar to the one she had on before but much less fancy, though she kept her hat. Sun smiled at his friend, who returned his smile, and the duo walked back over to where their friends were.

"-don't like it. But it really just sounds like it's an isolated incident." Noah was saying, sitting down next to Colress while Hau, Vivian, and Hugh listened.

"So you all know each other then?" Sun asked, looking at all of them.

"Yep. Doc here's been around for a while, helping us out. He's the one who suggested we come to Alola to regroup after Wes and Aria vanished. I mean, I love the place and I'm having a blast. These two are doing their Island Trial thingy to get stronger and kill time. Meanwhile, Colress does all the actual work." Vivian explained with a laugh.

"I still don't like you all that much." Hau replied to Vivian, earning surprised looks from everyone.

"Meh. Can't please everyone. I am glad you all are okay though!" Vivian said sincerely, grinning at them.

"Yeah. Amber's scary strong. I'm glad none of you were seriously hurt. Next time I see her...well, you know." Hugh added after a moment, smiling a little.

Sun opened his mouth to reply before he was suddenly plowed into from behind and was embraced in a bone-crushing hug that made him nearly cry out in pain. However the hug was broken and he was turned around to see his Mom looking at him with a worried and relieved expression. Sun smiled up at his Mom and hugged her tightly, with his mother returning the embrace.

"I missed you." Sun mumbled, fighting back some tears as he felt more relief flood him. Everything was alright now. His mother was here, he and his friends were safe...It was going to be okay.

"And I missed you. Every single day." Laura replied warmly, bending down to better look her child in the eyes. "Thank goodness you three are alright. I got the message from Kukui only a little while ago and I got here as quick as I could and then I had to find my way through this maze of a hospital and…Anyway, what happened?"

"Long story short, they were attacked by a Cipher Admin." Colress said to Laura, who blinked in surprise.

"Cipher…why would they be here? Why are you here, Doctor? Last I heard you were in Kalos after your falling out with…" Laura's eyes drifted to the three children and said, "We'll discuss this later with Kukui and Burnet. I want an explanation though, Colress. Especially if Cipher is involved."

"And you'll get one. We can discuss this with my friends here and the Kahuna. He's currently meeting with Tapu Koko to try and heal the Pokémon's injuries. I suspect that the Island Guardian will allow him to heal his wounds, but I wouldn't be surprised if the Pokémon just flew away. It's…unpredictable, sadly." Colress said with a shrug.

"How's Kukui?" Laura asked.

"He just got out of surgery." Colress replied, pulling out his tablet from within his coat. "He is expected to be in the hospital for another week and on light duty for another two weeks. Thankfully Kukui's research regarding Heal Pulse and linking minds with other Pokémon paid off."

"And here I thought he was a nutcase who enjoyed getting beaten up. Maybe there is a method to his madness." Vivian replied with a small laugh, making Noah and Lillie chuckle as well.

"Oh? More friends of yours, Sun?" Laura asked Sun, looking to the Unova group that Sun and his friends had also made friends.

"Yeah. Hugh, Vivian, and Noah. This is my Mom." Sun said, introducing everyone with a smile on his face.

"Nice to meet you all. Call me Laura or Miss Smiles." Mom replied cheerily, giving them a smile as well as Sun's faded.

"Which reminds me…Why did you give me that terrible last name? Were you drunk or something!?" Sun demanded from his mother, who began giggling.

"To answer your questions in order…Because I thought the last name was pleasant and I think we all need more smiles in our lives. And as to whether or not I was drunk when I came up with that idea, that may or may not have been the case." Laura replied as Noah and Vivian cracked up laughing. Sun face-palmed as he sat down, with Lillie and Hugh patting him comfortingly on the back, though both were smiling with mirth. Colress laughed quietly, shaking his head.

Hau just ran up and high-fived Laura with a wide grin on his face.

* * *

Amber hoped that when she teleported into HQ, there wouldn't be a commotion. That maybe she'd be able to crawl into the Recovery Room and just lie there for a while.

Instead she teleported onto the table in the middle of a meeting. Crashing onto it and sending feathers, water, and blood everywhere. She heard a series of voices but was fading in and out of consciousness, only catching snippets of conversation.

 _"If she dies you all will follow! MOVE QUICKLY!"_ That was Borlath. Guy would be super mellow until the time came. If she hadn't know what he was capable of, she would've never believed such a good guy was one of the higher ups in Cipher.

 _"She's barely alive. What on earth did she do in that place?...So much for being the best of the best!"_ came a more sinister-sounding voice. Greevil. Grand Master of Cipher and a nasty little old man. If Amber had her way, she'd have killed the man years ago because he had lost his touch.

Sensations swirled around her and soon enough she managed to open her eyes again, this time strapped down to a bed with a tube going into her, helping her breathe. Borlath and two nurses were peering down at her with worry in the eyes of the former and interest in the latter pair.

"We nearly lost you. Your body was mostly paralyzed, your heart was going nuts and...You went into cardiac arrest and…What happened out there?" Borlath asked the assassin, curiosity and concern in his voice. Amber offered him a shrug the best that she could and decided to sleep this off like a bad hangover. However, the words spoken next jolted her awake.

"Make sure she stays here. No matter what. I don't care if she has to be sedated the entire time. Until she's full recovered, she is not to leave this area unless I say so. Is that clear?" Borlath ordered the two nurses, receiving two terrified nods in reply. Amber noted that with some amusement. She gathered a reputation because of her deadly abilities, but Borlath's influence and power was just as effective in cowering the peons that served the cause.

With that, the assassin closed her eyes, reflecting on the events that put her in this state and feeling oddly okay with just sitting there in recovery. She'd likely be facing some kind of permanent damage when all was said and done. She smiled inwardly at the idea of damage that lingered, and thought back to the exciting battle she had been in. While she would likely be busy with things here in Kanto…She had to admit returning to Alola had it's appeal. She smiled twistedly at the thought of battling that Professor or Tapu Koko again…

 _"Maybe the next time around…But the outcome won't be the same. Trust me on that."_ Amber thought as she closed her eyes, feeling a strange emotion within her that she couldn't identify before finally drifting off and allowing her body to heal.

* * *

The group decided to stay the night at the hospital, mainly because Hau wanted to stick with Sun and the rest of the reason was because Lillie wanted to stay with Professor Burnet and Kukui. Laura didn't fight the children on this, and instead brought them blankets and pillows so that they could rest comfortably in Sun's room. The nurses didn't fight this both because they were all technically patients and because they didn't want to begrudge the children a night's comfort.

Sun received further treatment and was released the next day officially by the hospital, with most of his injuries feeling much better and just suffering from general soreness that would go away on its own. According to the nurses there was only so much healing via Heal Pulse a human could take at one time, so either way Sun was grateful.

Kukui managed to wake up that evening, and Sun got a chance to see him when his wife (who Sun never got to actually meet for whatever reason) went to the Food Court to eat dinner. Sun had spent the better part of the day sitting beside the still-sleeping Growlithe that had fought alongside them the other day. It had yet to wake up, but that was to be expected, considering how bad off it had been. Still, Sun was beyond grateful that the dog would survive. Sun wanted to talk with it, but knew that would come later. He was just glad the nurses had allowed him into the area where the dog was being held. Sun suspected Colress had something to do with that.

"Hey there cousin…How are you holding up?" Kukui said weakly from his sitting up position on the bed. Lillie was sitting beside him wearing her signature dress again, smiling at Sun as he and his mother walked into the room.

"Better. I guess I have you and Colress to thank for your awesome advances in medicine. I didn't even know Heal Pulse worked like that." Sun mentioned to Kukui, causing the Professor to smirk at him.

"Normally doesn't. It took a lot of trial and error to get it to work, and even then…Well, Heal Pulse isn't designed with humans in mind. Pokémon don't know enough about humans to know what to heal. This hospital is well-known for being an innovator, and that's what saved my life." Kukui replied cheekily, earning a glare from Lillie.

"You're going to be taking it easy when you get back to the lab, Professor. No training until your bandages come off." Lillie almost growled, making Sun privately glad that the girl liked him. Because she seemed scary when mad.

"Aww…Fine. But I don't have to wear a shirt." Kukui replied, wincing slightly as he tried to shift his position on the bed and succeeded in causing himself a bit of pain. Sun realized than that this was the first time he had seen the Professor and not been able to see his fantastic midriff. He was wearing a plain white shirt, along with some black sweatpants.

"Yes you do. You need to keep that area safely protected." Lillie shot back, putting her hands on her hips.

"Seems like your girlfriend has some fire in her, Sun." Laura remarked idly, leaning against the door-frame as Sun and Lillie both looked at her, then at each other, and then blushed as they looked in opposite directions.

"Heh. No worries, Lillie. Even I'm not dumb enough to disobey orders from the Doctor. I'll probably be unable to do serious field testing for a while, maybe a month at best before I'm back to fighting-fit shape, but I can do easier stuff in the meantime." Kukui replied with a good-natured laugh, reaching over and patting Lillie's head.

"How's Starmie doing?" Sun asked the Professor. Kukui's expression hardened, and he sighed after a moment.

"Starmie will be...okay. It just barely managed to survive surgery and they're working on repairing the area that was destroyed but...It will never be able to battle again. That Shadow Rhyperior effectively crippled it. We got very lucky." Kukui explained quietly, a note of guilt entering his voice. The room remained quiet for a few moments before Kukui spoke again.

"But that's a discussion for later. It's possible Starmie will recover to a degree, but it's too early to tell." Kukui turned to Lillie after a moment. "However, I'll be here for a little while. Lillie, I want you to stay somewhere else until I'm out of this hospital." Kukui said to his assistant, a bit more seriously. Lillie blinked in surprise and opened her mouth to protest, but Kukui cut her off.

"I know you're my assistant and you feel obligated to be by my side in my time of need. But you're also a child who doesn't need to be cooped up in a hospital for a week. It's not good for your mental health to constantly see me in this state either. I'd just let you stay at the lab, since Doc Colress is looking over it for me, but I know you don't like being alone with people you don't trust without reserve. You wouldn't feel comfortable staying there with just him." Kukui said to Lillie, who looked down for a moment, knowing that he had a point. She still wanted to be with the Professor though.

"If you want, Lillie, you could stay with Sun and me until Kukui's better." Laura offered after a moment. Lillie looked up at the woman in surprise, and then at Sun, and then at Kukui, who seemed thoughtful.

"You would be able to be with a friend to keep you company. And Laura is a seasoned Pokémon Trainer. Between her and Sun, you and Nebby would be pretty safe." Kukui said to the little girl, making Laura purse her lips after a moment. She'd be sure to ask about that later.

"I…" Lillie trailed off, looking down. "If you think that's best."

Sun walked forward and put a hand on the girl's shoulder, making her look at him. He offered her a comforting smile and she managed a small smile back, making both of the adults smirk in the room.

"Don't you worry. We can come right back up here in the morning during visiting hours." Laura said to the Professor's assistant, receiving a small nod in return. After a little bit more small talk, the nurse came in and told them that visiting hours were over and Kukui needed to take more medicine. With that, they quietly extracted themselves.

Lillie walked silently behind Sun and his mother, exiting the hospital after saying goodnight to their friends. Noah was still staying at the hospital and promised them that they'd keep an eye on Kukui to make sure nothing happened while Lillie was away. The girl felt grateful for that, and felt a little of her worry lift off of her shoulders, but she worried still.

She was snapped out of her reverie by a hand gripping hers. Lillie looked up to find that Sun had grabbed her hand, looking concerned. Lillie gave him a questioning look before he gave her hand a small squeeze, followed by a smile. Tired, hurt, and probably just as scared from recent events as she was…But still he smiled. Lillie felt her admiration for Sun soar right then. The boy had been so… _brave_ , during the fight against Amber. Yes, he had been acting a bit reckless and she was terrified for him, but he never stopped fighting. And when she was in danger, he had tried his hardest to get to her. To protect her, even if it meant that he got hurt. She felt blessed to have such a wonderful boy care so much about her.

"Thank you, Sun." Lillie murmured, squeezing the boy's hand in return.

Sun felt his smile widen at that. He wasn't sure exactly how to help Lillie feel better, considering the recent events, and decided that taking a step forward into her personal space might have been a necessary risk. He was worried that she might have felt weird about him grabbing her hand, but thankfully she had responded well. She walked closer to him and leaned her head against his shoulder, surprising Sun, and closing her eyes. After a few moments she finally relaxed for the first time he had seen her since before their fight with Amber. And that made him happy.

" _She'll be okay…She's strong like that, even if she doesn't know it_." Sun thought as he and his friend continued following his mother, who thankfully hadn't noticed what had gone on. They really didn't need any more teasing going on. Sun then realized that Lillie hadn't quite let go of his hand, and was still holding onto it and still so close to him. He felt warm again, almost jittery upon this realization, but again forced himself to remain calm for Lillie's sake. She needed his support.

After a few minutes Sun's mother caught both of their attention by pulling out a Poké Ball and saying, "Jace, come on out!"

Lillie let out a small scream, latching onto Sun and pressing herself against him in fear as a massive and absolutely horrifying-looking Pidgeot erupted out of Laura's Poké Ball, letting out a piercing screech that made both of them flinch at the noise.

"Piiiiiiiigot!" the massive bird cried out, flapping its wings for a moment before folding them and watching Laura calmly.

"You done? Because you terrified the children." Laura said, jerking a thumb to the girl and boy behind her. Sun smiled weakly and put a hand on Lillie's head.

"Lillie? That's my Mom's Pidegot. Totally harmless, just kind of…intimidating." Sun said apologetically, laughing a little. His mother's Pidgeot still scared him sometimes, despite it being quite friendly to everyone.

"Sorry you two. I should've warned you both. Anyway, I'm letting Jace here patrol the skies overhead while we head home. If there's any trouble, Jace will spot it." Laura said, giving them both a reassuring smile that made both of them feel better. Sun fondly remembered his mother's days on the Gym Circuit, and remembered the Pidegot's skills in action. He figured that Jace being so big and scary and cool was one of the things that made him love birds so much.

It was an easy ride back to Sun's home after that. A quick taxi trip later and Lillie was cautiously following Sun and Laura inside of their house.

"Make yourself right at home, Lillie." Mom said as they entered the house, with Meowth greeting them from the couch and padding towards them. Lillie smiled at the small Pokémon and bent down to give it a small pat on the head, making the Pokémon purr with pleasure.

"Feel free to look around and make yourself comfortable. I'll throw something together for dinner and we can unwind a bit." Laura said as she walked over to the kitchen. Lillie stood awkwardly in the doorway, unsure of where exactly to go. She hadn't been inside the home before, and she felt a little odd being inside-

"Hey. You alright?" Sun asked quietly, putting a hand on her shoulder. Lillie looked over at Sun's grey eyes, worry evident within them, and nodded.

"How about you go play your flute in your room, Sun? I think a bit of music before dinner sounds wonderful." Laura suggested from the kitchen as she began rifling through the pantry.

"Hey Mom, just a heads up. Lillie's a vegetarian." Sun said to his mother, who gave her son a thumbs up in reply. Sun shook his head with a small before walking forward, glancing back and giving Lillie a 'follow me' gesture. Slowly, she followed her friend into his room and examined it with interest.

"Yeah, it's not much, but…This is home now. I guess I haven't kind of made it feel like home, since I started out on my journey right after we got here." Sun admitted with a small laugh, rubbing the back of his head. He then released Penny and Oliver, who both cried out upon being released and looked at Sun.

"You two relax for a bit. After everything that's happened the past few days, we should rest a bit. Then back to training so we can take on Hala. But…you both did so well back there. I'm proud of you both!" Sun said to his two birds, both of which nodded with joyful looks in their eyes, already prepared for the true test of their skills to come soon. Sun walked forward and hugged them both, taking care to pet Penny on the head and marveling at the proud Trumbeak that stood where a Pikipek had once before.

"You're…going to challenge the Kahuna? So soon after everything that's happened?" Lillie asked, surprised.

"Life doesn't stop, even when bad things happen. The world doesn't stop turning, even when it feels like it. We got attacked. We managed to stop her. So we're going to keep going with our journey. Along the way…we can get stronger. And if we run into Amber again, we'll try and stop her again. Maybe next time for good. We…we just have to keep moving, Lillie. Even when it hurts...Isn't that what you and Hau told me the other day?" Sun asked his friend with a tired smile. Lillie stepped forward and hugged Sun tightly, and Sun returned the embrace, relishing the contact with his friend and enjoying the warmth she gave him.

"Thank you for being my friend, Sun," Lillie whispered.

"He mea iki, ko 'u hoa." Sun replied to his friend, surprising her and making her separate from Sun and give him a confused look. She certainly hadn't expected _that_ reply.

"I've been trying to learn some Alolan while we traveled. I know a little." Sun admitted, blushing a little as he sat down on his bed. Lillie giggled at that and sat down beside him, giving him a happy smile.

"Mahalo oe…no ka mea a pau. E 'oe i Laila,ono." Lillie said quietly to Sun, bowing her head for a moment. Sun didn't know what to say to that, as he had only learned enough words to say a few sentences. He knew 'mahalo' was 'thank you' and that 'ono' was…'sweet'?

"What does that mean?" Sun asked, curious. Lillie looked away from him, and Sun could have sworn she was blushing slightly.

"It meant thank you and…something else. You'll have to figure it out for yourself if you want to know the rest." Lillie replied, glancing at him before setting her bag on the floor and releasing Nebby, who flew out of the bag with a joyful cry.

"Nebby, we're going to be guests here. Make sure you're on your best behavior, okay?" Lillie said in a motherly voice. Nebby replied by flying over to Sun, nuzzling him, before settling itself in Lillie's lap. Oliver and Penny flew over to them.

The duo, instead of playing their instruments, just sat and chatted while their Pokémon lounged with them. It was certainly a nice way of catching up further, despite their time in the meadow the other day. Soon enough they were eating dinner with Laura and turning in for bed at her request. Considering Sun and Lillie were both yawning and barely staying awake at that point, neither child protested.

Lillie slept on the couch that night, and to her dismay she couldn't sleep at all. Nebby slept within its bag, slumbering without a care in the world, but the small girl couldn't find rest no matter what. Her mind was still on overdrive despite her exhaustion. She was in an unfamiliar place, despite being with friends and being protected. Sun's mother had her Pidegot sitting on the roof of the house, watching over it while two more of her Pokémon lurked nearby outside on guard duty as well, ready to attack should anyone try to enter the home.

Lillie eventually sat up and sighed, deciding to click on a flashlight and read a book. She continued her studies regarding a book written on the culture of Alola, and was just beginning properly when a small light turned on in the room, startling her. Lillie turned around and saw Sun standing by a lamp, looking just as tired as she felt but smiling at her.

"You shouldn't read like that. It'll hurt your eyes." Sun said quietly, walking over to the fridge and opening it.

"Can't sleep?" Lillie asked Sun as he pulled out a jug of chocolate milk and poured himself a glass. Sun hesitated for a moment before nodding.

"You want a glass?" Sun asked the girl, who shook her head. Sun shrugged and stood there, drinking his glass of milk while Lillie watched him. She worried about him, despite how strong and brave he was. He was just a child, like her.

"Sun…What's exactly keeping you awake? Is it nightmares?" Lillie asked her friend as he put down his empty glass in the sink. He didn't reply right away, instead putting the jug of chocolate milk away and walking over to her before joining her on the couch, with the young girl scooting aside to make room for her friend.

"Yeah…I've got a nightmare problem. My mind can't seem to stop dwelling on the bad things. Cipher. My Dad. People I care about getting hurt…" Sun trailed off, sighing. Lillie felt a pang in her chest. She wanted to comfort him, somehow.

"I…have nightmares too. They're probably not as bad as yours, but…I still have them. They make me so scared I can't go back to sleep. They remind me why I have to be careful, why I have to help Nebby." Lillie said quietly before stopping herself. She didn't want to go too in-depth and reveal something she shouldn't have. Plus, Sun had enough to worry about right now. Even then, the boy looked concerned.

"Lillie, you-"

"I'll tell you later. Sun, I just…Like I told Hau, I can't tell just anyone what's going on yet. But I promise you, one day, I'll tell you everything. Okay?" Lillie said to her friend, her green eyes shining with some emotion that Sun couldn't place. Nevertheless he nodded with a smile, confident in his friend and knowing that he could trust her to explain whatever she needed to when the time comes.

"Okay." Sun said simply, leaning back on the couch and giving Lillie a smile. The girl returned it, and for a while they sat in silence, at least until Lillie picked up her book again and began reading silently, her smile never leaving her face.

"Um…Quick question."

"Yes Sun?"

"I haven't gotten a chance to read that one. Can you…er, scoot over?" Sun asked sheepishly. Lillie blinked in surprise before beaming at her friend, scooting close to him on the couch and opening the book wider so that he could read along with her. And so it went for several hours, with the two friends taking comfort with each other and the books they often found solace in, despite the shadows that lurked around them. Both of them felt heartened by the other's presence, and soon enough the two children began to drowse.

Lillie drifted off first, yawning softly and leaning back in her seat and resting her head against the couch for a moment while Sun blinked sleepily. He watched Lillie for a moment before he saw her relax slightly and saw her breathing slow after a little while. Sun sluggishly set the book on the floor and rested his head against the couch as well, shutting his eyes to rest them for a few moments. He then felt something shift next to him and opened his eyes to see Lillie's body slowly drifting towards him, and soon enough she was slumped against him on the couch.

Sun felt a small surge of adrenaline shoot through him, his face flushing again as Lillie's head pressed against his neck again. He could almost feel her heartbeat, she was so close to him. He was tempted to move so that she could sleep lying down and so that he could go to bed, but he didn't want to wake her up. So instead he shifted his position so that he was more comfortable but also so that she didn't hurt her neck. Sun sat there, wondering about the strange feelings the girl sleeping on him invoked, which made him even more certain that it wasn't something just involved with being friends with her.

Despite the whirlwind of thoughts in his mind, exhaustion soon won out, and Sun felt himself nodding off with his friend sleeping on his shoulder. And for the first time in a long while…

Sun's sleep was free of nightmares. As were the dreams of the little princess in white sleeping beside him. The comfort the two of them shared at one another's presence was enough to repel the darkness, at least for one night as the children found peace within their sleep.

* * *

Laura was, unlike her Sun/son, an early-riser and enjoyed it.

Now, that wasn't to say she wasn't lazy and slept in. But she normally woke up early and enjoyed her mornings in peace, especially since Sun was a fairly quiet child who enjoyed things on his own. When he left on his journey, she thought that not having her child around wouldn't make a huge difference.

However, she couldn't have been more wrong. It was the small things. The cautious playing of a flute before breakfast. Seeing her boy curled up on the couch with his nose buried in a book, sometimes passed out and needing a blanket thrown over him. The fact that she hadn't been nagged about doing chores around the house that he couldn't do. Which is why she was thrilled that not only was her baby boy back home, but that he also brought his adorable friend along that she was certain he had a crush on.

She awoke that morning as she usually did. With a glass of orange juice and wondering where on earth she had gone wrong in her marriage. Once she got over the small bit of horror she felt within her, she heard the faint sound of snoring from the couch and walked over to investigate…

And almost screamed out.

Not because she was scared. But because her son was so adorable right now.

Her little boy was currently curled up on the couch, mouth slightly open and in his pajamas while looking very peaceful. An equally adorable girl was also sleeping on the couch. However, the two of them were sleeping right beside each other with tranquil expressions on their faces.

"They're absolutely cuddling! This is _so_ cute!" Laura almost squealed as she moved closer, trembling with parental glee. Lillie currently had her arms wrapped around Sun's chest, snuggled nice and close to the boy as the two of them slept comfortably with Sun's chin resting on the top of Lillie's head. Laura, despite all of the teasing, was quite happy that the two children had grown so close. Lillie, the poor girl, looked like she needed more people to confide in and trust and Sun, on the other hand, needed people to help him grow and learn in all the ways Laura couldn't. She was glad Alola was helping her baby boy grow into a stronger person, and couldn't be more proud of him.

Laura almost woke them both up just because the expression on their faces when they found out they were snuggling together on the couch would be hilarious, but decided not to. Her child didn't get enough sleep at night and she wouldn't ruin one of his few chances to get some decent rest in. So instead she fetched a comforter from the closet and gently draped it over the two of them, smiling warmly at the cute children on her couch. Lillie shifted slightly, mumbling something before she sleepily nuzzled Sun's neck with her head before returning to the depths of sleep.

Laura took a few pictures of the two children being adorable without realizing it, smirking like crazy as she sent them to Kukui before putting her phone away and walking back to her room, deciding to sleep in for today. She glanced back at the couch for a moment with a small giggle, leaving the two children cuddling on the couch as they slept serenely, the first rays of sunshine beginning to peak out from the inky black horizon just outside.


	28. Kahuna Battle! Z-Power Unleashed!

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _And so, the day of days has come._

 _I'm leaving for Basic Training with the United States Air Force today._

 _I can't believe this day is here, to be honest. A couple years back, I made the official announcement on the final chapter of DOTD that I was planning on going into the Air Force when the conditions were right. Fast forward two jobs, more family drama than you can shake a stick at, and the revival of the Freelancer Collaboration and we're finally here._

 _I'd like to take a moment and say thank you for all of the support for me along my journey. It's been a long time for me, and it's been awesome having my readers standing behind me as I go into the most difficult period of time in my life. Two months of training to become a United States Airmen._

 _Now, as I've said before, this will mean I'll effectively be cut off from the outside world. No communication, no PM'S, nothing. Meaning that this story will have to take an official hiatus until I am all set once again to post for this story, and hopefully continue to do so regularly for a few years until it's done._

 _I'm going to take a second and apologize for the delay in the first place. I had mentioned a while back that I was going to try and get chapters pre-done before BT and have a friend of mine upload them. Sadly, I overestimated my ability to get work done while trying to juggle drama, dead relatives, and endless amounts of chores and renovations and stuff, so that didn't happen._

 _However, many of you have already stated that any delays that happen are okay in your books. And that's…Damn, I cannot thank you all enough for that. Thank you for showing patience and understanding, because trust me, if I could post chapters from BT you better believe I'd do it._

 _I'll talk more about the details of when I'll be back at the post-chapter AN. This thing is probably going to be the longest chapter yet, as I'm still writing as of this author's note. So we'll see. (NEW LONGEST CHAPTER FTW)_

 _Speaking of the Freelancer Collaboration from a few paragraphs ago, I'd like to take a moment and plug them because I haven't done that yet in this story._

 _For those unfamiliar, there is a collaboration of writers that I am a part of known as the Freelancer Collaboration. They write a number of stories on this site as a massive group, the most popular of which is our group Red vs. Blue stories known as "Phase One: Genesis" and "Phase Two: Betrayal."_

 _I write for the collaboration, taking the mantle of Agents Minnesota and Indiana within the story, as well as writing for many other characters from time to time. If you happen to be a fan of Red vs. Blue and feel like checking out some really great work by me and my fellow writers, then please check out our stuff. It'd be awesome to see any of you checking it out, so be sure to share your thoughts if you do take a look._

 _Back to business. This chapter is also stupidly long, much like the last two have been. That's mainly because I'm cramming enough material for eight chapters into three chapters, hence the length and the reshuffling of some ideas. However, the end result ended up fantastic anyway._

 ** _Please keep in mind, I'm going to be taking some creative liberties with the Kahuna battle. Hala's team may not function as they do in the game, per say, but I think tweaking a few things to make the battle more enjoyable is something no one will have problems with since they make sense, at least to me._**

 ** _What tweaks have I made? Well that's for you to find out!_**

 _Looks like a lot of you enjoyed Sun's name revelation. It took me a very long time to come up with a last name that made sense, and I'm glad you all got a laugh out of it. Hau's last name is actually pretty funny if you're able to sort out what I did to it and what it really means. Lillie's last name will also be discussed down the road, for those curious. Not quite yet though._

 _Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes Cottonmouth25, Madame Rodoshe, BraviaryScout, skyguys, Gokan123, NullSilver2005, Raikou927, Sai Og Sus, and BouncingFish, as well as two new reviewers known as Zygarde Dupain-Agreste and bigboy9969. Thanks for all of the feedback and support._

 _LET'S GET THIS FIGHT UNDERWAY!_

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 _Chapter 28: Kahuna Battle! Z-Power Unleashed!_

* * *

Laura returned to her living room a few hours later to see the two adorable children still being adorable. With a small giggle, Miss Smiles decided to make everyone pancakes to celebrate her son being home and them having a guest over. Especially since that guest was currently cuddling with Sun on the couch and being cute.

Meowth slunk around her as she hummed a soft song, stirring the batter quickly before glancing over at Sun and Lillie and wondering if either one cared if she just did plain pancakes this morning. She decided to wake them up and ask them herself, so she walked over to the children and opened her mouth to speak.

And then she saw the… _unique_ position they were in and couldn't help bursting out laughing.

Somehow, Lillie had positioned herself underneath Sun and was sleeping on her back, snoring quietly with her arms around Sun. However, Sun had slipped further down the couch, so Lillie had her arms wrapped around Sun's head and was pressing it close to her…specifically her chest. The fact that Sun was face down and was actually snoring now made the whole scene even funnier. As if the fact that Sun was snuggled up against a girl with his face her breasts wasn't _already_ hilarious.

 _"My little boy hasn't even asked her out yet and here he is motor-boating Lillie in his sleep…He definitely takes after me."_ Laura thought as she struggled to breathe. Meowth was currently shaking his head, unable to find the humor in this.

The laughing mother did manage to wake Lillie, however. The girl's eyes fluttered open and she tried to get up, but couldn't due to a pressure on her chest and a heavy weight on her body. Lillie looked down and let out a strangled squeaking sound as she realized just why someone (who she realized with some detached horror was Miss Smiles), was laughing at her. Sun was not only sleeping right on top of her, but his face was pressed right up against her…chest area. Lillie felt her face light up crimson as her heart began to beat furiously. Some part of her actually didn't have a problem with this at all, but the rest of her was about to die of embarrassment. Lillie tried to prod Sun with her fingers and shrug him off, but he was in too deep of a sleep to respond. Lillie let out a loud squeak as Sun shifted slightly, rubbing his face against her chest and making Laura actually fall to the ground giggling.

"SUN! Wake up!" Lillie finally shouted, making the boy's eyes open wide and made him roll off of her and onto the floor.

"Ow…What happened?" Sun asked, looking around. He caught sight of his mother, looking about ready to pee herself from laughing so hard, and Lillie, who was blushing harder than he had ever seen anyone blush before and was clutching her chest.

"What did I miss?" Sun asked the two of them. Lillie didn't reply, instead looking away. Laura staggered to her feet, chuckling.

"I wish I had gotten a picture. Oh man…dear, you were cuddling with Lillie all night. On top of that, you just used that little girl's boobs as your pillow." Laura said with a smirk as her child registered her words and his face slowly began to glow red.

"Now Sun, go brush your teeth. We'll have breakfast before we go to the hospital today." Laura said to her child, who was still staring into space.

Sun then turned to Lillie and stammered, "Lillie, I'm…I just…I'm so sorry that I…"

The sight of her friend looking so ashamed of what had happened, even though it wasn't his fault, was enough to make her get off of the couch and smile at Sun understandingly. He hadn't meant to do it and certainly felt bad that it had happened in the first place. She didn't hold any ill will against him, even if it was embarrassing.

Sun took that as his cue to go to the bathroom, so after a look at Lillie he went off to his room, leaving Lillie alone with Miss Smiles as she continued to make pancakes with a cheery smile.

"I'm glad you took that in stride, Lillie. It's nice to see someone so understanding." Laura said to the girl as she slowly walked into the kitchen.

"It was an accident, right? Sun would never do anything like that to me on purpose. Hau on the other hand…" Lillie trailed off, shaking her head.

"Well, just make sure that if they _do_ try anything, you kick them so hard in the balls that they drop to the ground and cry like babies." Laura said with a shrug, ignoring the amazed look of Lillie as Laura poured several glasses of milk for them.

"Anyway, I'm curious about how Sun will take this. He obviously has a ton of respect for you if he was apologizing like that. I'm glad that boy knows how to treat his lady friends right." Laura continued, smiling proudly at her little gentlemen of a son.

"He's a wonderful person," Lillie agreed, smiling now.

"Yep. Though I'll admit that if he doesn't ask you out within the next six months, I'll have to consider disowning him. You two are so adorable together." Laura replied, making Lillie blush red again with a squeak of embarrassment. Laura chuckled and continued cooking in silence. Lillie heard the sound of Sun talking to his Pokémon in the other room, and decided that now was as good of a time as any to ask a few questions she was curious about.

"Um…Miss Smiles?"

"Yes, Lillie?"

"Can I…um, ask you a question?" Lillie asked hesitantly, almost scared to ask. Laura looked over the girl and smirked at her.

"Is it about Sun?" Laura asked shrewdly, her voice slipping into a teasing tone that made Lillie blush at the implications. However, she couldn't say anything because if she wasn't so shocked by what happened earlier, she could have easily remedied the situation herself by waking Sun up sooner somehow. However, despite her fierce blush, Lillie powered on.

"Y-yes. I've spent a lot of time with him recently and I wanted to ask you something." Lillie said a bit more confidently.

"Well, what is it? Spit it out." Laura laughed, turning away to flip the pancake.

"What is Sun's father like?"

Lillie wished she could have foreseen how the older woman would have reacted when she asked that, otherwise she wouldn't have asked. As it was the woman noticeably winced as if burned, nearly dropping the frying pan in her grip. The woman looked sharply in Lillie's direction with an almost fearful look that smoothed over into a more relaxed although guarded expression, though when she spoke her words were surprisingly calm.

"What has Sun told you about his father, Lillie?" Laura asked quietly, slipping a pancake onto a plate.

"That…that he idolized his father. But his father was a really bad person in reality, and that because of him and Cipher you two had to flee Kanto." Lillie replied quietly, feeling nervous as Laura began another pancake.

"That is…true to an extent. My ex-husband, to answer your question, is a very complicated man. On the surface he was the perfect husband. A wonderful partner to me, a hero to his child and someone who wanted to make a positive impact on the world wherever he walked. He named his only child Sunshine because he wanted a child who could brighten the world and make it a better place like he dreamed to…like the Alolan sun he walked away from."

"However, Lillie…There are wonderful people in the world who make awful, awful choices. People who decide to go down a dark path and hurt others. Even those they love." Laura said softly, looking over at the girl beside her who seemed to understand her far too well. Lillie's green eyes gained a sad gleam to them that Laura understood right away.

"You know exactly the kind of person I'm talking about, don't you?" Laura asked with a sad smile. Lillie couldn't help herself and nodded, her own eyes began to glisten at the memories that threatened to break free from her mind. She was reminded of what she had lost and what she had to save before it was too late. Lillie was surprised when Laura reached over and patted the girl's head affectionately, comforting Lillie and offering her a happier smile.

"Regardless…my ex-husband sided with Cipher and has been helping them with their world domination scheme. He had been for years, apparently. He turned his back on us, Lillie, and acted very selfish. That's something you'll learn in life later on, if you haven't already…adults aren't perfect. They make really stupid, _evil_ mistakes that just hurt everyone they once cared about…"

"And that's why you and Sun moved to Alola?" Lillie asked, her voice a whisper.

"Yes. Kukui helped with the move, as did some friends of mine from Celadon, and now we live in a wonderful place full of sun and kind people. And should Cipher come calling again…" Laura's smile turned to a grin as her eyes gained a steely edge to them before she turned back around.

"They'll have a very, _very_ bad time." Laura finished as she placed another pancake on a different plate.

"You were a Pokémon Trainer once, weren't you?" Lillie asked the woman.

"Of course! Sun grew up watching me burn through the Gym Circuit. His father was a master tactician while I'm just plain awesome." Laura giggled, making Lillie smile at the remark. "I'm getting back into the swing of things thanks to Kukui. I think my team loves being able to get back into fighting. I can tell they missed it."

"Missed what?" Sun asked, walking out of his room as he pulled a grey T-shirt on. Lillie blushed as the boy walked in, though he also blushed upon looking at her.

"I shouldn't even give you breakfast, young man. After all, you had a very nutritious breakfast of pre-teen boobs just a little while ago!" Laura said to her boy, making both children blush scarlet once again.

"I said I was sorry!" Sun said almost pleadingly, still not looking at Lillie but feeling so embarrassed. He almost wanted to just run outside and jump into the ocean to forget about what he had unconsciously done earlier. To Sun's surprise, he felt someone hug him from behind.

"It's okay, Sun…You were sleeping and I…um, should've woken you up sooner." Lillie said as she stepped away, still blushing hard.

"So we're okay?" Sun asked his friend. Lillie smiled at him and nodded, and Sun sighed with relief and hugged Lillie in return. He was glad that he hadn't made her feel bad or had hurt their friendship with something stupid. Even if he wasn't conscious for it, he still felt bad.

"Next time? Wake me up better, okay?" Sun muttered to Lillie, stepping away from his friend. The girl nodded with a small smile as Laura broke down into laughter, leaning against the counter as the current pancake she was on began to burn. Sun sighed, pulling out a chair for his mother as he finished cooking the pancakes.

"So Sun, what's your plan for the next few days?" Laura asked as they sank their teeth into delicious pancakes. Sun swallowed his food and grinned at his mother in reply.

"Well, I thought about it and I think it might be better to battle Kahuna Hala sooner rather than later. Maybe in like three or four days. I'll train in the meantime so we'll be totally ready." Sun replied, surprising Laura and Lillie.

"So soon? You should probably rest a few more days, Sun. You're not recovered from what that assassin did to you," Lillie said softly.

"That's true, but I also think we could use something to distract us from the bad things that've happened this week. I can't stop thinking about that battle, anyway. I'm…Oh god, I'm turning into Hau!" Sun realized, clutching his face in horror as Lillie burst out laughing and Laura watched the two children with an amused smile.

* * *

To Lillie's relief, the next few days with the Smiles Family passed with no further problems. After her first night of comfortable sleep, Lillie managed to rest easily without Sun by her side. She assumed that because she felt comfortable there, with Laura's constant cheer and having someone she could trust without reserve like Sun nearby.

Nebby enjoyed it as well. The little Pokémon was safe within the home, so it constantly flew around the house and played with the other Pokémon around. It became quite good friends with Meowth, which made Lillie very happy to see. Lillie and Sun would play their flutes together and spend quite a bit of time together in general, even when they went to visit Kukui in the hospital. Sun contacted Hala over the phone and organized a day to do their battle in Iki Town.

On the day of Sun's battle with Hala, which was the fourth day after Sun was released from the hospital, Sun found himself walking down the hallway of the PICU (Pokémon Intensive Care Unit) to see the Pokémon that he had tentatively caught the other day. Lillie was currently with Professor Kukui and Professor Burnet (who Sun STILL hadn't met), having coffee with them as they discussed top-secret stuff. Sun decided to leave them to their work and mentioned that he was going to see the Growlithe, getting a hug from Lillie before she went to meet with the people who had taken her in.

To Sun's surprise, when he arrived at where the Growlithe was, he saw Doctor Colress standing in front of the dog with his Absol, putting away his data pad. Sun then spotted a black collar on the neck of the Growlithe, and was even more surprised that the dog was completely awake and alert and sitting upright.

"All vitals read normal, so it should only be a few more days before you can be released. What happens after that is up to you." Colress said to the dog, who didn't reply. Instead Colress looked over at Sun and smiled at the boy, gesturing him forward.

"Good to you again, Sun. As you can see, the Growlithe you saved the other day is recovering quickly. Today he has regained consciousness and I've placed one of my TACV's on him so that we can easily communicate with him if need be," Colress explained.

"TACV?" Sun asked.

"Translator Attachment Collar Variant. As I said before, I am an inventor at heart. I have spent many years devising ways to bring out the true power of Pokémon. My life's work will bring me to an answer of that question…Anyway, during my extensive research, I have come across many avenues to foster better communication and strength between Trainer and Pokémon. One of the greatest things I managed to do after the fall of Neo Team Plasma was create a way for humans and Pokémon to speak to one another. Hence, my translator collars. Simply attach one to a Pokémon and they will be able to speak to you. It's not a perfect science, quite yet, as some Pokémon are known to speak variants of their own speech in foreign languages but…" Colress shook his head, laughing.

"I apologize. I'm rambling. Long story short, I created the collars thanks to the efforts of the Devon Corporation and with the help of some friends in Unova. After their massive success in that region, I've been working with Kukui and Hala to get them developed here so that Alola can benefit from them too." Colress continued, making Sun smile finally.

"That'd be really cool. But it also sounds super expensive." Sun remarked, earning a nod from the scientist.

"They're a bit pricey, but they are expensive to create. However, I think the price is worth being able to communicate with your partner." Colress said as he leaned against the back counter.

"I'd like to be able to talk with my Pokémon. It's getting a bit easier to understand Oliver and Penny, but it'd be a lot easier if I had one of those collars." Sun admitted wistfully as Colress laughed again.

"Well, my main little setup is on Akala Island. If you can catch me there, I might be willing to let you have a few at a reduced cost." Colress replied as he crossed his arms and made Sun look at him in confusion.

"Reduced cost?"

"I'll discuss it another time. I believe that Growlithe wants to speak with you. I'll leave so you two can talk privately. However, I do have one more question."

"Um…yeah?"

"When do you plan on battling the Kahuna? Hau mentioned that both you and him were going to battle the Kahuna soon," Colress asked.

"Later today. I decided on the spot to do it now rather than wait a few more days." Sun explained to the doctor as he nodded in response.

"I'll have to come to that. I have yet to see a Grand Trial due to my field work. I'd like to see your skills in action." Colress remarked with a smile. He then bid Sun farewell and left the room, leaving Sun with the canine he had saved just a few days prior.

"How're you feeling?" Sun asked the Growlithe as it watched him warily, unmoving.

And then he spoke.

 _"I…am recovering."_ The Growlithe's 'voice' was surprisingly deep voice and rather rough. It sounded much older than Sun had thought it would sound, but according to Colress as Sun found out later, it all depended on the Pokémon itself as to what it sounded like.

"Good. I…Thanks, back there. For your help with Amber. You didn't have to try and fight like that. Especially since you were hurt so bad." Sun said to the Growlithe, but the dog narrowed its eyes slightly in response, making Sun shrink back.

 _"I may not have had to fight that monster, but I do so anyway. And so did you. I could not stand by and watch her kill innocents. The fire within me roared at the chance to take down such an evil being."_ The small dog replied, baring his teeth. Sun began trying to get a feel for the dog's personality. It was odd, being able to speak directly to a Pokémon and expect an answer back.

 _"But in the end I couldn't stand up to her. You took up the fight in my stead. And when I was injured, you saved my life...By catching me."_ Growlithe replied, with Sun nodding in reply. For a time the two stared at each other, enveloped in silence. Sun slowly pulled out the Poké Ball he had caught the Growlithe with and set it on the small elevated table the dog was on. The hound observed it for a moment before turning his gaze to Sun, and when the Growlithe spoke, his words were deliberate.

 _"Despite the respect most Pokémon share for humans…not all of us desire to be bound to you. I have heard tales of Pokémon locked within invisible vaults like trophies by some of your kind, and I abhor such a fate. So forgive me for being…apprehensive of being shackled to one of those Poké Balls."_ The Growlithe said quietly, shifting slightly and wincing in pain. Sun moved closer to the dog, worried. A soft growl made Sun back away.

 _"You…however, are one of the good humans. You're not like the dark-haired monster I tried to stop the other day. You had no reason to help me when I was hurt. You had no reason to protect me during the battle. And you had no reason to save my life by capturing me and bringing me here…And yet you did. Again and again you showed compassion and bravery for a Pokémon you did not know. Why is that?"_ Growlithe asked, opening his eyes a little further. Sun looked into the smoldering eyes of the brave Pokémon that he had battled alongside and thought about his answer. It was simple, really.

"Because it was the right thing to do. You were hurt and needed help. If I'm able to help someone…Then I should try to help them. Right?" Sun asked the Puppy Pokémon, who thought about his response.

 _"I believe we share a similar mindset…I had been tracking that monster for some time. She had been killing many Pokémon in her time on the Island. I found her after she killed a small nest of Rattata and Ratticate. I had no reason to be there, or to fight her but…My instincts told me she was evil and needed to be put down, so I followed her. And even when I was injured…I just couldn't let what she had done stand. I had to continue to fight, even if it cost me my life."_ Growlithe then growled, a bit of smoke escaping its mouth.

"So…honor is pretty big with you, huh?" Sun asked the dog.

 _"I would like to think so."_ The Growlithe replied with a small nod, adjusting his position with a wince.

"…Can I pet you?" Sun asked, surprising the dog. The Growlithe thought about it before slowly nodding. Sun grinned and slowly reached forward, stroking the dogs head. The dog closed his eyes for a few moments, and Sun found himself surprised by how warm the fur of the Pokémon was. He wondered if it just radiated heat in general or just when it was injured. Sun stopped a few seconds later, smiling widely now.

"So what now?" Sun asked the dog. The Growlithe hung his head for a moment, deep in thought.

 _"I'm…uncertain. I am recovering still, but I am unsure at this moment what the future holds."_ The Growlithe admitted, looking away from Sun.

"Would you consider…joining my team?" Sun asked quietly. The Growlithe didn't answer him right away, but did look back at him.

 _"I am considering it, truthfully. There are many benefits to having a caring Trainer such as yourself. I could grow stronger. See the world. And maybe even evolve, should the time come. However it is a lifelong commitment and I do not want to make a hasty decision. Many Pokémon Trainers snatch Pokémon away from their homes and families, uncaring of the consequences. I have my own family I would like to see before I do embark on such an adventure."_ Growlithe replied quietly, though to his surprise Sun nodded.

"Yeah, absolutely. If you have some things you needed to take care of or Pokémon you need to say goodbye too, we can totally go around the island so you can do that. I don't think we're going to the next island for a little while anyway. Not after what Amber did." Sun said to the dog, who had surprise in his eyes.

 _"You'd be willing to let me do all of that? It might take a while."_

"Why not? I don't want to hurt a Pokémon like that and you raise a really good point. I'll ask Penny later if she wants to see any of her family on the Island so that they know she's okay. I'll make sure to ask her after we battle the Kahuna later today." Sun replied with an easy smile, surprising the dog further. Just then, however, the nurse entered and informed Sun that it was time for the Growlithe to get some rest and that Sun could see him later.

"Well, goodbye then. I hope you'll think about joining me. It'd be awesome to have you." Sun said to the canine sitting on the bed, looking contemplative.

 _"You mentioned something. That you were battling the…Kahuna, today, yes_?"

"Yeah. I've got to go to Iki Town later and meet him for a battle. Why do you ask?" Sun asked the dog, who didn't reply verbally but instead laid down on its table.

 _"No reason. Goodbye for now."_ Growlithe said quietly, closing its eyes tiredly as the nurse prepared the dog's medication. Sun quietly exited the room and found Vivian and Noah waiting for him. He figured again that this was Colress's doing.

"Can you keep an eye on him for me? I'm going to be busy this afternoon and I can't hang around here all day." Sun said to the couple, earning two grins.

"Sure, why not? What's the occasion?" Noah asked.

"A battle with the Kahuna."

"Ooh…nice. Well, kick that man's wrinkly butt, Sun. Just keep an eye out for his tricks. He's old, but really strong." Vivian warned the boy, sauntering past him and patting him on the head as she walked by. Noah shook his head and joined his girlfriend, leaving Sun behind for a moment to catch up.

Sun spent the next hour or so hanging out with the crew from Unova, along with Lillie. Sun was curious as to where Hau was, but when told he was training for his own fight against Hala, Sun understood. This fight against his grandfather was the most important thing ever to Hau. It was understandable that he want to get as much practice as possible.

Eventually Sun left the hospital and got a taxi ride with Lillie and Laura back to their house. As the car drove off, Laura turned to Sun and Lillie and grinned at them as her Pidgeot swooped down to greet them with a piercing cry, making Lillie flinch. Sun just walked over to the bird and stroked his back with a smile, making the Pidegot coo softly.

"I've got to clean up the dishes from this morning, so you two go ahead on Jace and fly to Iki Town." Laura said to the two children, but Lillie cut her off.

"But we can't fly on Pokémon that aren't registered Ride Pokémon, Miss Smiles." Lillie pointed out, but Laura grinned mischievously at her.

"What they don't know what hurt them. Besides, Jace can get you halfway to town in ten minutes. He can just drop you off halfway and you can walk the rest of the way without anyone being any the wiser." Laura said with a dismissive wave of the had. Sun and Lillie looked at each other for a moment before looking back at Laura.

* * *

Ten Minutes Later

* * *

"That was…windy."

"That was amazing. Thanks for the ride, Jace!"

The Pidegot nodded in reply and took off into the air, creating a powerful downdraft that made Lillie and Sun yell out as it buffeted them. Rotom took that moment to pop out of Sun's backpack with a static-like giggle.

 _"Zz-zzt! Let's get ourselvezzz down to Iki Town so we can have that showdown with the Kahuna…You know, if you dare to, that is!"_ Rotom said with a wink as it zoomed ahead. Sun rolled his eyes as Lillie giggled, but otherwise neither had a reply to Rotom's snark. Rotom sighed dramatically and returned to Sun's backpack and the comfortable silence enveloped the two friends.

Lillie wondered why that was. When she spent time with Hau, any silences that happened in between conversation between him and her were always rather awkward. As if she couldn't find anything else to say and he didn't know what to say. But with Sun, it was okay if there was nothing more to say. There was a comfort to the silence, as well as a sort of reassurance that if Lillie did need to talk, Sun would immediately listen and understand.

The blonde-haired girl silently cursed herself for viewing one friend more highly than the other. She cared dearly about both boys, but was forced to admit that she felt differently for Sun than she felt for Hau. Lillie decided that she needed to ask Professor Burnet about this. She would know what to do.

"Hey, you okay?"

Lillie jumped at Sun's question, and saw the both with the stormy grey eyes regarding her with some concern. Lillie shook her head, a small smile coming to her face a moment later.

"I'm fine. Just…lost in thought." Lillie replied softly, before asking, "How about you? Are you nervous at all about facing Hala?"

"Not really. I have the type-advantage and I have a lot of faith in Penny and Oliver. I think we're ready for this. We'll find out sooner or later. We're coming up on Iki Town right now." Sun pointed out as the town came into sight. Lillie and Sun quickened their pace and entered the village, walking up the steps and entering it proper.

* * *

"You want me to do…what!?"

 _"You heard me. I want a way out of this place to see that battle."_

Vivian and Noah stared at the Growlithe on the table in front of them, his tail wagging slightly in excitement that he couldn't hide. Noah cleared his throat and said, "You're pretty badly hurt. Why should we risk your health like that?"

"Even if it is awesome you want to see Sun's Grand Trial." Vivian chimed in, grinning widely at the thought of Sun's unofficial Pokémon wanting to see him battle the Kahuna. True to their word, Vivian and Noah had checked on the dog a few hours after Sun had left.

And that was when the dog made his request.

"I say we do it." Vivian said to her boyfriend, giving him an eager look as she held out Decres' Poké Ball. Noah sighed and closed his eyes, thinking about it.

"Fine. We get you to the battle, and then you go right back here. Deal?" Noah said to the Growlithe, receiving a small smile from the canine.

 _"Deal."_

* * *

To the surprise of the children, Professor Kukui was waiting for them already as Rockruff ran circles around Kukui. Lillie quickly took her place alongside Professor Kukui, who was grinning cheerily at Sun. Sun just stared at the man before smiling at him, glad to see the man finally up and about.

"How're you feeling, Professor?" Sun asked the man, earning a chuckle in reply as Kukui pulled out a Poké Ball and returned Rockruff.

"Right as rain, cousin! I'll be out of the hospital officially in a few days. They're letting me hang here for a bit before I head back, because you better believe I wouldn't miss this fight for the world." Kukui said as he gave Sun a thumbs up.

"Thanks Professor. I'll do my best!" Sun promised, meeting the Professor's smile with his own smile.

"I expect nothing less, cousin! I see you're looking like you're in top form, like a raring to go Machamp after using Focus Energy! I'm sure lookin' forward to seeing what moves you and your Pokémon will pour your soul into, now that you've gone and cleared your first Trial, Sun!" Kukui said enthusiastically.

"It's true, you know…I mean, I'm not a Trainer, so I'm sure I don't really understand how hard it must have been…but even I think it's a great achievement Sun! I know that you can beat the Kahuna!" Lillie said haltingly, gaining a little bit of confidence towards the end, smiling at her friend. Sun grinned at her in reply, feeling warm at the combined praise of the two. Lillie suddenly yelped as Nebby wriggled within its bag, letting out what Sun took to be a cry of agreement. Lillie quickly placated the Pokémon and Kukui began talking again.

"Now…The Melemele Kahuna is strong, cousin! He's a Trainer who can use Fighting-type Pokémon to the fullest, yeah. Keep an eye out for surprises, because you know Hala's packing plenty of them. It's probably a good thing you got two swift and strong Flying-types that got your back!" Kukui said, giving Sun another thumbs up before stepping off to the side, revealing Hala standing down the path with his back turned to them, which made Sun wonder if that was done just for dramatic effect.

"We'll be waiting by the arena, cousin! Go kick some tail!" Kukui said with an even wider smile, walking down a side path that Sun assumed led to where the battle would be taking place. Lillie watched the Professor slowly walk down the path for a few moments before turning to face Sun.

"I...um…Do your best, Sun. Okay?" Lillie said quietly, offering Sun a shy smile and fidgeting slightly.

"Absolutely, Lillie. You'll be cheering for me, right?" Sun asked lightly. Lillie's smile widened as she nodded once, and the silence between them returned. Sun wondered why Lillie hadn't left yet, as the girl continued to fidget in one place, and was about to ask her what was up before Lillie quickly walked forward and hugged Sun tightly.

"Good luck!" Lillie whispered in Sun's ear as Lillie stepped away before he could return the hug, with the girl blushing bright pink and as she whirled around and jogged after the Professor. Sun watched her go for a while before a small buzzing sound alerted him.

 _"Warning. Fluff Detector has reached a critical point!"_ Rotom declared, giving Sun a massive grin that Sun ignored as he blushed at the Pokédex's teasing. Instead, he walked towards the Kahuna that was waiting for him in the distance. As Sun approached, the man turned around and greeted him with a smile.

"Ah, Sun. I am glad to see you standing before me, smiling and healthy. What with that business with the assassin the other day, a lesser Trainer would have held off on a battle such as this. But…I believe you are not ordinary Trainer, you who was chosen by Tapu Koko." Hala said rather formally, crossing his arms as Sun straightened up slightly.

"I must also say this. Congratulations on clearing your Trial in the Verdant Cavern. Good work. I suppose you're here to battle the Kahuna?" Hala asked, his smile quirking into a smirk. "You think that you and your team are ready for me, Sun?"

"Definitely!" Sun said, grinning up at the Kahuna with confidence.

Hala chuckled in response. "I have been waiting for this! Come, join me on the battlefield and we shall have a match to remember."

The next thirty minutes were a blur to Sun as a crowd quickly formed and word spread that an official battle with the Kahuna was about to take place. After getting a hug from his mother, who had joined the crowd shortly after Sun had arrived, Sun made his way up the steps and onto the main stage where official battles with the Kahuna took place. Hala stood in front of him, wearing an eager smile.

"Ho! I have been expecting you, but now the moment has arrived for the two of us to do battle." Hala said, his voice swelling with the power and authority that came with his prestigious position. The crowd was dead silent, with every single one of them hanging onto the words of the veteran Pokémon Trainer that watched over the Island alongside the Guardian Deity.

"Allow me to properly greet the young adventurers that stand before me, that are embarking on their Island Challenge. I am Hala, the Kahuna of Melemele Island." Hala intoned as he shifted his stance to a more casual one, his smile returning.

"Shall we begin? The final Trial here on Melemele Island will be a Pokémon battle against me, the Kahuna! It is known as the Grand Trial!" Hala continued as Sun shifted his own stance, reaching for a Poké Ball without even realizing it.

"Well, Sun! You have been entrusted with the Sparkling Stone by Tapu Koko…Now…" Hala trailed off, closing his eyes for a moment and allowing nothing but the soft breeze to be heard over the entire town.

"Show me you and your team's full power!" Hala bellowed, a fierce grin flashing into the face of the man, who assumed a battle stance with his arms in front of him. "Old Hala here will also be going all out! Let the Grand Trial begin!"

"Sounds good to me! Don't hold back." Sun replied, making the Kahuna bark out a laugh as Rotom floated above Sun. The device began playing a very intense song with loud beats to it, but Sun felt completely in the zone.

The crowd roared at that words shared between the combatants and when Rotom's music began playing, it made the atmosphere surrounding the two Trainers rise to fever-pitch.

Laura took a deep breath and screamed, "Go get him, Sun! You can do it baby!"

"Do your best!" Lillie called out as well.

"Both of you do awesome, because I have no idea who on earth to root for in this fight because I kinda want you both to win!" Hau added, shouting just because he could.

Hala threw a hand forward, and Sun winced as he felt the very air in front of him snap with some sort of invisible force. Sun felt a small bit of nerves in him as the old Trainer drew an Ultra Ball, a yellow and black Poké Ball, and regarded it for a moment before releasing the Pokémon within.

"Mankey, let's fight!" Hala declared as a Mankey landed on the round with a loud screech, throwing several punches before crying out again.

"Oliver, let's go!" Sun yelled out, releasing his starter, who exploded out of the Poké Ball with a loud hoot. Oliver soared to the ground before glancing back at Sun as Rotom's song became a bit more upbeat and cheerful.

"Let's do this, alright?" Sun said to the owl. Oliver hooted in reply before reaching out a wing and flicking out a few feathers with one sticking up, giving Sun a gesture that he realized was the bird's equivalent of a thumbs up.

"Let's start this off, Mankey! Karate Chop!" Hala ordered, stepping forward as his Pokémon nodded in reply before dashing forward, almost too fast for Sun to follow. Before Oliver could even react, the monkey Pokémon drew back its hand and delivered a powerful strike right to the forehead of the Dartrix, making the owl stagger back with a screech of pain.

"Oliver, Razor Leaf!" Sun commanded as Oliver brushed his hair aside and growled at the Mankey as it back-peddled away. The furious owl flung out its wings, releasing a powerful storm of leaves that raced towards the monkey.

"Dodge it by rolling on the ground!" Hala commanded the monkey as the leaves flew towards it. Mankey stood its ground, beating its chest with a howl of fury before the Pokémon dove to the ground, rolling underneath the Razor Leaf and dashing towards Oliver as Sun stood there stunned by the agility of the small monkey. Sun was then surprised with the command Hala gave the Mankey.

"Hit it with Poison Jab, then follow up with Focus Energy!" Hala ordered the Mankey as it drew close to Oliver. Mankey drew back a fist that was glowing purple and jumped into the air to catch Oliver as he tried to dodge the attack, but the monkey still managed to hit the Dartrix with its glowing purple fist and make Oliver screech in pain.

"Oliver is a Grass-type and weak to Poison-type attacks…Not good. Razor Leaf now, while it's close!" Sun yelled out. Oliver reacted instantly as the Mankey fell to the ground, releasing more leaves that quickly slashed at the monkey Pokémon below, making it screech in agony at the cuts it was sporting all over now.

"Stay calm, Mankey." Hala called to the monkey, who was stomping its foot in anger. The Mankey looked at Hala for a moment before noticeably calming down. It then began to glow bright blue, which Sun realized was Focus Energy.

"Oliver, use Peck!" Sun yelled out to his Dartrix, who shot forward with a loud screech.

"Use Poison Jab!" Hala commanded his Mankey yet again. The Monkey leapt forward and swung its fist, connecting with Oliver's beak and creating an explosion of force as the two attacks struggled for dominance. Both Pokémon suddenly broke away and Hala laughed aloud, catching Sun's attention.

"I have to admit, I don't usually use the TM moves my Pokémon know. But you're hanging tough, my boy. And that's good. But can you keep up?" Hala asked, his smile turning into a smirk.

* * *

The Growlithe slipped through the crowd easily enough, thanks to them being distracted with the proceedings. He made a vow to thank the strange girl who allowed him to escape the confines of the room he had been recovering in just so that he could see the boy who saved him in action against the renowned Kahuna of the Island.

The dog slipped through the legs of the humans with little effort, wincing slightly as he moved due to his chest. It would be a while longer before he could fight again, but he would not miss an informative fight like this for anything. So he quietly made his way over to a familiar girl garbed in white and sat on the ground next to her, ignoring the amazed look on her face as she looked down at him.

* * *

Sun matched the Kahuna's smirk with a wide smile, feeling the fervor of battle seep into him. He was happy. He was excited. And he believed in the Pokémon he had at his side.

He was going to win.

"You bet, Hala. Now make your move, Kahuna!" Sun called to the man as Oliver flew towards Sun, soaring around him before flying towards Mankey.

"Very well. Use Pursuit, Mankey!" Hala yelled out, making the Mankey leap forward as its arms glowed jet black. As Oliver drew close to the Mankey, Sun's grin widened.

"Dodge now!" Sun yelled out as the Mankey swung both arms downwards, releasing a wave of black energy from its arms. To the monkey's surprise, Oliver effortlessly swooped below the attack at Sun's command, dodging the attack completely.

"Now bring it down with Tackle!" Sun ordered the Dartrix, who darted backwards for a moment before slamming into Mankey from behind, sending the Pokémon hurtling across the arena and crashing onto the ground. Everyone watched as the Mankey stirred briefly before remaining still, groaning slightly.

"Mankey is unable to battle. Dartrix wins!" the referee called, gesturing towards Sun and Oliver as the Dartrix soared over to his Trainer. Hala returned his Pokémon and smiled down at the ball that contained it.

"Well done. Thank you for your hard work." Hala said, stowing away the Ultra Ball in his jacket.

"Awesome job, Oliver. You really showed him." Sun murmured to his starter, ruffling the feathers on the Pokémon's head. Oliver flinched at that and began carefully grooming himself while Sun chuckled.

"Man. Not a bad start." Hau remarked, putting his hands behind his head.

"Of course not. But keep in mind, Hala is the Kahuna. And he has decades of experience. He won't make this an easy battle for Sun, that's for sure." Colress said quietly, shifting slightly as he began tapping on his notepad. Lillie and Laura watched wordlessly, too enthralled to pay attention to the conversation.

"Well played, Sun. But let's see how you deal with this Pokémon. Go, Makuhita!" Hala yelled out, calling forth an unfamiliar Pokémon. It was rather large, with big glove-like hands and grinned at them cheerily. The crowd screamed in excitement again as the new Pokémon entered the field.

"Hey Rotom, can you tell me what's up with this Pokémon?" Sun asked the Rotem Dex as it hopped out of his backpack.

 _"Sure thing, zz-zzt! Makuhita, the Guts Pokémon. It was originally brought in from another region, but now Makuhita from Alola are more famous. Their daily routine consists of training together first thing in the morning, eating and napping in the afternoon, and then more training afterwards."_ Rotom explained as it floated above Sun's head, the boy himself watching the newest arrival on the field.

"Alright then…Oliver, use Peck!" Sun commanded, throwing a hand out as the Kahuna chuckled.

"Use Protect, Makuhita." Hala ordered calmly. The Guts Pokémon grunted as it held out both of its hands, a bright green force field surrounding the Fighting-type as Oliver rushed close and slammed into it with his elongated beak, sending reverberations through it.

"As good as your Dartrix is, Sun, my Makuhita is safe. What will you do now?" Hala asked crossing his arms.

"Razor Leaf! Keep up the pressure!" Sun said to Oliver, who replied by flapping his wings downwards and releasing a barrage of razor sharp leaves down onto the shield that the Makuhita was hiding behind. The Pokémon growled as the shield began to crack and splinter before finally shattering, allowing in the torrent of leaves that sliced into the Guts Pokémon and made it cry out in pain.

"Stand your ground and use Bulk Up!" Hala ordered the Pokémon. Mahuhita nodded and flexed, allowing a crimson aura to erupt around him as the muscles of the Pokémon suddenly grew larger.

"Use Peck now!" Sun called out as Oliver hovered above the Guts Pokémon. The Dartrix nodded and shot downwards, his beak glowing as it extended outward another foot.

"Dodge it and use Arm Thrust!" Hala called out to the Makuhita as it took a step back. Oliver drew closer and the Guts Pokémon did a somersault forward as Oliver raced by, barely dodging the attack and managing to hit the owl twice with its own attack, making Oliver fluttering away with a wince.

"Come on, you two! Is that all you've got?" Hala asked, crossing his arms and giving them a very Hau-like smirk.

"No way…Oliver, use Tackle! Don't let it dodge anymore!" Sun yelled to his starter as it flew towards the Makuhita.

"Bulk Up again!" Hala commanded the chubby Fighting-type in front of him. Makuhita obliged, increasing its attack and defense as Oliver drew closer with a loud horrifying screech that made the other Pokémon inwardly cringe in fear. Oliver slammed into Makuhita, who actually grabbed onto the bird as it collided with him, despite the damage being done to it.

Sun then saw Hala grin and knew that something was wrong.

"Now we've got him right where we want him…Use Ice Punch!" Hala bellowed as Makuhita drew its arm back, triumph gleaming in its eyes before its fist glowed bright blue, glistening with icy energy. The eyes of the Dartrix went wide in horror. Oliver screeched in agony as the fist made contact with its chest, sending the Pokémon soaring backwards with a screech of pain, the Pokémon tumbling through the air as it crashed onto the ground. Sun yelled out at the sight, but then felt horror grip him as he saw that a large amount of ice had now formed around Oliver's chest, making the bird frozen and basically immobile. Worse still was Oliver couldn't attack at all from his position.

"Now, Makuhita, finish it off with-!" Hala began to say.

"Oliver, return!

Hala chuckled as a beam of red light hit the larger bird, recalling it into its Poké Ball. Sun grit his teeth, surprised that the Makuhita before him was so good. He certainly wasn't expecting Ice Punch. He needed to be better prepared for surprise moves like that.

"Naturally, as a Fighting-type specialist, I encounter my fair share of birds. As such I'm prepared to defeat such Pokémon. Now. Choose your Pokémon." Hala ordered Sun, who clipped Oliver's Poké Ball to his belt, frowning as he thought of how to deal with the Makuhita before him.

Kukui chuckled at the battle before him, drawing the attention of everyone.

"You seem amused, Kukui." Colress noted, a small smile on his face.

"This is one red-hot battle and it's got me hyped, cousin. But more importantly, Hala and Sun are neck and neck in this thing. And neither one have busted out a Z-Move yet…" Kukui mused with a wide grin.

"Well…Sun's about to send out Penny. Let's hope she's able to turn this battle back around for Sun." Lillie said quietly, smiling at the others before looking down at the Growlithe next to her, who was completely still and focused on the battle ahead.

"What the…what's he doing here?!" Kukui stammered in surprise, amazed and horrified that the injured Growlithe who had been shot a week ago was there with them and not in a hospital.

"I don't know…But I think it may be wanting to see Sun's Grand Trial against Tutu." Hau suggested after a moment, earning a look from the Pokémon in question.

 _"I want to see for myself what kind of person he is in battle. Through combat, our true colors are shown."_ The Growlithe replied quietly, turning his attention back to the Grand Trial.

"Penny, let's go!" Sun called out, releasing his Trumbeak with an explosion of light erupting from the Poké Ball as the crowd cheered for the new Pokémon.

"Beeeaaak!" Penny trilled happily, fluttering to the ground.

"Alright Penny. Oliver's worn this guy down. But we can't get overconfident. That Ice Punch is brutal and it'll do bad damage to you. We've still got Oliver if something happens, but he's mostly frozen and he's hurt bad, so I don't want to resort to using him and having him get even more hurt. So keep sharp, okay?" Sun advised his Trumbeak, receiving a small nod in return as the bird's calculating eyes turned to the battlefield.

"I'll start this off. Bulk Up!" Hala yelled out. Makuhita replied by letting out a yell and flexing, allowing a crimson aura to engulf it and boost its stats.

"Use Echoed Voice!" Sun yelled out as the Trumbeak took flight, letting out a small shock-wave of sound that slammed into the Fighting-type from above. Makuhita grit its teeth and endured the attack, slowly getting pushed back by the sheer force of it.

"Attacking from a distance won't do you much good. Bounce into the air and hit that Trumbeak with Ice Punch!" Hala ordered the Guts Pokémon. Makuhita kicked off of the ground and soared into the air, but Trumbeak didn't move.

"Supersonic!" Sun yelled out, making Hala gasp in surprise as the Trumbeak out an echoing screech that enveloped the Guts Pokémon, making it miss its mark completely as it swung an icy fist five feet to the left of where its opponent was flying.

"Makuhita, snap out of it! Use Arm Thrust!" Hala commanded the Pokémon as it landed on the ground, looking around with a dazed look in its eyes.

"Not gonna happen. Finish this thing off with Peck, full-power!" Sun ordered Penny as the Trumbeak flared her wings, darting forward as the Makuhita stumbled on the ground, punching itself in the face. Penny smashed into the Guts Pokémon from behind with her glowing beak, making the Fighting-type cry out in pain before falling to the ground face-first as Penny flew back to her Trainer. After a few moments, the referee raised his flag.

"Makuhita is unable to battle. The winner is Trumbeak!"

"Alright Penny, awesome work…Now we have one more to go." Sun breathed, excitement in his voice palpable as Hala returned his Makuhita.

"Well played. However, my last Pokémon is the child of my strongest Pokémon, and is proving to be quite adept in combat. I wonder how you'll fare against it…Crabrawler, show them your strength!" Hala roared, releasing his final Pokémon onto the field. Sun regarded the blue crab with the large boxing glove-like hands with unease, knowing that this was the strongest of the trio of Pokémon Hala was going to throw at him. Sun eyed the dark orange Z-Crystal attached to Crabrawler's left fist and took a shaky breath as the crowd roared one more time.

"And now…We have a very interesting fight on our hands." Kukui said as he crossed his arms, wincing slightly as his grin widened.

"Rotom…One more time, buddy. What's the deal with Crabrawler?" Sun asked the Pokédex, who slipped out of Sun's backpack and gave Hala a wave before replying.

 _"Crabrawler. The Boxing Pokémon. While guarding its weak points with its pincers, it looks for an opening and unleashes punches. When it loses, it foams at the mouth and faints. It punches so much, its pincers often come off from overuse, but they grow back quickly. What little meat they contain is rich and delicious. Zz-zzt!"_ Rotom explained cheerily, watching the crab Pokémon from across the battlefield.

"Alright then…Penny, use Peck!" Sun commanded the bird. Penny nodded sharply and darted forward, her beak glowing brightly as she soared into the Crabrawler, sending the crab Pokémon skidding backwards with a snarl of pain.

"Use Leer and then follow up with Rock Slide!" Hala commanded, throwing out an arm as the Crabrawler foamed at the mouth, giving Penny a horrifying glare. It then threw out its arms, creating half a dozen portals above them that showered the field with rocks.

"Penny! Use Echoed Voice to blast the rocks away!" Sun called out to his bird as she soared around the battlefield, screeching in surprise as the boulders fell around her. Penny nodded and opened her beak, blasting apart a few rocks falling ahead of her and reducing them to hundreds of pebbles.

"Well-played. Use Power-Up Punch!" Hala ordered as the Crabrawler drew back its hand, a harsh orange glow infusing it before the Boxing Pokémon decked Penny in the face and sent her to the ground, wincing in pain.

"Supersonic!" Sun yelled to Penny, who responded by releasing another soundwave that washed over Crabrawler, making the Pokémon confused much like his partner Makuhita.

"Crabrawler, use Pursuit!" Hala yelled out to the Crabrawler, who lunged forward with to glowing black arms but completely face-planted far away from Penny.

"Use Peck!" Sun yelled to Penny as the bird dropped out of the sky and crashed down into the crab Pokémon from above, jamming her beak into its back. Crabrawler's eyes suddenly regained focus and it spat a series of bubbles at Penny, who flew away and landed on the ground.

"Bubble, full-power!" Hala ordered as Crabrawler sunk low to the ground, hissing at Penny as she flared her wings, preparing herself for whatever the other Pokémon was going to do.

"Meet it head-on! Use Echoed Voice!" Sun yelled out as the flurry of bubbles flew towards Penny. The Trumbeak screeched out another blast of sound that smashed into the wall of bubbles, creating a watery explosion in midair as the two attacks cancelled each other out.

"Go through the explosion and use Peck!" Sun commanded, pointing into the mist. Penny kicked off of the ground and flapped her wings, barreling through the mist with her glowing beak and vanishing from sight.

"Use-Power Up Punch!" Hala yelled out to his Pokémon. A loud banging sound rung out and after a moment, Penny soared out from the mist with a cry as she crashed onto the ground, wincing in pain as the mist finally cleared, showing a Crabrawler sporting a large cut on its chest.

"Leer again, Crabrawler!" Hala commanded the Boxing Pokémon, making Penny shrink back at the awful glare the other Pokémon was giving it even as she rose to her feet. Sun scowled at that. Hau used the same tactic on him from before. By weakening his Pokémon's stats, he'd effectively make them much easier targets. And Sun knew that the Crabrawler had Power-Up Punch and was regularly using it, and he knew that attack only made the user stronger with every successful hit.

Sun needed to wrap up this fight quickly.

"Use Echoed Voice!" Sun called to Penny as she flapped her wings and rocketed into the air. The bird chirped a reply before releasing a blast of sound at the ground, hitting the Crabrawler and making it screech in pain.

"Your Pokémon are well-trained, Sun. I am not surprised, though. You are my grandson's rival after all." Hala remarked, his smirk turning into a smile before he suddenly shifted into a squatting stance, rolling up his sleeve and revealing a very old and battered Z-Ring. As if on cue, Crabrawler let out an echoing cry before its body suddenly flashed orange. A burning flaming orange aura erupted around the Pokémon, giving off no heat but raging like a wildfire around the crab Pokémon.

"Let me show you, child…The power of the bond that I share with my Pokémon!" Hala bellowed, striking a series of punching-like poses that ended with him throwing a massive fist forward, with the Pokémon in front of the Kahuna mimicking every movement perfectly, as if they were the one and the same being.

Crabrawler screeched in fury before leaping into the air at the star-struck Penny, who was too stunned to dodge. Sun was too enthralled to even issue a reply, instead watching in mute shock as he witnessed the power of a Z-Move being unleashed by the mighty Kahuna.

"Crabrawler, channel Power-Up Punch… _And use All-Out Pummeling_!" Hala roared as Crabrawler's fists exploded in a raging energy and it began throwing its fists outwards. Penny screeched in pain as the fiery orange fists rushed out from the fists of the Boxing Pokémon with incredible speed, each one of them into crashing into Penny and knocking her further and further into the air. With each punch Sun felt the air crumple with sheer force, almost taking his breath away as Penny was beaten senseless by the fierce Crabrawler. The fists slammed into her again and again, each blow jolting the bird through the air before finally, mercifully, the attack ended with a small flash of white light and the Crabrawler landed on the ground, shuddering slightly. Sun snapped out of his trance then, looking up at the Trumbeak that was frozen in the air.

"PENNY!" Sun screamed out as the bird slowly tilted forward, her eyes shut tight in pain as she plummeted towards the ground. Penny smashed into the arena and remained completely still.

"No…" Sun whispered, horrified at the state Penny was in. Her entire body was covered in dark black charred marks, still steaming from the sheer fiery power of the Fighting-type Z-Move she had been hit with.

Meanwhile, on the ground, Penny didn't know what to do. She was in so much pain. She was barely clinging to consciousness. She didn't want to give up. To leave the entire fight on the hands of her injured teammate. She wanted to be able to stand on her own two talons and show Sun she could be just as good as Oliver…Right?

"Come on, Penny! You can beat that thing! I know you can!" Penny's eyes slowly opened in surprise at her Trainer's words. Did he really believe that? That she could defeat her surprisingly powerful opponent, even after taking such a blow?

She thought about her Trainer. How much he had suffered lately. How much fear and pain he had gone through and how it was she and Oliver who had been trying to support him through these hard times. It was the least they could do for the human who showed them nothing but love and kindness. Her Trainer was strong…and so was she! She didn't want to let Sun down! She had to keep fighting!

"Trumbeak is unable to battle! The winner is…" the referee was about to raise a flag in the direction of Crabrawler and the Kahuna, but all three of them were surprised when Penny slowly shifted on the ground and used her wings to push herself off of the ground and into a standing position, panting heavily and shutting one eye completely, but still very much conscious and able to fight.

"Penny…" Sun whispered, feeling proud of the bird in front of him. Sun grinned, feeling a rush of confidence in the both of them. Penny wasn't done just quite yet, and Sun had a few tricks of his own left to use.

"You both show resiliency. I applaud the two of you. But can your Trumbeak handle much more in its current state?" Hala asked as Crabrawler threw out a few punches in the air, hissing at them.

"Absolutely! Penny's not going to let me down! She's going to win this battle right here, right now!" Sun declared, fist-pumping as the Z-Ring in front of him flashed for a moment. Hala grinned at the boy's spirit and flung out an arm.

"Very well, then! Crabrawler, use Power-Up Punch!" Hala commanded, the crab Pokémon nodded and lunging towards the panting Trumbeak ahead of him that was making no effort to move. Hala raised an eyebrow as the Crabrawler drew closer and closer-

"Now! Supersonic!" Sun called out, grinning even wider as Penny's eyes widened and she let out a powerful screeching soundwave that smashed into the charging Crabrawler, who let out a groan as it fell to the ground and hurt itself in its confusion.

"No, Crabrawler, get up!" Hala called to the Pokémon, who was struggling to do just that. Meanwhile, Penny flew over to Sun and landed in front of him, her body heaving with the effort of just standing upright. She then felt a hand on her head and looked up to see Sun smiling down at her.

"Let's end this together. Alright?" Sun said quietly, raising his Z-Ring slightly. Penny nodded and hopped forward, standing even more upright and proudly showing the Normalium-Z that she had attached to her.

"Alright…Penny, let's do this!" Sun shouted, taking a deep breath and focusing intensely as he held out his Z-Ring, which suddenly began glowing. Sun channeled his energy into the ring, feeling his very soul reach out to the Trumbeak ahead of him and allowing them to connect on a level that would allow them to combine their strength and unleash an attack stronger than the two of them combined.

Penny's eyes widened as she felt a suddenly flow of energy flood through her veins. She felt the hope and faith that her Trainer had in her. The pride he had for how hard she was trying and the love he had for her as one of his Pokémon almost overwhelmed Penny, but she instead felt her Trainer preparing to move.

Sun began to strike the poses that Captain Ilima had shown him what seemed like an eternity ago, with Penny mimicking him with her wings, both of them moving in total sync just like the Kahuna before them. They ended the sequence of poses both of their arm/wings crossed. Sun's smile widened as he felt a strange surging energy flow through him and outward into Penny, who let out a loud screech as she felt strength return to her. The strength given to her by her Trainer for her to carry out one final attack to end this fight. Penny eyed the struggling Crabrawler on the ground and narrowed her eyes.

"Go Penny! Channel Echoed Voice… _and use Breakneck Blitz!_ " Sun yelled out as Penny crouched slightly, the aura around her becoming more fire-like than before. Hala's mouth dropped in surprise as the Trumbeak began charging towards him and Crabrawler with a trail of dust erupting behind the frenzied charge of the Flying-type Pokémon, eyes completely focused on bringing them down. Crabrawler's eyes widened in horror even in its confused state as Penny drew closer, a horrifyingly loud screech erupting from the mouth of the Trumbeak before she collided with with Crabralwer. The collision created a massive explosion of light that blinded everyone watching the battle and sent a shock-wave of force that sent Hala skidding backwards with a yell and making him cover his eyes.

The Kahuna sighed as the light faded and he looked up, seeing a sight that made him shiver for a moment. His Crabrawler had been sent flying out of the arena and was now stuck inside of a palm tree about twenty feet behind him. It was wedged within it, but was very clearly knocked out, its body sporting heavy damage and a very battered-claw. Hala looked back ahead of him and saw Penny the Trumbeak standing close by, panting very heavily and looking ready to drop but still able to battle.

"Crabrawler is unable to battle…The winner of the Grand Trial is Sun!" the referee declared after a few moments. The crowd's earlier cries were nothing compared to the roar that came from them now, fresh off a very intense battle that they didn't get to see very often.

Sun stood there, amazed for several moments before he grinned widely and ran onto the battlefield, making sure to slow down as her neared Penny. The Trumbeak turned around, giving Sun an exhausted but happy chirp before being hugged tightly by her Trainer. Penny returned the embrace, finally collapsing from exhaustion and allowing her Trainer to hold her.

"I'm so proud of you. We did it. Me, you, and Oliver. We beat the Kahuna!" Sun said to his bird, feeling his eyes starting to tear up with emotion. He felt so many things just then. Pride, happiness, relief, and overwhelming sense of satisfaction.

They did it. They had won their Grand Trial. And were one step closer to becoming the Island Challenge Champion.

Hala smiled at the display of affection from the two. He watched Sun released Oliver and break him free from the ice with Penny's help before he began healing his two Pokémon, sharing laughs and more hugs as the two birds were healed. The Kahuna turned around and returned Crabrawler, thanking it for a hard-fought battle. The Kahuna turned back around and saw Sun waiting for him, both of his loyal birds standing in front of him looking much livelier now that their injuries had been healed. Hala didn't even bother trying to hide the wide smile of joy on his face at the sight.

"Hoho! Well played!" Hala laughed, rubbing the back of his head in a manner not-unlike how his grandson often did. Hala then calmed himself, allowing the seriousness of the situation to envelop the battlefield yet again.

"The results come as no surprise to me." Hala stated, his powerful voice radiating with respect for the young child before him. "What a fine Trainer…and what fine Pokémon, too!"

A loud piercing cry from above suddenly rang out.

"Tapu-ko-ko-ko!" The shrill scream that Sun recognized on the spot made the boy shudder in response as the Pokémon in question suddenly flashed into appearance just above the Ruins of Conlfict in the distance, staring directly at him before vanishing in a flash of lightning.

"Ho! And our mighty Tapu Koko agrees!" Hala declared with a laugh as the crowd around them murmured amongst themselves. Hala continued, "Perhaps Tapu Koko is hoping that a day may come when you will grow strong enough to battle it as well…"

"That's definitely a day I look forward to." Sun replied quietly, smiling as he looked over towards where the Island Deity had vanished.

"However…I believe there is another who has recognized your strength. Turn around, Sun." Hala instructed the boy, gesturing for Sun to look behind himself. Sun did as the Kahuna asked and his jaw dropped in surprise to see a familiar canine slowly making its way towards the stage.

"What…what are you doing here?" Sun whispered, with even Oliver and Penny stunned at the proceedings. None of them would have ever expected the badly-injured Growlithe to show up here…But here it was.

Sun watched the Growlithe slowly approach him and his two birds with his eyes burning with emotion. Which ones those were, however, Sun couldn't place. The crowd watched silently as the dog gingerly made his way up the steps and made his way over to Sun and looked up at him, covered in bandages and looking rather exhausted but still holding itself proudly.

The Growlithe shifted slightly as Sun crouched down to his eye level, confusion clear on his face. Sun then heard the Puppy Pokémon growl softly before it spoke in its soft deep voice.

 _"I have made my decision. You lead this pack and I will follow where you do. My strength is now yours, as yours is mine, Alpha."_ Growlithe said with a small nod to Sun, who remained silent at the declaration of loyalty from the canine. Sun blinked in surprise when the dog moved forward and licked him once on the cheek, leaving a trail of very warm dog slobber on his face.

Sun's face then broke out into a wide grin as the moment sank in for him and the Growlithe padded over to where Penny and Oliver were watching him. He resolutely sat down on the other side of Oliver, taking his place on Sun's team.

"It seems as though the strength that allowed you to overcome the Kahuna of this Island...Has proven to another that you are worthy of following." Hala said to the child before him as he turned back around to face the Kahuna. Hala was beaming of course as he reached into his pocket and offered a Z-Crystal to Sun.

"Accept this Z-Crystal! It allows Trainers to share their power with their partner Pokémon!" Hala said as Sun reached forward and grabbed the gem from the Kahuna. Sun laughed softly as he felt the energy of the crystal thrum through him, prompting him to do the same pose he did when he had defeated the Totem Pokémon of the Verdant Cavern. The crowd around Sun cheered the boy on as he held his prize, the Fightium-Z, skyward as a burst of energy erupted from the Z-Crystal. Oliver hooted joyfully while Penny chirped, fluttering into the air. The Growlithe let out a loud bark that wasn't picked up by the translator, but the sentiment was the same.

Sun and his team had just defeated the first Kahuna after a hard-fought battle. And now with the Grand Trial of Melemele Island completed, more adventure awaited the young boy and his team of three, now bolstered by a brave and fierce Growlithe.

What new adventures awaited Sun and his team on the next Island, where more Trials and an even stronger Kahuna awaited him?

Only time would tell.

* * *

 **End of Act I**

 **Reprise**

* * *

 _There we have it folks. Sun's defeated his first Kahuna and we are nearly done with Tutorial Island! And Sun has officially added a Growlithe to his team!_

 _And we've still got 171 chapters to go!_

 _However, this is where I'll have to leave you. I'm literally about to leave home for the last time and I'm leaving to head down to MEPS one last time before I go. I actually leave in just a few hours. Basic Training starts for me tomorrow, and I'll be cut off from the outside world for a good long while. Two months at the absolute least, if everything goes well. Meaning it'll be a while before I can get back to a computer and start working on more chapters._

 ** _So I'd expect, from today's date, about ten to twelve weeks in total before I'm all set to upload chapters again. Meaning anywhere from August 26th to September 10th for an update on RS. Maybe sooner, but I don't know quite how everything will work in Tech School and I may need time to adjust before I can start writing again. I'll also need a good bit of time after Basic to re-read the story and fix small errors that people have pointed out and that I've marked myself. It'll also help me reacquaint myself with the story after a two-month hiatus. And I also have to write the next chapter on top of everything else, so yeah, might take a bit._**

 _So for now, I'm going to leave on this note. Thank you, readers and reviewers, for supporting both me and this story._

 _Through good times and bad this year, you all have been absolutely fantastic. We've already come such a long way, and I've got a lot more action, adventure, hilarity, and romance coming your way down the road. I just ask that everyone continue to be patient while I go through this next phase of my life. Hopefully everything works out and I'll be back in no time, but with how unpredictable things in the military can be, I can't promise anything._

 _Have an awesome summer, and as always, be sure to show that love via review/favorite/follow/or PM. Feedback, like I say, makes stories all the more stronger and it's how this tale even got to this point._

 _So stay safe and stay awesome._

 _Until next time, FlygonNick out!_

* * *

 **To Be Continued in Act II**

 **Repercussions**


	29. Fearless

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _You all have no idea how good it feels to be able to update this story again._

 _Seriously, like...my god. I can have my soul back!_

 _Kidding, kidding...mostly._

 _But seriously, I'm back now. Sorry for the delays and delays on top of the delays. Only just got my laptop back this week and wrote a fourth of this on my phone just so I could get it done by this weekend._

 _So yeah, Basic Military Training (BMT) was a thing. Nine weeks of training in the glorious heat where I was whipped into shape and taught discipline. All in all, I can say it was one of the toughest things I've ever endured. Thankfully the instructors I had were fantastic and my fellow Airmen motivated me and supported me during the stressful times, so I managed to get out of the experience everything I wanted to and more. I am so proud and happy to be part of the United States Air Force, and to be serving alongside the men and women I regarded (and still do) as heroes. I've stated it once before in another story and I'll state it here. I have the utmost respect for those who put their lives on the line for this country, and I am honored to be wearing the uniform that they do._

 _Now, as for why this chapter came out as late as it did. It would've been out sooner if I hadn't run into some problems that delayed me getting my laptop and other things that kept me away longer than anticipated._

 _I'm just glad I managed to meet my deadline, even if it was on the last day._

 _And even so, the next few chapters may be a bit rougher than usual. Getting back into a writing groove after so much time away from the computer isn't easy. Especially since the next few chapters don't involve long-awaited story events and I haven't had a chance yet to reread this story and refresh my mind on events that have happened in it. So please bear with me while I get back into the swing of things, and I'll try as hard as I can to maintain the standard that you all have come to expect with this fanfic._

 _I am glad to be in Tech School and have that part of my life over and done with, though. And I'm even more excited to have some of my stuff back so I can do stuff like write this story again. I had a good while to plot and scheme while I was away, especially for the Akala Island Arc (Totally just called it that on the fly), so I'm hoping that with this update I can return to a regular weekly schedule and get this story rolling again._

 _However, I will be busier than ever, so we'll see. I should be able to juggle both this and Tech School as long as I can keep the chapters at manageable lengths, which should be easy because I have all the time in the world now with no stupid deadlines to stress out about._

 _Shoutout to those who reviewed last chapter, which includes Cottonmouth25, Madame Rodoshe, BouncingFish, BraviaryScout, Raikou927, NullSilver2005, Martial Arts Master, Gokan123, Sai Og Sus, Ways, bigboy9969, as well as two new reviewers known as Adrian Freelancer and Latias876. You all are the best, for real, yo._

 _And I'd like to say thanks to every single one of you who has wished me well on my journey to get to this point in my career, which has really only just begun. It wasn't easy by any means. It pushed me to my physical and mental limits time and time again and I'll admit I had a really rough time of things..._

 _...But here I am, triumphant and victorious as an Airman of United States Air Force._

 _And on that second patriotic note, I welcome old readers back to the story and say greetings and salutations to my newer readers joining us._

 _Now let's get down to business. Time to get a name for Sun's newest Pokemon, sort out some plot, and have other things happen too! Let's find out what, shall we?_

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 **Pokémon Radiant Sun**

 **Act II**

 **Repercussions**

* * *

 _Chapter 29: Fearless_

* * *

Amber walked through the forest path with a small frown, in deep thought.

While she hadn't entirely recovered from the events that had taken place on Melemele Island, she could not get them out of her head. The final evening in particular stuck out, of course.

It was the closest she had come to death in years. And it drove an excitement through her that likes of which she hadn't felt in since she and Wes had battled last. He nearly killed her then, and once he failed to do so, regretted it dearly. In a way she missed the fool. Tormenting him had become a hobby of hers. Terrorizing others and inflicting as much pain as possible was one of the few things that actually made her feel something.

Amusement.

And while it wasn't joy or happiness, it was something.

While she was recovering, the desire to return to the islands of Alola was tempting. Plenty of exotic Pokémon for her to add to Cipher's ranks of Shadow Pokémon. Plenty of annoying people to mess with and annoying children to kill. And if that Tapu Koko thing was anything to judge by, the legendaries in the region were notably fierce. Exactly what they needed.

Especially if they were serious about certain _projects_ moving forward.

While Amber didn't necessarily disagree with the Umbral Project, she certainly was wary about furthering it. The last time the project had made any significant headway, the resulting mess ended with an entire compound getting slaughtered and several months of headache for all of them.

No. They didn't need another Jojo.

"But again I get ahead of myself...we've got an operation here. Why would I need to go back there when I'm needed here? Even if Colress, and I imagine his band of idiots, are over there, what use is there for me to dwell on it? They're not major threats to us at this point. Borlath needs me here to neutralize anything that stands in our way. And even if I want something, I can't say no to Borlath, now can I?" Amber mused as she continued her saunter down the forest path. She hummed a dull tune as she walked, killing the time before Avis returned to whisk her away to their next objective. With Celadon City crippled and the Kanto region on its toes, their next target had to be taken care of. It would take some time and doing, but soon another city would fall and Cipher would be one small step closer to world domination.

Amber stopped her humming as an Xatu flashed into existence beside her. Avis still looked worse for wear after her battle with Professor Kukui and Tapu Koko, but she was resilient like her. She would recover in time, just like the rest of her team. Though Amber still needed a replacement for her Infernape.

" _Sorry for the delay. Scoping out the Vermilion City Gym was more tedious than I imagined it would be."_ Avis said dryly, landing on the ground and ruffling her feathers before bending her wings and regarding Amber.

"Better safe than sorry. We've got to be delicate with things before we tear everything apart. It makes things more interesting anyway. There'll be time for us to rest before we proceed." Amber replied with a casual shrug.

" _Ever since Cipher changed its policy on how we operate and became more direct, you've definitely had a bigger hand in what goes on."_ Avis noted as she put a wing on Amber's shoulder and the two of them vanished. The duo reappeared on top of a small building in the middle of a bustling city with a marvelous seaport. On the surface, all was calm and well. But Amber knew that wasn't the case and in a few months' time, this city would be theirs. Amber cast a look at her starter, regarding her with a hard expression.

"That's because out of all of the Admins...I'm the only one who managed to get the job done."

" _True. Though you didn't exactly_ kill _Wes..."_

"There are worse fates than death, Avis. Wes knows that and so does Aria." Amber said softly, her smile widening and gaining a familiar horrifying quality to it that had become almost routine over the years.

" _I'm well aware of that fact, but I...I'm worried that you're being relied on too much. I don't want you to get hurt, Amber. I almost lost you back in Alola…"_

"And I've almost lost you more times than I can count. I'm not reckless. But I'm also capable enough to handle whatever comes my way. Besides, we've gone over this before. If I die, I die. I'm not scared of it. I welcome it after everything I've gone through. But until that day I'll continue to be useful and help Borlath as much as I can. Maybe once everything is said and done, we can focus on fixing what's wrong with me." Amber said as her smile faded and she regarded the setting sun thoughtfully, even as the Xatu beside her looked at her nervously.

" _I just...I'm…"_

"Avis...Trust me. We'll be fine. I haven't led us astray yet, have I?"

" _Yes! Many, many times!"_

"And how many of those times have we escaped from certain doom and returned better than ever? How many of our enemies remain out of all of the ones we've faced?" Amber asked the bird, receiving silence in response. Despite everything they had been through, Amber had always managed to win in the end. Even against Wes. And yet…

" _Despite all of that, I can't help but worry."_

"Then stay worried. Someone has to be, between the two of us. Trust me to handle everything like always. Just watch my back, alright?" Amber said as she rested a hand on the head of the bird, patting her and making the Xatu shut her eyes and sigh softly. While the gesture did nothing for Amber, she knew her worried starter would appreciate it. With that, the two watched the sunset for a time before they vanished from the rooftops, to continue their dark mission within the seaside city.

* * *

Iki Town:

* * *

"Observe Sun. If you wish to use the Fighting-type Z-Power, move your arm like this…"

"Like this?"

"Yes, just like this. Then bend your hips like this and pose!"

"Feels only a little less ridiculous than it did last time…"

Hala chuckled at the remark as Sun demonstrated his ability to copy pose movements again. After a moment he said, "Now then Sun! With this victory you have cleared all of the Trials of Melemele Island, the first of Alola's Islands!"

"The Melemele Stamp is proof of your accomplishments. With it, Pokémon of a higher level and strength with recognize your own and obey you. Even those you have received from another Trainer in a trade." Hala explained with a smile as he pulled out a stamp from within his coat and pressed down on Sun's passport as he pulled it out of his backpack. Once that was done, Hala cast his gaze skyward for a moment. The old Kahuna seemed lost in thought.

"The moon in the daytime…the sun at night…"

"Mister Hala?"

Hala snapped out of his reverie with a smile, looking down at Sun with respect in his eyes. "Now to see if you can pour your heart into something that cannot be seen but is very much real. As you continue on your Island Challenge, consider what makes up the people and Pokémon that you meet…Both what you can see and what you cannot…do you understand, Sun?"

"I…I think so." Sun replied slowly, earning yet another joyful laugh from the Kahuna. The old warrior calmed himself after a few moments as the crowd dispersed around them with some calling out to Sun and the Kahuna. Laura and the others were waiting nearby, though Colress had vanished from what Sun could tell from a quick glance off to the side. Hala caught Sun's attention by speaking again.

"You will surely meet Tapu Koko again someday. It has shown itself to you far more times than anyone I can recall in my time protecting Melemele Island. You and the Guardian Deity share a bond of sorts, Sun. It has seen something truly special in you, and I cannot wait to see what you become in the future my boy." Hala said with a smile that wrinkled his mustache. He then turned and began walking down the steps, where the others were waiting for him.

"Moo-aaarrr!"

"What the…" Sun trailed off as a familiar Pokémon suddenly burst into the city, snorting and crying out as it made its way towards the center of the town. Sun actually recognized it as the Tauros that Kahuna Hala had been placating and travelling with all over Melemele Island.

Hala stepped towards the bull Pokémon and held out a hand, saying, "Whoa there, Tauros!"

The bull Pokémon threw its head forward with another loud cry as the group approached Sun and Hala, eyeing both the young Trainer and the newly arrived Tauros. Hala then snapped his fingers with a laugh.

"I've got an idea!" Hala said after a moment.

"Kahuna, the last time you said that you wound up the hospital." Kukui remarked with a chuckle.

"If I recall Kukui, so did you. And I still won the bet." Hala replied, making the Professor tip his head slightly before nodding, a small sigh escaping the Professor as he seemingly admitted defeat.

"So what's your idea, Kahuna?" Kukui asked as he crossed his arms, smiling again.

"Well, my idea was for Sun here." Hala turned to face the boy in question. "How about I set you up so you can ride my Tauros whenever you'd like? After all, there's no reason why he shouldn't get to enjoy the Island Challenge, too!" Hala asked Sun, making the boy blink with surprise for a minute before he grinned. Tauros let out another bellow, as if agreeing with the Kahuna's words.

"Yeah, that's great. But uh…don't you have to set up stuff in order to ride Pokémon around Alola? Is Tauros a Ride Pokémon now?" Sun asked the Kahuna. Hala saved his hand dismissively.

"I'll take care of all the little things you'll need in order to ride a Pokémon, Sun. First off, take this." Hala dug into one of his many pockets and pulled out a yellow device of sorts.

"This is a Ride Pager." Hala explained before gesturing to Hau, who was now holding a small brown box with a wide grin on his face. Sun didn't even notice him leaving and returning with the item.

"And in Hau's hands is the special equipment required for using Ride Pokémon. Not only does it allow you to make the most use of the Ride Pokémon's abilities, but it also ensures your safety while using Ride Pokémon." Hala explained as Hau handed Sun the box. Sun opened it apprehensively and examined the outfit within and saw that it was mostly black, white, green and yellow. A bright red helmet and backpack were also within the box.

"Go ahead and get changed while I finish setting Tauros up." Hala instructed the boy. Sun sighed inwardly, but obliged the Kahuna.

With one off-screen wardrobe change taken care of, Sun crossed his arms as Hau smirked at his outfit and Lillie smiled at him.

"What do you both think?" Sun asked his friends.

"Eh, could be worse. I think I can probably pull it off better than you though, _Sunshine_." Hau gave Sun a massive grin as the boy scowled in annoyance at the use of his first name.

" _Note to self. Shove Hau down a hill when no one's looking."_ Sun thought dryly before he looked over at Lillie, his annoyance fading away a bit as he regarded the blonde-haired girl. "Lillie, what do you think?"

"It's not exactly stylish, but it'll keep you safe, which is the most important thing. I like it." Lillie said diplomatically. Sun nodded at her words. That worked for him.

"I think you look adorable sweetie!" Laura cooed from the side, wearing a proud smile. Sun blushed in embarrassment and looked away as the others laughed at the outburst.

"There we go! Now Sun, why don't you hop on there?" Hala said as he finished setting up a strange green harness of sorts around the Tauros. Sun nodded, feeling a little bit silly in his outfit, before he pressed the Ride Pager a second time. The harness attached to the Tauros shuddered for a moment before a seat sprang out of the device, complete with a handlebar-like grip for Sun to hold on too. Sun took a calming breath before walking over to the Tauros and hopping on top of the mighty Pokémon's back.

"Wow…this is…pretty awesome." Sun said with a wide smile, looking down at the others from atop the mighty bull Pokémon. Tauros was a Pokémon he was fairly familiar with from back in Kanto, so getting the chance to not only ride one but also share the massive Pokémon's strength was even more exciting to the young boy. Sun grinned down at everyone while Laura pulled out her phone and took several pictures of her child.

"Heh! Even if I'll never do that myself in a million years, I've gotta admit, Sun. That looks awesome!" Hau said with his usual grin as his friend surveyed them all from atop the Tauros.

"It is pretty cool." Hugh admitted as he crossed his arms, looking impressed as Sun reached down and patted the Tauros on the head, making the bull moo for a moment in pleasure.

"Make sure to take good care of Tauros while you're riding around Sun. He may be strong, but you also can't overdo it. Okay?" Lillie said to Sun, who gave her a nod and a smile in response.

"That is correct." Hala chimed in, nodding in agreement. "Here in Alola, Pokémon lend us their strength and let us ride about on them. While you can ride a Pokémon anywhere, it is here in Alola where the true power of cooperation between human and Pokémon is shown."

"Now, let me explain some of the features of the gear I gave you, Sun." Hala said to the boy before launching into an explanation about how the Ride Gear worked. Professor Kukui chimed in every now and then as well. According to the two of them, Ride Pokémon could be identified by the equipment that they wore on their bodies, and could be called with a press of a button. Ride Pokémon could be found out in the wild on the Routes within Alola, and could be contacted through the Ride Pager if a Trainer needed assistance.

As Hala wrapped up his explanation, a familiar voice called out to the group.

"Ah, it seems I was too late to see the conclusion of the battle. Nevertheless I predicted the outcome anyway. Congratulations, Sun!" Ilima said as he sauntered into Iki Town, flashing the group a smile.

"Hey there Captain Ilima. How'd you know I'd win?" Sun asked the young Captain, who chuckled and tossed his long hair back.

"Captain's intuition." Ilima gestured to the Tauros Sun was riding on and said, "I hope you find your Ride Pager useful. I worked on developing it with a friend of mine."

"You helped make the Ride Pager? That's awesome!" Hau exclaimed excitedly, making Ilima chuckle again.

"You bet. Ilima here works with a few of the other Captains on small projects here and there. One of them was helping set up the Ride Pokémon equipment." Kukui explained cheerily as he stepped forward, wincing slightly as he moved.

Ilima looked at Sun atop the Tauros and said, "Sun. Let's have a Pokémon battle the next time meet!"

"Sounds good to me. You better bring your A-game Captain!" Sun replied with a wide grin, making Ilima's smile widen as he turned around.

"Excellent. Well, I must be off. Good luck on your Island Challenge my friend! May the future bring you happiness!" Ilima departed with a small wave as he left, leaving the group behind.

Hala broke the small silence first.

"All right, Sun. With the help of Tauros, you should be able to explore more areas of the Island that were previously inaccessible to you. I believe that the big rocks that are on Route 1 will be no match for the power of you and Tauros." Hala said to the boy, whose smile turned into a devious grin at the thought of smashing a bunch of rocks with a semi-wild bull. Kuku interrupted the segment with an excited yell.

"All right! I got a little something for you, too!" Kukui pulled out a small white disc out of his jacket and tossed it up to Sun, who caught it.

"Is this a TM?" Sun asked.

"Yes. That's TM 54. False Swipe. It's a move that will leave your opponent with a small bit of health when you attack. It's perfect for weakening a Pokémon for that perfect catch!" Kukui replied as he crossed his arms. "Keep on catching more and more Pokémon, yeah? That way Rotom can learn more and so can you!"

" _Bzzzt! I already know everything, but you know, I'll humor you."_ Rotom said as it floated over to Sun's head and buzzed merrily. The Tauros snorted as it moved forward, making Penny and Oliver flutter backwards. The Growlithe, however, remained still and as the bull inspected him.

"So…How did you even get here anyway?" Sun asked the Growlithe, who was in a stare-down with the massive Tauros. It seemed despite the difference in power and size, the Growlithe wasn't intimidated by how close the massive bull was to him.

" _I requested that two of your friends assist me in coming here. I wanted to see for myself what kind of person you were. And in my eyes, the best way to see the heart a person has is on the battlefield."_ The Growlithe grunted, his dark eyes flitting over to his new Trainer.

"Meaning that you pretty much shattered like…all of the protocol that hospital has on Pokémon there." Kukui noted dryly, making the Growlithe look at him for a moment before shifting his eyes to Sun as he hopped down from the Tauros and jumped to the ground.

" _And I'd do it again in heartbeat. You humans have many annoying rules."_ The Growlithe replied dismissively before Kukui snapped his fingers.

"Oh yeah! Sun, we should probably come up with some kind of game plan for you. You've got to get to the next island for your Island Challenge right? So you can pass a few more Trials and get to thrown down with another Kahuna?" Kukui said to Sun.

"Well…yeah."

"Fantastic, cousin! Well, I've decided to accompany you to the next place you'll be heading, since my wife happens to have her lab there. Lucky for us, I've got transportation all handled. See, we can set sail out of the Marina in Hau'oli City and I've got a little boat that'll help us to where we need to be. Should be a fun little adventure, oh yeah!" Kukui replied, his smile widening in excitement.

"Professor, if you're leaving in your boat, it um…I think it…" Lillie shook her head and Kukui suddenly blinked in realization, understanding what Lillie was saying.

"Oh yeah. Dang thing got trashed a few weeks back, didn't it? Uh…Lillie, you gonna help me clean it?" Kukui asked sheepishly, scratching the back of his head.

"Of course Professor. It's my job, isn't it?" Lillie replied quietly, smiling wanly at Kukui.

"I'll help you both," Sun offered.

"Me too!" Hau chimed in, not willing to let Sun one-up him.

"That's the spirit boys!" Kukui said enthusiastically.

"Professor Kukui, you're way too good at getting children to do your chores for you." Hugh noted dryly, making the Professor actually give him a glare in response. Hugh shivered under the intensity of the stare for a moment before the man swung back around with a cheery smile and slamming a fist to his chest in excitement…

Kukui then doubled over, his eyes wide open and his mouth twitching slightly. Hala and Lillie face-palmed while Sun and the others watched on in mild horror.

"Professor…Did you seriously just hit yourself in the place you got stabbed?" Hau asked incredulously.

"Uh…maybe just a…little bit."

"Kukui, I worry about you sometimes." Laura said with a small sigh, shaking her head.

"So does my wife." Kukui admitted before he stood back up and wiped away a single manly tear from his eyes.

" _I have no idea what's going on anymore, zzt!"_ Rotom puzzled aloud, buzzing next to Sun's head.

"Me either. Just keep playing along." Sun whispered to Rotom.

" _Right-o. Bzzt!"_

"You three should meet me at the Lab in two days. By then I should be recovered enough to start preparations and we can get this fun trip underway, Sun." Kukui said to the boy, receiving a thumbs up in reply. Sun may have enjoyed the past few days of relaxing with Lillie and his mother, but he yearned to resume his journey. Especially now that he had a new Pokémon travelling with him. Sun was snapped out of his thoughts by a bone-crushing hug from behind.

"I am so, so proud of you. You were amazing out there!" Laura gushed as she turned her son around and hugged him a second time. Sun returned the hug with a smile, feeling elated that his mother had got to see him triumph in his biggest battle to date. Oliver and Penny soared over and joined in on the hug, chirping happily. Even the Growlithe joined in, though it was a few moments later and he simply put a paw on Sun's leg, but it still counted. The group broke apart, smiling and happy as Kukui began talk of throwing a party later to celebrate, but Sun tuned it out as an unwelcome thought suddenly broke into his mind.

" _What would Dad think if he saw me right now?"_ Sun wondered, feeling an icy cold pang roll through him and extinguish all of the joy he had felt at winning. A few moments of thinking on it made him feel guilty. He knew exactly what his Dad would think. He'd be angry. Furious that his only child had gone against his wishes and became the very thing he wanted him not to be. This battle was a milestone in a Trainer's journey through Alola. This was a slap in the face to his father.

"Sun? What's the matter, dear?" Laura asked as she looked into the face of her child, confused as to why his previously joyful expression changed to a downcast one.

"I just…I wonder if Dad would be proud too." Sun said quietly, looking at his mother. Laura frowned and stepped forward, hugging her child again.

"Despite everything, I think he would." Laura said softly, holding the embrace for a few moments before releasing her child.

"What's going on here?" Hugh asked, confused as he crossed his arms.

"Sun's father wasn't exactly supportive of him becoming a Pokémon Trainer. He outright stopped Sun multiple times from leaving on his own journey. Sun's wondering whether or not his father would be proud of him for winning a Pokémon Battle against the Kahuna. Despite him not being in our lives anymore, Sun still regards his father's opinions highly." Laura explained to Hugh, making the young man nod in understanding.

"My friend Bianca went through a similar thing. Her Dad really didn't want her going on a journey. It took her friend and a Gym Leader to convince him to back off." Hugh remarked, smiling a little before looking over at Sun. "Hey man, you shouldn't worry about it. If he approves, he does. If he doesn't, then oh well. Your Mom is proud of you and so are we."

"It's so stupid though…I shouldn't think of Dad and get so down about him. I hate it." Sun muttered as Lillie made a move to step forward, but Hau stopped her with a look and a shake of the head. Lillie stepped back, biting her lip in worry, though she relaxed as Hugh put a hand on Sun's shoulder.

"Getting hung up on the past just kinda happens. No one expects things to hit them as hard as they do. I mean, take me for instance." Hugh pointed at himself as his smile became rueful.

"I used to call Aria's phone every single day after she went missing. For two months straight I got her voicemail, and I'd just break down after that. Every single day for two months, I was stuck in a depressed cycle. That's how hard it hit me when I…when _we_ lost her." Hugh explained as Sun examined the teen's face, seeing how genuine he was being.

"I just want to put him out of my mind. Me succeeding with my team doesn't deserved to be ruined because of what my Dad might think. He's gone now." Sun replied as Mom watched the exchange worriedly. Thankfully, another distraction came along in the form of everyone's favorite Malasada-obsessed Pokémon Trainer.

"Hey Tutu?" Hau said suddenly, making the Kahuna turn to towards his grandson.

"Yes, my child?"

"When can we have my Grand Trial?" Hau asked, surprising everyone around them but the Kahuna himself. The man only laughed good-naturedly and regarded Hau with affection.

"Hau, you are an eager one. But yes, we should not delay. While Sun has emerged victorious from his battle with me, you too are growing stronger every passing day and have earned your shot at a battle with the Kahuna of Melemele Island. Allow me to heal my team and I will face you on the field of battle in a short while." Hala responded to Hau, his tone becoming more formal and powerful. Hau shuddered visibly for a moment before nodding. Hala's mouth twitched into a smile for a moment before it vanished as quickly as it had appeared, the man turning around and walking off.

Sun opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by Vivian and Noah teleporting into existence in front of them with an Alakazam standing behind the two of them. A very annoyed-looking nurse that Sun recognized from the Hau'oli Medical Center was standing beside the couple.

"You!" the nurse cried out, pointing at the Growlithe sitting at Sun's feet. The dog rolled its eyes in response to the verbal outcry, which didn't do much for the mood of the nurse.

"I've been looking everywhere for you, mister! And just when I'm about to faint from the stress of not being able to find a critically injured Pokémon, I find out these two grossly irresponsible kids let you not only get out of the hospital but also observe a very intense battle that could have had a variety of responses on your comprised system. You could have…" the nurse trailed off, shaking her head as the Growlithe cocked his head at her.

" _I apologize for upsetting you, but I did what I had too. You wouldn't understand, being a human, but we Pokémon form special bonds we take very seriously. I wanted to make sure this boy was someone I could stand being attached too."_ The Growlithe looked over at Sun and gave him a smile, showing off his sharp teeth.

" _You have the soul of a warrior, yet you care for and support those who follow you into battle. I'd be honored to fight alongside someone with such a fierce heart."_ The Growlithe finished as it got to all fours and winced, making the nurse step forward.

"Alright, alright, I get it. But that doesn't mean you're not going to be coming back with me so you can finish your treatment. You haven't been officially released yet and you definitely shouldn't be attending anything like a Grand Trial." The nurse said sternly to the dog before pulling out a Poké Ball.

"Ma'am, wait! I'll do it." Sun said to the woman, making her blink in surprise. The nurse smiled despite herself and tossed the Poké Ball to Sun, who paused for a moment.

"I need to come up with a name for you. Unless you already have a name." Sun asked the Growlithe at his feet.

" _Within the pack I was called many names, some good and some not so pleasant. However the name I was known most by was Brago."_ The Growlithe said quietly as Sun bent down to dog Pokémon's level and extended a hand to him. The Growlithe smiled again and raised a paw and shook Sun's hand. Oliver and Penny flew forward and hooted and tweeted at him.

" _Thank you both."_ Brago said quietly before looking towards Sun. _"Alpha?"_

"Yeah, Brago?" Sun replied, looking down at the Growlithe, whose eyes burned with some emotion Sun couldn't identify.

" _Don't dwell on the past. You're better than that, I believe."_ Brago stated, making Sun smile finally. Despite everything, it did feel pretty good to hear that a Pokémon he just caught thought highly of him and was trying to help him like everyone else was. With an effort he pushed away the dark thoughts that had been troubling him. The child returned the Growlithe to his Poké Ball and looked down at it.

"Dude that Growlithe is beyond cool. It needs like, its own nickname." Hau said with a massive grin before he suddenly said, "How about Brago the Awesome? Or maybe _Brago the Fearless_? Ooh, that one's got to work, huh Sun?"

" _Brago the Fearless…You definitely live up to that nickname, don't you?"_ Sun thought as he recalled the canine standing up to Amber despite her strength and battling alongside him when he was injured. He hoped that Brago enjoyed being with him and Oliver and Penny.

"Thank you, Mister Smiles. After today, he'll likely be within our care for another two days or so before being released. We'll contact you when your Growlithe is ready for pickup." The nurse said as she accepted the Poké Ball from the child and put it into her pocket.

"Alright, so now that we have the Growlithe, are we still in trouble?" Vivian asked the nurse, getting a glare in response.

"Of course you are! Now let's get back to the hospital. That paperwork isn't going to sign itself." The nurse remarked almost happily as Vivian let out a moan of despair. Noah just chuckled, offering the group a cheery wave before the lot of them teleported away. The group watched them for a moment before Laura spoke up.

"Well, this has been an amazing afternoon, but I do need to get back and prepare for dinner tonight. Sun and Lillie, please be back before sundown. The rest of you, have a wonderful night!" Laura said as she waved at the group. After a chorus of goodbyes and giving Sun another hug, Laura released her Pidgeot and rode off on him, buffeting the group with fierce winds as the massive bird took off. Kukui and Hugh decided to follow Kahuna Hala, leaving the trio of children to themselves.

"Alright then! Time to go strategize! I'm going to take down Tutu first! Then I'm coming for you, Sun!" Hau said loudly, pointing emphatically at Sun as he took off his helmet.

"Hau…I've beaten you three times. But go ahead and give it your best shot, man."

"I WILL NOT SURRENDER!"

"Turn off the caps lock, jeez."

"BLAME THE WRITING STAFF!"

"What…what writing staff?"

"…I DON'T KNOW!" Hau proclaimed before turning on his heel and marching off, though he did so with a massive grin on his face.

"Sometimes I can't tell when he's being serious or silly. Or when I feel like shoving him down a hill or shaking his hand. You ever feel that way, Lillie?" Sun asked the girl, who smiled back at him.

"Every single day Sun. He means well though, so I just go with it," Lillie replied quietly.

"Uh-huh."

"So…we're going to go support him, right? This battle means a lot to him, you know." Lillie asked Sun as he returned Penny and Oliver.

"We _could_ do that. Or…we could head back home and practice that Johto Fire Duet again." Sun said to the girl, receiving a disapproving frown in response. Lillie's frown vanished when she saw Sun giving her a smirk, telling her that he had been joking.

"Let's go get a good spot. He's about to take on the man he looks up to more than anyone else in the world. I'm definitely going to have Hau's back every step of the way." Sun replied with a wide grin, making Lillie laugh softly. The duo quickly made their way over to the other side of the stage and waited in anticipation for the second Grand Trial of the day, with Sun wondering whether or not his friend could defeat the man he idolized his entire life.


	30. Lillie's Request

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _Howdy and happy Saturday everyone._

 _So this week we got a sneak peak at more Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon stuff. Much hype regarding that, and I'm hoping that it can stand up to how fantastic Sun and Moon itself was. Even though the details we got weren't a whole lot, I can still say I'm excited. Though to the honest I was more excited for Mario Odyessey. Seriously, Nintendo is on a roll this year and I love it._

 _I also love Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle. If you have a Switch, get it because it's amazing._

 _Not much to go on about this week, aside from more waiting on my end in regards to AF Tech School classes and the like. I'm still unsure of what my schedule will be like once they start, but I'm confident at this point that I can manage my time and be able to regularly post on this story._

 _Anyways, shoutout to the fantastic folks who reviewed since the last update, which includes Madame Rodoshe, Gokan123, Anasazi Darkmoon, BraviaryScout, Cottonmouth25, bigboy9969, Sai Og Sus, Ways, and three new reviewers known as iamlordvile, honeybadger894, and GeekyGamer314. Thanks for the love and support as always. The response last chapter got was the best way for me to come back to this story._

 _And on that note..._

 _Enjoy!_

* * *

 _C_ _hapter 30: Lillie's Request_

* * *

"Go Mankey! Show them your strength!"

"Duke, let's go buddy!"

The crowd's enthusiasm had been piqued and sated with Sun's earlier showdown with the Kahuna. However he was new to the island and hadn't built much of a reputation yet.

Hau, on the other hand, had been born and raised Iki Town, and his grandfather was the Kahuna. Needless to say the crowd was ready to explode with excitement, roaring like a tidal wave as the first two Pokémon were released.

"Hau, go kick that Kahuna's butt!" Sun bellowed to his friend, grinning widely.

"You can do it!" Lillie cheered, adding her support.

"Show them your awesome moves, cousin!" Kukui called to the young man.

"So, he's starting off with Pikachu huh? Guess he's got to play this straight up. No type-advantages for him to exploit here." Hugh remarked as he crossed his arms, paying attention to the fight now.

"Naturally, no. This will come down to speed and Hau's creativity, I believe." The group turned around to see that a certain scientist had returned to them. Colress was now wearing a rather bulky grey coat that had metallic gloves encasing his hands, complete with other machinery running through the coat.

"What on earth are you wearing?" Sun asked the man.

"Well, seeing as how I do a lot of travelling nowadays, I created something to allow me to be comfortable wherever I go. Even now my body is being kept cool despite us being in the heat of the day here in Alola. My coat has many functions despite those very important ones I mentioned earlier, but I'll not bore you with the details now." Colress explained cheerfully, a smirk on his face as he glanced over at Hugh, who was drenched in sweat.

"Screw you, Colress. You and your magic coat." Hugh grumbled as he looked away from the other man.

"Hugh, there's no need to be rude. Also, it's science, not magic...and I offered to make you a coat as well. Remember?" Colress pointed out evenly.

"You were joking."

"I know."

"...Doc, you're a prick." Hugh sighed, smirking despite himself.

"Again my young friend, I'm aware of this."

"SHHHH! The battle!" Sun said to the older Trainers before looking forward, where Duke's Pikachu dodged a Poison Jab and slammed into the Mankey with a Quick Attack.

"Follow up with Electro Ball Duke!" Hau commanded, doing a fist pump.

"Pika pika pikaaa!" Duke cried out, charging up a wildly surging ball of yellow electricity before spinning around and hurling it at Hala's Mankey as it landed on the ground with a squeal of pain. The Pokémon rose to its feet, only for the Electro Ball to explode against it and send it hurtling outside of the stage. It crashed onto the ground, knocked completely out with its fur smoking.

"Mankey is unable to battle. Pikachu is the winner!" the referee declared.

"Well played, my grandson. But can you handle my next Pokémon?" Hala asked Hau with a smirk, returning Mankey and clipping the Poké Ball to his belt.

"Tutu, I've been watching you battle since I was a little kid. I'm more than ready to knock you on your butt and take that Z-Crystal. So bring it!" Hau called to the Kahuna as he put his hands behind his head, looking nonchalant but with an excited gleam in his eyes.

"Very well, Hau. Let's see if you can handle this! Makuhita! Go!" Hala released his second Pokémon and wasted no time engaging Hau once again.

"Use Bulk Up!" Hala commanded.

"Tail Whip. Follow up with Quick Attack!" Hau ordered with a snap as Duke nodded, dashing forward quicker than a blur and smacking the Makuhita in the face with his tail, even as the Guts Pokémon flexed and increased his attack power. As the Makuhita stumbled backwards Duke landed on the ground and shot forward with a trail of energy trailing behind him, slamming into the belly of the Fighting-type with a cry. Makuhita skidded backwards with a pained grimace, though it also drew its hand back in preparation for Hala's next command.

"Ice Punch!" Hala called out as the Makuhita's fist exploded with icy energy.

"Duke, dodge and use Electro Ball!" Hau yelled out, but not quick enough for the speedy Pikachu to dodge the attack. Duke cried out as the Guts Pokémon punched him square in the chest, sending him flying across the stage and crashing into the wood at Hau's feet with a yell of pain.

"Duke, can you get up?" Hau asked the Pikachu. Duke shivered in pain from the coldness forced through its chest but slowly rose, panting heavily and rising to his feet and turning to Hau.

"Pika!" Duke replied with a nod before turning back to Hala and his Makuhita. The Mouse Pokémon fell to all fours again, its expression fierce.

"Makuhita, get close and use Arm Thrust!" Hala commanded, crossing his arms.

 _"Right…Let's show them just how awesome we are!"_ Hau thought as he clenched his fists, smiling wider as he pointed forward.

"Electro Ball!" Hau commanded, making Duke charge up and release the wild ball of electricity at Makuhita, who threw out both hands to block the attack but was forced backwards by the attack as it exploded against Makuhita and caused it damage.

"Hurry to it and use Arm Thrust! Full-power!" Hala ordered the Guts Pokémon.

"Not gonna happen Tutu. Duke, use Tail Whip on the ground to dodge and hit it in the back with Electro Ball!" Hau ordered Duke. The Pikachu twisted around and slammed its tail onto the stage as hard as it could, making the Pikachu launch into the air. The Makuhita's hands soared through the air, completely missing and making the Pokémon stumble to the ground in response.

"Makuhita! Above you! Use Protect!" Hala commanded the Guts Pokémon, but before it could do anything a yellow ball of electricity slammed into its back and exploded, sending the Makuhita back to the ground once again, only it didn't rise again.

 _"Gotta love those critical hits."_ Hau smirked inwardly as the referee raised his flag.

"Makuhita is unable to battle. The winner is Pikachu!" the referee declared as the crowd went nuts, with some of the participants cheering Hau's name. The boy himself just grinned as he stared down his grandfather, who returned his Pokémon with a thoughtful expression.

 _"All the talent he has…yet he still treats this as a game."_ Hala thought with a small sigh, though he drew his final Poké Ball regardless.

"It's time for this to end, my child. Crabrawler, you're up!" Hala yelled out, releasing his third Pokémon. Hau put his hands back behind his head and Duke lowered himself closer to the ground, preparing to fight.

"Duke, use Quick Attack!" Hau commanded as he took a step forward, his smile widening as the Pikachu darted forward again and raced towards the crab Pokémon ahead of it.

"Counter with Power-Up Punch! Overwhelm the attack and send Duke flying!" Hala commanded, throwing out a hand as he did so. Hau's eyes widened in horror as Crabrawler drew its hand back, charging orange with energy and punch Duke in the face right before he reached it. The two attacks collided and for a few moments, it seemed that they were evenly matched. And then Crabrawler's fist moved forward slightly before sending Duke flying backwards and crashing back down onto the stage. Duke struggled to get back to his feet, only to collapse after a few moments.

"Pikachu is unable to battle. The winner is Crabrawler!" the referee called as the crowd began yelling and cheering again.

"And they're both down to one Pokémon each…this is a really close battle." Sun muttered, shifting nervously as Lillie looked at him.

"He's got this though," Lillie said firmly, nodding her own head at Sun before looking back at the stage, where Hau had returned Duke and clipped the Poké Ball to his belt. He grabbed his second Poké Ball and grinned down at it.

"Alright. Cassy, let's show them what we're made of!" Hau yelled out as he released his starter. Sun blinked in surprise when he saw not a Popplio, but a larger blue Pokémon that resembled it. A strange skirt-like appendage billowed out from the waist of the Pokémon as it stared down Crabrawler before leaning back on its tail and happily clapping her hands.

"Briooooone!"

"Rotom, what Pokémon is that?" Sun asked Rotom as he landed on Sun's head.

" _Bzzzt! Brionne. The Pop Star Pokémon and the evolved form of Popplio._ _A skillful dancer, it creates a sequence of water balloons as it dances, and briskly bombards its enemies. It cares deeply for its companions. When its Trainer is feeling down, it performs a cheery dance to try and help_ _."_ Rotom explained as Hau's face became one of nervousness.

"Let's see your strength, my grandson. Crabrawler, use Power-Up Punch!" Hala bellowed, thrusting out a fist as the Crabrawler suddenly scuttled forward with a burst of speed.

"Use Disarming Voice! Stop that Crabrawler in its tracks!" Hau commanded, flinging out an arm. Cassy nodded and released a pink shockwave of energy that slammed into Crabrawler, making it hiss in pain, but didn't deter it from decking Cassy in the face with a glowing orange fist.

"Fairy-type Pokémon are not ones my team is used to battling, due to the discovery of the type being rather recent. However…I won't let that stop me, my dear grandson!" Hau winced at the powerful roar of the Kahuna, an excited gleam in the man's eyes. Sun could tell that while Hau had been nervous throughout the entirety of their showdown, Hala seemed more alive than he had ever looked. It was if he was putting everything he had into the match with Hau.

 _"He's probably been looking forward to this battle for years…just like Hau."_ Sun thought as Hau offered his grandfather a small smile.

"Yep. Cassy's pretty cool. And we're gonna bring your Crabrawler down and get that Z-Crystal! Use Pound and follow up with Disarming Voice!" Hau commanded Cassy, who launched herself forward with a cry.

"Ha! You may have the type-advantage my boy, but don't ever count out a Kahuna. Crabrawler, intercept that Pound with Power-Up Punch!" Hala roared, punching outwards even as his Crabrawler mimicked the motion, taking the direct hit of the Pound but punching Cassy square in the face before she could hit him with the second attack. Cassy soared through the air but landed elegantly on her tail, her expression fierce.

"Cassy, keep up the pressure! Use Bubble and get skyward!" Hau called out. Cassy nodded and bounced up into the air to soar high above Crabrawler, shooting bubbles from her mouth as she did so. The crab Pokémon hissed in pain as the bubbles exploded against it, but Hala's mouth widened in awe as he saw that the Brionne was now a great height in the air as a result of her repeatedly using Bubble and then having Cassy bounce off of the bubbles she was creating in midair.

"Use Pound from above and drop that Crabrawler!" Hau shouted with a wide grin as Cassy flipped off of the bubble elegantly and plummeted towards the ground, where Crabrawler stared at the Brionne in horror before it crashed into the Boxing Pokémon like a meteor from above, creating an explosion of force. Cassy bounced back over to Hau with a cheerful cry, but to the boy's surprise the Crabrawler somehow rose to its feet from the small crater it was now in, panting now.

"Cassy, let's wrap this up! Use Disarming Voice!" Hau commanded, grinning widely as his starter opened her mouth to attack.

"Charge forward and use Power-Up Punch!" Hala barked, throwing Hau off.

"Why would he order his Pokémon to charge into an attack?" Hau wondered aloud. His question was answered a few moments later.

"Duck, Crabrawler, and knock that Brionne skyward!" Hala commanded, throwing an uppercut as he did so. Hau's eyes widened as the Crabrawler slid across the stage, forcing the attack to shift and only deal a fraction of the damage it normally would have as it exploded against the stage instead of Crabrawler. Cassy squealed in pain as Crabrawler decked the Water-type in the face and sent her skyward.

"Use Bubble to gain altitude and rain down Disarming Voice! Keep your distance!" Hau commanded, but he was cut off by Hala.

"Crabrawler, use Rock Slide!" Hala yelled out. Hau felt cold horror enter him as a series of portals opened out of the sky close to where Cassy was as she opened her mouth to attack.

"Cassy, get down and dodge the rocks!" Hau screamed, but he was too late as the Brionne bounced from one set of bubbles to the next, her eyes wide in fear as the rocks dropped from above, destroying her bubble landing pads and forcing her downwards onto a falling rock. The Pop Star Pokémon screeched in pain as several rocks then slammed into her with incredible force from above, highly strengthened by the multitude of Power-Up Punches that Crabrawler had delivered over the course of the match. Hau could only watch on helplessly as Cassy crashed onto the ground, covered in scratches that oozed blood and quivering in pain.

"Cassy, get up! Come on, please get up!" Hau begged the Brionne, who opened her eyes. Cassy slowly rose upwards, her arms shaking with the effort. Hala sighed deeply across the battlefield before gathering his resolve.

"It's time we end this. Crabrawler…Use Power-Up Punch and send Cassy skyward once more!" Hala bellowed, thrusting a fist to the sky. Crabrawler scuttled forward with a hiss.

"Cassy, dodge it! Come on!" Hau yelled out, panicking now as Hala's expression darkened. Hau knew what was coming next but had no idea how he could stop the inevitable.

" _I…I just wasn't good enough to beat you, huh Tutu?"_ Hau despaired as Cassy was hit in the jaw by Crabrawler, sending her battered form into the air.

"No…" Sun murmured as he saw Hala's Z-Ring begin to glow and he began to strike a series of poses with his Crabrawler, ending with a fist being thrown forward.

"Crabrawler! Channel Power-Up Punch… _INTO ALL-OUT PUMMELING!_ " Hala's words made the very air itself shake with force as his Crabrawler's body exploded with raging orange energy. The Fighting-type leapt into the air, meeting Cassy as she plummeted towards the ground, one eye barely open and covered in all sorts of scratches and scrapes.

"Hau, do something!" Sun yelled out to his friend. Hau just stared at his Pokémon in horrified shock as the Crabrawler unleashed the Z-Move, dealing a devastating midair barrage to the wounded Brionne. With one final blow, Crabrawler slammed a massive orange fist of raw energy into Cassy and sent her smashing into the stage with authority, and as the smoke cleared the referee raised his flag into the air upon seeing a knocked out Cassy, black soot marks staining her body. Hau's expression was one of abject horror and shock, even as he slowly raised his hand and returned the Brionne to her Poké Ball.

"Brionne is unable to battle. The winner of the Grand Trial is Kahuna Hala!" the referee declared to the crowd, who's cheering was more subdued this time, what with the challenger having lost. Add to that the challenger being a very well-known person within the town that everyone had been rooting for, and it made everyone unsure of whether or not to celebrate such a great battle.

Hau just stood there holding Cascade's Poké Ball in his hand as he stared forward, unseeing even as his grandfather slowly walked over to him.

Despite the victory, the man seemed far more jovial when he had lost to Sun. It was as if defeating his grandson in battle had taken a bit of the spirit out of the powerful man. The Kahuna's smile seemed a little forced to Sun as the old man regarded his grandson.

"Hau…" Hala intoned, reaching forward and putting a hand on Hau's shoulder. Hau flinched harshly, snapping out of his trance and stepping away from Hala, an expression of surprise, shock, and hurt on his face that Sun hadn't seen before. Hau seemed to catch himself and threw on a weak smile that fooled no one.

"Heh…nice battle, Tutu." Hau said weakly, clipping Cassy's Poké Ball to his belt. Hala sighed and crossed his arms, closing his eyes a moment later. Lillie and Sun walked closer to the stage, unsure of what exactly to do. Neither child had ever seen Hau look so… _crushed_. He always was burning with excitement and cheer and joy…

To see him in a state where he looked so distressed and unsure was shocking to the two children.

"Hau…My grandson. Today was a day where I got to battle two of the brightest Pokémon Trainers I've had the privilege of seeing grow stronger with my own two eyes. And while your friend may have succeeded where you failed, do not despair my child. No one person is unbeatable. No one person is infallible. We all stumble along the path that we walk. It's inevitable."

"I tell you this not to soften the blow of losing. I know that this battle is one you have been waiting many years for. I understand if you're upset with me. But know this…holding back would've been an insult to the hard work you and your team have put into training. I held nothing back, and I am proud of the effort you have shown me…"

"I look forward to a rematch with you, Hau. Take some time to collect yourself. I eagerly await the chance to see how you bounce back, my child. For when you do…I shall see the true depths of the great strength you possess." Hala walked past Hau, but not before embracing the boy in a great hug. Hala muttered something Lillie and Sun couldn't hear before separating from Hau and walking down the steps and past the two of them.

"Ah, Sun and Lillie…Hmm…" Hala put a hand to his chin before a sad smile crossed his face.

"You two look after him. I know what this battle meant to him. Help him through this rough time, as he has done for you both." Hala remarked quietly as Hau cast a glance over at them. Lillie and Sun didn't have a response for the Kahuna, for he strode past the two of them and walked away. Lillie and Sun exchanged another look as Rotom hovered above them, a look of worry on his face.

" _Jeez…I've never seen Hau look so down."_ Rotom remarked sadly as Hau began moving, walking off of the stage and towards them.

"Hey man, are you alright?" Sun asked the other boy. Hau looked upwards, inhaling deeply before exhaling, his eyes shut tight. He opened them again and looked at both of his friends.

"I need to be alone for a bit. I'll be fine." Hau said with a smile that seemed ready to shatter any moment. Before Lillie or Sun could say anything else Hau whirled around and jogged off towards the town's exit. Sun clenched his fists, annoyed that he couldn't do anything to make Hau feel better. Sun stepped forward to give chase, but was stopped by a gentle hand on his shoulder.

Sun looked back at Lillie, who quickly drew back her hand and said, "He um…He probably just needs to think for a bit Sun. He knows that he can come to us if he wants to talk so, um, we should just leave him be."

Sun nodded at his friend. "You've known him longer, so I'll take your word for it."

Lillie smiled at the words as Nebby poked its head out of the bag. Lillie reached down and scratched the Pokémon's head, making Nebby shut its eyes and coo softly.

"So now what?" Sun asked Lillie. Sun then noticed Colress and Hugh speaking to the Kahuna some distance away and briefly wondered what they were talking about. He turned his attention back to Lillie as she spoke.

"We get back to your place and get you all set to go to Akala Island, I suppose. Professor Kukui is still in the hospital, so I can't do anything at the lab. Everyone else is otherwise occupied. And I may as well help you however I can." Lillie offered to Sun, receiving a grin in reply.

"Sounds good to me. May as well look over everything and make sure I know what kind of supplies I need to get when we go through Hau'oli City." Sun replied, though Lillie giggled in response as the two of them walked out of the town and onto the path that would lead them to Sun's home.

"You do know that when you go to Akala Island you arrive in a city, right? You can get supplies there, Sun." Lillie laughed as Sun blinked twice in surprise before shrugging.

"Then I'll look around and get stuff in Hau'oli City and in whatever city we land in when we get to Akala Island. Or I can just hang out with you." Sun said to his friend, making Lillie's smile widen.

"I'd like that." Lillie replied as Sun walked past her, laughing quietly. With that the two friends lapsed into another silence, with the two of them simply enjoying each other's presence and the near-constant wonderful weather of Alola. Sun was mentally preparing himself for whatever challenges he would have to face on the next island and brainstorming about possible plans to better his Pokémon.

Meanwhile, Lillie was having a different sort of mental dilemma. She had been debating this for a while, but was unsure of what to do because asking anyone this sort of favor was a huge deal. It could put them in harm's way and be a major inconvenience for them, but…she was short on options and she trusted him so…Lillie sighed and closed her eyes. Taking a fortifying gulp of air, she broke the silence between her and Sun.

"Um…Sun?"

"Yeah?"

"I…I wanted to ask a favor of you, Sun. If…if that's all right?" Lillie asked nervously, stopping in her tracks and making Sun stop walking as well. Sun regarded his friend with worry, wondering what was wrong. She seemed very apprehensive, as if she was worried about something. Sun then remembered that he had been asked a question.

"Sure!" Sun replied with a wide grin, trying to make up for the lapse in concentration with enthusiasm. Lillie smiled a little in response, which Sun took as a win, before she looked down at the Pokémon in her arms, frowning slightly at the Cosmog known as Nebby.

"You see…Nebby is…its real home is far away from here. And I want to help it get home." Lillie began, her voice quiet as she and Sun began to walk down the path once again, out of Iki Town proper and onto Route 1. The route was devoid of other Trainers, so it was just the two of them.

"It's like I told you before…Nebby saved my life once when I was in trouble. It sacrificed its health to save me from some bad people. And now…Now I want to save it!" Lillie's voice had been quiet up to that point, but as she spoke that last sentence her voice gained a note of strength and confidence. This lasted for a few moments before Lillie's voice dropped in volume and worry crept into her voice again.

"I feel like there's not much I can do on my own, since I'm not a Pokémon Trainer. I mean, look at what's happened so far. I get lost and I'm constantly on pins and needles when I'm around people I don't know. I'm so scared all the time. Scared I'll mess up, scared that I'll end up hurting more people. But...b-but if I had a _real_ Trainer like you helping me Sun, then maybe…maybe I might be able to help Nebby. Maybe I can help sort this mess out before anyone else gets hurt. I…I realize now that I can't do this all on my own. I just can't Sun…"

 _"Lillie one of these days, I'm going to get through to you how great and strong of a person you are. One of these days."_ Sun thought, frowning inwardly.

"…But I probably shouldn't even be asking you this. I mean, we only met a short time ago and even though you've been a good friend to me, this is…maybe too much. I know it's just my own wish and it has nothing to do with you-" Lillie was cut off by Sun.

"Of course I'll help."

Lillie nearly stumbled in surprise, looking over at Sun in dumbfounded amazement. Sun just smiled at her, and Lillie could only stare at Sun. Did he really just agree to help her on her quest? Despite his own problems and despite the unknown dangers she knew lay in her path to help Nebby…

How could he just agree to help her so _easily_? Maybe it was because he didn't know just what kind of people she knew lurked as obstacles on her quest, but regardless, she was confused by the effortlessness of Sun's remark.

"Sun…why?" Lillie asked softly. Sun's response was an even bigger smile that lived up to his namesake.

"Because you're my friend and I want you to be happy. Friends look out for each other, right? And you're one of the best friends I've ever had, Lillie." Sun admitted as he and Lillie continued walking again. Lillie couldn't help but sigh with relief, a grateful smile on her face now. She felt a great warmth in her at the praise he had given her. Lillie felt proud to be considered such a great friend to Sun.

"Oh, thank you so much. I'm so glad, Sun! I really didn't know what else to do!" Lillie said as she hugged Nebby and Sun shrugged casually, trying to downplay exactly what he had agreed to.

"Hey, it wouldn't be an adventure without you." Sun said as he looked ahead, not seeing Lillie blush at the comment. Luckily by the time Sun looked back at her, she had recovered.

"Then I suppose…the two of us will be heading to the next island as well! Right Nebby?" Lillie asked her Cosmog.

"Pew!"

"Maybe we can convince Hau to tag along as well. Don't forget that there's a few people we know who're also going to the next island soon. Noah and Hugh, along with Demi." Sun said as he shoved his hands in his pockets and laughed softly.

"It's so weird…I've only been here for about three months, and I have a whole bunch of friends now. I have my own team of Pokémon. I'm a fourth of the way done with the Island Challenge…that's just so crazy to me." Sun admitted as he reflected on his time before Alola, where he had no friends at all. A few people he spoke to every now and then, but the only people he had spoke to any longer than absolutely necessary were his parents. And here he was now with more friends than he ever thought he would have…and there were another three islands to explore here in Alola.

"It's hard _not_ to be your friend Sun. You saved Nebby from a flock of Spearow and just keep being a great person to me all the time." Lillie replied as Nebby wriggled free from her grasp and floated over to Sun. The boy opened his arms and embraced Nebby.

"I don't think words can accurately describe how odd Nebby feels to hold. Hugging it is pretty neat though." Sun commented as Nebby snuggled against his chest, cooing happily.

"I know, right?" Lillie replied, grinning now at the adorable display between Nebby and Sun. A few minutes later, Sun let go of Nebby as the Pokémon floated into the air, cooing happily.

"You know who's also fun to hug?" Sun asked.

"Who?" Lillie asked, not realizing that she had walked ahead of Sun and that the boy was wearing a mischievous smirk now. Lillie squeaked in surprise as Sun suddenly hugged her from behind, wrapping his arms around her stomach and making Lillie's stomach flutter with butterflies as the boy pressed himself close to her. Lillie fought to keep herself from blushing (and failed miserably) and cursed herself for not having better composure when it came to cute boys-

" _Oh my goodness, I can't even right now."_ Lillie despaired silently, cursing herself for being so awkward. Regardless she managed to turn around and return Sun's hug, delighting in the comfort the boy brought her. For a moment the two children held the embrace before separating with Sun smiling widely and walking ahead while Lillie trailed behind, blushing still while Nebby made strange noises in Lillie's arms.

"Oh hush you. Stop laughing at me." Lillie grumbled to Nebby, only making the Cosmog laugh harder.

"That's it. Back in the bag, Nebby."

"Pew? Pew! Pew pew pew!" Nebby pleaded, but Lillie was having none of it.

"Nope. Sorry, but my mind is made up." Lillie opened her bag and without further ceremony, stuffed Nebby into the bag and zipped it up. Nebby wriggled within the bag for a few moments as Lillie jogged ahead to keep up with Sun, who had finally looked back at her.

"Everything alright? Or is Nebby just being Nebby again?" Sun asked his friend, receiving a weak shrug in response. Sun laughed at the antics of the pair and continued onwards with Lillie as Nebby slowly calmed down in its bag. Rotom was of course giggling the entire time, taking a moment to take a picture of Sun and Lillie walking down the path as he floated around.

Their arrival home was greeted by Meowth, who cried out a greeting to them as the two children walked into the doorway.

"Oh, hey you two!" Mom called to the duo, who dropped their bags on the couch. Lillie released Nebby, who promptly began flying around the room like crazy. Rotom joined them and with that, the world's oddest game of tag began. Meanwhile the humans in the room made their way to the table, with Sun releasing Penny and Oliver. Instead of joining the game of tag going on with the other Pokémon, they decided to instead enjoy their dinner, since they were famished from battling so hard earlier.

Dinner was quickly eaten and desert, Malasadas filled with chocolate, were made and passed out to everyone. This went well for all of a minute, before Oliver got chocolate all over himself and freaked out.

Soon enough the Dartrix was shooting around the room, screeching like a banshee and releasing blade quills at the walls and at the other Pokémon. All the while the frantic owl tried to get the chocolate out of its feathers by slamming into things and frantically swiping at its face with its wings.

"Oliver for the love of Arceus, calm down!" Sun yelled as the owl darted around the room, eyes wide and chirping furiously. Nebby, Meowth, and Rotom were now hiding inside of Lillie's bag, even as the girl fell down onto the carpet to avoid getting dive-bombed by the incensed owl.

"Sun, your owl is _still_ an asshole!"

"Lillie, I know this! Now please help me catch him and stop pointing out the obvious!"

"My goodness! Lillie, where did you learn that horrible word?" Laura asked the girl, an expression of shock on her face.

"Professor Kukui, ma'am." Lillie replied, bowing her head a little as Laura scowled at her answer before calming her expression.

"I see…I'll deal with him _later_. For now, we should probably calm Oliver down." Laura said, stifling her fury that the carefree Professor had tainted Lillie's sweet mind with profanity. She'd have to knock him down a few pegs. Or maybe she'd just tell his wife. Laura smirked inwardly at what Professor Burnet would have to say if she knew that Kukui had done.

Eventually, after several cuts and Sun receiving a Tackle that sent him into the wall (and gave him a bruise on his shoulder the next day), Oliver managed to tire himself out enough so that Penny could tackle Oliver to the ground. Sun returned the owl, glaring at the Poké Ball.

 _"I forgot to mention before how important this was, Sun...But, uh, Dartrix's are incredibly sensitive about their appearances."_ Rotom piped up, popping out of Lillie's bag.

"You did mention that before. You didn't mention he'd go nuts if he got something on him." Sun said to Rotom, who buzzed indignantly.

 _"Well, yeah! If they get their plumage and feathers messed up they'll get really upset. It can even distract them during battle. Probably something you should work on, even if Oliver's only been a Dartrix for a little while."_ Rotom explained as Penny landed on the ground and hung her head, shaking it.

"Well…I didn't think evolving would solve all of his problems. But the whole thing with him getting his feathers dirty is ridiculous. Is this seriously how all Dartrix's act?" Sun asked Rotom as it bobbed up and down.

 _"Yep, zzzzt! They're incredibly proud of their appearance and take great care to make sure they look their best. It's in their nature, so it's not like it's anything that you did, Sun. That's just part of who they are."_ Rotom explained as Lillie and Laura began the task of getting the house back in order. Lillie didn't even attempt to coax a terrified Nebby out of its bag, instead setting it on the couch and patting the bag before grabbing a dust pan. The trio plus Penny and Meowth began to sweep, mop, and vacuum the house until it was suitably clean again, aside from the moving boxes that still sat in the living room.

Bathing Oliver was a surprisingly calm affair, considering the Pokémon was exhausted and that Penny was giving him a death glare the entire time. It took the Dartrix a very long time to groom himself afterwards though, not meeting anyone's eyes.

"You're going to have to learn how to not freak out like that, Oliver." Sun pointed out as he began drying off Penny, the Trumbeak shutting her eyes in displease at being towel dried after her bath.

"Dar…"

"I don't know what you said, but I'm serious. That was ridiculous Oliver. You're a Dartrix now! You're the strongest Pokémon I've got and I'm counting on you to lead the team by example. We're going to have a new Pokémon on our team and I want Brago to be able to look to you as a leader here."

"Beeaaak!" Penny cried out, though it was muffled since Sun was drying her head.

"Well, second-in-command, actually." Sun amended after a moment. "He keeps calling me Alpha. So yeah, just…please work on it? You were fantastic earlier today, you know."

"Dar!"

"Beeaaak!"

"Yes, Penny was awesome too. I can't tell you both how proud I am of you for beating Hala. And for this next island, we're going to have to get even better. But that means working out some of our weaknesses. We can get some training in once Brago gets a bit healthier, but I want everything to be smooth sailing on the next island. Alright?" Sun said to both of his Pokémon. Oliver gave him a thumbs up with his feathers again, his eyes gleaming with mirth while Penny poked her head out of the towel and let out a cry. Sun pulled both of the birds into a hug, laughing at the two's antics.

"I forgot how long it can take to get birds clean the normal way." Laura commented as Sun and his two birds made their way out of his room. Lillie was quietly reading a book while curled up on the couch, though she looked up and smiled at Sun as he entered the room.

"It wasn't just that. We had a team meeting while I got them clean." Sun replied, leaning against the wall with a smirk.

"In the bathroom?" Lillie inquired.

"Uh…yeah, in retrospect that was probably an odd spot for it. But it worked." Sun admitted with a shrug. Lillie nodded and returned to her book, though she scooted aside on the couch so that Sun could join her. Sun did just that, sitting down next to his friend and opening a book he had brought out with him. Together the duo sat and read, enjoying each other's company while the Pokémon played together in Sun's bedroom. Laura watched them all for a time, smiling at the commotion and seeing her child relaxing finally. She loved seeing him with his friends and Pokémon and wished that it hadn't taken so much to get to this point.

However, she knew that she had to have several discussions with Sun before he continued his journey. She'd start the most important one tonight.

So, as the time finally came for everyone to go to bed, Laura instructed Sun to come to his room with her to have a talk. Sun was initially confused, but shrugged and obeyed.

" _I wonder what's going on_." Lillie pondered to herself as the door shut behind them. Lillie cast a glance at Nebby and the other Pokémon, who all were just as interested as her. Lillie crept towards the door, unable to stop her curiosity as she pressed an ear against the wood. She heard the creak of a bed and of someone walking on the wood floor. Penny and Oliver did the same, despite their hearing being much sharper than her own.

"So Mom…What's going on?" came Sun's voice, sounding almost nervous.

Laura sighed deeply and said, "Sun…it's about time we had a serious talk about your father."

* * *

 _Alrighty folks, with the story back on track and me establishing a tentative weekend schedule once again, I leave you on this cliffhanger for next chapter._

 _So since we're again at another milestone for this story, Chapter 30, I figured its time for another poll._

 _ **So my question is, how hyped are you for the release of Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon?**_

 _Personally, I'm just interested to see what they'll do. I doubt I can enjoy the Gen VII more than I have so far, but I'm really intrigued as to how the story will play out. We already got a sliver of new info regarding new Ultra Beasts and something involving Dusk Form Pokémon or something to that effect._

 _I'd love to hear your thoughts in the review section below. And be sure to vote on the poll itself._

 _Thanks again for all the love and support, especially in regards to me vanishing for the summer and coming back. Looking forward to another 170 chapters of sheer awesomeness._

 _You all take care, and stay awesome._

 _Until next time, FlygonNick out!_


	31. Thus the World Shall Turn to Ash

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _Another chapter that ended up way longer than I expected. Ah well._

 _So, more Ultra news from the Pokémon front. Looks like we've got some more peeks at what to expect._

 _From what I could tell, we may get Z-Form Lillie from the get-go, some new baddies that may or may not be the old baddies, and more Pokémon than ever in this game. Oh yeah, and Mantine surfing and new trials. Sounds like fun, so yeah. I'm hyped! Looks like people are either interested or pretty hyped for the new games, so let's hope they continue to deliver just like Pokémon always has. Thanks for the feedback on the polls and in the review section. It's always nice to hear what people think._

 _Also, apparently Brock and Misty are back in Pokémon, which I've known since I reconnected with the outside world again, but from what I can tell that's not totally awful? They can both use Mega Evolution and Brock's apparently got the abs of a god now. Seriously, if he was so desperate for women in the show…why didn't he just take his shirt off more?_

 _Anyways, this is getting into the weird fanfic territory, so I'll get back on track. I will say that I plan on catching up on the anime, since it wasn't too bad the first two episodes I saw. More on that later._

 _This has been a pretty awful week for me in terms of writing, since I've been waylaid by a really annoying cold that's been making me absolutely miserable. Couple that with being a bit busier than usual and this being a very hard chapter to write, it culminates in this going up today instead of Saturday, which is what I usually aim for. Hopefully this next week will go fantastically and I'll be able to get next chapter out with less trouble._

 _This chapter is honestly kind of a hurdle of sorts for me because we're going to be on track to get to Akala Island. As much as I want to finally get to that arc, there's a whole crapton of things that need to be covered before that happens, so…in a nutshell, the struggle is real. It'll be a few more chapters before we get there. But I'll get us there eventually, I promise._

 _Also, a quick note on something that's come to my attention. I'm aware that it's a serious problem that I can't really solve at the moment._

 _Because of the long hiatus I took from this story, I've forgotten some of the small details and history contained within, as well as some of the running jokes I've created. For example, I had completely forgotten that Rotom played music during certain times until a recent review reminded me of it._

 _Which worries me because this chapter contains a lot of backstory and I don't want contradictory statements floating around. So this chapter as it stands is how things went and happened. I of course have combed through chapters already, but its possible I still messed up. I plan on re-reading the story in what spare bits of time I have now so I can correct this massive error and make corrections to fit this chapter if needed. However it's possible that my mental flow chart is fine and nothing will need to be changed, so we'll see how that works and I'll let you all know how it goes._

 _I apologize for this lapse and hope you all will continue to be patient with me as I continue trying to get back into things. I only realized how much I'd forgotten my own story when I was struggling to remember things that were major points that needed to be addressed._

 _If any of you do spot any contradictory statements, feel free to message me about it so I can make a note of it. I hate the fact that I have to mention this, but fresh eyes will find what I may not be able to._

 _Shoutout to the lovely folks who reviewed since the last update, which includes Cottonmouth25, BouncingFish, Sai Og Sus, Madame Rodoshe, Raikou927, Anasazi Darkmoon, The Dragon Legend, Gokan123, GeekyGamer314, Ignaci0, and BraviaryScout. Thanks for the support and feedback. As always, it's amazing and means the world to me._

 _This chapter has a lot of interesting things and the title is definitely a reference that a lot will recognize. So let's get into the thick of it._

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 _Chapter 31: Thus the World Shall Turn to Ash_

* * *

Sun took in the tired expression of his mother, usually so bright and alive but now she looked older and more uneasy than he had ever seen her before. It was as if recalling the memories of her husband physically pained her. But if it was half as painful for her to dwell upon those memories as it was for Sun, then he could understand why. It was why they had put off this conversation for as long as they had. Sun knew snatches and bits of information, and now he'd get the full of it.

"Alright…So where do you want to begin?" Sun asked his mother. Laura crossed her arms, thinking about it.

"I suppose I can start at the beginning. As you know, I met your father one day in Kanto when I just starting out as a Pokémon Trainer. As you know I didn't grow up wanting to be a Trainer. I had a pet Meowth and that was the extent of my drive to experience Pokémon. My true passion was teaching, so while my friends gathered badges I went to school."

"Sounds like you had a boring childhood, Mom." Sun noted as his mother gave him a wan smile. Sun recalled his grandparents on his mother's side of the family with fondness, as they had doted on him when they lived in Celadon City. Sun reflected for a moment and realized that he had never met his father's parents. Perhaps they were still alive and in Alola, the region his father came from?

"Maybe I did have a boring childhood. My grandparents were a bit like your father in some regards. They were overprotective and didn't care much for Pokémon Training. My parents supported me though and things went well, and I got my degrees and started teaching around the time most people had given up on Pokémon Training when they realized Lance was unbeatable in his prime and Blue and Red were even more intense. Things continued in that fashion for a while until one day, years later…I started feeling restless and became unsatisfied with my work."

"Restless?"

"As if I was stuck in a rut. I loved my job and helping educate children and help them learn about the world around them…But then I realized I myself had experienced so little of that world. I felt closed in, trapped by the very walls I created for myself. So I decided then to explore the world and expand my boundaries. To learn as much as I could so I could teach others even better. So I grabbed my Meowth and went on an adventure."

"And along the way you met Dad." Sun noted after a short pause.

"Yes. I had been travelling around Kanto for a year at that point, not competing in the Gyms are anything just exploring with my team, and then we met. He was looking for a place to begin expanding his business and had partnered with a large corporation in Celadon at the time. We had a battle in one of Celadon's battling parks and we became friends. After that…Well, things went their course. We realized we felt more for each other, dated for a while, and then a little while after that we got married and had you." Laura continued as Sun closed his eyes, thinking back.

* * *

" _Sun..."_

" _Yeah Daddy?"_

" _What do you think of when you look into the sky?"_

" _Is this going to be one of those talks where I learn a lesson, Daddy?"_

"… _It was_ going _to be. You kind of saw through the act, so I'll postpone the lesson."_

" _Well…I think about birds!"_

" _I expected that." Sun's father chuckled finally, leaning back against the wall as his seven-year old boy grinned up at his father, who regarded the boy with warm storm-grey eyes. The man himself had a faint mustache and had short black hair, spiked back with gel. The two of them had been nestled away on the second-story balcony of their home, watching the clouds. Overhead a Fearow and about two dozen Spearows soared through the sky, cawing to each other and making Sun's smile widen in joy._

" _Well, at least you think about something happy. It's always good to have something that can put you at peace." Dad said as he shut his eyes, only for the man to grunt in pain as Sun clambered onto him with a laugh._

" _What about you Dad? What do you think about to make you happy?" Sun asked his father cheerfully, sitting in his Dad's lap as his father opened his eyes. The man considered the question for a moment before chuckling._

" _I enjoy snow, actually. Ice. There wasn't much of the stuff back home, so when I went to Unova once and got to experience winter there…I was blown away by the sheer beauty of the snowfall. The frozen lakes, a world gone to a standstill..." Sun caught could hear the happiness in his father's voice as he recalled the memory, a content smile on his face before he laughed to himself._

" _Of course, with the business growing every month the way it is, I don't have time to appreciate the little things. I'm grateful I do have time for you and Laura though." Sun laughed as his father ruffled his hair with a grin, leaning back against the wall as his child hugged him tightly. Suns' father returned the embrace and the two of them sat together and enjoyed the day, with Sun dozing off a short while later._

 _Sometime later, Sun awoke with a start and his father flinched as a woman's voice echoed out from the elegant two-story villa that sat nestled beside a hilltop on the nicer side of Celadon. The villa itself looked like a palace of sorts, designed with elegant sweeping archways and winged figures of Pokémon decorating the white and black building. It looked more like a king's castle than the home of a businessman and a teacher, but it was the life they lived._

" _Ash!" yelled the voice as Sun shook his head blearily._

" _I think I'm in trouble." Sun's father remarked dryly, leaning back against the wall._

" _What'd you do this time?" Sun asked._

" _I think I forgot to call her and let her know we were home. She's been worried ever since that report about Team Rocket cropped up." Dad said, though he added a moment later, "Which I understand."_

" _Ash!"_

 _The glass door that led to the balcony opened a fraction of the way and Damien slipped out of it, slinking towards them with a disgruntled look on his face._

" _Hiya Damien!" Sun said happily to the Pokémon. Damien nodded at Sun before looking at his Trainer._

" _Gonna pretend I didn't hear her." Dad stage-whispered as Damien shook his head unapprovingly, padding away a moment later._

" _You're going to give our position away, you stupid mutt." Dad said to the retreating Pokémon, who gave no sign that he had heard his Trainer aside from his ears perking up slightly as he departed._

" _Dad, Damien really isn't having any of your nonsense today." Sun pointed out, grinning widely. He had always found the strange dynamic that his father and his starter Pokémon had to be funny. Sun knew that despite that, the two were unmatched on the battlefield. Sun had gotten to watch his Dad battle one time and it was against his Mom. As strong as Mom was, Dad had been even stronger and knocked out half her team with just Damien only a short time ago._

" _Eh, he's used to my nonsense. Even Pokémon have a limit to the amount of crap they'll take." Dad replied with a chuckle as he ruffled the hair of his child once again. Sun giggled as his Dad handed him the thick book he had been reading technology advancements in Kanto over the past fifty years and the man continued reading to his child. This went on for a few minutes before Sun asked his father a question._

" _Dad, you're so successful and awesome…but why do you study and read and stuff? Aren't you already super good at everything?" Sun asked._

" _Well…I am to an extent. You see Sun, I may be generally well-rounded and blessed with great intellect, I am never satisfied with just being good or great. I want to continue to grow, to become better and better and never stop trying to achieve a new best. It's the trainer mentality, which to my surprise I find I still have despite everything. And because with the work I do, I can help people. I like helping people, Sun, especially if it means that the evil ones in this world are held at bay if I help those who can make a difference. Like designing new protective equipment for police officers and funding medical research on Pokemon diseases. Do you understand?" Dad said to Sun, looking down into his child's young but intelligent eyes. The boy slowly nodded, though he became confused a moment later._

" _Evil ones…" Sun muttered, becoming thoughtful. Dad sighed deeply, putting a hand on the head of his child and replying in a low voice._

" _Sun…my little Sunshine…there are heroes and there monsters in this world. My job is to try and help this world as much as I can. Whether that's with the resources I have at my disposal or just by insuring the right investments are made in the right areas and technology. I want to save this world from the monsters, no matter the cost, but do it in my own way. A way that works…My dream, my Sunshine, is for peace. No more pain and suffering. No more criminals running around unchecked…this world will finally be at peace, as it should be. I study and continue to grow because I fight every day for a better tomorrow."_

" _Sounds pretty awesome, Dad." Sun remarked with a wide grin. Sun's father couldn't help a grin at his child's description of his dream. Thanks to the schooling that both he and his wife had given him, free of distractions of course, Sun was quickly becoming a very intelligent child capable of keeping up with adults decades older than him. Sun may not have been able to always understand what was going on, but he would just keep watching his Dad and he'd get better in time. It was like Pokémon Training in a way._

" _You bet it does. I'm gonna change this world, my boy. It'll take a while, but someday, somehow…I'll make a future where we don't need heroes to step in to save us. Just watch me…"_

* * *

"And sometime before all of this Dad began teaming up with Cipher." Sun remarked, earning a nod from his mother.

"I learned much of this later through some journal entries your father had left on his main home computer. There's so much there, but I'll try to cover the highlights. Your father became allied with Cipher shortly before arriving in Kanto, where he met me a short time later. While this alliance didn't benefit him for a while, according to him this was a decision he had decided to make because he felt it was best for his business and for the world. Your father's interest in Cipher stemmed from their actions in Oore, where their defeat at the hands of Wes was broadcasted all around the world from Realgam Tower. Your father was facinated by the science Cipher experimented with and believed with their knowledge and his funding, he could revolutionize many fields and bring his dreams to fruition." Laura continued, looking up at the ceiling contemplatively.

"By science, I mean the Shadow Pokémon. Pokémon who are tortured and manipulated until the door to their heart is shut artificially. They become monsters, fighting machines that have no show no mercy. They're notorious for having little restraint and can even attack other Trainers…even their own."

"My friend Hugh and some of his friends told me about some of the stuff with Cipher. They spent a few years in Sinnoh after Wes stopped them the first time. Wes followed them and fought them there, right?" Sun asked his mother, receiving a nod.

"Yes. After they got rid of Wes in Sinnoh, from what I understand, they returned to Oore and nearly claimed the region as theirs again, but they were stopped again by another child. Somewhere around this time your father encountered the leader of Cipher, a man named Greevil, and fostered an alliance with the man. From that moment on, your father became a member of Cipher and helped them commit the many awful things they've done since they were driven out of Oore. From his own account, in return for financial support to get Cipher back on its feet and continue their activities, they would allow him a slice of Cipher's potential power and let him play an active roll in the science they were working with."

"From that moment on, your father lived a double life. He traveled abroad frequently, taking trips to Unova and Oore and other places to foster alliances and consolidate power from people who could be convinced to back the group and his company as it expanded and become more influential to the world. All the while your father was terrified we would find him out. He took great measures to cover his tracks, so that we wouldn't find the truth. According to him he said he wasn't sure if he could take it if he was confronted by it by me or you, Sun," Laura said to her child.

"I wonder why our opinions mattered to him so much." Sun wondered aloud, but his mother shook her head.

"He didn't want to be found out by anyone. His connection to Cipher was a secret that he defended harshly. He even went to lengths to disguise his appearance while abroad so that Cipher grunts and unimportant members wouldn't recognize him." Laura explained before returning to her narrative.

"During that time, he slowly began teaching you the ins and outs of how to run a business and how to be a leader. Your father was adamant that you run the company in his place down the line, and that you take a place alongside him in Cipher when you grew older. To him, you were his legacy and only worthy heir to the empire he had created. To do that though, he had to make sure you were staying along the path he wanted you to take. And that meant for you not to become a Pokémon Trainer and go on your own journey. To that end, he set about raising the training age in Kanto to a higher number, to buy himself more time in which to convince you that such a lifestyle would be bad for you."

"Wait…He's the reason the training age went from ten to fourteen in Kanto!?" Sun demanded, feeling hot anger spike through him.

"Your father is close with many influential people all around the world Sun. For people with his money and power, tweaking such a law is manageable with effort. And even though it got a ton of backlash, the arguments presented in its defense were enough to get the measure passed so that the training age in Kanto rose from ten to fourteen, just so you couldn't become a Trainer." Laura explained to her furious child, who was shaking in anger now.

"How…he just…" Sun sputtered, gritting his teeth.

"Sun…please try and calm down."

"No! I could've gone on my own journey so much earlier, Mom. I didn't need his blessing, and he just…I…I don't understand…" Sun hissed, shaking in anger and hurt that his father had actually gone through the trouble of getting a bill passed that overrode a hundred years worth of tradition…

Just to ensure he couldn't do what he had wanted to do most.

"It all comes down to control. Despite what he'll say, your father knew that he needed to keep your trust and affection for you to remain loyal to him. People…change on journeys, Sun. They discover many things about themselves and other people along the way, as you already know. Your father was terrified something similar would happen to you. He wanted you to remain obedient and reliable." Laura answered her child, seeing the pain in his expression and the look of betrayal on his face as he tried to handle the truth of what his father had done to him.

* * *

" _Thank you all for coming on such short notice."_

 _Sun watched his father as he sank into his seat at the head of the table. He was surrounded by men and women wearing similar clothing as him, white and black suits and such except for the women, who wore elegant dresses just as regal as the male's attire. Sun sat against the wall, with Damien curled up beside him. Sun smiled as he watched his father, as he had so many times before, in his element._

" _Do you really have to have the boy listen to us ramble on?" an older gentlemen with a handlebar mustache asked._

" _Naturally. He's still learning, after all he's only ten, but he needs to be present to understand how meetings like this are conducted. Besides, his mother is having tea with Erika this afternoon and I'd rather he be here with me than listen to more nonsense about becoming a Trainer." Sun flinched inwardly as his father sat down. He really didn't like how adamant his father was about him not becoming a Pokémon Trainer. He knew that he had to help his father with the business in a few years and he enjoyed learning about everything he had and looked forward to learning more…_

 _But he felt the burning desire…the_ need _, to travel and explore and test himself with a team at his side. Just like his father._

 _Just like his hero._

 _A woman known to Sun as Lady Venus, a beautiful woman with rich brown hair and hazel eyes dressed in a flowing multilayered gown of pink silk, spoke up._ " _I'd like to start off by thanking Mister Verich for the timeliness of this meeting." Venus said smoothly, gesturing to a very short man who sat at the other end of the table opposite of Sun's father._

 _Mister Verich, or Greevil as Sun had heard his father call the man one time, was an interesting man. He was very short, with even Sun towering above him, and he had a bald head. He always wore a purple cloak adorned with strange runes over his body at all times and wore a smile almost always, though Sun had seen the man angry once or twice. He shuddered at the memory but allowed himself to closely pay attention to yet another business meeting between his father and his associates._

" _As you all know, recent events in Unova have left me worried about our investments in the region, especially regarding Pokéstar Studios. I'd like to hear from everyone, especially Mister Verich and our host, on what we plan to do to cover our assets and to ensure everything goes as smoothly as possible as our...friends, assert our will in the region." Venus said as her eyes flicked to Mister Verich, a small smile curling around her face._

" _I'm grateful we were able to get some of us rounded up to sort out our affairs. I'd prefer to have everything in check before anything bad happens…again." Venus said delicately, trailing her fingers through the air with a small smile._

" _Of course. I, more than anyone else, understand that with the enemies we face time is of the essence. Especially when it comes to financing our affairs and ensuring that money is allocated to where it is needed and that we are continuing to develop…certain projects." Mister Verich's eyes flicked to Sun once again and the man sighed softly._

" _I apologize, friends. I cannot in good conscience speak of complicated and very important manners when there's a child in the room." Mister Verich said to the others, directing his comment at Dad as he finished his sentence._

" _Sun is here to observe and learn. He's remaining quiet and allowing us to handle our business, and he knows to remain quiet about what is discussed behind the doors of this building. Don't you, Sun?" Dad said to his child, receiving a nod from the boy in response. Mister Verich's expression darkened, but the smile never left his face, lending the man's features a sinister pale._

" _Sun, was it? Tell me, do you truly even understand a tenth of the conversations that take place within this boardroom? Or does your little mind just do whatever your father orders you to?" Mister Verich asked the boy, clearly not happy that the boy was still there and that their discussion was now going off topic._

 _"I understand just about everything that goes on in these meetings, Mister Verich. For example, during the last meeting I got to listen in on, I got to hear in great detail how you sank your business in Sinnoh and you begged my Dad for more money." Sun shot back with a wide grin, making the older man's superior smile falter as he recoiled in surprise, not having had expected the comeback from a child._

" _I see your father still hasn't beaten some respect into you." Mister Verich said calmly, his gaze traveling to the man in question. Sun caught his father's eye and earned a small smile in response that was quickly replaced by a bored look of someone watching something uninteresting._

" _Oh, I'm super respectful of my elders…sir. I don't really respect nasty, ungrateful, and ugly bald elf-men that need a booster seat to sit in a chair and can't properly handle a business anymore." Sun replied with a wider smile, making Damien cough with laughter behind him. Several of the men at the table snickered as well, even as the man's pleasant demeanor shattered and a look of outrage appeared on his face. Verich caught Sun's father grinning at him now, unable to hide his mirth any longer._

" _You insolent little brat! I…" Verich turned his angry gaze from Sun, who was still grinning with triumph at unsettling the nasty man, to the boy's father._

" _I have had enough of this nonsense! I came here because I wanted to ensure the projects we've discussed in private and with our generous supporters are being worked on as discussed. Your contributions to the Shadow Project have been dwindling as you hold fundraisers for schools! All the while we struggle to maintain power in Unova!" Verich snarled, slamming a fist down onto the table and surprising Sun by cracking and splintering the thick and glossy oak near him with a single blow. Sun felt a shiver of fear roll down his spine at the man, reevaluating his opinion of the small businessman from far-of desert region of Oore._

" _As much as I enjoy what you bring to the table, I'll also admit some annoyance. You have contributed resources but only leadership when necessary. It's time you took a bigger roll in the comings and goings of-" Lady Venus_

" _Enough!" Sun winced as his father slammed his palms against the table, glaring down the woman known as Venus as she stared back at him._

" _Not while my child is present. There's a difference between business and darker subjects that are best behind very thick doors. We've discussed this. I'm fine with discussing some things, but you know exactly what things a child shouldn't hear, Venus." Dad said firmly to the woman, who looked to Mister Verich for guidance._

" _She's not wrong. I believe your supporters should know where the money you promised them is going." Verich said with a triumphant smile that was a slick as oil. Sun shivered at the tone of the man's voice, but his father stood his ground._

" _The Shadow Project will be discussed behind closed doors, Mister Verich and Lady Venus. We have discussed this. We'll discuss them later, when my child is not in the room. Nor will I make him leave now just to satisfy your curiosity. You'll just have to wait." Dad said evenly to the man, who scowled as the others listened on in interest. Sun felt a ripple of anger roll through him as the small man sneered at his father, contempt on his face. Sun wanted to rise to his feet and yell at the man who would dare disrespect his father, but to his surprise his Dad smiled at the man, who's expression smoothed over and was replaced with a much more pleasant smile, though Sun still felt creeped out by the man. He didn't like him. But his father said that the man was important and actually quite kind in person, so Sun held his remarks in check. He had done enough today anyway._

" _Very well…Now, let's get this meeting back on track."_

* * *

"Now…Your father's business continued to grow by leaps and bounds while all of this happened, with him becoming heavily invested within some of the biggest technology and development corporations around. Your father made sure that as a result of his contributions of money and endorsement, the companies in question began to rely on him and as a result, his wealth and power grew drastically."

"After their failure in Oore and Sinnoh, Cipher began setting up shop in Unova, where the bulk of your father's business is located. Cipher operated in the shadows within the region, gathering strength and allowing the region to miss signs of their appearance, because they were too concerned with Team Plasma to notice Pokémon and people vanishing which Cipher has become well-known for, according to your father's entries."

"Then, with the fall of Team Plasma and their resurgence two years later failing, your father brokered an alliance between the two groups. Between them, Cipher and Neo Team Plasma gained more and more strength and began to overwhelm the Unova region. Wes returned with some allies, your new friends as I've learned, and attempted to stop them, only to fail at the final hurdle. However I wasn't able to find out how or why, since the entries end there."

"Why though?" Sun asked.

"Because during most of the time Cipher was fighting for control with Neo Team Plasma in Unova, your father was in that region helping them try and deal with the situation. He wasn't here for long periods of time, remember?" Laura mentioned to her child.

"And then…that dragon, Kyurem, froze Nimbasa City. It killed all those people. My Dad helped Cipher kill millions of innocents." Sun said softly, fighting back a shiver at the memories of the broadcast he had seen.

"Shortly before that I began doing some digging and found several things that made me question just who my husband was. After the Nimbasa incident, I discovered the truth. I filed for a divorce after confronting your father about it when he did return to Kanto, and began putting our affairs in order. He was angry, of course, but when I accused him of being a criminal and a liar he admitted that while he never lied, he had hidden things from me and you, Sun, and that was something he shouldn't have done. He begged me for a second chance, but I refused to hear his arguments. I kicked him out of the house and ensured our house was under police protection while I got our affairs in order and made sure he couldn't get to you. I…didn't realize just how dangerous he could be to us until it was too late, however." Laura said in a very small voice.

"Yeah…Dad didn't put up much of a fight though about you divorcing him and you taking me away from him. Not until that one night where he came back." Sun remarked, reflecting on the last encounter he had had with his father. The one that was the main source of all of the nightmares that had tormented him all these months later.

* * *

 _Sun couldn't breathe as he stared down into the foyer, cold fear and horror gripping his soul even as he watched the blood from Padma spread across the floor, staining the white carpet. He couldn't believe it. He had seen it happen with his own eyes, but he couldn't believe what his father had done._

 _Sun's grip on the handrails tightened until his hands began to hurt, even as his mother began screaming at the man while he just shook his head, his eyes blazing like thunderstorms ready to unleash their deadly wrath upon everyone in their sights. Gone was the man who read him stories to help him sleep. Gone was the man who made jokes about himself and Pokémon and laughed and smiled. The man in front of him was something else…_

 _And he had just killed one of Laura's Pokémon with one of his own._

" _Are you happy now?!" Dad spat, towering in the doorway as Damien trotted back to him, crimson fluid still dripping from his mouth as the Pokémon regarded the mother with a remorseful expression, as if it hated what it had just done._

" _You're a_ monster _, Ashton. I don't know why I didn't see the signs sooner. As soon as I realized you were with Cipher I should've taken Sun and left. You're disgusting…You destroyed that city and you're teaming up with a bunch of monsters…You threw me and your son away for this! So many people are going to die if you keep this up! Don't you care!? Don't you understand!?" Laura screamed, pain and anger in her voice as she readied another Poké Ball in her trembling hand, but Dad had taken a step inside of the home and allowed two men in gleaming white armor to step inside, aiming their guns at her. Just visible outside were the bodies of several police officers, torn apart by something with very sharp teeth. Laura's fierce expression faltered as the men aimed their weapons at her, though her gaze of hate and anguish remained._

" _All those years of me being your wife…and you're throwing it away to chase a nightmare." Laura whispered, tears of hurt and disbelief flowing freely down on her face as her husband remained silent at her words. Ashton's face contorted into a horrific scowl, a slash of fury against his face that was smoothed over a few moments later as he reigned in his emotions with a visible effort._

" _Dad…please stop." Sun whispered, feeling his body tremble with horror, despite being frozen in place and only able to watch as his father replied after what seemed like an eternity._

" _I didn't throw either of you away…Laura, this is what I have to do. I was born to change this world, can't you see it!? With my power and influence I can revolutionize whatever I set my sights on…And so why not use that power to change the world in the only way it knows how to. Force. And if some have to die on the way…" For a moment Sun saw it, the hesitation and regret flash across his face. Sun then saw those dark grey eyes harden and all doubt was swept aside like a thunderstorm washing over a beach._

" _Then so be it. I will save this world from itself, my dear. Even if I have to resort to drastic measures like this. Through Cipher, we will begin our conquest of the world and make everything how it should be." Dad replied as he crossed his arms, shutting his eyes for a moment. Dad's expression turned into something terrible as he scowled, and Sun wouldn't help but wonder if the man he called his father had ever existed in the first place, for this man wearing his father's face was breaking everything Sun ever knew about his life._

" _Save this world…Ashton, you're going about this in the absolute worst way possible! You've condemned millions to an early death just for what!? You'd be no better than that psychopath Lysandre or Team Plasma!" Laura shot back, clenching her fists despite being held at gunpoint._

" _And how many died during the Plasma riots? The floods and deadly sunlight that Team Magma and Team Aqua unleashed? How about Team Rocket? How many lives did they steal? Except they were selfish…they had no true end game in mind for their deeds. I do." Ashton said, his voice swelling with power as he took a step forward, his scowl deepening and contorting even further, a splash of emotions on his face. Sun couldn't tell what though. Anger, disgust, resentment, disappointment, concern, pain, regret. It could have been all of these emotions or none of them at all._

" _What about our child?" Laura hissed at Ashton. The man smiled then, however it was anything but comforting. Gone was any sense of warmth or amusement from the smiles he was used to from his father. The smile the man below him wore was dark, cold, and the amusement on display there was of the grimmest sort._

" _I plan on having my Sunshine standing by my side. I've groomed him into a fine heir to my business and to follow in my footsteps down the road. Should I fall short of my goal, then my son will ensure that this world will become a better place in my stead." Dad explained softly, his voice reducing in volume._

 _Sun dropped to his knees in abject horror, wrapping his arms around his body as he realized the implications of what his father had said. All of the time he had spent with his father was…was it all a lie? Was he just using him like a tool? A backup plan in case he failed in his ridiculous scheme? Did he intend for Sun to join an evil group like him to hurt and cause others suffering?_

 _Sun felt a tear roll down his face as he looked down at his hero…and realized that everything he had admired and loved about his father meant nothing, because the man he cared so much about…the man that Sun gave up so much of himself for…_

 _Was a monster._

" _You're not going to lay a hand on him. You've corrupted him enough, Ash." Laura growled, the steel in her voice not betraying the raw horror she felt in her heart._

" _No…I gave him the education he needs to help me on my way. You may have tried to poison his mind with that Trainer nonsense, but I put an end to that. Pokémon Trainers may be able to save the world from the bad guys…but they can't save the world from itself. I intend to end this cycle, my dear…Not as a Pokémon Trainer, but as a man financing a revolution of the darkest kind…Sun will understand in time." Dad said to Laura, receiving a slow shake of the head in response. Ashton sighed deeply, reaching up and rubbing his forehead, a small gesture to show that the events of the evening were wearing down on him._

" _You're an idiot…Our child is too smart to fall for that. He knows right from wrong, unlike you." Laura spat at her former husband._

" _I've already twisted the boy's arm enough. He'll be whatever I want him to be…I hate having to use love to make people do what I want, but if that's what's necessary then I'll do it. I've done worse things, after all. When all of this is done, he'll forgive me." Laura growled at the man as he spoke, glancing down at the dead Pokémon at her feet before looking back up at her ex._

" _You're wrong, Ashton…You really don't understand people nearly as well as you think you do." Laura replied, clenching her fists and stepping forward, despite the two Cipher grunts raising their weapons at her. Dad just scoffed in reply, shaking his head in disappointment._

" _Too bad…someday he'll understand that if you want to save the world…sacrifices have to be made. Goodbye, my dear. I did love you, despite everything." Dad said before he reached down, placing a hand down on Damien's head, the Pokémon's eyes gleaming the dark._

" _Damien…kill." The Pokémon stepped forward, baring his razor sharp teeth in a deadly snarl that left no compunctions about what he was about to do. Damien crouched low as Laura's breath hitched and Sun felt true fear roll through him at Dad's quiet yet firm command, and as his father's starter Pokémon lunged at his mother Sun let out a scream-_

* * *

Sun wrenched his mind free from the torrent of memories and fought back another shiver.

"After that, you know as well as me. We packed up and decided to go to Alola, where your father was born and raised and where I had an old friend ready to help me out. Before we left, however, I warned several friends in Celadon City of the few plans I had gotten off of your father's computers. One of which involved a massive attack on Celadon City and another concerned taking hostages in Vermilion City in order to ensure the Gym Leader there surrendered when they needed him too." Laura explained further to Sun, who's eyes widened.

"So that was why all those Trainers and Elite Four members were already there in the city. Because you warned them ahead of time!" Sun realized, remembering how Agatha, Bruno, and Mister Oliver had battled alongside Erika against Cipher and Team Rocket in the burning city.

"I tried to help them however I could. I gave them every scrap of info I could. I hope it helps them, because from here, I can't do that much anymore. Besides, we've suffered enough at Cipher's hand. We're done with that fight." Laura ended tiredly, running a hand through her hair as Sun looked up at her. She then realized that Sun was glaring at her with anger, which surprised her.

"And what makes you think we're safe _here_? What's to stop Cipher from storming the islands with their Shadow legendaries and torching the place trying to find us?! You know Dad's obsessed with getting me on his side, Mom!" Sun shouted, getting up off the bed as his mother calmly bore his anger with the grace only a mother could have.

"Because they have _no reason to come here_. Your father despised Alola with every fiber of his being. His parents forced him to become a Pokémon Trainer, Sun. He was kicked out of his house as a child and had no choice but to go through the Island Challenge alone. No support from his family or friends. As he became stronger he developed a hatred of the training culture in general, though that never stopped him from battling ever. He probably enjoyed the fact he was so good at it, maybe." Laura mused to herself as Sun's expression darkened.

"So is that why he was so desperate to keep me from becoming a Trainer?" Sun asked, clenching his fists.

"Yes and no. I imagine that's what he told himself, but it was more likely to keep you from getting distracted. Sad as it is to say, Sun…Your father has been manipulating the both of us for years, using our love of him to further his own ends." Laura said with a heavy sigh, looking even more tired.

"I remember...I was supposed to be the heir to his dream." Sun muttered after a few moments.

"Despite everything, I believe Ashton was more concerned with you than me. At that point when he returned to our house, he knew that I'd never be won back by him. You however, are young and more easily persuaded. You were his little boy. And he was your hero…He was selfish however, and never really considered what _you_ wanted." Laura said after a small pause, reflecting on the words of her husband and the terrifying bursts of insight she had been able to glean from his journal entries.

"Ashton believed in sheltering you so that you could become a strong and well-rounded child. For the most part I agreed in how you should be brought up. This was with your father teaching you some of the ins and outs of his business in the short periods of time he was able to be home throughout the years, as his business kept him abroad quite often. I would home-school you in the meantime. I was fine with that as well, because you were so happy to get to spend time with your father and learn from him about his business, because you knew it made him happy. However…Your father also wanted an heir to his empire. Someone utterly loyal to him that was intelligent and had the right mind-set to help him achieve his goals, as ridiculous as they were." Laura explained as Sun looked down at the ground.

"I can't believe I ever thought so highly of him…I feel disgusting, knowing that I share his blood." Sun replied softly, sinking back down on his bed with a shudder. Laura moved over to her Sun and sat down beside him, putting an arm around her child's shoulder.

"Dear…You can choose many things in life. Your friends. Your goals. Even the forces that drive you forward each and every day. However, sweetheart, you can't help who you're related too. Your father's with Cipher, and one way or another it's a fact we have to live with. Someone who was our world betrayed us in the worst way possible…"

"So was everything he did an act, Mom? Was he just pretending to be the man we knew him as or…I'm still so confused as to who exactly my father was. What is he...I can't seem to wrap my head around it." Sun murmured as he mother pulled him into a one-armed hug, rubbing the back of his head.

"Your father is a man too ambitious to see how much hurt he's putting everyone else in. Even himself…and I do believe he hated doing some of what he did, but steeled himself through it because he believed it was necessary. But doesn't excuse the hell he put us through. It doesn't wash off the blood he has on his hands. And I'll never forgive him for hurting me and you how he did."

"I believe he did and still does love the both of us, Sunshine…but I also believe that Ashton also realized that in order to get what he wants most, he needs to use everything to his advantage and play a perfect game against the forces he is against. And those advantages includes creating a son who was brilliant but faultlessly loyal and a wife who was devoted to him and kept his home functioning. In the end we were pawns to him…but he loved us despite it." Laura explained gently as Sun took a deep shuddering breath before exhaling deeply.

"Mom…How am I supposed to handle this? I just…he's going to keep hurting people. That Amber lady came so close to killing all of us the other day. I know that it was a fluke, but what if she came back? What if she brings more members from Cipher?" Sun asked his mother.

"If she does, Tapu Koko will probably kill her on sight. Kahuna Hala has ensured that on top of that, notices have gone up all around the island to be on the watch for her. And I don't think we should be concerned about her recognizing you, Sun."

"Why is that?"

"Did she mention anything to you about you looking familiar or anything like that?" Laura asked her child. Sun shook his head.

"Then I wouldn't worry. If she comes, we can drive her away again. From what Kukui said the woman was barely alive when she fled Alola. She could be dead for all we know." Laura said with a small smile despite disliking saying something like that about a person.

"I hope so…She's definitely not someone I want to run into again." Sun said with a shiver, remembering how ridiculously strong the woman was. It'd take a miracle to survive her a second time should they ever cross paths again.

"So…now what?" Sun asked his mother after a short pause.

"Well…Before we get started tomorrow, I want to schedule an appointment with a psychiatrist in Heahea City, which is where you'll be dropped off when you arrive on Akala Island. I would've just set one up with a psychiatrist in Hau'oli, but they're not available for appointments for another four months and I'd rather get you checked out sooner rather than later." Laura explained to her child, who lowered his head.

"A psychiatrist…" Sun said quietly.

"Sun, while you are a strong child who's far more mature than someone your age should be…You've also gone through more stress and emotional trauma than someone like you should ever endure. Not to mention how your father emotionally manipulated and abused you into becoming whatever he wanted. All of that does have an effect on someone and based on your own remarks and actions, I don't want to leave this unchecked." Laura explained quietly, knowing her child was in deep thought now.

"You really think seeing someone about the stuff we went through will help me deal with this…sadness thing, Mom?" Sun whispered, closing his eyes.

"I can only hope dear. They can't make the pain go away, but they can maybe help see what the problem is and if there are ways we can make the pain bearable or ensure that thinking about your father never troubles you again." Laura explained just as quietly.

"Alright…I'll do it. But I want you to be there with me." Sun said after a moment, his voice still quiet.

"Of course, dear. I'll be there for you when you see the psychiatrist. I'm planning on scheduling the appointment about two and a half months in advance, so you'll be able to travel for a bit on Akala Island and still be able to have time for the appointment." Laura explained to her child, who nodded.

"And...Sun? If ever need to talk about your feelings or just want to get something off of your chest, you can always come to me. Always." Laura promised, turning Sun around and hugging him tightly. Sun returned the embrace, smiling now despite everything. At least he had a mother who would always be there for him and loved him no matter what.

"Is there anything you wanted to talk to me about, dear? From what you and Lillie have said about your adventures, I'm surprised you haven't any asked any questions about training yet." Laura remarked as she stood up, smiling a little. Sun then remembered something, at the mention of his friend. He recalled the odd feelings that Lillie had stirred up within him and his own admitted attraction to his friend. He enjoyed being around her and cared dearly for her, but was it crush? Or something more? He wished he could have had a conversation with his father about this, but he was beyond reach.

His mother, however, would never turn down her child when he wanted to learn something. And so Sun sighed and took the plunge.

"Mom…I wanted to actually ask you a question about Lillie." Sun said nervously, scratching his head.

Laura's smile widened almost comically at her child's words, but before she could say anything there was a loud thump and a yelp from outside the door.

"Uh…Lillie, is everything okay out there?" Laura called out. There was a very noticeable pause and the faint sound of footsteps moving away from the door before Lillie replied.

"Miss Smiles! I just um…tripped was all!" Lillie called back, though Laura and Sun both exchanged a skeptical look.

"So…I wonder how much of all of that she heard." Sun sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Likely all of it. She's a very good friend and a sweet girl, Sun. Even if she shouldn't know the details, she'll be able to better support you if you need her help down the road." Laura replied as Sun looked at her.

"She's got enough problems to deal with…She shouldn't burden herself with mine." Sun said quietly, though his mother snapped her fingers, catching his attention.

"Enough of that. Now…what about Lillie did you want to talk to me about?" Laura asked her child as Sun rubbed the back of his head, making Laura smirk at her child's embarrassment.

* * *

Lillie scowled at Oliver and Penny, both of whom were staring her down now. While she had heard way more than she had imagined she would, she was deeply interested in what Sun had been about to ask his mother about her…

When Oliver suddenly smacked her with his wing and Penny shoved her away from the door and knocked her to the floor. While she wasn't hurt, she was surprised by the display and the two Pokémon suddenly reacting like that.

"You both are being silly…" Lillie huffed, crossing her arms as Oliver rotated his head around with a hoot.

"Especially you, Oliver!" Lillie said as she pointed at the owl, earning herself a chirp-like chuckle out of the owl and a giggle from Penny, who at least flew over to Lillie and chirped at her. Lillie sighed but smiled, knowing that neither Pokémon had shooed her away from the door in such a manner to be nasty. They were just wanting to respect their Trainer's privacy…

But what could Sun have wanted to talk to his mother about her for? She recalled Sun mentioning something back when they were in Melemele Meadow, but she wondered what the specifics were. Lillie decided that if she was supposed to know, Sun would tell her. She didn't want to intrude on his privacy any more than she had, so with a will of effort she decided to sit down and read, despite the turmoil of thoughts going through her head with what she had overheard that night.

* * *

Sun's sleep was plagued by nightmares, despite the wonderful day he had, and he couldn't find sleep for more than an hour or two at the time. Some things couldn't help but poison his earlier happiness, and finding out just how twisted the man he had idolized a short time ago truly was one of them. Every time Sun woke up he found Oliver watching him, ever vigilant in the night.

Despite everything…Sun found comfort in the fact that he wasn't alone.

Two days passed, and in that time Sun struggled to reign in his emotions regarding his father. Despite that Sun managed to continue to enjoy his time with Lillie and his Pokémon and just being home with his mother, in spite of the upcoming trek to the next island. Eventually the time came for Sun to swing by the hospital and pick up the third member of his team. According to the nurses they had done all that they could in regards to healing the injury, and Brago would just need another week of rest before being back to fighting fit shape. But Brago was healthy enough to travel, which was the important thing to Sun.

"Welcome to my home." Sun said to the Growlithe as it looked around the house, sniffing the air with an interested expression as Lillie and Laura observed Sun's newest Pokémon with smiles. Oliver and Penny soared into the house with cries and landed in front of the dog. Brago sat down in front of them, and after a moment the trio began talking in grunts and chirps, for Brago no longer had the TACV attached to him, so Sun could no longer understand his speech. However according to Colress, he could possibly get a TACV of his own down the road.

"So, what's on the agenda for today?" Laura asked Sun as the boy watched his Pokémon speak to each other. Oliver extended a wing outwards to Brago, who raised a paw and the two shook. Penny laughed for some reason, which struck Sun as odd but he ignored it for now and focused on his mother.

"We were leaving today, weren't we?" Sun asked his mother, who smirked at him.

"I seriously doubt Kukui is going to have his ship seaworthy based on what Lillie's told me about it. I'd go over to his place and see what his status is. Knowing him, I'd imagine he's going to need a few days to get that boat of his ready to go." Laura remarked with amusement.

"It was barely seaworthy before. A month or so of neglect certainly didn't help things, ma'am." Lillie replied with a small sigh.

"He's still not completely healed up either. It might be best if you kids help him with the boat…"

"We actually already agreed to that." Sun admitted, earning an odd look from his mother in response.

"…That man is way too good at getting children to do his dirty work for him."

"That's what Hugh said!"

"That just supports my point that the Professor needs a swift kick in the…well, he needs to be knocked down a peg. I might just run down to the lab myself and give him a peace of my mind for tainting the mind of poor Lillie over here." Laura said with a faint growl in her voice, making Lillie blink in surprise. Laura then calmed herself with an effort, her usual smile coming back, but before she could say anything someone knocked on the door. Sun turned around and made a move to open it but instead it was opened by none other than Hau, who had a Pikachu on his back on his Brionne in his arms.

"Alola folks." Hau said cheerfully, holding up Cassy as she mimicked the Alola greeting. Sun grinned at the sight and returned the greeting with an, "Alola, Hau. What brings you here?"

"Psh, I'm coming with you. Duh. I decided I'm skipping Melemele's Grand Trial for now and going to do the other ones. Me and Tutu came to an…agreement. Once I've proven my worth to the other Kahunas, I'll come back to him and we'll have another battle. Which is fine with me, because I've got all the time in the world now." Hau replied casually, though his smile faltered a little bit.

"How're you feeling?" Lillie asked Hau, who perked up slightly at Lillie having asked that question. He set Cassy down on the ground and Duke leapt from his Trainer's shoulder, joining his teammate on the floor.

"Better, I guess. Did some training out on Route 3 and did some thinking. Talking with Tutu and my mother afterwards helped too. I'll figure this stuff out. That's what going on journeys are for, right?" Hau asked them, though he looked at Sun for the answer.

"Yeah…absolutely, buddy. We're going to get better and show them all how awesome we are. Got it?" Sun extended a hand out to Hau, who took his hand and shook it firmly.

"You two are dorks." Lillie stated, though she was beaming happily at the two of them.

"Yep. But we're awesome and devilishly handsome dorks, Lillie, so get used to it...Well, the handsome bit applies to me, anyway." Hau replied as he pulled out a pair of sunglasses from his pocket and put them on, his grin widening.

"Oliver, take Hau's sunglasses and give them to me." Sun commanded, pointing at Hau's face. Hau paled in horror as the owl took off into the air, letting out a predatory screech of sheer evil and dove at Hau. The boy dolphin-dived to the ground, only for Oliver to land in front of him on the floor, towering over the boy with a murderous look in his eyes. Wordlessly Oliver extended a wing to Hau, who shuddered and put a hand to his face.

"Do…I have to?"

"Dar."

"Come on, Oliver. I swear I didn't mean it when I called you 'a horrifying being sent from Giratina to batter the souls of the living with your sheer evilness'…I was just playing around, you know?"

"…"

Needless to say, Hau handed over his sunglasses. However, instead of handing them to Sun, Oliver instead used his wings to prop them in place over his eyes, his strange leaf-like 'hair' allowing the shades to stay in place just so.

"Because that's exactly what Oliver needed. Freaking sunglasses." Hau despaired before the owl turned to Penny and chirped something. Penny rolled her eyes while Brago shook his head, though Rotom swooped down and took a picture of the owl as he suddenly struck a pose. Lillie burst into giggles while Sun and Laura just shook their heads, smiling at the owl's antics. Oliver nodded at Rotom before the Dartrix suddenly grabbed the shades from his face and tossed them into the air. He then impaled both lens of the sunglasses with a blade quill. The shattered shades fell to the ground in front of Hau, who tearfully held up the glasses' shattered remains in his hands.

Oliver then slowly rotated his head towards Cassy and Duke, who were hiding behind the couch and shivering with fear at the demented owl that was harassing their Trainer, but they were too scared of Oliver to chastise him. Cassy and Duke vividly remembered how their last battle with Oliver had went, after all.

Sun, Lillie, and Laura regarded the scene with a mixture of supreme amusement and mild horror. Lillie flat-out admitted to it when she said, "Sun…Oliver scares me sometimes."

"He scares all of us, Lillie. He's occasionally awesome though, so I put up with it." Sun admitted as Oliver gave him a very happy hoot.

"I spent my allowance on those glasses this week, you know. All of that gone to waste." Hau lamented, scooping up the remains of the shades and throwing them into the trash.

"I'll buy you a new set when we get to Hau'oli City. I imagine we'll be there for a bit to sort that boat stuff out anyway." Sun remarked as Hau stuck his hands in his pockets.

"Oh yeah."

"I don't think it'll require four people though." Lillie admitted, putting a finger to her chin in thought.

"Then we better see what's going on with the Professor then, huh? If he's gonna get that _shipwreck_ sorted out, he's gonna need our help so we can get rolling ASAP!" Hau remarked with a chuckle, making Sun laugh in response.

"Heh. I'm punny and didn't even know it." Hau said as Sun began laughing even harder, putting a hand over his mouth as Lillie just smiled at the display. She was happy that Hau wasn't dwelling too much on his loss to the Kahuna. She knew that her friend would be able to bounce back, given a bit of time. He was strong like that.

"Well…heh heh…let's get going then. I'll call you when we figure out what's going on." Sun said to his mother, who nodded and then made a playful shooing motion for him and his friends to skedaddle. Oliver and Penny took off into the air while Brago gazed upwards at the two skyward Pokémon, then turning his gaze to Sun, offered the boy a fanged smile. Sun couldn't help the grin that came to his face as that familiar excitement took hold of him, even as dark thoughts loomed in the back of his mind, they were at the moment inconsequential to the 11-year old.

And so with that, the boy sent off down the road with his Pokémon by his side, with Lillie walking alongside Sun and with Hau whistling a faint tune as he walked slightly ahead. They trekked down the road to Professor Kukui's lab, ready to begin the next leg of their adventure…


	32. A Deity's Day Off

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _Howdy folks. Happy Saturday to you all._

 _So not much else has happened since the update the other day. I'm still sick and toughing things out. But I start classes next week and that's hopefully going to be awesome._

 _Aside from that, not much else to say. I will however, reiterate the message from the last mini-update._

 _ **Ashton, Sun's father, is not Ash Ketchum. They're two totally different characters.**_

 _Just figured it should be stated, because I didn't say it last chapter and my update explaining this cleared up a bit of confusion amongst some readers. Again, my apologies for not making that clear by stating it outright, and I thank you all for bearing with me._

 _Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes Madame Rodoshe, Gokan123, Cottonmouth25, a guest reviewer known as Pod, bigboy9969, BraviaryScout, BouncingFish, Ignaci0, as well as a new reviewer known as DarkestShade73. Thanks for everything, you all!_

 _Oh, and if you reviewed the update that went up a few days ago (not chapter 31, the update that went up on Thursday), you're locked out of reviewing this chapter. So if you feel like reviewing but can't because you reviewed the update, just review last chapter instead._

 _On that note…_

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 _Chapter 32: A Deity's Day Off_

* * *

"And that's the story of how I saved Christmas!"

"You must be a riot at parties, Hau." Sun stated slowly as he looked at Hau, trying to process just what the hell he had heard.

" _Zzzt…Hau, does Kahuna Hala know you've been smoking whatever the Alolan equivalent of weed is?"_ Rotom asked as he floated above the trio.

"I have no idea what that even is, Rotom." Hau stated, cocking his head in confusion.

" _Stay innocent, Hau. For the love of Arceus, stay innocent."_ Rotom said seriously, floating in front of the child.

"Uh…sure."

"Hau, you have the weirdest imagination. I wasn't even around Iki Town last Christmas. And I've definitely never worn a green and red mini-skirt and sang show-tunes." Lillie huffed as she glowered at Hau, who was smirking and gazing into the sky.

"Ah, a guy can dream. Can't he?" Hau replied with a chuckle before he suddenly tripped and face-planted. Hau glanced back and saw Sun walk past him, looking back at him with a mischievous smile.

" _Oh, it's on, Sunny boy!"_ Hau thought with a grin, hopping to his feet and chasing after his friends, both of whom broke out into a jog. Thankfully Hau was much more fit than his friends, making this an easy task.

"No fair! You tripped me!" Hau pouted as the trio slowed down, with Lillie and Sun panting slightly.

"That's for laughing at the Ride Gear I had to wear the other day." Sun replied, grinning at him.

"You looked more colorful than an Alolan rainbow, dude." Hau shot back, making Sun scowl at him before Hau suddenly tripped a second time, this time courtesy of Lillie.

"Owww. Why'd _you_ trip me Lillie?" Hau groaned as he got to his feet, limping slightly to catch back up to his friends.

"That's for trying to look up my skirt a few weeks back, you jerk!" Lillie huffed, crossing her arms as Hau blushed bright pink.

"Sheesh. Excuuuuuuse me, Princess." Hau remarked, though he didn't refute her claim. Sun felt a small ripple of anger at his friend for violating Lillie's personal space like that, but then he realized he had done more or less the same thing when he was… _cuddling_ with Lillie the other morning, so he kept his mouth shut.

The remainder of their walk to the Pokémon Lab of Alola was quiet, save for Sun's Pokémon fighting random Pokémon that wandered around in the grass. Oliver was a terror, horrifying everything within sight and downing Pokémon with glee with both beak and leaves. Penny was slightly more restrained, but also seemed to enjoy being able to demolish the weaker Pokémon in the area. Both of them were happy, which is what mattered to Sun, so he smiled at them whenever they looked his way or cheered when they made an exceptional move or dodge.

Brago was fairly calm, taking in his two teammates battling as he padded alongside Sun. The boy reached down and scratched the head of the dog, whose ears twitched in pleasure as he craned his neck in response.

"Soon enough you'll be able to battle again and we can get you trained up." Sun said to the Growlithe, who didn't reply as he was still enjoying being scratched, now behind the ears.

"Who would imagine that such an adorable Growlithe would be such a brave and fierce Pokémon?" Lillie said with a smile, remembering how the injured dog had battled alongside Sun against Amber roughly a week ago. The Growlithe barked a reply to that, making Sun laugh.

"I don't know if he appreciates being called 'cute', Lillie." Sun remarked as Brago stuck his nose up into the air, drawing himself up to look even bigger.

"Well, I know he's a ferocious and brave Pokémon…but he's so cute too!" Lillie laughed as she patted the dog on the head, receiving a small sigh in response from the canine.

" _The struggle is real, huh?"_ Rotom asked Brago, receiving a small growl in response. Five minutes later the trio and their Pokémon arrived at their destination. Sun knocked on the lab's front door and patiently waited for the eccentric man to show himself. Soon enough Kukui flung open the door, seeing his visitors.

"Hey there Professor Kukui. Uh, I mean Alola!" Sun greeted the young Professor, receiving a cheerful grin in reply. Sun waved his hands in the traditional Alolan greeting, making Kukui laugh joyfully in reply as he returned the greeting.

"Alola, kids. Come on in." Kukui waved them in and to their surprise, Doctor Colress was passed out on one of the couches in the living room, dressed in the lab-coat they had originally seen him in.

"Poor guy worked on research all through the night until just two hours ago. Passed out as he went to put his data-pad on the charger. But…I figured he needed a breather, so I turned off his alarm clock." Kukui remarked with a soft laugh, gesturing to an unplugged alarm clock nearby. Colress slept silently and calmly, his expression relaxed as always, even in sleep.

"He's also a deep sleeper. So don't worry about waking him up. Just don't be overly loud." Kukui warned the kids as he gestured to the other seats in the main room of the lab. Kukui poured each of the children lemonade and went over the plans for their departure to Akala Island. Sun spotted a great deal of Pokémon hanging out through the window, way too numerous and varied for them to be local Pokémon. Sun asked Professor Kukui about this.

"Ah yes. I'm in the process of changing around my team, so I've brought some of my Pokémon to the lab. I don't quite have enough room here for them, so I leave them with a friend who helps me look after them. My encounter with Miss Fontaine the other day convinced me that I should have more capable battlers on my team. So, I've decided that half of my team will be composed of League-level Pokémon while the other half will be composed of Pokémon I'm trying to train up and use to help me with my research." Kukui explained, pulling out a Poké Ball.

"For instance, this is one of my newest catches. She's pretty strong and will become invaluable for my research. Come on out Winter!" Kukui released the Pokémon within and after the light cleared, a small white fox with six tails was sitting on the floor in front of them, wearing a happy expression on its face.

"Vulll!" the Pokémon cried out, walking over to Professor Kukui and nuzzling the Professor's hand as he bent down to pat the Pokémon on the head. Rotom swooped down and regarded the Pokémon for a moment before automatically booting up the Pokémon's information.

 _"Vulpix. The Fox Pokémon. Alolan Regional Variant. In hot weather, this Pokémon makes ice shards with its six tails and sprays them around to cool itself off. It exhales air colder than -58 degrees Fahrenheit. Elderly people in Alola call this Pokémon by an older name – Keokeo."_ Rotom stated as it floated towards Sun.

"I don't have too many Ice-types, so Winter here is invaluable for my research. On top of that, I caught her on Mount Lanakila, so she's already at a very high level." Kukui explained as Winter eyed the three youngsters on the couch. With a small cock of the head, Winter padded over to Lillie and looked up at her. Lillie beamed at the Pokémon and bent down, picking her up and sitting her down in her lap next to Nebby. Nebby cried out a greeting to the Vulpix, which returned the greeting with a cry as the friendly Pokémon nuzzled Lillie's arm.

"She's adorable, Professor!" Lillie cooed as she hugged both the Alolan Vulpix and Nebby to her chest, a massive smile on her face as both Pokémon nuzzled her happily.

"Heh, I'm glad you approve. She's not only cute, but she's tough too. I'm looking forward to getting some training in with her later. Winter, how about you show the others here outside so they can play for a bit?" Kukui said to the Vulpix, who nodded and hopped out of the little girl's lap she had been sitting in and landed lightly on the floor. Hau released his Pokémon to follow as well, but Nebby remained in Lillie's lap, content where it was. Sun noticed that Brago stood where he was, watching the Alolan Vulpix transfixed for a moment before he shook his head slightly and followed the other Pokémon outside.

Kukui chuckled for a moment before he said, "So tomorrow, we'll be making our way to Hau'oli City to assess the condition of the boat. Based on what we find, we'll either push through the night and get it up and running or spend a week in the city sorting out whatever the problem is with it. If that happens we'll arrange for you three to get rooms at the Pokémon Center."

Sun opened his mouth to speak when a new voice spoke up.

"Professor Kukui, you have an email from Professor Oak in Kanto." From the stairway that led below, a young man with dark skin and pale green eyes emerged from the basement of the lab. To Sun's surprise, the man was bald was garbed in a similar fashion to Colress, complete with glasses.

"Of course. Thanks Will. I'll get back to him once I get the kids sorted out and Colress wakes up." Kukui replied to the young man, who nodded in reply.

"William! I didn't know Doctor Colress brought you here from Kalos." Lillie said to the young man.

William smiled at Lillie and said, "Hey there, Lillie. And yeah, given his research, he asked for me to take a more direct approach in assisting him since things have been hectic for him lately. Hence why I'm here."

"That's neat. Sun, this is William. He's Doctor Colress' assistant. Just like how I help Professor Kukui, he helps Colress." Lillie explained as the young man sat down in a nearby wooden chair, smiling at them all.

"Yes, I help out the Doctor as much as possible. With as many projects as he has now to contend with, I try to help him manage it all. Somehow it works." William replied with a small laugh as he rubbed his head.

"Speaking of manage..." Sun turned to Lillie and asked, "Did you need any help getting packed, Lillie?"

"No, but thanks for reminding me, Sun. I'll just need a little while to sort through clothes and items up in my loft. It won't be but a few minutes." Lillie promised as she rose to her feet and walked over to the ladder that led above. Below, the group continued to talk of small things while Lillie prepared for their trip to Akala Island.

* * *

"Tag, you're it!"

"No fair! You're a cheater!"

"Oliver, it's not cheating if you can't dodge."

Oliver and Penny chirped furiously as each other before Oliver rushed at Penny, who dodged the large owl with ease. However, the Dartrix suddenly dived down at the ground and tapped a Torracat in the side, tagging the Pokémon and leaping back into the air with a laugh.

"Come and get me!" Oliver taunted the feline.

"No fair! You're a cheater for using your wings! How am I supposed to tag you from way up there?" Torracat whined, lashing its tail back and forth as Oliver giggled at the feline. Penny rolled her eyes before very unhelpfully slamming into Oliver from behind and knocking him to the ground, making him easy pray for the Torracat to tap him on the wing.

"Then it's war!" Oliver cried out as he flapped over the giggling Torracat. The two chased each other around the yard until Duke intercepted them, hitting Oliver in mid-air with a Quick Attack. Oliver tumbled through the air but caught himself after a moment, but glared at the Pikachu.

"That means you're it!" Oliver cried as the Pikachu blinked in surprise. He then looked over at a few of the other Pokémon and grinned widely.

"That does look fun, doesn't it?" Dusk the Absol said quietly, smiling slightly from the sidelines. Brago happened to be sitting next to the Pokémon, and looked at her with a bored expression.

"Tag isn't really my thing. If you want to join in, then by all means, go ahead." Brago said to the Disaster Pokémon, who's eyes widened.

"I…I couldn't! I don't want to bother them. They're having a good time without me." Dusk stammered, seemingly shrinking inward and crouching down to make herself smaller. The Absol then let out a yelp as Brago let out a loud snarl, stepping towards her.

"GO PLAY WITH THEM, NOW!" the Growlithe commanded, his voice leaving no room for the meek Pokémon cowering before him to argue back. With a whimper the Absol took off and joined the others as fast as it could. Within the next minute she was being chased around by Kukui's Rockruff with a wide smile on her face. Brago watched the Absol for a while before sighing and settling himself down on the ground, wincing slightly as his still-recovering chest ached for a moment. He hated how weak he had become since being injured, and was looking forward to being at full strength again.

"That was a little much, wasn't it?" came a curious voice from behind him. Brago sniffed the air and smelt cold in the air, and to his non-surprise found the Vulpix from earlier beside him. Brago looked at the strange Ice-type for a moment, memorized by the sun reflecting off of her shiny fur before he responded.

"She needed a push. I dislike being so aggressive, but if it does the job, then I won't dwell on it. Besides, she's enjoying herself now." Brago explained as the Vulpix nodded, as if agreeing with him.

"I don't know her that well, but she's pretty timid, despite being so strong." Winter admitted as she sat down next to Brago. The two sat by each other for a time, watching the others play for some time before the Alolan Vulpix silently got up and began moving away. To Brago's surprise, however, the small fox thwacked him in the face with her tail as she walked past him. The Growlithe blinked for a few moments before Winter looked over at him with a wide smile. Brago grinned and quickly joined her as they walked away from the bulk of the group, ignoring Penny as Cassy tagged her in the sky by using bubbles to reach her.

"Hehe! Gotcha!" Cassy cheered as Penny chirped in annoyance. Cassy landed on the ground and bounced on her tail to avoid the Trumbeak swooping downwards, but instead Oliver soared alongside the Trumbeak, extending a wing to her. Penny smiled and slapped Oliver's wing, tagging him in. Cassy's eyes widened in horror as Oliver soared towards her with a piercing screech erupting from his beak.

However, just as the Dartrix caught up with the Brionne, the air exploded with a thunderous cry that made every single Pokémon freeze in surprise.

"Kokooooooo!"

All of the Pokémon in the field looked skyward, seeing a torrent of lightning swirl down from above, coalescing into the form of Tapu Koko as the Pokémon landed lightly on the ground, energy crackling around it in the form of electricity. Every single one of the Pokémon drew back, horrified and alarmed at the sudden appearance of the Guardian Diety of Melemele Island.

* * *

"Uh…guys. Tapu Koko's here." Hau stated, pointing out the window as Sun ran over to the window.

"Fascinating. I wonder what it wants." Hau let out a scream of horror as Colress suddenly appeared behind him, stretching his arms as William began tapping notes down on a data pad.

" _As cool as you are, you're also mildly terrifying, Doctor Colress."_ Rotom noted as he landed on the scientist's head.

"I get that a lot. But I also find myself not caring all that much." Colress admitted as he accepted his data-pad from William and tapped his glasses, causing a red light to pop on them. The group watched on as Penny slowly flew over to the God Pokémon, chirping a few times at it as everyone else observed in awed silence. Tapu Koko nodded after a few moments and Penny tapped the Guardian Deity with her wing and soared into the air as Tapu Koko let out a loud cry, making all of the other Pokémon scurry around as Tapu Koko began bouncing around after them.

"Looks like Tapu Koko wants to play tag too!" Hau grinned happily as he moved over to the nearby ladder and looked up, a wide smile on his face.

"Recording data of Tapu Koko for later use…Hmm…Footage of Tapu Koko in a non-battling setting may just help us better understand its fickle and unpredictable nature. Has it come around here before, Professor?" Colress asked Kukui, who nodded.

Sun looked over at Hau, wondering why he was standing next to the ladder that led to Lillie's loft when the girl herself reappeared at the top of the ladder, carrying her signature bag filled to the brim with clothes and items.

"All packed!" Lillie announced as she began going down the ladder. Sun then noticed that Hau's current position right beside the ladder and his upward gaze gave him a view up Lillie's skirt as she slowly descended down the ladder. Sun's suspicion was verified as Hau's face turned bright red and he began to sport a nosebleed.

" _That's it. I'm strangling him."_ Sun thought angrily, clenching his fists and walking over to Hau as Colress and Kukui continued to talk. William was watching Hau with a disapproving frown, apparently having caught on to what the child was doing.

Lillie reached the floor with a sigh, shifting her bag strap to her other shoulder. She then noticed Hau standing beside her with a dazed expression. She then noticed Sun stomping towards her before grabbing Hau by the shirt and wrapping his hands around the boy's neck and beginning to choke the life out of him.

"Oh my! Sun, what are you doing!?" Lillie yelped, moving over to Sun and attempting to try and remove the boy's grip from Hau's throat.

"Trying to punish Hau for being a creepy jerk." Sun stated as Hau rasped something intelligible. He then looked at Lillie, flushed even darker red as a trail of blood leaked down his nose.

"You're hurting him! Look at the blood!" Lillie said as she continued to pry away Sun's hands from Hau's throat.

"That blood isn't from me. Hau got a nosebleed _after he looked up your skirt_. He moved over here just to do that." Sun explained angrily as Hau finally kicked Sun in the chest, making the boy let go of him and stumble away in pain. Hau gasped for breath, rubbing his nose and wiping away the blood as Lillie stared at Hau with an unreadable expression, though her cheeks were flushed with embarrassment.

"Getting choked sucks…" Hau panted, straightening up as his face returned to normal. He then noticed Sun had recovered and was now giving him an annoyed look. He then looked at Lillie. Her expression was mask-like, but he knew that he was in trouble now.

"Hey, I…Well, no getting around it. Yeah, what I did was kinda disrespectful. Upon further reflection, I-" Hau began to say before Lillie stepped forward and kicked Hau in the crotch with her heeled shoes, sending the boy to his knees with wide eyes and a cry of pain.

"Hau, did you learn your lesson?" Lillie asked quietly. Hau fell to the floor with a groan as Sun watched on in amazement as Lillie crossed her arms. Nebby flew around, laughing in its peculiar way at Hau.

"I'll be good from now on…I'm sorry…" Hau sobbed as Lillie bent down, patted the boy on the head and he writhed in pain, and walked over to a stunned Sun.

"Holy crap, Lillie." Sun stated, still amazed that the girl just did what she did.

"I just don't understand Hau sometimes. He's so nice and cares so much, but then he goes and does something like that." Lillie huffed, clearly not happy. Hau groaned from the ground but otherwise remained silent.

"Guys do stupid things around girls, Lillie. It doesn't make what he did okay, but it's the only explanation I've got until Hau can speak full sentences again." Kukui remarked as William and Colress both shook their heads at the display.

"While we ignore Hau trying and failing to deal with hormones, let's return to the present topic. Around how many times has Tapu Koko come around the Lab, Professor?" Colress asked Kukui.

"A few times. Three if I remember right, and all pretty far spaced out. No discernible pattern to its appearances, though I think a certain Trainer here is what drew its interest to the lab today." Kukui gave Sun a smirk as he turned back to Tapu Koko, who was now running away from Oliver as he soared after the legendary Pokémon.

"It's a fascinating subject, that's for sure. It makes for a pleasant deviation from my current studies within Alola." Colress admitted as he set aside the data-pad and smiled over at the Pokémon playing tag just outside.

"Speaking of that, sir, you should be leaving for Akala Island within the next fortnight, based on what our friends from Kalos said earlier." William said to the scientist, who nodded in reply.

"Yes. Hopefully with their help we can begin working on the magic bullet needed to end our Cipher problem. One of them, anyway." Colress murmured as he crossed his arms, thinking.

"One of them?" Kukui asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Professor, while my primary research goal has been helped along a great deal thanks to my collaboration with you and Professor Burnet, that is not my true reason for coming to Alola. Not the main one, anyway. No, I came research the disappearance and reemergence of the legendary Pokémon Zygarde, and I hope to recruit its help in our eventual battles with Cipher once we return to the frontlines of battle. I also plan on enlisting your wife's help to possibly track down Shadow Celebi by tracking down noted temporal distortions within the world, which some of her equipment is capable of doing. Shadow Celebi hasn't been seen for quite some time and I'm worried about where it could pop up next." Colress explained as he turned around to face the Professor, who seemed surprised for a moment before his expression turned thoughtful.

"Zygarde huh? And you think it'll help you take down that icy dragon back in Unova? From what little I know of it, it doesn't exactly have a good type match-up against Kyurem." Kukui asked, but Colress shook his head.

"No, not alone. As I said, I'm researching several things at once to try and give us the best chance possible. Truthfully, I believe that the best chance of victory lies within finding the Snag Machine, but…that's impossible." Colress relied with a sad smile.

"Why is that?" Lillie asked, confused.

"Because the last person who had it was Wes, and no one knows where he went. And we suspect Aria was eliminated by Shadow Celebi, so we are at an impasse. Everyone else who was involved in creating or managing the device ever has been dead for quite some time. You see, the Snag Machine that Wes used for so long against Cipher has proven incredibly effective against them and their army of Shadow Pokémon. If we could retrieve it, wherever it may be, we would be in a much better position." Colress explained as he sat down on the couch.

"If this Snag Machine is so great, why don't you just make one? Actually, didn't Cipher make the Snag Machine originally? Why don't they make more? I'm really curious as to why there only seems to be one of this device around." Sun said to Colress, who shrugged.

"There's a very good reason for that. The Snag Machine is a outrageously dangerous device, capable of great good and evil depending on whoever wears it. Those of Team Snagem used them for evil. Wes, and later Michael, used them for good and to negate the evil of Cipher and Team Snagem. However, no one should have the power to steal Pokémon from others."

"Due to the destruction of Team Snagem's hideout all those years ago, all of the Snag Machines and mobile variants, such as the one Wes stole and became famous for, were destroyed. And because of how much havoc Wes unleashed upon them, Cipher was hesitant to try and recreate it ever again. They didn't want another agent of theirs abusing the powerful technology they created…in short, they're afraid of what may happen if more people with the power to steal Pokémon from others runs amok. I'm sure if they could have managed it, they would have destroyed Wes' Snag Machine instead of keeping it for themselves."

"And as to why I haven't tried to recreate it, it's because the technology involved is not something I have delved into before. It may take months or even years for me to be able to attempt to recreate the technology that the entirety of Cipher spent over a decade researching. Time we don't have to dedicate to the project, if Cipher continues to grow in strength at the rate they do…and I admit to having the same reservations that they do. The power the Snag Machine gives someone is not to be trifled with. I don't think it should be something that I should try to recreate even if I could. I'll admit…I'm not comfortable with the idea of toying with power that's so easy to be abused." Colress admitted with a frown, sighing slightly.

"It's a shame you can't find the old one. But I'm sure you'll work out something in time." Kukui said bracingly to Colress, who smiled at Kukui's cheer. Colress opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Huh? Wonder who that could be?" Kukui said aloud, taking a step towards the door. He was, however, saved from the task of opening it himself when the door was suddenly kicked inward and an irate Laura stormed into the lab. Laura marched towards Kukui with a furious expression on her face, making the man take a step back in worry. When she reached the man in sunglasses, Sun's mother drew back her right foot and kicked the Alolan Professor in between his legs, dropping the man to the ground with a strangled cry.

"Now Professor…what did we learn about watching our language around sweet little girls who happen to be under your care?" Laura said in a tone that reminded Sun of honey poured over a bunch of broken glass. Kukui groaned and looked up, trying to fight back tears as Laura glared down at him.

"E ke akua, kaʻeha! Loaʻaʻo ia i kahiʻili maikaʻi…" Kukui groaned, clutching his…well, you know.

"Mom…You scare me sometimes." Sun said to his mother, whose smile became much brighter at the remark.

"It's a talent, dear. I'm not just a pretty face." Laura smirked as Kukui somehow managed a standing position, though he fell backwards onto the floor again with a gasp of pain, rocking back and forth on the floor.

"Professor…I totally feel your pain…" Hau huffed as he finally got to his feet, limping over to the couch and sitting down. Hau looked over at Lillie and said, "Sorry about that Lillie. I really am."

"Did you learn your lesson? I don't want to have to hurt you again like that, Hau." Lillie said to Hau, who flinched.

"Y-yeah. You don't have to worry about this kind of thing happening again. I'll make it up to you later. I swear." Hau promised, giving the girl a weak smile. Lillie nodded, but didn't return the smile.

"Sorry to you too, Sun. I kinda deserved to get choked out a little. Sorry I kicked you." Hau said to the other boy, who smirked at him.

"Hey, as long as you learned your lesson, we're cool." Sun said to his friend, who smirked ruefully at him while Sun chuckled. Laura observed the exchange and shook her head, having heard enough of the conversation to sort out the details. She was glad Lillie could handle herself around the boys.

"So while the Professor is trying to recover from me kicking him right in his Kukui's, and Hau seems to have recovered from the same thing it seems, what all did you sort out while I walked over here?" Laura asked the children as she sat down on the couch next to a horrified Colress.

"Well, we learned about some of the stuff that Colress is doing and learned that it'll take about a week of repairs and fixing up to get the boat in order. Oh, and Hau got wrecked by Lillie." Sun summed up as Laura smirked at the last remark, shooting Hau a look that made him flinch in fear.

"It's good to see you escaped Celadon City unharmed, Laura. I assume you're enjoying your time in Alola?" Colress asked politely.

"Absolutely. I love Kanto, don't get me wrong, but this place is paradise. I never did get to ask you, but what on earth brings you here?" Laura asked the scientist.

"It's a long story, but one I'm sure I can fill you in on later. Essentially I am trying to find a way to allow us to rejoin the battle against Cipher with as many advantages on our side as possible." Colress answered with a shrug. "Hugh and Noah are looking into gaining strength and exploring said strength through the Island Challenge. Vivian is trying not to make a bigger mess of things than usual. Meanwhile I'm looking into options and trying to prevent more people from dying when we eventually confront Cipher once again." Colress explained, making Laura frown.

"Well, I'm sure you all know what you're doing. I'm know you all are more familiar with them than I am, but if I can help in any way, be sure to let me know." Laura said to the doctor, who nodded.

"How do you two know each other?" Sun asked his mother.

"He's a friend of Mister Oliver, actually. I met him during one of Erika's Gym Leader socials a few years back. I believe your father helped donate to some of his research into understanding Pokémon behavior's and such." Laura said as she tried to recall, but Colress nodded in agreement.

"I was surprised that learn that you were capable of using Mega Evolution, Laura. I myself mastered it only a short time ago, but you were an expert at it when you battled Erika at the party." Colress said to Sun's mother, but the child himself interrupted with surprise.

"You can use Mega Evolution, Mom!?" Sun yelled out, amazed. He had known that his father had been interested in the idea, but was astounded to learn his mother could do it.

"Of course. Your father gave me a Key Stone for a wedding gift. I later found a Pokémon and a Mega Stone that worked for that Pokémon, again because of your father's considerable resources. Even after I divorced him I kept the gifts. Jace enjoys it, and it's really cool using Mega Evolution in battle." Laura cheerfully explained as she ruffled Sun's hair, making her child laugh in reply.

"Mmm…I may have to request that we have a battle sometime Laura. A clash between two Mega Evolved Pokémon would be fascinating to say the least. I'm sure Kukui would love the chance to study them as well, wouldn't you?" Colress asked the man as he rose to his feet with a wince.

"Sounds…radical…"

"Professor, if it makes you feel better, you might be able to convince Tapu Koko to battle or something if playing tag with everyone puts it in a good enough mood." Sun suggested to Kukui, who managed a weak smile as he slowly sat down on the ground and laid down on the floor.

"Tapu Koko is playing tag outside?"

"Yep. See!" Sun pointed out the window in time for them to see Oliver smash into Tapu Koko's head, tagging him rather roughly. Tapu Koko let out a cry and kicked off into the air, swiping at Oliver and missing.

"How'd I not see that…?" Laura asked, amazed at the sight of the legendary playing with the other Pokémon.

 _"Blinding parental rage?"_ Rotom suggested.

"Oh yeah. That's right." Laura laughed as Kukui sat upright once again, wincing. Kukui whimpered in fear as Laura looked towards him, a fierce gleam in her eye.

"So…Did you learn your lesson?" Laura asked Kukui, who nodded frantically.

"Y-y-yeah! No more cursing in front of impressionable young girls." Kukui said in a placating tone, waving his hands in front of himself. Though he muttered, "Hopefully the Kahuna doesn't have to deal with the fallout too…He swears even worse than I do…"

"What was that? You said the Kahuna tainted Lillie's mind with profanity too!?" Laura growled, parental fury making her face scrunch up with anger. Kukui flinched and curled into a ball in response.

"She only started saying anything at all after she got back from staying at the Kahuna's place for a weekend with Hau while I was off doing League stuff!" Kukui cried out as Laura drew back her foot for a second time, she lowered it to the ground thoughtfully.

"Is it a crime to assault a Kahuna?" Laura asked William, who was watching the display from the couch in mild horror.

"Yes, usually it is. But in this case I think he'd rather take your punishment than risk letting word get out that he's cursing around little girls." William said after a moment, with Laura nodding in satisfaction a moment later. She turned around and beheld the sight of Tapu Koko bouncing away from Brago with a white Vulpix bounding alongside him, with all of the Pokémon wearing happy expressions.

"That's so adorable." Laura said with a wide smile as she crossed her arms, watching the Pokémon frolicking outside without a care in the world.

"Even deities need a day off, yeah?" Kukui replied with a shrug, rising to his feet with a wince. Maybe he'd invest in a swear jar or something.


	33. Battle Captain! Dueling with the Prince!

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _So we got another new look at Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. Looks bloody awesome. I'm quite hyped for the games now and am looking forward to seeing this latest installment next month._

 _On a related note, I've begun watching through more of the anime. Honestly? I like it. The characters are well-done for the most part and it's a lot less obnoxious about some things as it usually is. I'm looking forward to watching more and seeing our favorite characters more. Not Alolan Professor Oak though, because I'm too busy cringing at his…whatever the hell he does._

 _On an unrelated note, I finally started school this week. I've kind of been on standby for it for a while, but now I'm finally learning about my job, which I won't go into for obvious reasons. My time, as you can tell, was severely limited this week, but I still managed to get a solid update done on time and I know I can work out an effective schedule to continue updating as usual. But things will be harder for me from here on in, as the most important thing for me at this stage is to pass my tests and study so I can continue to better serve during my time in the Air Force._

 _Anyways, back to story stuff._

 _Hau kinda stole the spotlight last chapter, which I'll admit was really another mistake on my part, despite me thinking last chapter was done fairly well as a whole. It was a bit OOC for him to do what he did, and while he does explain himself here in this chapter and I think the reasoning sets up something down the road, I'll admit that I took a potential running joke too far. I'll work on making sure to not stray out of a character's limits and such in the future, and I appreciate those of you who offered feedback about it. Constructive criticism is my favorite kind, because it helps me improve as a writer and if it helps me write a better story, then it's absolutely welcomed._

 _Speaking of Hau, I think I've finally decided on a path for him as far as the story is concerned. I was uncertain who I even wanted to ship him with for sure, but I think I've finally decided on a path forward for him through all of the islands. You all may be surprised by the end result, but I'll say I was inspired by my recent foray into the anime and I'm even more excited for the next island. I'll still manage to keep you on your times, I imagine._

 _Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes Madame Rodoshe, Consumer of Fantasy, Cottonmouth25, Gokan123, skyguys, Anasazi Darkmoon, BraviaryScout, DarkestShade73, and a new reviewer known as AKhaos. Thanks for the support and feedback folks._

 _Here's a fun fact about this chapter. While playing through my_ _Pokémon_ _Sun game to help write this chapter, it was the first time I ever battled Ilima during this point in the game. I didn't even know it was a thing to go back and battle the Captains on my first go-through the game._

 _I hope you all…_

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 _Chapter 33: Battle Captain! Dueling with the Prince!_

* * *

To Sun's surprise, the group ended up having a large dinner party that night at the lab to celebrate Sun's win against the Kahuna and to celebrate the group leaving to the next island. Laura handled most of the cooking, though Lillie and William both jumped in to assist the teacher with cooking. Meanwhile, the others watched the Pokémon playing and even battling outside.

Tapu Koko was sparring against Kukui's Snorlax and Magnezone and was dancing around them, blasting the duo with lightning and displaying incredible feats of skill and agility that bespoke centuries of experience.

The Guardian Deity glided through the air with a flip as it avoided a Hyper Beam from Snorlax, only to unleash a Brave Bird from above, diving into the massive Pokémon and knocking it to the ground and KO'ing it. Manezone fired a Flash Cannon at the Guardian Deity, who quickly moved its arms and blocked the powerful attack with its shield. Tapu Koko threw apart its arms and unleashed a massive torrent of electricity that slammed into Magnezone, making the Pokémon screech in pain before collapsing to the ground.

"Kokoooo!" Tapu Koko bellowed, throwing apart its arms in triumph.

"That thing is a beast." Sun stated, grinning at the Guardian Deity as Professor Kukui's Rockruff launched itself at Tapu Koko, only to be repelled away by a Thundershock.

"That it is. This is fascinating…" Colress's fingers danced across his data-pad as he observed the battling legendary. Brago and Winter unleashed attacks of fire and ice at the deity, who seemed to dance out of the way with a cry. Penny and Oliver darted towards Tapu Koko, only for an Electro Ball to separate the two and a Discharge to knock both of them out of the sky completely. Tapu Koko then screeched as an Ice Beam slammed into it, freezing the legendary solid.

" _Oh my…I actually hit it!"_ Dusk the Absol stated in absolute shock as everyone stared at the frozen Pokémon. Tapu Koko's eyes narrowed in its icy prison, but it remained still.

"Fantastic work, Dusk." Colress praised his Absol as he walked onto the grass, smiling at his Pokémon. The Absol pawed the grass shyly, though let out a sigh as her Trainer patted her on the head before examining Tapu Koko. The legendary let out a muffled screech before the icy exploded outwards, making Colress gasp and stumble back in surprise. Dusk leapt in front of her Trainer, prepared to protect him as Tapu Koko flipped through the air and landed in a crouch, fury in it's eyes. Colress' smile widened as he stowed his data-pad away, crossing his arms.

"TAPUUUUU!" the Guardian Deity cried out, throwing its arms out-

Before completely relaxing, giving a shrug as it floated into the air. The Pokémon vanished in a burst of sheer speed, appearing behind Colress and pressing a claw against the man's throat.

"I see…" Colress breathed, his eyes gleaming with excitement despite being at the legendary Pokémon's mercy. Dusk remained still, unwilling to risk her Trainer getting hurt because she made the wrong move.

And then Tapu Koko removed his claw and bounced away, floating towards Sun and the others. Tapu Koko regarded the group of Trainers, focusing on Hau, Lillie and Sun.

"Ko…"

"Hey there, Tapu Koko. Did you have fun playing out here?" Sun asked the legendary with a wide smile, greeting it like an old friend. Tapu Koko regarded the question for a moment before slowly reaching towards Sun. The boy was surprised when the legendary grabbed his hat from his head and put it on itself.

"Huh. Didn't know Tapu Koko had a sense of style." Laura joked as the Tapu let out a strange noise chirping that may have been laughter. After a few moments the deity took the hat off and instead of putting back on Sun's head, put it on Lillie's instead, confusing the girl. Tapu Koko bounced away from the group and exploded with energy, lightning coursing through its body before it leapt into the air. The Pokémon gained altitude quickly before blasting off into the sky, like a shooting star.

"The Guardian Deities of Alola certainly are something, huh?" Laura remarked lightly, grinning as Lillie poked the hat on her head. The young girl turned around to face everyone, smiling faintly.

"How do you all like my new look?" Lillie remarked with a slight twirl, making everyone laugh in response. She did hand the hat back over to Sun, attempting to smooth out her hair as well. Colress joined the group beaming with excitement, with Dusk trailing behind him.

"So interesting…I can't wait to sit down and go through everything we've learned today." Colress murmured as he brushed past them, making Kukui laugh.

"He's officially gone for the night. I think this is a good place to wrap up things here as well, since I'll probably be helping him out before getting packed myself. Once we head out in the morning, it'll be a while before we return to the lab." Kukui said to the others.

"Who's going to watch over the lab while we're away, Professor?" Lillie asked Kukui.

"I am." William said, raising a hand. "I've done it several times before and it helps me gain a better understanding of running a lab myself. I hope to become a Regional Professor one day, so…yeah."

"William has been a great help. Considering Professor Kukui's proactive research and my own important work assisting with Burnet's study of the Ultra…" Colress cut himself off and said, "Anyways, someone has to stay behind to look after the place, and thankfully William is not only qualified but this will help him with his own goals."

"Exactly. It's all works out." Kukui remarked with a grin. The group departed not long after that, with Sun and Hau bidding Lillie and the others goodnight. The trio walked up the path with the moon illuminating their path ahead of them. Laura's Meowth trailed behind them, but the rest of their Pokémon were resting within their Poké Balls after playing with Tapu Koko.

Laura chattered a bit with Hau about her work at the school and how she was helping young children learn about Pokémon. Sun listened for a while, but eventually Sun couldn't resist asking Hau what on earth he was thinking when he looked up Lillie's skirt.

"I'll admit some confusion to it as well, Hau. That didn't seem like you." Laura said to the other boy, who scratched his head nervously.

"Yeah, it definitely wasn't my best idea."

"No, it wasn't, you smiley pervert." Sun grumbled, earning a serious look from Hau.

"Dude, I wasn't doing it to be a pervert. I did it because I wanted to find out something I've been wondering ever since I met Lillie." Hau explained, his expression completely serious, though his small smile remained.

"And what would that be?" Laura asked, curious as well.

"Well…Imagine meeting a really weird, but pretty, girl wearing a fancy white ball-gown. In Alola. Easily one of the hottest regions in the world. It's freaking weird, you know? And then you find out this girl is super sweet and awesome and a great friend. And then the more I spent time with Lillie, the more I realize that the girl only wears white, and every outfit she has is a dress of some kind. She's a wonderful person, but she's so…odd!" Hau explained, a strange sense of frustration emitting from the boy that confused Sun. He seemed agitated, which surprised the boy as well, as Hau didn't show outward displeasure very often.

"What does have to do with what happened back there?" Sun asked.

"Well…I've already explained my own attraction to her. Plus she's one of the closest friends I have, next to you, Sun. But I've always wondered something about her and today curiosity finally got the better of me."

"Curiosity?"

"Yeah. I wanted to know if everything Lillie wore was white. Like… _everything_ , everything." Hau explained, putting emphasis on the word. Sun's mind wondered what Hau had learned, but then realized what he was thinking of asking and shook his head to clear the unwanted thoughts from distracting him.

"Even after all this time, there's so much I don't know about her, and there's so many odd quirks to her I want to learn about. She's become an important part of my life, and yet she's so tight-lipped about her secrets though…so tonight I kinda just lost my self-control and decided to find out one of my questions for myself." Hau explained with a careless hand gesture. "I know it's not a good reason, and I know what I did was wrong, but it's the truth. In the moment I figured I'd learn what I wanted to and get away with it, but that didn't happen and I got reminded that you've got to always respect people's personal space and stuff. Tutu talked to me about it a while back and I…guess I didn't think hard enough on what he said. Getting kicked in the balls was a life-lesson that I won't forget soon."

"I hope not. Next time it'll be me." Sun said to Hau.

Hau did a fist-pump gesture, his smile widening. "I'll hold you to that, Sun. Besides, I plan on making it up to Lillie. I don't think she's mad at me, we've been through too much for one mistake to ruin our awesome bond after all, but I still want to do something to help put this behind us!"

"I'm sure she'd appreciate it." Sun admitted, knowing that Lillie wouldn't hold a grudge against Hau for earlier. She was too good of a friend to hold grudges.

"You are…surprisingly thoughtful sometimes, Hau." Laura remarked after a few moments, surprised at how insightful the young boy was. She then remembered that he had been raised by the wise and renowned Kahuna of Melemele Island, so maybe some of the wisdom he had been bought up with came through at odd times?

Sun also stared at the boy for a few moments, processing what he had heard, before turning away. After hearing Hau out, he could admit that he did see where his friend was coming from. He too wondered about Lillie and her past, and wondered why the girl was so reserved. Why did Lillie have such an inferiority complex? Why did she have Nebby in the first place? What was with the elegant white dresses she wore all the time? Sun didn't blame Hau for letting curiosity overwhelm his good judgement, though he would never have done what he did…Sun did however flush at the thought of what Hau may have seen under her-

" _No. I do not need to be thinking about that. Lillie's my friend. And I respect her way to much to be thinking about her that way."_ Sun thought to himself, trying to wrestle his thoughts about from Lillie. He didn't have much success, however, and cursed himself for allowing his mind to wander like this.

Hau was given a lift home on Jace while Laura and Sun entered their home. Sun crashed on his bed with glee, releasing his three Pokémon with a sigh. Oliver fluttered to his side and made a questioning chirp.

"It'll be alright…ugh, growing up sucks." Sun muttered as he shut his eyes. Oliver hooted before snuggling against Sun's side, making the boy feel a rush of affection for his starter.

He was deep in thought, however, as Hau's words earlier got him wondering about a few things. The night he and his mother had spoken about his father, they had gotten onto the topic of Lillie and that led into…THE TALK. Sun's mother had explained the "Pidgeotto and the Beedril" to him, since his father wasn't there and the job fell to her. Needless to say the conversation was awkward and yet enlightening for many reasons. It explained a lot of things Sun had been wondering about for some time and thanks to his mother being a teacher, it was all told to him in a way that he understood.

 _"The next few years will be a time of growth for you, mentally and physically. Your body will experiencing all kinds of changes and you'll definitely struggle with them. You'll even notice your way of thinking change too, dear. Especially when it comes to girls your age. The best thing you can do is be aware of how you're changing and not let things get the best of you. Just keep smiling dear, and take things as they come, and you'll be just fine."_ Laura had explained to her child cheerily.

Sun smiled slightly as Penny nestled next to him and Brago leapt onto his bed and curled up at his feet. The Kanto-native allowed sleep to envelop him, even as he wondered what all would happen to him as he continued to grow from a child into a young adult.

* * *

The group arrived at the Marina early the next morning, and they were greeted by the sight of an incredibly derelict boat coated with graffiti.

 _"That looks about as stable as a gingerbread space-station."_ Rotom remarked, eyeing the vessel with distaste.

"I don't think boats are supposed to have this much duct-tape on them." Hau said as he looked at the boat, examining it skeptically.

"Nonsense! It builds character!" Kukui declared, smiling without a care in the world.

"I think it also builds citations." Sun pointed out, gesturing to a pink slip attached to a window on the boat. Kukui waved a hand dismissively at the note, snatching it away and stuffing it into a pocket.

"Professor, I hate to say it, but we may need some help with this." Lillie said to Kukui, who continued beaming with her.

"Says you. And you know what, I'll even do it without you kids helping me out!" Kukui suddenly declared, surprising all of them.

 _"Professor Kukui NOT exploiting child labor? DOES NOT COMPUTE."_ Rotom intoned, spinning around in circles in midair before collapsing dramatically into Sun's backpack.

"Sarcastic little shit." Kukui muttered darkly, crossing his arms as his smile twitched slightly. This also earned him a look from Lillie.

"You didn't hear that." Kukui said with a nervous laugh as the girl crossed her arms.

"Of course not Professor. Of course not." Lillie popped open her phone and showed Kukui a contact that she had pulled up. Sun smirked when he saw that Lillie had the number of a certain Laura Smiles ready and able to be called at a moment's notice.

"I…see your point." Kukui said as beads of nervous sweat began dripping down his head. Just then the group heard a yell of fury.

"Well screw you too! Bye bye, douchebags!"

 _"My angry girl senses are tingling."_ Rotom said as he floated out of Sun's backpack. The boy looked to their left and beheld the sight of a young girl with dark skin and black hair wearing a bright yellow dress making rude gestures to a ship leaving the docks. The girl sighed angrily and then sat down on the ground, looking downcast. After a moment Sun recognized the girl as Demi, the friendly girl he and Hau had met near the Verdant Cave a while back.

"Hey Demi!" Sun waved to the girl, who looked up in surprise and looked over at him. Her eyes widened in surprise and a grin split her face as she hopped to her feet and jogged towards them. Lillie hung back as Sun and Hau greeted the girl, mainly because Professor Kukui tapped her on the shoulder.

"This is uh…gonna take more than my skills,to tell the truth. Grab some rooms at the Pokémon Center, just use my name. It's gonna be a week before this thing is operational…gonna hope for the one day thing though…" Kukui muttered to Lillie.

"Of course Professor." Lillie replied quietly, with Kukui giving Lillie and smile before hurrying off down the docks.

"So what's up? Haven't seen you boys in a while. And you've brought a new person along! Hi, I'm Demi!" the cheerful girl bounded forward, beaming at Lillie who smiled shyly.

"I'm Lillie. It's a pleasure to meet you." Lillie said politely. Demi chuckled and curtsied to Lillie, who blinked in surprise for a moment.

"I feel like I'm meeting a fairytale princess!" Demi gushed as Lillie continued to be thrown off by someone more energetic and cheerful than Hau. It was almost overwhelming to her.

"Demi, can you take it down a notch or twelve?" Sun asked the girl, who looked back and forth between him and Lillie.

"Oh crap, sorry! I get like this around new friends." Demi apologized, grinning sheepishly at Lillie. The girl in white recovered after a few seconds, smiling back at her now.

"Any friend of Sun and Hau's is a friend of mine." Lillie stated, making Demi laugh in response. The two girls began chatting about themselves, but Sun interjected with a question.

"Why were you yelling at that boat, Demi?" Sun asked the girl. Demi scowled and crossed her arms, apparently quite annoyed still.

"The stuck up jerks running that ferry to the next island wouldn't let me on because I was too young or some crap. I'm thirteen for crying out loud." Demi huffed, gritting her teeth. "Add that onto the not-fun conversation I had with my parents earlier today, and it's just…a bad time."

"You know, if you need to get to the next island, I'm sure the Professor would be happy to let a friend of ours tag along with us." Hau offered Demi, who grinned at the boy.

"I'd be really grateful, and it'd help me out a lot. You're sure it's no trouble?" Demi asked the trio.

"Not at all! I'm more than happy to help out. We all need a Helping Hand sometimes in battle, right?" Sun saw Professor Kukui walking towards them, looking annoyed but still smiling.

"Feel free to join our merry little crew to the next island. But…uh, I've got some bad news. It'll be a week to get this boat seaworthy according to my friends here at the docks. You kids do your thing and be back at the Pokémon Center by nightfall. I'll be sorting this out…somehow." Kukui said to the kids as he hopped onto the boat, sighing and muttering curses under his breath that the children pretended not to hear.

"Must have been quite the bill to get this boat fixed." Demi stated, grinning at the Professor's misfortune.

"Well…You all can stay here if you want. I'm going to go a magical adventure with Tauros." Sun said as he pulled out his ride pager, pressing the button on it that would summon Tauros to his location.

"How long are you going to be gone?" Lillie asked, not surprised Sun had suddenly decided on this course of action. She was surprised he hadn't charged around the island on the bull already by now. This was as good a time as any to get this out of his system. He had also explained other motives earlier about wanting to explore the island on his own.

"No idea. I figure I can get around the island pretty quickly on the back of a Tauros, though. Maybe a week?" Sun shrugged, but he added, "I may as well. There's a lot of the island I didn't get to explore and with Tauros I can take my time and still get back here on time."

"On time? Kukui won't have this done in a week." Demi stated with an amused grin.

"Challenge accepted!"

"Fair enough." Sun replied, smirking at the girl. With that, the group of children saw a massive bull stampede towards them. Sun ducked into a nearby shop to change into his Ride Gear. He stepped out of the shop, feeling ridiculous but feeling prepared to ride Tauros. Demi looked the Kanto boy up and down, grinning.

"Sun, you pull off that look quite well." Demi said with an approving gleam in her eyes, making Sun blush at the compliment. Lillie's eyes narrowed in response, but she said nothing. Sun got atop the massive beast and grinned down at them.

"See you all in a week. Hau, don't stay up too late. Lillie, eat your veggies. Demi, don't play in traffic. Professor, don't forget to change your underwear every day." Sun said to each of them.

"You're not my real mom! I don't have to listen to you!" came Kukui's reply from inside his boat.

"And like that, I'm gone." Sun gave his friends a salute from atop the bull before commanding Tauros forward. With a roar the bull bolted down the road while Sun wore a fierce grin on his face. Soon enough the boy was out of sight.

"Well…Now what?" Demi asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"Dinner and shopping?" Lillie suggested.

"Lillie, I have a feeling this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." Demi grinned and held out a fist to the other girl, who tapped it a moment later with a giggle.

"What? That's boring!" Hay pouted, but Demi slung an arm around the boy, surprising him.

"Hau, don't be like that! After all, you get to hang out with two beautiful ladies like us for a week. How's that not a win?" Demi asked, narrowing her eyes as Lillie's own widened at the display. The other girl was quite… _forward_ , wasn't she?

"Well, when you put it that way, I'm thinking we should get dinner. I'm thinking that cool sandwich shop down the road. I think they make grilled-cheese there, Lillie." Hau said, shifting his attention to the blonde-haired girl.

"That sounds wonderful, Hau!" Lillie grinned as Demi looped one of her arms in one of Hau's, a playful grin on her face. With a nod from the other girl, Lillie did the same with Hau's other arm, making the boy giggle with mirth. The trio then set off down the road, eager to have a good time while their other friend ventured off around the island on the back of a wild bull.

* * *

Sun arrived at the Pokémon Center a week later in good spirits, having gotten to speed all across Melemele Island on the back of a Tauros and see many new areas he hadn't gotten to explore while travelling with Hau, Lillie, and Hugh. It was a nice little side adventure that helped him get back into the travelling mindset, and it made him even more eager to travel to Akala Island and resume his Island Trial.

Thanks to his new friend Tauros, Sun was able to access several new spots and found quite a few helpful items that were hidden behind massive rocks. He was also able to explore a small hidden cave within Melemele Meadow that he hadn't had the chance to explore the first time he was there because he was distracted by-, ahem, I mean... _helping_ Lillie.

These items included a shiny gold Nugget, two Star Pieces, some Stardust, an Expert Belt, something that Rotom called a Never-Melt Ice, and two TMs. One was TM 46 Thief, and the other was TM 83 Infestation.

Over the course of that week, Sun made efforts to try and reunite Brago with his family so that he could give them a proper goodbye. Eventually they came across a pack of Growlithe and Arcanine prowling an area close to the Verdant Cavern. Sun let the Growlithe return to his pack for a few hours while he watched the clouds with Oliver, Penny, and Tauros. When Brago returned he seemed much happier than when he had left and when asked what had happened, the dog barked and licked Sun on the cheek.

As for Penny, however, Sun and his Trumbeak couldn't find her family no matter where he looked. Penny, however, didn't seem to mind this and whenever Sun tried to apologize to Penny the bird would always chirp at her Trainer before nuzzling him, showing him that she held no ill will towards him.

Sun did take the time to teach Penny Brick Break, overwriting Rock Smash because he knew the other move was better and there was no point in wasting a precious move spot on two Fighting-type moves. He also taught Brago Thief, on the off-chance that he needed the move in the future. It was also just fun getting the dog back into the swing of things, especially on the day Sun rode back into town and Brago was cleared by the hospital for battle after one last healing from the Pokémon Center.

When Sun had arrived at the Pokémon Center, he wasn't surprised to find Vivian sitting in the middle of the Pokémon Center lobby holding an impromptu concert for about thirty other people. Sun stood there, listening as he shut his eyes and allowed himself to be swept away by the beautiful yet somber melody the strange woman elicited from the instrument she masterfully played. Several people were dropping money into a large jar that the violinist from Unova had lying beside her on the floor.

Lillie, Demi, and Hau were watching the strange woman from the back of the café, each of them closing their eyes and looking quite at peace. Sun handed his Pokémon to Nurse Joy for healing and went to sit with his friends.

"Heya folks." Sun said as he plopped down into a chair, surprising his friends.

"Oh hey, Sun. How was your trip?" Hau asked as he sat back in his chair.

"Not too bad. Found some cool items and found a lot of cool side areas." Sun explained some of his adventures and what he had been trying to do with Penny and Brago to his friends. After he did that, he got his Pokémon from Nurse Joy and saw Vivian get up from the floor and bow to her audience, smiling widely. She scooped up the full jar of money and walked over to Nurse Joy, handing the woman the jar.

Nurse Joy seemed taken aback by the money, which Sun realized was a donation from the musician, but Vivian shook her head when Nurse Joy tried to give the money back to her. Vivian spun on her heel and strutted out of the building with her gait confident.

"I may not like her, but that was pretty cool of her. Nurse Joy really does deserve that money." Hau said as Nurse Joy shook her head from behind the counter, a small smile on the woman's face. Sun could tell she appreciated the gesture and that it probably wasn't often people returned the favor to the woman who had helped out hundreds of trainers over her career and went above and beyond her job every single day.

"I just can't believe her confidence. I couldn't ever play my flute in front of so many people," Lillie said quietly.

"It's all about having faith in yourself, Lillie. I could teach you some tips, if you want!" Demi offered, but Lillie politely declined.

"Still…Maybe we could have a beach day tomorrow while Kukui wraps up his repairs. It'd be fun!" Demi said to the three other children, who looked thoughtful.

"Yeah, sounds fun!" Sun laughed, grinning in excitement.

"Beach day? I'M IN! WOOO!" Hau cheered, drawing the attention of everyone in the room.

"Um…I can't." Lillie said quietly, blushing slightly.

"What!? Why?" Demi demanded, surprised by this.

"I…don't have a swimsuit." Lillie mumbled, embarrassed at the admission.

"You don't have a swimsuit?" Demi asked, sounding baffled. They were in Alola, the tropical islands of water and sunshine and fun. How did ANYONE not have proper swimming attire at all times!?

"N-no. I don't…um, I don't go to the beach very often. And I don't particularly like wearing things like that…" Lillie said quietly, sounding flustered and looking anywhere but Sun's direction.

"Oh hell no. We're going to have an awesome day at the beach tomorrow and you're going to have an awesome swimsuit that'll blow all of the boy's minds." Demi declared, pumping her fist into the air. She then paused and a said, "Or girls. I don't know which way you swing, but either way, we're getting you an awesome swimsuit, girl!"

"If it'll get you to stop screaming in this Pokémon Center, I'll happily go with you." Lillie gave in, making Demi squeal in delight, grabbing the girl by the arm and dragging her out of the Pokémon Center without further ado.

"So…I'm gonna go train." Hau said, getting up.

"Huh? Why?" Sun asked.

"Because I lost to my grandfather in front of people I've known my entire life." Hau deadpanned, making Sun wince in response. Hau suddenly broke out into a grin and flicked Sun on the head.

"Heh, you're too easy, Sunshine. I do want to go get some training in while I'm still here. I need to work out new strategies and stuff that Demi helped me with earlier. She's a trip, but she's really good!" Hau stated, his gaze drifting into nothing for a moment before he snapped back to reality.

"Anyways, you have a good night man. I'll be back later!" Hau bid his friend farewell, leaving Sun to his own devices. Sun sighed and left the Pokémon Center himself, determined not to just hide in his room and read while the day was still so young. However, after two hours had passed, he realized he was bored and lonely.

"Well…Now what?" Sun said to himself, crossing his arms. He was deep within the city at that point and didn't feel like returning just then. He needed something to do...

"Yo, yo yo!" Sun face-palmed at the sight of two familiar young men in black outfits with blue hair making their way towards him. Sun recognized the two of them at a distance, and saw they were the two Team Skull goons who had attempted to crash his Normal Trial. Axen and Kevin.

Sun didn't particularly feel like dealing with Team Skull at the moment, so he decided to just duck inside the nearest house, a massive mansion, and apologize to the owners later. As Sun closed the door behind him, the two members of Team Skull crossed their arms in unison.

"Why's the little dude have to be like that? We just wanted to say hey." Axen huffed, scratching his head.

"Kids these days. No consideration for their elders." Kevin replied, shaking his head and shrugging his shoulders.

"Guess we should meet up with Gladion. He's by the docks, right?" Axen asked Kevin, receiving a nod in reply. With that, the two members of Team Skull jogged away, leaving behind Sun, who was watching them from the window of the house.

"You do know that what you did is considered breaking and entering, right?" Sun turned around and saw a cheerful man with white hair regarding him with a small smile.

"Sorry sir. Team Skull showed up and-"

"Ah, say no more. Those kids are nothing but trouble, and you were looking to avoid it. Are they gone now?" the man asked, to which Sun replied with a nod.

"Yeah. It's crazy how those guys just show up out of nowhere. I kinda feel bad for Captain Ilima. He has to deal with their nonsense a lot more than I do." Sun said with a frown, but his statement got a grin out of the man.

"You must be one of Ilima's friends, then." The man stated, to which Sun nodded an affirmative. "Well then, welcome and hello there! Feel free to make yourself at home, young man. Any friend to my son is a friend of mine!" the man said happily, extending a hand to Sun, which the young boy shook.

"Nice to meet you sir." Sun said politely, amazed that he had stumbled upon the Captain's home by mistake. It was a very large and comfy place, with a Machamp sitting on the floor nearby watching him intently. Sun raised a hand in greeting to the Superpower Pokémon, who raised a single hand in response.

"Polite too. I wonder if you're that prodigy child that my son spoke so highly of the other day. Sun, right?" Ilima's father guessed.

"Yes sir."

"Fantastic. One thing though, first…" Ilima's father walked over to the stairs, followed by Sun.

"I'd like to hear what you think of my boy. Is he doing a good job as a Captain?" the man asked Sun, who considered the question for a few moments before nodding.

"He's a good captain. He treats other Pokémon Trainers with respect and he cares about the people of the island." Sun replied, receiving a nod from the man, though he laughed sheepishly.

"Sorry. I probably shouldn't have asked you something like that out of the blue…You see, our Ilima has just always been obsessed with Pokémon battling, ever since he was a boy. He's like a different person when he battles – you can see it in his eyes!" Ilima's father said with a smile smile, recalling memories of his child battling years ago. Sun couldn't help a smile at the pride and love in the man's voice.

"To tell the truth…I've always been a little worried about whether or not he would do all right as a Captain. He's still a relatively young and well…Ah, but my worries aren't your worries. Sorry to hold you up. If you're looking for Ilima, he's in his room. Feel free to head on upstairs." Ilima's father walked away then, leaving Sun to his thoughts. With a shrug the boy ascended the stairway and made his way to a room at the end of a hallway.

Sun knocked twice before hearing a familiar voice call, "Come in!"

Sun opened the door and entered the Captain's room, and was immediately surprised by how large and packed it was. Bookcases stood in the middle of the room while toys, trophies, computers and the like decorated the young man's room. The Captain himself was looking at the wall, deep in thought before he turned around and gave Sun a wide smile.

"Thank you for coming, Sun." Ilima said cordially, as always. "And you arrived with such exquisite timing!"

"Thank Team Skull for that." Sun replied, making the Captain's smile falter somewhat.

"They didn't bother you too much, did they?" Ilima asked.

"About as much as usual. I cut them off by hiding in your house. Thankfully your dad was cool about it and told me to head upstairs to say hi." Sun explained, making Ilima's smile return.

"Good. That lot is a nuisance but sadly too numerous for me to deal with on my own. And Kahuna Hala is too busy with his duties to sort the issue out himself, so…" Ilima shrugged and said, "Anyways, I've been conducting research on battle planning for quite some time, and at last my simulation is complete."

"Sounds neat."

"Indeed it is! Would you be so kind as to test it with me, Sun?" Ilima asked the young boy from Kanto. Sun grinned at the Captain.

"Sure," Sun replied with a grin, making Ilima nod twice before smiling widely.

"You have my gratitude. Very well then. To the Trainer's School!" Ilima declared, catching Sun by surprise as he initiated a scene transition before his very eyes.

* * *

Trainer's School

* * *

"Before we begin, allow me to explain…"

" _I didn't know people other than the author could do that. I wonder what other powers Captain Ilima possesses."_ Rotom wondered aloud, receiving a glare from Sun for interrupting Ilima. The young Captain continued though.

"It's not battle results that interest me. Rather, it's the carefully thought-out strategies. Or novel tactics employed by Trainers. How those plans infect one's opponent and influence the outcome of battles – that is where my interest lies!" Ilima stated, opening his eyes as a bright gleam entered them. Sun grinned in anticipation, knowing the following battle would be much more heated than the last one the two had down at the docks before.

"Now give me everything you've got, Sun!" Ilima commanded, a confident smile on his face as he drew an Ultra Ball from his belt.

"You bet." Sun replied, drawing a Poké Ball from his own belt.

"Go, Gumshoos!" Ilima called forth the large mongoose-like Pokémon, which was smaller than the Totem Pokémon he had battled a few weeks back but was still fairly large and seemed quite powerful.

"Brago, this is your first battle. Do your best!" Sun called forth the Growlithe, who let out a loud bark at being released before quickly falling into a crouch, wasting no time. Sun smiled at that. His newest Pokémon was one that took battles seriously, and Sun couldn't wait to train with him later. However he then noticed that the much larger Gumshoos had taken a step back from the Growlithe and looked visibly unnerved by it as Brago glared it down, which confused Sun for a moment. Luckily Rotom was there to assist, as always.

" _Zzzt! That's Brago's special ability! Intimidate! He can lower the attack power of an opponent just by facing them in battle!"_ Rotom explained to the young Trainer. Sun looked down at the dog in front of him, his thoughts racing at the idea of using his ability in battle. It was definitely useful if what Rotom said was the case. However…he knew that the Growlithe he had just caught was still pretty fresh with no real training. Sun wanted to give him some battling experience, but not let him get knocked out either.

"Brago, use Ember!" Sun commanded, throwing out a hand as the Growlithe nodded quickly, opening his maw and releasing a small burst of fire at the unmoving Gumshoos. Ilima flinched as the flames crashed into his Pokémon, despite the fire not doing much damage to him.

"Alright…Gumshoos, let's cut his Growlithe down to size!" Ilima brandished the Z-Ring on his wrist and struck a series of poses, filling Sun with horror as a familiar burst of energy rushed out from the Captain and surrounded his Pokémon.

"Gumshoos! Channel Leer _…and use Z-Leer!"_ Ilima commanded, his voice shaking with excitement at the battle just barely underway. Sun couldn't help a wince as the Gumshoos narrowed its eyes at Brago, a horrifying gleam coming to them that made Sun shiver in fear. Brago seemed surprised by the force of the glare sent his way, but after a moment the Growlithe scoffed and shook his head, making the Gumshoos roar in fury.

"You may have lowered his defenses, but it's not going to rattle him." Sun explained as he drew out his Growlithe's Poké Ball.

"Brago. Return." Sun called back the dog Pokémon with a smile and clipped the ball to his belt before drawing out another Poké Ball. Ilima laughed in delight, claping his hands.

"And just like that you've neutralized the effects of my Z-Leer. Well played!" Ilima praised Sun, making the boy laugh as well. This was a lot different than the battle he had gone through with the Kahuna. This was just a fun little showdown. Nothing at stake except spending time with a friend and Pokémon.

"Penny, let's go!" Sun called forth the Trumbeak, who let out a joyful cry upon release.

"Heh. Figured you'd go for her. Gumshoos, take her out! Use Tackle!" Ilima commanded as Penny landed on the ground. Gumshoos growled and bounded towards the Trumbeak, who seemed content to stand there.

"Penny, dodge it with a flap of your wings!" Sun ordered the Trumbeak. Penny's eyes gleamed as the Gumshoos reached her, but the Trumbeak flapped her wings hard as the massive Pokémon leapt into the air, just dodging the Gumshoos and putting her in a perfect attacking position.

"Use Brick Break!" Sun called to Penny, who let out a cry as her beak glowed bright white and slammed down on the back of the Gumshoos, causing the Pokémon to roar in pain.

"Now my friend, while she's close, use Tackle!" Ilima called to his Pokémon. Gumshoos kicked off of the ground and rocketed towards Penny, slamming into the surprised Trumbeak hard. Penny tumbled through the air, chirping with a wince.

"Use Supersonic!" Sun called out as the Gumshoos landed back on the ground. Penny nodded and released a sound-wave from her beak that reached Gumshoos a few moments later, making the Pokémon sway on its feet.

"Fight through it, Gumshoos! Use Tackle once more!" Ilima called out to his Pokémon. To Sun's dismay the Stakeout Pokémon seemed to gain some awareness in itself and looked straight at Penny, charging into her again as she landed on the ground. Penny crashed into the dirt with a cry, making Sun wince.

"Come on, Penny! Don't give up now! Hit it with another Brick Break!" Sun called to his bird as she rose and took flight again. Penny nodded and shot towards Gumshoos again, slamming into the Gumshoos and sending it skidding across the field back towards Ilima.

"That's how you do it, Penny!" Sun cheered for his Trumbeak, who let out a tired chirp as the Gumshoos slowly rose to its feet.

"If I may?" Ilima drew a yellow bottle out from his pocket and walked forward, spraying his Pokémon with what Sun recognized as a Full Heal. Sun sighed, realizing that his strategy had just been shot. But then again…maybe taking out the Gumshoos didn't require much more strategy than just getting one more good hit in…

"Now, Gumshoos! Use Tackle and wrap this up!" Ilima commanded, his smile wide as he punched out with his fist. Gumshoos crouched low on the ground and growled before bounding towards Penny, who seemed to prepare herself for the attack. As Gumshoos launched itself into the air, Sun called out to Penny.

"Dodge the attack and hit it with Brick Break with everything you've got!" Sun yelled to his bird as the massive mongoose rushed towards her. Penny darted through the air and veered off to the right just as the Gumshoos reached her, bringing down her glowing beak onto the other Pokémon's back. Gumshoos howled as it fell towards the ground and crashed into a big heap, though the swirls in its eyes told both Trainers that it was done battling.

"Ah. That's a shame." Ilima chuckled as he recalled his Gumshoos. "Thank you, my friend. Now-"

Suddenly Rotom swooped in front of Sun, pointing at Penny with a wide smile on its face. _"Hey Sun, guess who just learned a new move?"_

"Let me guess. Penny?"

" _Man, you're good at this game! But yeah, she learned Pluck! Isn't that great?"_ Rotom cheered as Penny soared back over to him. Sun grinned and patted the bird on the head, receiving a happy but tired chirp in response.

"Good job. You were awesome out there." Sun said quietly, making Penny chirp as she shut her eyes.

" _And it looks like Brago just learned Odor Sleuth. Good call using him for a little bit and then switching him out with Penny. That's a great way for weaker Pokémon to gain experience!"_ Rotom said before blinking and yelling out, _"Oh no, I forgot the music!"_

Rotom then began playing a fairly upbeat battle music that Sun had heard him play a few times before. Both Trainers looked at each other and shrugged before Ilima grabbed another Ultra Ball from his belt and released the Pokémon within.

"Smeargle, let's go!" Ilima called out his signature Pokémon. The Painter Pokémon landed on the ground with a determined grunt, even as his Trainer clenched his fists and doubled over, unable to contain his excitement.

"Brago, come back out!" Sun called forth the Growlithe again, and just like with the Gumshoos, Brago growled and narrowed its eyes, making the Smeargle flinch and take a step back as Brago's Intimidate ability hit it.

"Alright, Smeargle-"

"Brago, return." Sun called the Growlithe back, to Ilima's surprise.

"I'm trying to get him some experience battling, but I also don't want him knocked out. I know that Smeargle of yours has some tricks up its sleeve." Sun said to the Captain, grinning at him. Ilima and Smeargle exchanged a look before the both of them broke into laughter.

"Very well, Sun. But which Pokémon will you choose?" Ilima asked as Sun clipped Brago's ball to his belt and drew out another.

"Oliver, let's give them a battle to remember!" Sun called forth his starter, who erupted from his Poké Ball with a cry as he swooped down to the ground. Smeargle glared down the Dartrix, remembering how the owl had defeated it as a Rowlet just a short time ago.

"Let's hit that bird with Water Gun!" Ilima called out, surprising Sun. And Oliver too, as the bird took the attack head-on. Despite it doing very little damage, Oliver let out a screech of fury as it tried to shake the water off and fix its now misaligned feathers.

"Oliver, focus on Smeargle!" Sun called to the owl, who looked at him for a moment before giving the Smeargle a glare of fury. The Painter Pokémon shrank back, terrified.

"Huh…I didn't know a Dartrix could use the Intimidate ability as well. Or is Sun's Dartrix just...terrifying beyond belief?" Ilima mused softly as Smeargle nodded in agreement.

"Let's show them our strength! Smeargle, use Ember!" Ilima cried out. Smeargle nodded and sprinted forward, clutching its tail as the Pokémon swung it around and unleashed a small blast of fire at Oliver, who was quickly flying towards it.

"Tank the hit and use Razor Leaf when you're close!" Sun called to Oliver. The Dartrix tucked in its wings and took the attack head-on, wincing in pain as the flames scorched its body. However, soon the Dartrix broke free of the flames and reached the surprised Smeargle, who was defenseless against him as he swung both wings downwards and released a torrent of spinning leaves that sliced through the Smeargle with ease. The Painter Pokémon staggered backwards with a cry before collapsing to the ground senseless.

"Wha…You…" Ilima stammered, looking up at Oliver and down at his now-unconscious Smeargle several times in quick succession.

"Yeah, Oliver's kind of awesome." Sun said as the Dartrix soared over to him, landing on the ground. Oliver gave Sun a thumbs up with his feathers, seeming very amused as he began to preen himself.

"He…knocked out my Smeargle…with just one attack?" Ilima stammered, looking dumbfounded still as he tried to process what had just happened. After a moment Ilima blinked and shook his head, a wide smile coming to the Captain as he returned his Pokémon.

"Yes! It seems that you are once more victorious!" Ilima declared, reaching into his pocket and paying Sun for his victory.

"Looks like it. Man, did you make me work for this win though. You were way tougher to take down this time." Sun said to the Captain, extending a hand to the young man. Ilima beamed and shook Sun's hand, showing each other the respect that the other had earned through battle.

"Wonderful! What a truly wonderful battle!" Ilima crowed, still grinning with joy. "I'll be feeling the aftershocks from that battle for a long time to come. That was the best I could've hoped for!"

For whatever, reason, something clicked in Sun's mind as he regarded the Captain and his joy for battling. He wondered what it was, but then disregarded it just as quickly as it had appeared.

"Thank you, my friend. Please, allow me to treat you to some tea and snacks back in my room." Ilima offered to the other Trainer, who was all too happy to accept the Captain's offer. Sun and Ilima set off down the road, chatting about battling and even where their adventures would take them next. Sun couldn't help but be amazed at all of the wonderful friends he had made so far on his journey, and wondered how many other people would step into his life and become his friend as well as he continued to travel and grow in Alola.

* * *

"Boss, this is Bone Unit 71. Mission accomplished on Melemele Island. Grabbed some fool's Pokémon, got some other useful stuff and a few shards of Buginium-Z, and are preparing to bail." Axen said, pressing his phone against his ear as Kevin and Gladion listened intently.

 _"Good. Get to Akala and start trying to get the down-low on how to mess with those Captains. And there's that Battle Royal Avenue place that needs looking into. Yeah...You boys get on that. You too, Gladion."_ Came the harsh voice from the other side of the phone, cruel amusement evident in the man's tone.

Gladion opened his mouth to speak but thought better of it. Nothing good came of talking back to the feared and renowned leader of Team Skull. Even he was wary of the man because he knew that if he slipped up around him, he would not be able to withstand the man's wrath.

"Understood, Guzma." Gladion replied quietly, gritting his teeth in anger.

 _"Get to it then. Report when you've got something useful to tell me."_ Guzma ended the phone call with a click, and Axen stuffed the phone into his pocket with a sigh.

"You really hate him, don't you?" Axen asked, being serious for once. Gladion regarded the young man with suspicion for a moment before sighing.

"I hate him and I hate what this group stands for. But I'm working with you and that's all that matters." Gladion replied with a growl as he walked towards the boat that the trio had appropriated earlier and began to prepare it for departure. Gladion released his two Pokémon and as his Zubat landed on his shoulders and Null grunted from beside him, the boat began to slowly move away from Hau'oli City and into the waters of Alola.

"Ugh…this is going to be one boring boat ride…Know any good jokes? Or puns? Honestly, I don't care which at this point." Axen asked Kevin, who shrugged as the city slowly drew away from them.

"Why are graveyards so noisy?" Kevin asked Axen after a moment.

"Because of all the _coffin_. Heard it." Axen replied, not even remotely amused.

"I guess that's one of the very few downsides to being with Team Skull. I only know bone and skeleton-related jokes…Even worse is that you've heard them all." Kevin sighed, leaning against the cabin of the boat.

"Dang…That's lame, yo." Axen admitted, sitting down on the floor. Gladion shook his head, wondering how he had ended up with the two of them following him around on Melemele Island. He then realized that it didn't matter so long as they didn't get in the way of him and his mission. After leaving everything behind, he really couldn't afford distractions. He had to get stronger as quickly as possible. Team Skull was a necessary evil…at least that's what he kept telling himself.

With that knowledge in mind, he decided to at least entertain himself during the long trip to the next island.

"How did the skeleton know it was going to rain?" Gladion suddenly asked Axen, whose expression turned to confusion as the young man looked over his shoulder at him, his pale green eyes shimmering in the sunset.

"That's a new one." Kevin stated, cocking his head.

"Ha, that's easy. He could feel it in his bones!" Axen guessed, crossing his arms.

"No…he read the weather forecast, you idiot." Gladion replied as he turned around, facing the sea as Axen swore in annoyance and Kevin laughed. Null snorted in amusement as Gladion looked towards the sunrise, a faint smile crossing his face before it faded away and was replaced by the ever-present mask of fierceness. The boat continued to race across the ocean, water spraying into the air as the Alolan sun blazed overhead.


	34. Life's a Beach

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _Over 300 reviews…in ten months. And two and a half of those I was totally inactive._

 _Just…Thank you all so much. The love this story gets and the support you all have given me is just incredible. From the bottom of my heart, thank you._

 _Back to business. This was originally supposed to be two chapters, but I'm impatient and just want to get to Akala Island sometime this year. So I'm condensing stuff. Huzzah!_

 _The following chapter is pretty much one of the few places in this story where there's an actual beach you can walk on, so this is about as good a place as any for a beach chapter. I don't know if I'll do another one, but I figured why not have one here?_

 _And yes, I'm aware there are some reservations as to how this'll play out. I think I handled things rather well, considering how the characters are regularly and how they'd react to hanging out at the beach. I got some inspiration from the anime, which I seriously need to get back to this weekend because I saw the clip of a certain someone reuniting with another someone and the confrontation they had was…interesting to say the least._

 _Also, I'd like to make an admission as to why I'm looking forward to Akala Island so much._

 _Team Skull._

 _I plan on expanding a lot on Team Skull, just because the backstory and the potential for them is so great. And I think that a lot of people want to see more of them not just because they're hilarious, but because people sympathize with them. Some of my most anticipated scenes I want to do with this story involve Team Skull, Gladion, and of course the man who beats you down and beats you down and never let's up…_

 _Ya boi._

 _GOD I'M HYPED. I CAN'T WAIT TO SHOW YOU ALL WHAT I HAVE PLANNED. LIKE, THE FIRST FIVE CHAPTERS ALONE OF THIS ARC DO A CRAPTON OF STUFF AND EEEEEEEEEEEEE!_

 _But anyway, shoutout to the fantastic folks who reviewed last chapter, which includes Madame Rodoshe, a Guest reviewer, BouncingFish, Cottonmouth25, AKhaos, Ignaci0, Gokan123, Ways, BraviaryScout, as well as a new reviewer known as Xehanorto, who also happens to be one of my good friends from the Freelancer Collaboration. Thanks for the tremendous amount of support and love folks. It means the world to me, it truly does._

 _Major shoutout to Ways, who's rapid-fire reviews of the past few chapters made him the 300th review for this story. Thanks for supporting me in the past and continuing to support me in RS!_

 _Also, let's play spot the cameo. No it's not a major one, but it's something. Considering this is one of my favorite character's in the game couldn't find a real spot for them in the story. Maybe I'll find something down the road, but for now…_

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 _Chapter 34: Life's a Beach_

* * *

Thankfully for the crew of children, Professor Kukui was fine with them having fun at the beach for the day before they set out later that evening. He had managed to wrap up the boat repairs and was keen to take an afternoon off himself before they arrived at Akala Island that night. So with that said, the next morning Sun and Hau went down to the beach along with the Professor.

Sun simply wore dark grey swimming trunks with a Poké Ball design on the sides, with a simple white T-shirt and black sandals. When asked, Sun explained that he didn't tan. He burned. Hence why he was taking the extra precautions with a shirt and liberal amounts of sunscreen. Sun knew he'd still end up roasted, but at least he had tried.

Hau had forgone a shirt and simply wore a bright orange pair of trunks with yellow flowers on the sides, remarkable similar to the pants he usually wore. He of course kept his sandals, because why would he not?

And Kukui wore his usual attire. Which confused Sun.

"Professor, I thought you would have your bathing suit here." Sun stated as they continued walking down the path that led to the beach.

"Oh no, I don't go swimming in my swimsuit. That uh…wouldn't be a good idea." Kukui chuckled, grinning at the two children.

"Nah, I'd feel pretty bad if you didn't get to have fun in the water as well. Besides, you're Professor Kukui. With abs like yours, you've got to have a swimsuit." Sun said to the man, grinning at him.

"I mean, I _do_ have one. I was just planning on swimming somewhere away from you kids. I don't think you two are old enough to handle it and not scream in horror." Kukui said completely seriously, which made both children exchange a bewildered look.

"I'm sure we can handle it. We faced down a psychopathic assassin survived and I beat the Kahuna. How bad could you in a swimsuit be?" Sun laughed. Kukui shrugged, grabbing his backpack and walking into a nearby changing tent.

"So…What kind of swimsuit do you think Kukui has?" Hau wondered, crossing his arms.

"Probably something super colorful and ridiculous. Like a leotard with Charizards on it." Sun snickered, making Hau giggle as well. Suddenly the tent flap flew open and Professor Kukui walked out, making Sun and Hau scream out in horror…

What else do you expect two 11-year olds to do when the Regional Professor of Alola walks out in nothing but a white speedo?

"OH GOD MY VIRGIN EYES!"

"BLEACH! I NEED BLEACH!"

"See, this right here is why I don't swim. People just can't handle me at my best. I used to be the best swimmer on my team back at my old university." Kukui bragged, taking a moment to strike one of his trademark poses from his… _other job_. Rotom suddenly flew up to the Professor, flailing its arms.

" _Zzzt! Professor, for the love of Arceus put some pants on!"_

"Fine! Jeez, you all are so immature."

* * *

Five Minutes Later…

* * *

"I think my innocence was ruined."

"Sun, as Pokémon Trainers, we must overcome any obstacle. No matter how awful and horrifying."

"Kids, seriously…you're kinda starting to hurt my feelings…"

Sun and Hau gave Kukui glares of fury before Kukui laughed and said, "I think I'll go somewhere else for a bit."

Hau and Sun released all of their Pokémon, making Kukui take a step back in horror as the children gave him looks of the childish rage. Both boys pointed at the Professor, who gulped nervously as he slipped his coat back on, having changed back into his regular clothes.

"Oliver. Use Leafage."

"Duke. Electro Ball."

Kukui screamed in horror as a sadistic Dartrix and a Pikachu chased the man down the beach, lobbing the attacks at the man. Sun grinned as Penny and Brago barked and chirped encouragement to Oliver as Cassy fired a Water Gun into the air and Hau began washing his face and eyes with the water his starter was providing for him.

"Good Giratina, I'm gonna need eye soap for a month. UUGGHHH!" Hau moaned, shutting his eyes and shuddering. Sun turned to his Pokémon, with Oliver returning with a smug look on his face. Duke just let out a happy cry and circled Hau's legs.

"You three can go off wherever you want. Just stay out of trouble and have fun, okay?" Sun said to his trio. All three of them nodded and dispersed. Brago went to hang out by the umbrella where all of their stuff was, sitting next to a certain Alolan Vulpix who brightened up at seeing the Growlithe coming her way. Penny soared out towards the water while Oliver flew with a few nearby Wingulls.

"You two have fun too. Just be careful." Hau said to his duo, who both gave him goofy salutes before scampering off. Hau shuddered and said, "Thank goodness Pokémon would make nothing out of what just happened."

"Seriously, like…I did NOT need to see that." Sun shivered as well, trying to repress the memory even as it was being burned into his mind. The Kanto-native looked at Hau and said, "So what now?"

"Well, there's a volleyball game going on over there. Or we can play in the water. Or wait for the girls." Hau suggested, each of the ideas having merit. Lillie and Demi had urged them to go on without them, saying they would catch up later for some reason.

A sudden explosion cut off both boys' trains of thought and they whirled around to see a small crowd gathered down the beach, cheering and whooping and very into the ongoing bout. Sun and Hau exchanged a quick glance before charging ahead, eager to see what the fuss was about. They managed to nudge a few people aside and got towards the front, where they saw some familiar faces in a Pokémon battle.

Noah and Hugh stood apart from each other on the beach, Samson the Samurott on one side and a massive Machamp on the other, much larger than the one Sun had seen in Ilima's house just yesterday. Vivian stood in the middle of them, obviously playing the referee. The beach itself was completely torn up and the Pokémon on both sides were sporting obvious damage, but both looked very strong and very ready to keep brawling until the other was unable to continue. Hugh was grinning, excitement visible on his face as he shifted his stance in the sand, his crimson eyes twinkling in the sun.

Noah, on the other hand, looked… _alive_.

Each and every time Sun had encountered the young man, Noah had been in medical scrubs and had a sickly look to him. Subdued yet cheerful, polite yet restrained, so to speak. However Noah was now wearing a bright red vest and a bright white dress shirt, complete with black slacks and dress shoes. A fedora was on the boy's head, tilted to the side just so. He wore a fierce grin on his face, full of life and excitement. Certainly not the kind of Pokémon Trainer Sun imagined the teen with leukemia was. It was like he was seeing the young man for who he really was for the first time.

"Samurott, use Hydro Pump!" Hugh barked. Samson nodded sharply before opening his maw and firing a massive burst of water at the Fighting-type he stood apart from.

"Jump into the air and use Flamethrower!" Noah shot back, making Hugh blink in surprise as the Machamp leapt into the air, dodging the pressurized blast of water. Machamp opened his mouth and spewed forth a raging blast of flames that enveloped Samson, making the Water-type growl in pain before it engulfed itself in water and shot into the air without waiting for a command.

"Aqua Jet!" Hugh yelled as the Samurott's speed tripled and slammed into the Machamp even as it breathed fire onto him. The two Pokémon tumbled through the air and crashed into the sand. Samurott got underneath the Machamp and threw its head up, tossing the Machamp into the air and crashing back down into the sand.

"Max, you feel like the warm-up is over?" Noah asked his Machamp. In response, the four-armed Pokémon cracked all four sets of his knuckles, grinning now.

"Use Focus Blast and follow up with Submission." Noah commanded the Superpower Pokémon, who nodded and charged ahead fearlessly as Samson lowered his head in anticipation. Hugh's grin turned feral with excitement as he threw his arm apart.

"Not a chance! Use Ice Beam!" Hugh yelled, his Samurott crouching low onto the ground before snorting and charging up a ball of light blue energy at the tip of his horn and firing it, the beam sending a chill of power through the air. The Machamp let out a yell as a ball of energy quickly formed within its palms and fired off to meet the beam of icy energy directly, creating a wicked explosion of mist and smoke.

"Megahorn!" Hugh bellowed as Samson launched himself into the smoke, even as Max charged straight ahead. The a loud booming sound echoed out from the smoke, dispersing it within moments and revealing a Machamp slamming the Samurott into the ground with a yell, even as the Water-type rammed its glowing horn into the chest of the Machamp.

"Low Kick to separate, follow up with Dynamic Punch!" Noah yelled out. Machamp nodded and savagely kicked Samurott in the chest, making the Pokémon cry out in pain as it fell away. Samurott growled as Machamp rolled to its feet, its fists charging up with energy before it charged ahead.

"Counter with Razor Shell!" Hugh called out, with the Samurott leaping back and drawing its blades, both of which gleamed with blue watery energy as the Machamp sprinted forward. Both Pokémon exchanged furious blows back and forth, and it was obvious despite the ferocity that the two were evenly matched.

Sun was in awe. He knew he was a good Pokémon Trainer, he wouldn't have defeated a Captain (twice) and the Kahuna. But this…was something else entirely. These two were on a whole other level.

An explosion rocked Sun out of musings, with Machamp skidding through the sand with a yell while Samurott dropped to the ground, shaking its head as if trying to clear it. Machamp stumbled to its feet, panting heavily before throwing out its arms.

"Use Bulk Up!" Noah cried out, with Machamp screaming out as a crimson aura engulfed it and increased its strength.

"Heh. Two can play that game. Work up!" Hugh yelled out as Samurott gained awareness in its eyes. The Pokémon let out a roar, working itself up into a state where its strength would increase as well. On top of that, Sun saw an aura of blue light began to glow around Samurott.

"That's Torrent." Hau said, his eyes catching what Sun's did. "Every starter in each region has the same ability. All water-type starters have Torrent, and it strengthens Water-type moves in a pinch. This thing is just about done."

"Use Waterfall!" Hugh roared, throwing a fist forward. Samurott bellowed as it crouched low, water engulfing it as the Pokémon rushed towards Machamp. Noah's grin was almost Cheshire as he threw apart his arms.

"Show them our strength, Max! Meet him head-on with Cross Chop!" Noah yelled out, with his Machamp crossing all four arms into a wicked X that burned with energy. The Superpower Pokémon rushed forward and slammed into the Formidable Pokémon, both Pokémon colliding with enough force to create a shockwave of force that blew sand all around them and throwing both Pokémon apart, sending them crashing into the sand. Noah and Hugh both yelled out in concern, but after a few moments of stirring it became clear that neither Pokémon would be able to rise again on their own power.

"Both Pokémon are unable to battle! Therefore the match is a draw!" Vivian declared, throwing up her arms. Both Noah and Hugh healed their Pokémon with Revives and Max Potions and returned their Pokémon. The two young men walked towards each other as the crowd cheered them on, with the two friends shaking hands.

"It's great seeing you back in top form. Make you don't overdo it, alright?" Hugh said Noah, who chuckled.

"I try not to. My body however doesn't agree, sadly. But it was…wonderful being back on the battlefield. I'm looking forward to getting our Island Challenge back on the road." Noah admitted as Hugh clapped his friend on the shoulder. Vivian reached them and slipped her hand into Noah's, and with that the trio walked off, the crowd parting around them. Hugh caught sight of Sun and Hau and gave them a wave of greeting, but the two children were too stunned by the battle that just ended to return it.

"That was…incredible." Sun breathed, grinning with excitement.

"Yeah…makes me excited to get back on track with our little trip. One day…We'll be even stronger than them." Hau said with a chuckle, putting his hands behind his head. Sun simply nodded as the three teens released their Pokémon, though Noah handed one of the Poké Balls to his Machamp, who sprinted into the water and swam out into the ocean before releasing the Pokémon within. Sun was surprised to see a massive shadow suddenly appear within the deeper reaches of the water before a massive serpent's head emerged.

"Holy crap, he has a Gyrados." Hau murmured in awe before the beast sank into the water and shut its eyes. Sun shivered at the sight of such a powerful and wild Pokémon being around. Not any Pokémon Trainer could control a Gyrados, and yet the one in the water seemed completely calm as it rested in the water just a short distance away. Sun couldn't tell because of how much its body was in the water, but looked much bigger than he imagined the serpent Pokémon would be like.

"Probably a good call to release it out there. It'd probably terrify people beforehand." Sun mused before he heard a call from behind him.

"Hey guys! We're finally here!" Sun and Hau turned around and finally saw Demi jogging towards them. The girl was wearing a bright yellow two-piece with her hair tied into a ponytail, a tower tied around her neck and billowing behind her like a cape, with the girl grinning ear-to-ear.

"About time. You missed an awesome battle. Wait…where's Lillie?" Sun asked Demi, who sighed.

"She's the reason we're so late. She was really, _really_ reluctant to come out here. I convinced her in the end, but she's kind of a wet blanket right now. She's trailing behind me now." Demi shook her head, but Hau frowned at that.

"I'm all for people having fun, but if she's not comfortable coming out here then…don't make her?" Hau suggested, earning an annoyed look from Demi. The girl then paused, her expression clearing before she put a hand on her forehead.

"Ugh…You're totally right. I was being pushy again and I probably made the poor girl even more reluctant to get out of her shell. I was trying to help…but probably just made it worse! Dang it…" Demi sighed again, looking rather upset that she had hurt one of her new friends. Sun opened his mouth to say something to comfort her, but then he spotted someone behind Demi that made his jaw drop. Hau chuckled and gestured for Demi to look behind her, and when she did the girl broke into a smile.

Lillie was walking towards them, her hat pulled low enough so that they couldn't see her face. She was wearing a white-ish blue, two-piece swimsuit with a small skirt attached, with of course her Poké Ball bag draped over her shoulder. Sun felt his face heat up and was glad he kept his hat on, hopping it concealed at least some of his blush. Hau just grinned, putting his hands behind his head as Lillie approached them. Demi just watched her approach with a guilty smile, realizing she had made a mistake.

"S-sorry about that. Just had to…work up the nerve to come out here." Lillie muttered, not meeting their eyes.

"You uh…UGHH! I'm sorry, Lillie. I didn't realize just how uncomfortable this would make you." Demi apologized, stepping forward. Lillie tilted her hat up, smiling a little.

"No I…I need to stop being so reserved. I can't keep hiding myself away from everyone and everything forever. That said…" Lillie shuddered and said, "It definitely feels weird showing this much skin."

"You can probably find some nice dresses around here just for the beach." Hau mused, grinning at his friend. "It looks good though!"

"T-thank you, Hau." Lillie said quietly, looking at Sun, who looked away from the girl. Lillie's head tilted in confusion, wondering what was wrong with Sun, before she caught sight of a bit of red on his face. Lillie's eyes widened in surprise and she was unsure if she wanted to ask Sun about that, but she was distracted by Oliver and Penny suddenly swooping down, chirping greetings to Lillie.

"So um…sorry about being so pushy earlier-" Demi began to say, but Lillie shook her head, making the other girl stop speaking as she pat Oliver on the head.

"It's okay. You're just trying to help me become more comfortable with myself. It's not your fault I'm so…shy, with some things." Lillie said quietly, lowering her hat as Nebby squirmed in her bag. "I think I'm just going to sit down and read for a bit under the umbrella. You all have fun."

Lillie walked off, sitting down underneath the umbrella and blanket in the sand that they had claimed as their spot, along with Brago and Winter, who greeted the young girl with a bark and a cry. Lillie patted Winter with a small smile, but it was obvious she was still not happy with how today was going. Sun wished he knew how to make her feel better about what was going on…

"That's a mood-killer." Hau remarked, crossing his arms. "But if she wants to be left alone, I won't bug her. I'm gonna play volleyball. You all should come with."

Hau walked off, leaving Demi and Sun standing in the sand and watching Lillie as she pet Winter and Brago, with both Pokémon shutting their eyes in contentment.

Demi put a hand on her chin, her expression thoughtful. "Sun, you're kind of a mellow guy. You wouldn't mind sitting down and being boring at the beach."

"Huh?"

"Go hang out with Lillie for a bit. Make sure she's okay. And you know…I'm sure Lillie would appreciate it if you gave her your shirt to help her cover up a little bit." Sun looked at her in surprise. Demi then leaned in and said even quieter, "She had nothing but good things to say about you the week I spent with her and Hau, Sun. You mean a lot to her. She's not happy right now, and seeing you look out for her would go a long way towards…well…"

Sun was surprised when Demi's grin turned mischievous and she winked at him. Sun then finally caught onto her meaning then blushed furiously. Either his attraction to Lillie was really, _really_ obvious or people were much smarter than he gave them credit for. He hoped it was the second one.

"You like her, right? Go help her out. It'll mean more to her if it is you that does it. I know if _I_ was upset and a cute boy gave me the shirt off their back, I'd think it was really sweet." Demi said quietly, her smile becoming softer before she turned around. Sun again blushed at the compliment. While he may have had his eyes on Lillie lately, getting complimented by another pretty girl was…oddly satisfying for him. He shook his head slightly, composing himself for the task ahead. He agreed with Demi's idea and was determined to cheer Lillie up.

"I'm gonna go hang out with Hau. When you two feel like it, you should join us. It'd be nice to have us all play around a bit before the day is done." Demi whirled around and shoved Sun towards Lillie before running off to play with Hau. She rejoined the cheerful boy, who gave her a questioning look.

"What's going on?" Hau asked.

"Helping Sun with Lillie. He totally wants her, she totally wants him. So I gave him a helping hand." Demi said with a grin, making Hau pout.

"That's unfair. How I'm supposed to win her heart with Sun getting _help_?" Hau complained, only for Demi to chuckle at the reply.

"Dude, you do know there's plenty of girls out here in Alola, right? Plus, you're super nice. And cute, mind you. You would have no problem getting a girlfriend in these islands if you set your mind to it." Hau blinked at the compliment, noting that Demi was blushing a little bit before continuing to go on. "Instead of focusing on just one girl, you should broaden your horizons. Keep your eyes out for other ladies that interest you and are interested in you and…I dunno."

"Well…I mean…if _you_ wanna hang out a bit…" Hau remarked, smiling a little wider before casting a glance at Lillie. His best friend and the girl of his admiration for so long. But…he couldn't deny that Demi had a point. Lillie hadn't come around after a good while of being his friend and making his feelings about her known in all ways but flat-out telling her. Maybe if he backed off a little bit, spent time with other girls and showed her how awesome he was in other ways…

Then maybe things would work out for him and Lillie. And if not…at least she had someone else that he knew would be there for her. In the short time he that had gotten to know Sun, he knew that the boy would never let a friend down if he could help it.

So with that, Hau gave a shrug and walked ahead of Demi. The dark-skinned girl grinned widely and did a fist-pump. She looked back at Sun in the distance, the boy slowly approaching Lillie, who had her face in book now. Demi grinned at the sight.

" _Sun…That girl's an absolute sweetheart. You better take care of her."_ Demi thought as she turned around and jogged after Hau.

Sun took a deep breath and exhaled, steadying his nerves. His blood was pumping and he felt so anxious. He was annoyed at that fact, considering this was Lillie, his closest friend next to Hau. But…Lillie had always managed to stir up odd feelings within Sun that confused him. And seeing her in something different, after seeing her in white dresses for so long, kicked everything into overdrive.

"Sun?"

Sun snapped out of his daze as the girl he was thinking about looked up at him in confusion. Sun could see the discomfort on her face, the curiosity in her gaze, and something else that seemed familiar as she looked up at him.

"You okay, Lillie?" Sun asked quietly, crossing his arms. He was glad he kept his voice steady, and tried to keep himself from focusing on any part of Lillie in particular, so he just looked at her bright green eyes.

"Not…really. But don't let me ruin your guy's fun. I'm really okay over here. Brago and Winter are keeping me company!" Lillie said as the Alolan Vulpix and the Growlithe let out cries in response.

"Good boy." Sun said to Brago, reaching down and scratching the dog behind his ears. Brago shut his eyes and sighed happily as Sun smiled at the dog. Sun found it rather humorous that the fierce and brave warrior that was Brago was so easily influenced by things like that. He needed to experiment with this further.

"So please, go have fun. I'll talk to you later." Lillie said to Sun, making a shooing motion and giving him a faint smile. She was admittedly happy he was checking on her, and was glad he cared so much. But she was worried about how he was reacting around her. She was a bit worried about how he and Hau would react with her wearing something like this, but she had hoped that being around other girls on the beach, who were prettier and more outgoing than her, would distract them from this.

"But what…" Sun chose his words carefully, crossing his arms. "If I wanted to spend time with you instead? Are you okay with some company?"

"You'd…really just sit here with me instead of having fun with the others?" Lillie asked quietly, shocked at the mere suggestion of it. Sun replied by walking over to her and sitting down next to her.

"Oh yeah, and take my shirt. Seeing you pout like that is driving me nuts. This'll probably make you feel a bit more at ease here." Sun couldn't help a smile as Lillie pouted at his words, looking adorable as she did so.

" _Yes…Lillie is adorable. She's pretty. Very, very pretty. And that's alright to think, because she's my friend."_ Sun thought as he took off his shirt and handed it to the girl, who looked at him in surprise before she shook her head. Sun smirked before he suddenly tossed it into the girl's face, making her yelp and tumble over as Brago laughed at the display.

"Too late, you already have it. Looks like-"

"Yeah, yeah, you're so clever." Lillie grumbled as she ripped the shirt from her face. She held it up for a moment before putting on the shirt, sighing with relief as she adjusted it. She felt far less vulnerable now, and she was grateful for what Sun did.

"At least I can say now I have a friend who would give me the shirt off their back." Lillie said after a moment, making Sun burst into giggles. Lillie smiled, the first real smile she felt all day, at the sound of her friend's laughter. After everything he went through, he was still so strong. It was nice seeing him happy and smiling and…with her. Lillie blushed despite herself, glad that her hat and the shade of the umbrella hid the redness of her face. It didn't help now that Sun was shirtless, allowing her to see a bit more of him than she was used to.

"Uh, Sun?"

"Yeah?"

"I have a question for you." Sun gave his friend a curious look, surprised to see her suddenly looking so nervous. Even he could spot how red her face was getting.

"Do…H-how do I look?" Lillie blurted out, looking at Sun for a moment before looking away. Sun blinked, taken aback by the sudden question before he thought about it. Truthfully he thought Lillie looked as she always did, exceedingly pretty. He also admired her for going out of her comfort zone and coming out to the beach in a swimsuit despite not really wanting to. Sun realized that his words now would have a lot more meaning than usual, since it seemed to Sun that Lillie didn't have a high opinion of herself in something like what she was wearing. He wanted to tell her the truth, but he didn't want her to figure out his attraction towards her when even he hadn't sorted out the details of the odd feelings the girl gave him. He decided to, in the end, go with the truth but not the whole truth.

"I think you look great. You really do, Lillie. You don't have anything to be embarrassed about." Sun said honestly, giving his friend a warm smile. Lillie looked over at Sun, her blush growing but an embarrassed and bashful grin on her face regardless.

"T-thank you, Sun. Same to you as well." Lillie stammered out, making Sun's smile turn into a playful grin, even as his own blush returned to his face.

"Well, even if we don't feel like playing with the others, at least we know how to make being socially awkward in swimsuits look good." Sun joked, making Lillie burst into laughter. The awkward tension between them faded away, replaced with a comfortable silence as the two introverted children simply enjoyed each other's company.

Lillie and Sun eventually adjusted their seating position so that they were both lying down and Lillie was reading aloud from her book while using Sun's stomach as a pillow. Sun closed his eyes with a smile on his face, trying not to fall asleep while Lillie read him a chapter from her book on Alolan culture. Nebby slipped out of its bag and slept nestled between Lillie and Sun, knowing that between the two of them it was safe to rest outside of the confines of its bag. Sun briefly wondered where the Cosmog had come from and how Lillie had gotten it, but then realized that those were subjects to pursue at a later time. For now, he was content to spend time with Lillie and consider their relationship as friends as he struggled with his emotions, trying to piece this puzzle together.

* * *

A few hours later, the two antisocial children were all but dragged away from their umbrella by Hau and Demi and forced to play with them. Sun was all for it, especially since his Pokémon had been wanting to play with their Trainer. Lillie was surprisingly okay with this as well, and surprised Sun by taking off the shirt he had given her and handing it back to him. Sun give his friend a look, but then he saw her expression was resolute as she continued walking ahead of him. Sun slipped his shirt back on, smiling with pride at his friend before jogging after her.

The quartet of children arrived at the water's edge and were greeted by a shimmering bird, but this one was much larger than Sun remembered Demi having.

"You remember Feya, right Sun?" Demi said as the bird chirped a greeting to him. Sun didn't have Rotom Dex on him, the device was currently babysitting Nebby for some reason. Luckily Demi explained in his stead.

"My Fletchling evolved into a Fletchinder shortly after we last saw each other. Hala wasn't too hard to beat after that happened." Demi said happily, petting her shiny starter on the head. Sun then noticed a large black and cream-colored Pokémon prowling around the girl's feet and a small white and purple floating candle staring at Sun.

"You've got a Quilava too! And a…" Sun trailed off, unsure what the strange candle was.

"Litwik." Demi finished, grinning. "These are my awesome babies and they're gonna lead me to victory."

"So, do you specialize as a Fire-type Trainer then Demi?" Sun asked, surprised at this. The cheerful girl never struck him as one to specialize in one type.

"Oh yeah. I've always adored Fire-types. I'm working on trying to get more that help me cover the weaknesses such a team has, but it's kinda hard. I'll figure it out though!" Demi proclaimed, grinning at them.

"OI!" Sun looked to his right and saw Hugh walking his way, grinning at them. The group turned around to face the older Trainer, who couldn't help a small laugh in amusement.

"Heh. Figured you guys would be hanging out here before heading out to Akala. You up for a game of volleyball? We managed to find a few people and Pokémon who were down for it." Hugh asked them, pointing to the area with a net a short distance away. Each of the children agreed, so the group ventured off to the next and began to play. Hau and Demi got on one side, alongside Vivian, Professor Kukui (who had returned and was giving Oliver a very dirty look) and a few other Trainers and Pokémon. Hugh, Sun, and Lillie took the other side. Lillie looked at Sun nervously, but Sun grinned as Brago barked at the other side. Oliver and Penny let out chirps, making the Pokémon on the other side cry out in response.

"You all ready to lose?" Hugh called playfully, earning a rude gesture from Vivian. Demi snatched the ball from the violinist, surprising her.

"BRING IT!" Demi yelled, with the girl leaping into the air and spiking the ball downwards. Hugh charged forward and knocked the ball back towards the other side, only for Hau to head-butt the ball back to their side. Sun exchanged a quick glance with one of the nearby boys, a young man with snow white hair and icy blue eyes. When asked for a name before the game, the boy called himself Wally. A stoic and powerful-looking Gallade stood beside him, unnerving Sun and reminding him of Mister Oliver's Gallade back in Kanto.

Wally gave Sun a smile before both of them looked ahead, with Sun running ahead and swinging upwards, knocking the ball skyward. Wally met the ball with a punch, sending it careening past a surprised Hau.

"Laaaame!" Hau whined, grinning as he retrieved the ball and handing it to his Brionne. Cassy the Brionne let out a cry as she shot the ball ahead with a blast of water, but it was intercepted by Oliver, who tackled the ball downwards. Demi's Quilava leapt into the air, smacking the ball to the other side and allowing Lillie, surprisingly, to make the save. The girl fell into the sand, but was able to save the ball from scoring into their side with a smack upwards from her palms. Wally's Gallade jumped into the air and spiked the ball past the group, scoring another point for them. Sun helped Lillie up, grinning at his friend as she smiled at him.

"Now that's one strong Gallade!" Kukui praised, giving Wally a thumbs up. Wally chuckled at the other man, giving him a thumbs up in return.

"FOR HONOR!" Hau bellowed, tossing the ball into the air before Duke suddenly slammed into it from below with a Quick Attack, sending the ball hurtling into the air. Oliver cried out as the ball slammed into his chest, knocking him down a few feet from the air but causing the ball to score on them.

"It's on now, Hau!" Sun called as Lillie retrieved the ball. The girl looked over at the other side, taking a shaky breath to calm her nerves. She then tossed the ball into the air and hit it to the other side. Professor Kukui hit the ball with surprising intensity, sending it soaring into the sky. Hugh gave a feral grin in response and threw out a hand.

"Samson, use Aqua Jet!" Hugh barked, with the Pokémon in question rushing skyward in a plume of water and slamming into the ball, making it rocket down to earth. Kukui chuckled as the others retreated from the ball's path. The Professor kicked off of the ground and punched the ball as hard as he could, surprising everyone and sending the ball back towards the other side and clonking Sun right in the head, knocking him into the sand senseless.

"Sun! Are you okay!?" Lillie yelled out, scrambling towards her friend as he stirred weakly in the sand.

"I…I think that's it for me coach." Sun mumbled, trying to blink stars out of his eyes. Lillie sighed before shooting Kukui a glare, but the Professor simply whistled and walked off of the court. The game ended shortly after, with Kukui having won the other side the game. Wally bid the group farewell, shaking Hugh's hand and handing him a small business card before walking down the beach with his Gallade, whistling a familiar tune.

Lillie fussed over Sun as the boy walked back towards where their stuff was under the umbrella, his Pokémon circling him to make sure that he was okay. Sun assuaged their worries and sat with them under the umbrella, rubbing his head and waving off Lillie's offers to get him things to make him feel better. To no one's surprise, Demi joined them a few minutes later, her Pokémon trailing behind her, obviously wary of the water nearby.

"So, feeling better?" Demi asked Sun.

"Yeah, a lot. I just needed a few minutes." Sun said with a nod. Demi gave Lillie a smirk, receiving a small shake of the head from the girl. Demi sighed inwardly, but her smile widened.

"Yeah…Bet that has to do with your lovely guardian angel being nearby though." Demi laughed, making Lillie hop to her feet.

"There's nothing wrong with making sure your friend is okay!" Lillie shot back, unable to help herself. While she appreciated the girl's efforts to make Sun notice her, she was once again going a bit too far. Sun watched the display with confusion.

"Suuuuuure, Lillie. Sure."

"And I'm not Sun's guardian angel!" Lillie protested hotly as Demi continued to tease her. Demi giggled at Lillie's indignation, leaning forward and hugging the girl and surprising her. Demi let go of Lillie and hopped backwards, flipping her towel-cape behind her with a flourish.

"You two are so adorkable! I'll tease you both more later, but for now let's get some water on our skins, folks. We don't have much sun left before we get going!" Demi said to the two children, who exchanged a quick embarrassed look before shrugging. Demi sprinted off after Hau, who was already in the water with his Pokémon.

"We should probably indulge them." Sun remarked, getting up and stretching. Lillie watched him for a moment before looking away, smiling a little.

"Yeah…I think Professor Kukui would be disappointed if we didn't have some fun in the water before we left." Lillie remarked, though a moment later her smile turned into something mischievous. "Let's dunk Hau under the water."

"Lillie, that's an awesome idea and you're amazing for thinking of it." Sun chuckled darkly, holding out his hand to the girl. Lillie hi-fived him and with that Sun sprinted out towards Demi and Hau. Lillie giggled and chased after the boy, only for two birds to suddenly join her as she chased after her friend.

"Get him!" Lillie commanded Penny and Oliver, pointing at Sun's back. Both birds nodded and, surprisingly enough, obeyed the girl's command and began harassing their Trainer, ending with Oliver knocking Sun into the water. Sun emerged, sputtering indignantly before giving Lillie a hurt look.

"Sun, you're a fantastic Pokémon Trainer, but you're still wet behind the ears." Lillie joked as she entered the water herself, with Demi and Hau laughing at the scene before them. Sun choked out a laugh, forcing water out of his lungs.

"Oh yeah? Well to that I say-" Sun was cut off by a Dartrix suddenly grabbing Sun by the back of his head and dunking him under the water, leaving most of the boy's body flailing above. Lillie felt a bit of worry in her, but she reasoned Oliver wouldn't hurt his Trainer seriously…

Right?

"Is it normal for a Trainer to get water-boarded by their starter?" Demi asked, trying not to laugh as Oliver continued to mercilessly dunk Sun under the water.

"Oliver is…special." Lillie said diplomatically, earning a happy hoot from the owl.

"No, Oliver is evil." Hau answered, getting a dark look from the Dartrix. "Hey, it's not an insult. Um…Evil is uh…cool sometimes!"

"Dar dar trix." Oliver replied, pointing a wing at Hau and implying that he was next after he was done… _playing_ with his Trainer. Suddenly Oliver let out a shrieking cry and was pulled into the depths of the water. Sun burst out of the ocean, gasping for air while he held his unruly Dartrix under the salty depths of the water, trying not to be salty himself.

"That…little…jerk." Sun panted, letting go of Oliver and taking a few steps back. The water exploded underneath them as Oliver broke free from the ocean, shrieking furiously and soaring back to the shore while Penny laughed at the other bird. Sun chuckled before he suddenly felt a blast of water hit him from behind. Sun slowly turned around and saw Lillie giving him an innocent look, and the boy narrowed his eyes.

"THEN ITS WAR!" Sun declared, moving towards the girl who gulped in nervousness. She hadn't thought this through, now hadn't she?

"Protect the Princess!" Sun heard from Hau, which confused him for a moment. Sun then yelped as Demi broke out from the water underneath, grabbing Sun from behind and dragging him underwater. Sun broke away from the girl, coughing the water free from his lungs and swiping at the water, blasting Demi as she emerged from the water, making the girl sputter.

"Agh! Two can play this game!" Demi declared, only for Hau rise from the watery depths behind her and dunk the girl with a diabolical smile on his face. Sun gave his friend a thumbs up before he felt a weight crash down on top of him and send him back into the water. Whoever had forced themselves on him was now clinging onto his back, making it harder for him to move. Sun forced himself back up above water, hearing the sound of Lillie giggling right into his ear, her breath sending a shiver down his spine.

"I didn't know Sun was giving Mankey-back rides. I want one!" Demi declared, climbing on top of Hau.

"Bring it! Me and Lillie are more than a match for you two!" Sun shot back as Lillie adjusted her position on Sun, giving them a wide smile as she rose on the boy's shoulders.

At least until Oliver suddenly hit the quartet with a Leafage, dousing them all with leaves and water and making the girls scream in surprise.

"You and that owl, Sun!" Hau whined.

"I'm sorry! I can't help it he's such a…a…"

"Prick?"

"Thanks Demi. Yeah, a prick."

* * *

"You all look like you've had fun." Professor Kukui snickered as he beheld the four children looking worn out. Oliver was giggling the entire time at them, even after Penny slapped him four times with her wings. Brago had joined them again, trying and failing to hold his composure at the sight of his haggard-looking Trainer.

"Shut up Professor." Lillie said as she trudged back to where their stuff was. Kukui chuckled before a sudden force knocked him into the sand, and when the Professor gathered his wits and looked up it was revealed to be a certain Dartrix giggling as he swooped past his Trainer.

" _That damn owl…"_ Kukui thought darkly, wondering why he didn't convince Sun to just take the Popplio instead. With that humorous incident behind them, the group quickly packed their things and left the beach, changing into their proper gear and grabbing some food from a nearby street vendor before heading to their boat, the sun beginning to dip low in the horizon.

"Hey, Prof, are you sure this old thing's really seaworthy?" Hau asked, grinning at the repaired boat as they approached it from a distance.

" _It better be after the money I sank into it."_ Kukui thought, but he replied with, "Hey now! Don't you go calling my boat old! She's not old…"

"Then what would you call it? The rust stains on that thing were older than me." Sun stated, making Lillie and Hau giggle behind him. Demi just straight-up laughed.

"Call her a classic. Well-seasoned, yeah?"

"Well…I quite like that it has a sense of history…" Lillie mused quietly, smiling and trying to throw Kukui a bone.

"Pew!" Nebby agreed.

"All ready to set sail!" Kukui declared as they approached the Marina again. To their surprise, however, a small farewell committee had formed behind the vessel they would be leaving in. Mainly Laura Smiles, Colress, Hala, Hugh, Noah, and Vivian.

Sun gave Professor Kukui a curious glance, and the man shrugged. "I thought you all would appreciate it. They were all more than happy to come."

"We just figured we'd send you off." Vivian said as she walked forward, giving Sun a fist-bump and grabbing Lillie in a bear-hug, making the girl yelp in surprise. Vivian set down Lillie, adjusting her crooked hat, before Lillie flicked the woman on the nose and made her stumble back in surprise as everyone laughed, with Lillie and Vivian grinning at each other.

"Clever girl. But I shan't be defeated this day!" Vivian declared before bursting into giggles.

"Goodness, you're silly today, aren't you?" Noah remarked, chuckling at his girlfriend's antics. He regarded the quartet of children and said, "Be safe and have fun. Akala Island is different from what I hear, so be sure to give it all you've got. And if you need anything, we're a phone call away."

"Yeah. You three keep safe, alright?" Hugh said to them, a grin on his face as he shook Hau's and Sun's hand. Lillie gave Hugh a hug, surprising the young man, but he returned the embrace with a smile. Sun looked over at the Kahuna, his expression almost sad.

"It's been a long, long time since you've left this island, Hau. Your home. You were just a baby then. But you are growing up, my boy. This is your journey and I can already see you becoming a stronger person, and that fills my heart with joy, even as it fills me with sadness that you are leaving my watchful eye. Train hard, Hau, but have fun as well. Balance the two and you'll shine as bright as the sun."

"I kinda have goals to shine brighter than Sun, actually." Hau remarked, giving the boy in question a grin. Sun face-palmed at the cheesy joke, unable to help a smile as Demi and Lillie laughed. Hala chuckled as he stepped forward, the massive man towering over his grandson with a gentle expression on his face.

"Well…Ahem. Anyways, have a safe journey my boy. And know that no matter what, I am proud of you." Hala and Hau embraced, and the group could plainly see how much love the Kahuna had for the boy who idolized him so. He truly wanted Hau to grow into the powerful young man he knew that he would become, and it showed that even the mighty Kahuna of Melemele Island could cry as a single tear run down the face of the old man.

"E aloha mau wau iāʻoe, e kaʻu moʻopuna." Hala murmured to Hau, who tightened his embrace.

Aloha wau iā ʻoe kekahi. E hoʻi hou ana au i ka ikaika. Nāu." Hau whispered, trying not to cry himself despite the happy smile on his face. Hala stepped away from Hau, breaking the embrace but not making an attempt to wipe away the tears now dripping down the old warrior's face. Hala extended a hand forward, ruffling Hau's hair affectionately, before rejoined the others.

"If I may?" Colress interjected, feeling somewhat uncomfortable for interrupting such a tender moment.

"By all means, Doctor." Hala said to the Unovan scientist. Colress stepped towards Sun, giving the young boy a bright grin.

"I have a gift for you, my young friend." Colress said as he reached into his coat and pulled out a small flash drive.

"This is a very special update for Rotom Dex. I think it might prove helpful down the road, should certain hazards show themselves." Colress explained as Rotom floated over to the Professor's outstretched hand.

"What does it do?" Sun asked, curious at the scientist's gift.

"It is a special system I've spent nearly a year developing back in Unova, and finally finished here in Alola. It allows any Pokédex to detect Shadow Pokémon. With it you could detect every shadow Pokémon on Melemele Island if you wished." Colress explained, making Sun's eyes widen in amazement.

"On top of that, Rotom can identify any Shadow Pokémon that comes within 50 yards of him. Regardless of which Shadow Pokémon variant you may encounter down the road, you won't be caught unprepared. I thought you might find it helpful." Colress explained with a shrug as he inserted the drive into Rotom Dex, whose screen flashed green as it quickly downloaded the update. Rotom suddenly beeped and then dropped down lifeless, but Colress caught him.

"It was finished long before it would have been truly useful, but maybe it'll help you, concerning recent events in Kanto." Colress explained as he handed the Rotom Dex back to Sun. "It'll awaken in a few minutes. Don't you worry."

"Which reminds me, we need to get our gear updated with that feature." Hugh reminded Colress, who nodded.

"We'll likely be a week behind you five. After I leave William behind to take care of the lab I'll be heading to Professor Burnet's lab by the end of the week to hand over to the other Professor what we learned regarding the energies around Verdant Cavern…" Colress shook his head. "Rambling again. My apologies."

"It happens to the best of us." Demi grinned at the scientist, who chuckled in response. Laura Smiles stepped forward, giving her child a bone-crushing hug. Sun couldn't help a small laugh.

"I love you Mom." Sun said to his mother.

"I love you too, dear. Please be safe out there. Call me every other night and have lots of fun. And know that if you ever need anything, I'm here for you, rooting you on the entire way." Laura said to her boy softly as Sun returned the embrace just as tightly, trying to convey the appreciation and love he had for his mother. The knowledge that she was supporting him and cheering him on every step of the way meant so much to him, he couldn't even convey it to her. The two separated, and to everyone's surprise Laura walked over to Lillie and hugged the young girl as well.

"You too, Lillie. Keep an eye out for my little boy and stay out of trouble, okay?" Laura said to Lillie, who nodded slowly as she returned the hug, still stunned by the gesture from the older woman.

"Thank you for having me over and looking after me while Professor Kukui was hurt. I can't ever thank you and Sun enough for letting me into your home and protecting me." Lillie said sincerely to Laura, gratitude evident in her voice. Even now, Lillie was amazed by the sheer kindness that was abundant in the people she had met. Sun, Hau, Laura, and even new friends like Demi, Hugh, Noah and Vivian. She was even more motivated to keep trying on her own little journey, to help Nebby return home safe and sound and prevent those with evil intentions from misusing its powers.

"It was my pleasure dear. If you ever need anything, you let me know, okay?" Laura replied as she stepped away.

"You all take care. We'll see you soon, with any luck." Noah said to them, giving them a wide smile as Vivian grabbed his hand.

"Absolutely. Besides, I can't pester you all if I'm not there. And what fun would that be?" Vivian laughed as Hau huffed in annoyance.

"Well, enough stalling. Let's head on out, gang!" Kukui said as he hopped on the small boat. While still not in the best shape, it was definitely a fair improvement over what it had looked at before. It would at least allow them to get from point A to point B in one piece anyway. Hau, Sun, Lillie, and Demi hopped aboard and with a wave to their friends and family (in Sun's case), they were off!

"We-e-e!" Hau laughed as they sailed past the waves, speeding through the water at a speed that surprised the children.

"Come on grandma, kick it up a notch!" Hau called to Kukui, who laughed from behind the wheel. Sun grinned at Hau while Demi and Lillie shot Hau an exasperated look.

"If we push the boat much harder than this, we may end up at the bottom of the ocean!" Lillie yelled over the wind, making Hau laugh.

"You're probably just worried about your silly hat flying off!" Hau shot back, making Lillie frown at him. Hau then turned to Sun, grinning at him.

"I wonder what kind of Island Akala is, huh?" Hau asked Sun.

"We'll find out soon! We've got a few hours and then we're there from what I can tell!" Sun yelled back.

"Seeing all of Alola for myself is half the fun of doing the Island Challenge! Isn't this just the best, Sun!?" Hau cheered, throwing his arms apart at the front of the boat. Sun just laughed as Oliver and Penny soared ahead, with the boat continuing its trek through the sea.

* * *

Several Hours Later…

Middle of the Ocean

* * *

"Did he really have to do that scene transition?"

" _Yes. The author wazz adamant about it. You know how he is. Zzzt!"_

"Stop doing that you two! You know how that psychopath gets when you do that." Kukui warned Hau and Rotom, who both looked horrified.

"What happens when who does the what now?" Sun asked them, confused as he turned around from his position at the front of the boat. Kukui, Hau, and Rotom Dex looked disturbed for some reason and after a moment pretended to be nonchalant about whatever was bothering them.

"Uh…nothing. I'm not going to be the one that unleashes his wrath upon us." Kukui stated before he ducked back into the boat, leaving the children to their own devices. Sun shrugged and continued looking forward, eyeing the ocean as it sped by. Demi was currently clinging onto one of the rails for dear life, her Fire-types wisely recalled into their Poké Balls. Hau decided to take a nap on the floor, like he wasn't on a bouncing rickety boat speeding across the ocean. Somehow he fell asleep instantly, bewildering Sun further.

And of course, Lillie was beside Sun, a smile on her face as she watched the ocean alongside him. Sun tried to keep his eyes off of the girl, but he found that time and time again he was staring at her as she looked out towards the sea. Sometimes her gaze would catch his before she would look away, tilting her hat downwards so he couldn't see her facial expression. Sun almost asked her what was wrong, but his starter decided to choose that moment to greet him, stopping that idea in its tracks.

"Daaar!"

Oliver swooped downwards and landed on the railing, beaming at his Trainer, even as Penny joined him. Sun felt something warm and fuzzy brush against his legs and found Brago underneath him, gritting his teeth as he eyed the horrifying ocean all around him. It was obvious that despite his discomfort of the ocean, he still wanted to be outside along with his partners and Trainer. Sun crouched down and sat down on the floor of the boat, wrapping an arm around Brago to keep him more secure while Penny and Oliver chirped down at the dog. Brago relaxed visibly after a few moments, sighing and shutting his eyes for a moment before opening them again.

"It's so cute seeing them all getting along. I was wondering how such a strange addition to your team would work out, but it seems like they're all meshing together well." Lillie noted, joining them on the floor and spreading out her dress like a flower.

"I think it's because Brago is incredibly well-behaved for a recently caught Pokémon and Penny and Oliver have been trained for a while. It might just be because of their personalities too." Sun theorized, though he did grin up at his two birds.

"And it's because they're all awesome." Sun added after a moment, receiving a bark of agreement from Brago.

"Definitely looks like you four are ready for Akala Island." Demi noted, giving them a shaky smile before a spray of water rushed over her. The girl shrieked in horror, even as Lillie and Sun laughed at the display.

"I AM STILL NOT OKAY WITH THIS!" Demi screamed, clutching the railing even tighter and waking Hau up.

"Ugh…Are we there yet?" Hau asked, eyeing the sun slowly vanishing underneath the horizon.

"Actually yes!" Kukui called out, grinning at them all. "Heahea City is just 45 minutes away! You can see it in the distance!"

Sun turned around and squinted in the growing darkness around them. It was barely visible, but he could see a smudge in the distance that was undoubtedly their destination. Sun felt a fierce rush of excitement in him. With another Pokémon on his team and with friends at his back, Sun knew that it would only be a matter of time before he conquered the Island Trials on Akala Island and faced down the powerful Kahuna who stood in his path of being Island Challenge Champion.

Oliver let out a fierce cry out into the sky, a clarion call to those who stood in their way and the opponents they would face down the road. It was a challenge, a declaration that no matter what they would fight as hard as they would have to in order to emerge victorious. Penny added to that call a moment later with a cry of her own, as did Brago who howled as the moon gleamed in the darkening sky.

But were our heroes truly ready for what lay ahead of them?

Well…in time they would find out for themselves.

* * *

 _Howdy folks. FlygonNick here with a last second note to round off the chapter._

 _I hope you all enjoyed it. Next chapter is of course already being worked on, but I have run into a snag of sorts. I cannot for the life of me decide what course to take this next chapter, because either way I can work with whatever happened. And then I realized that I'm not the only person reading this and decided to leave the scene in the hands of the readers._

 _So as anyone who's played Sun and Moon knows, around this point in the game you run into two familiar faces shortly upon arriving on Akala Island. Normally in the game, you battle one of them and that's that. However…What if there was a Double Battle instead, but with Lillie battling alongside Sun using one of his Pokémon?_

 _Like I said, I couldn't decide what to do. So I'm leaving it in your hands, my lovely readers. Make your choose via the poll on my profile, or leave a review stating what you want to happen. I do take suggestions and ideas into account. In fact I believe this idea was suggested in the past, but I was already considering it beforehand._

 _So yeah, that's that. Thanks for reading and supporting this story. Please show your support with a favorite, follow, or review in the section below._

 _Take care and stay awesome._

 _Until next time, FlygonNick out!_


	35. Welcoming Committee

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _ULTRA. SUN. AND. ULTRA. MOON. LOOK. AMAZING._

 _Seriously, go look up the latest trailer now. Right now. This chapter isn't going anywhere, so go do it…_

 _Yeah, freaking awesome, right!?_

 _So finally, we are here. Akala Island. And man, I'm excited. Mainly because so much happens with this island, but also because I get to expand on a lot of characters and their backstories and experiences. Thankfully this arc is nearly double the length of the last one._

 _Seriously, as of now this arc ends at chapter 89, and that's not including the chapters at the Aether Paradise and even then this is scheduled to change depending on what I do. This arc is pretty well planned out, so I doubt much will change. I hope you all like this island, because it won't be done until like…next year or something. Plenty of cameos and such as well. And maybe one super special one if I can definitively include them in the plot, but it's a bit iffy right now. I'm honestly tempted to try my hand at a contest to see if someone can guess the character I have in mind, but maybe I'll save that for later._

 _And another strong point of note. Now…I've thought long and hard about what to do with Zygarde. Honestly, I never even bothered with the Zygarde questline in any of my playthroughs of Sun and Moon. Just didn't care to do it, for whatever reason. However, in this story, it will be included. Though not in the way you'll think it will be. At first I had no real plan for Zygarde in this story either, but I realized that it could work out quite well in the end if I included it. Besides, people have asked about it and at this point it's expected that I address it._

 _You all may be surprised with how things will play out. That's because I have some major issues with how the games handled the Zygarde thing, as is shown by the end of this chapter. So I added my own twist to it. I have done this for several reasons, mainly because Sun will be within Heahea City for a few chapters, so bear with me while it all plays out._

 _Also, the result of the poll was pretty much unanimous. And I'll be the one to say that yes, this chapter will influence how Lillie reacts to battles in the future and even things beyond that. And due to some concerns, I'll explain why I asked people what they thought in the first place._

 _ **I did this because I wanted to gauge interest on a moment that could lead to a serious development for her character.**_ _ **See, I always thought it was weird that towards the end of the game Lillie was totally on board with becoming a Trainer, despite her severe reservations about battling at the beginning of the story to the point where she flat out says it to you just minutes after you become a Trainer.**_

 _ **The entire reason I decided to focus on such a scene, Lillie being involved in a battle, was because when you return to Heahea City to speak with Professor Burnet, you see Lillie trying to instruct Nebby to use Splash…in a manner just like the player character would. Like a Pokémon Trainer. That scene just stuck out to me, and I figured that such a transition in her character required some buildup to that moment. Even if she was just pretending for a moment, such an act would imply she's not as opposed to Pokémon Battles as she was before.**_

 _So…Let's see what happens, shall we? I know I go into rants about why I do things all the time, but I do like people to know that I listen to concerns and try to address them in my story. It's why that feedback I go on and on about in the AN's are so important._

 _And to answer a comment made in the review section, Lillie will NOT be staying idle in Heahea City for the entirety of the arc. Don't you worry, I learned my lesson on Melemele Island. There'll be sections of it where she won't be around, but the whole thing? No. I've already come up with ways for her to stick around with Sun and co. and not feel too shoehorned in. That's the benefit with doing my own spin on this._

 _I also got some fantastic feedback last chapter. Both quality of feedback and review count-wise, in which you all broke my all-time highest review count within an update period. Definitely some good suggestions out there, and I appreciate everyone who left their thoughts and took time out of their day to send this story some love._

 _Shoutout to those who have reviewed since the last update, which includes Madame Rodoshe, Cottonmouth25, Anasazi Darkmoon, BouncingFish, AKhaos, BraviaryScout, Technetium2, Ignaci0, Sai Og Sus, Gokan123, bigboy9969, Xehanorto, Consumer of Fantasy, GeekyGamer314, DarkestShade73, as well two new reviewers known as Infinite Nexus and Mrgamerandwatcher. Seriously, like...my god, thank you all so much for the support._

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 _Chapter 35: Welcoming Committee_

* * *

Heahea City

* * *

Sun carefully helped Lillie down from the boat, quickly letting go of her hand as soon as she was safely ashore. The girl thanked Sun before she turned around and saw Hau beaming at them from the boat, hands on his hips. He then took a great leap from the boat and landed on the dock they were on, grinning even wider in sheer excitement.

"Land ahoy!" Hau shouted, making Nebby wriggle in response within Lillie's bag. "All right! Akala Island, here I come!"

Lillie couldn't help an exasperated look at Hau, smiling weakly at him. "Isn't it a bit late to declare 'land ahoy' after you've already arrived onshore?"

"What a stick in the sand!" Hau seemed taken aback and sent a pleading glance to Sun, who was amused at the situation as a whole. "Help me out here, Sun! It was funny, right?"

"Wait, it was supposed to be funny?" Sun asked, pretending to be confused. Lillie burst into giggles while Demi just stifled her own mirth by pressing her hands against her mouth. Hau just gave Sun a look of the utmost disappointment before slowly turning to Professor Kukui, who was just smirking like crazy.

"What about you, Professor?" Hau asked in a dead tone, making the Professor sweat-drop in nervousness. Nevertheless, the Alolan Regional Professor cracked a grin.

"The land is certainly ahoy, oh boy!" Kukui replied cheerily. Lillie's jaw dropped in amazement that someone had agreed with Hau's terrible joke. She was even further surprised when Nebby let out a loud cry of happiness from right beside her.

Outside of the bag it had just escaped for the 145th time.

Lillie sighed as the others laughed at the amusing situation, with Lillie kneeling down and petting Nebby on the head. "You're something else, you know that right?" Lillie murmured to Nebby, who soared up to the girl and nuzzled her face.

"I love you too, but seriously, you have to start listening to me." Lillie said as she stroked the Cosmog, with the Pokémon floating away from the girl with a coo. Lillie then let out a yelp as an unfamiliar voice yelled out to them, surprising her and the others, who turned around to where the street that led to the city was.

"Still haven't managed to find a shirt that goes with your lab coat, hmm, Kukui?" came an amused voice from ahead of them. Sun watched as two women walked down the street wearing smiles as they regarded the new arrivals.

One of them was a taller woman with dark skin and short black hair, with dark brown eyes that bespoke strength and kindness in equal amounts. She wore a pink midriff top with pink shorts, as well as jewelry all around her body that sparkling in the shining moonlight. She was a very striking and attractive figure, but Sun's attention was focused on the Z-Ring that was around her left wrist.

The other girl was closer to Sun's age, but seemed a few years older than him. She had tanned skin and bright green hair that matched her eyes, which gleamed with excitement not unlike Hau's often did. The girl herself wore a pink sleeveless shirt with teal overalls and shorts with green shoes little green bows on top and a green clover badge on her waist. Sun stared at the girl for a few moments before he realized what he was doing and looked away.

"I've told you you're gonna scare off strangers looking like that…" the taller woman stated, putting a hand on her hip with her smile turning to an amused grin.

Lillie had been frozen in surprise, but had now moved in front of Nebby, blocking it from the sight of the two strangers. Lillie turned her head slightly, and said in a very firm voice. "…Nebby. Back into the bag."

"Don't sweat it Lillie." Lillie turned to Kukui, who offered her a comforting smile. Lillie stared at the man in surprise before turning around to face the two women again.

"Why hello there. Nice to meet you all – I'm Olivia." The taller woman said to the group, her smile becoming warm and friendly as she addressed the children. The teenage girl beside her beamed at them.

"Hey! Thanks for stopping by! I'm Mallow, one of the Captains here!" the green-haired girl declared, taking in each of the children. Her gaze lingered on Sun for a moment, but not too long for him to notice. Lillie, however did. Olivia's words distracted Lillie from this development however.

"I was on my way to see who was pulling into port and ran into Mallow here while she was out on a delivery." Olivia explained, gesturing to the Captain beside her. Mallow laughed and stepped forward, looking even more excited.

"Yup! My Trial will be a chance for all the fine ingredients that make up your team to shine!" The girl declared, shutting her eyes and nodding happily. She then opened her eyes and stepped forward, eyeing the two young boys with an appraising eye. Her gaze drifted to Lillie, who shook her head very slightly. Mallow turned her attention to Sun and Hau, amused.

"Especially you two! Your Pokémon look ready to cook with gas!" Mallow praised them, earning a smile out of Sun and making Hau put his hands behind his head with a cheesy grin. Demi just rolled her eyes, though Lillie looked worried now.

"And Mallow isn't the only Captain here on Akala Island, of course." Olivia remarked before regarding the children before her. "So, what's the plan, kids?"

"Yeah, that's up to these kids. It's their Island Challenge, after all!" Kukui laughed, striding forward. Olivia closed her eyes, her smile fading somewhat as her expression turned to one of deep thought.

"Yes…I suppose so." The woman said quietly, opening her eyes a moment later. "OK, then. Enjoy your time on your Island Challenge, kids, along with your Pokémon. I'll be waiting for my chance to face you in battle when the time comes."

Kukui chuckled as Sun and Hau's expressions turned to surprise. Olivia nodded at their surprise, shutting her eyes with a wide smile as she put her hands on her hips. "I'm looking forward to seeing what you've got!"

"Absolutely." Sun said to the woman, giving her a grin. Olivia's eyes opened again and she turned around, taking a few steps down the road.

"Let's go Mallow." Olivia said as she departed, leaving the group without so much as a backwards glance. Mallow nodded at the woman before she whirled around to face the group, beaming.

"You all are gonna love it here. You'll be here for a few days, right?" Mallow asked them.

"Most likely. I'd like to see the sights a little before getting back into the wilds. I just spent a week rampaging around Melemele on the back of a Tauros, so I wouldn't be opposed to looking around here," Sun admitted, shrugging.

"Psh. Laaame. I'm gonna hit the nearest Trial up as quick as possible." Hau remarked, making Mallow giggle. Demi's eyes narrowed at the friendly girl, but was polite when Mallow looked her way.

"I'll probably be heading out soon myself. I'm from around here, so I don't need to sight-see." Demi replied smoothly, earning a nod from the cheerful girl.

"It _is_ good to see you again, Mallow. I hope you're doing well." Lillie said quietly to the Captain, who flung herself at the girl and enveloped her in a massive hug.

"It's so good to see you again, Lillie! I was worried about you, you know! And I've been doing great, by the way. But have _you_ been doing alright?" Mallow asked rather quickly, pulling away from Lillie as Lillie smiled at her friend.

"I've been doing well. Sun and Hau have been looking out for me." Lillie replied, earning a wide grin from the girl.

Mallow leaned in and whispered in Lillie's ear. "Looking out for you, huh? They're both cute you know…"

"Back off. I'm not dating either of them right now." Lillie whispered, her eyes growing wide as Mallow backed away and shook her head, wearing a teasing grin.

"Never. It's my job to look out for people! And I'll continue my hard work until my wonderful friend finds her Romeo! All it takes is the right ingredients!" Mallow declared, laughing as she chased after Olivia. Sun and Hau exchanged a look before looking at Lillie for an explanation.

"Me and Mallow know each other from back when I lived on Akala Island with Professor Burnet. I wasn't a very good friend to her, but after becoming friends with Hau and Sun a short time ago, I began talking with her again and we became real friends after that. This is the first time I've seen her since then." Lillie explained sheepishly. "However…she's become obsessed with getting me a boyfriend…to be honest it's beyond embarrassing." Lillie admitted, sighing a little but smiling despite it. She had missed her friend and was glad that she was doing well. She was looking forward to spending time with the Captain down the road, to hopefully make up for how she had failed to see the girl's previous attempts at friendship that Lillie had ignored due to her fear of others at the time.

Professor Kukui laughed at that, walking forward before stopping, putting a hand on her chin in thought. "And I'm sure Olivia wanted to come to see that you made it here alright…But she'll never admit it to you. Hah!"

"How do you mean?" Hau asked. "Is she kind of hard-headed or something?"

"Oh yeah. _Rock-solid_. Heh. That's Olivia for you. But she's a kind Kahuna, deep down." Kukui explained, giving the four of them a light smile. Sun felt a shiver roll through him. That meant that at the end of his path here on Akala Island, it was her that Sun would be facing.

"There are three Trials here on Akala Island. If you two decide you want to take on the Trial straightaway, head up Route 4 there and keep on goin' until you get to Paniola Town." Kukui explained to Hau and Sun.

"I'm here too you know."

"Sorry Demi. I figured you already knew that, though." Kukui said sheepishly, though Demi smirked at the older man.

"Nah, you're right. Continue!"

"I was done, actually."

"Shoots, I know where I'm going first, and that is straight to the Pokémon Center!" Hau declared, though he chuckled a moment later. "I wonder what kind of malasada they make on Akala, eh?"

"How you're not a hundred pounds heavier is a mystery to me, dude." Demi sighed, smirking at the hungry boy. Sun shook his head with mirth, but looked over to Lillie. The girl had picked up Nebby and was holding it in her hands.

"Maybe I'll see about some shopping of my own…" Lillie said quietly before she looked down at the sleepy Cosmog in her arms, a smile appearing on her face. "And I should find out about the ruins for Nebby's sake, too…"

"Before we all do that, however, it's getting really late." Kukui stating, motioning to the moon in the sky. "I understand you all are all raring to go, but we've had a long day and I'm sure you'll appreciate the rest."

"Then let's sleep off today and head out tomorrow!" Hau declared, stepping off down the road. The children followed the boy while Kukui called out an Abra and teleported away, with a promise to see them tomorrow.

"He likely went to Professor Burnet's lab. I should head there myself soon, but it is on the other side of town and it's late, so I'll stick with you three for now" Lillie remarked when the children wondered where the Professor had gone.

The four children got rooms at the Pokémon Center and settled down for the night. Sun and Hau passed out right away, exhausted from the events of that day. Lillie and Demi however stayed awake, watching the TV in the room with their Pokémon dozing, exhausted from a day of fun in the sun.

"And this is the most prominent news station here on Akala Island?" Lillie asked Demi. The dark-haired girl nodded, a small smile on her face.

"In all of Alola, actually. Channel 9 News. Alola's Premiere Station of Awesome." Demi explained as they both watched a handsome man in a dazzling blue tuxedo beam at them from the screen. He had slicked back black hair and seemed fairly young, about in his mid-twenties, with gleaming blue eyes. The man had just wrapped up a report on Team Skull and was now regarding the camera with a bright smile that showed off his perfect white teeth.

"This is Adrian Battlestorm live from Alola's number one news station, bringing you the latest news with the best new anchor in the region at the top of the hour." The man said to the camera as the clock struck midnight.

"Alolan officials gave given the confirmation that Akala Island's Royal Avenue will play host to a grand tournament in a few months' time. Already we have several iconic guests attending, including the legendary Masked Royal and the Sinnoh Region's Champion, Cynthia. Sounds like a fantastic time for everyone going to the event. _Especially_ if Cynthia is involved." Adrian winked at the camera, and Lillie rolled her eyes. She was surprised when a woman with short black hair walked into the path of the camera and slapped the man in the face, knocking him out of his chair.

"What…she just hit that man!" Lillie said in surprise, making Demi giggle.

"Oh yeah. Adrian Battlestorm owns the entire news network and all that stuff. Everyone there works for him, but he still does the news reports himself because he loves doing what he does. Meaning he can say and do whatever he wants and he can't really get in trouble for it. Apparently because of that, he has an open policy that his staff can do whatever they want to him while he's on camera, especially if he's offended them or hurt their feelings in any way. It's led to some of their best segments, and the ratings the station gets is insane." Demi explained with a cheery grin as some of the people off camera laughed at their boss's expense.

"So…he's a jerk, but he's a fantastic boss?" Lillie asked Demi.

"Oh yeah. He's a kind of a prick, but he's funny and makes news interesting. My cousin worked at that station for a few months as an intern and said the guy was super friendly." Demi explained as Adrian staggered to his feet, chuckling as his employee flipped him off before walking off-camera.

"You've been working on your slap...Anyways, onto the weather forecast for the week!" Adrian said with a dazzling grin, despite the bright red handprint on his face. Lillie shook her head in dismay, wondering how such a station even functioned. Demi bid Lillie goodnight, leaving the girl sitting on the floor watching the TV, eager for news. Sadly, nothing of note popped up, and Lillie trailed off into her thoughts.

" _How…do I do this? There's way more of them out on this island than on Melemele. Can I even get to the ruins without running into any of them…or my mother?"_ Lillie thought, hanging her head in despair before she rose to her feet.

"No. I've got my friends watching out for me. And I…I won't let the odds dismay me. I'll save Nebby…I swear it." Lillie whispered to herself, clenching her fists as she looked over at her sleeping Pokémon.

"For those of a nervous disposition, you may be disturbed to know that your television is off…And that I'm speaking to you from inside your own head." Lillie whirled around and stared at the TV in horror, where Adrian Battlestorm was grinning at her. What on earth was going on!? She…she…

Adrian burst into laughter a few moments later, even as someone off camera sighed deeply. Lillie sagged with relief, as Mister Battlestorm wiped his eyes and began reporting on a new law that the mayor of Heahea City was trying to pass. Lillie turned the TV off, deciding enough was enough for the night.

She slipped underneath her blanket, where Nebby was already snoozing. Lillie pulled the Cosmog close to her, receiving a sleepy coo from the Pokémon. The girl smiled and shut her eyes…

It was good being back.

* * *

To Sun's not-surprise, Hau and Demi left the next morning after breakfast. Hau was itching to explore and train so that he'd have no problems with the Trial while Demi was just eager to get on with her Island Challenge. When asked if she wanted to swing by her home on the island, she just shook her head. Sun didn't want to pry, but he was worried about whatever problems Demi was having with her family. However that did leave him with a conundrum. What was he going to do?

As of now, he was wondering through the city and enjoying the sites. Rotom Dex was floating alongside him, giving him a guided tour of the city as it gave him a history lesson. According to Rotom, Heahea City was founded by people from Kanto and Johto, so the place was given an odd blend of cultures from the two nearby regions of the world. Sun found the atmosphere of the place relaxing to an extent, and found the smaller city more laid back than Hau'oli City. Rotom floated alongside Sun as he explored, explaining the history of the city and how the culture of both Johto and Kanto shaped it into what it was today. Sun found it all fascinating.

As Sun approached the docks where they had arrived at, he spotted Lillie hanging out next to a clothing store with a thoughtful expression on her face. As Sun approached, Lillie noticed him with a surprised look on her face.

"Oh! Sun…" Lillie said as she swung her bag around, with Nebby giving Sun a confused look.

"Pew?"

"Hey Lillie. Alola." Sun greeted his friend, spreading his arms in the traditional greeting. Lillie did the same, and then Sun turned his attention to Nebby.

"Hi Nebby. You having fun with Lillie?" Sun asked the Cosmog. Nebby cried out happily, floating up and nuzzling Lillie's arm. Lillie scratched the head of the small Pokémon, making it sigh with happiness.

"You looking for new clothes?" Sun asked his friend, gesturing to the sign beside them. Sun had already changed into a new outfit himself. He now wore a black and red tank-top with black capris and his black and blue cap from home. Lillie noticed this as well, looking the boy up and down with an appraising eye before she realized what she was doing and stopped.

"Well, yes, I was doing that, too." Lillie admitted with a small cough, sounding embarrassed. "But this little fellow will hardly sit still…I think Nebby might be interested in visiting the Ruins of Life."

"I can imagine. I wonder why though." Sun wondered, regarding the small Pokémon in front of him.

"Apparently they house the sacred guardian of Akala Island. A creature called Tapu Lele." Lillie explained, though this made Nebby let out another cry.

"Pew?" Nebby looked back and forth between Lillie and Sun.

"I um…I wondered if you'd like to come with us when we go to visit the ruins…" Lillie smiled as she gestured to Nebby. "I mean…little Nebby here seems to like you quite a bit, Sun…"

Nebby happily floated down to the ground, bouncing through the air with a happy cry.

"I'll be at the Tide Song Hotel if you decide you want to come." Lillie added, shifting her bag to her other shoulder. "I'm supposed to be meeting someone there…Someone very important to me…"

"Do you want me to come with you to the hotel?" Sun asked, a bit of worry creeping into him. It wasn't that Sun didn't think Lillie couldn't handle herself, it was that he just worried about her. As if sensing Sun's concern, Lillie turned around and faced the other way.

"I'll…I'll be all right. I can see the building from here, after all. Even I shouldn't be able to lose my way. I think." Lillie turned back around to see Nebby bouncing around still, happily looking ahead at Sun.

"Pew!" Lillie looked down at Nebby, approaching it from behind.

"And you! I'll have you stay in your bag, mister!" Lillie said scoldingly to Nebby. The Cosmog flailed unhappily, obviously not happy at the instruction. Lillie's expression turned to a pout and she shook her head.

"Nebby you're such a scamp." Sun remarked, chuckling as the Cosmog cast a look his way. Nebby looked ahead at Lillie, giving her a wide smile as it flailed its appendages again. Lillie smiled down at her Cosmog and nodded, opening her bag. Nebby soared into the bag and Lillie zipped it up. She turned around and took a few steps away, but slowed to a stop.

"I've heard that there is a group of terrible people around who try to steal Pokémon. A group called Team Skull, if I recall." Lillie said quietly, looking over at Sun.

"I've run into them a few times and so have we. Right before we met Hugh." Sun reminded Lillie, who nodded slowly as she recalled their scary encounter with the criminals. She looked down at the bag draped over her shoulder, holding the precious Cosmog within.

"We need to be careful if we want to escape the notice of such a collection of villains…isn't that right Sun?" Lillie's words confused him, and he wondered what she was getting at. Then he noticed Lillie's expression. It was firm look that showed the strength of her resolve to protect the Pokémon in her care, and Sun realized exactly what she was talking about.

"They won't get past you. It'd take a lot more than those goons to do that, Lillie." Sun said to his friend, giving her a wide smile. Lillie looked back ahead, but not before Sun caught her smiling at her friend's confidence in her. The girl made her way to the grand hotel in the distance, which caught Sun's attention.

" _You know…Zzzt. You can go check out that place to and keep an eye on Lillie."_ Rotom suggested, slipping out of Sun's backpack.

"I know…But she wants to do this on her own."

" _And? She can do that. But you can keep an eye on her too. If she spots you, tell her you're checking out the sights. That hotel is one of the biggest and grandest buildings on the island. From my data on it, people just check it out all the time."_ Rotom explained to the boy. Sun shrugged, knowing that one way or another he'd be tagging alongside Lillie. Not that he minded, of course. So Sun set out towards the Tide Song Hotel, with Rotom floating alongside him. He caught sight of a few familiar goons in get-ups as he walked down the road, and felt a stab of worry for Lillie. He quickened his pace to the hotel.

To his surprise, the girl was walking back towards his way when he finally reached the building. She wore a somewhat downcast expression, but looked up at him in surprise.

"You followed me?" Lillie asked, frowning.

"Rotom suggested checking this place out. Looks interesting enough, so…" Sun shrugged after a moment. Lillie nodded slowly in response before she looked down.

"My friend was…my friend had to cancel today. She'll be back at the hotel tomorrow. I was really hoping to talk to her today, but I understand that she has work and is busy most of the time." Lillie sighed deeply, trying not to let herself sound too disappointed. She had been looking forward to this meeting for a while. Sun put a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Hey, don't sweat it. We'll be here for a while and I'm in no hurry. Me and you can spend some more time in the city and you can come back by here tomorrow. I'll hang out with you and make sure Team Skull doesn't try anything they'll regret. After that, we can check out those ruins for Nebby. Sound good?" Sun offered to Lillie, who beamed at Sun with gratitude.

"Th-thank you, Sun. That means so much to me." Lillie said to her friend, who grinned in reply. With that, the duo began walking away from the hotel, eager to-

"Stop right there!"

Sun and Lillie jumped in surprise, with Sun grabbing Lillie's hand and whirling around to face whoever was speaking to him. He then relaxed when he saw it was just two tourists, sporting sunglasses and classic Alolan T-shirts for those who had recently arrived on the islands. One of them was a blonde-haired man with a yellow Alolan Exeggutor short, blue jeans and a fedora. The other figure was a girl with dark purple hair around her partner's age, wearing a white top with a black top underneath and blue jean shorts. After a moment Sun realized he was still holding Lillie's hand and let go.

"Ah ha ha! We didn't mean to surprise you. You must be doing your Island Challenge." The young man said pleasantly, his accent doing a perfect job of showing that the man was not from around here. Oddly enough, it reminded him faintly of how Lillie spoke. Sun became acutely aware of Rotom playing a strange tinkling, cheerful theme in the background.

"I'm Dexio." The young man said, gesturing to himself. The young woman stepped forward, lowering her glasses slightly and regarding the two children with a small smile.

"My name's Sina! A beautiful name for a beautiful lady!" the woman said, giggling now.

"Uh…Nice to meet you both?" Sun offered as Dexio extended a hand forward. Sun shook the man's hand, as well as Sina's. Lillie did the same, though she kept her silence.

"The pleasure is ours." Sina remarked lightly, pushing her glasses into place. "Cet endroit est très différent de la maison. Mais dans le bon sens!"

To their surprise, Lillie replied back to her in the same language. "Vous aurez tous les deux un bon moment ici. Les gens ici sont gentils et la culture est riche."

"Oh? You speak Kalosian?" Sina asked, sounding delighted. Lillie gave a small nod, smiling slightly. Sun looked back and forth between his friend and the foreign duo.

"What did she say?" Sun asked.

"That the people here are kind and that the culture here is rich. And I agree with her. We're seeing the sights in Alola, you see. We are originally from the beautiful region of Kalos. We're here on a little...expedition of sorts. We're sampling the local culture while we do so." Dexio explained, smiling a little wider. "Alola's unique tradition of the Island Challenge…It's pretty fascinating, I've got to say. And that's on top of the great new Pokémon and the exotic landmarks."

"Oh, I've got an idea!" Sina declared, surprising them all. "You and Dexio should battle!"

Dexio shook his head. "And why should we do that?"

"Because it's fun?"

"Well…crap, I hate it when you're right." Dexio sighed, shaking his head with a rueful smile.

"Nah, you love it." Sina teased, giggling at her friend. "I've been itching to battle myself, but you can have this one."

"I might as well test my skills. Is that all right with you, Sun?" Dexio asked Sun, who paused for a moment. Sun then nodded, making the foreign duo beam at him.

"Then I'll let my partners go wild!" Dexio yelled out, grinning widely as he reached for a Poké Ball.

"Actually…I think I do want to battle both of you." Sun said to the duo, surprising them and stopping Dexio.

"Both of us? I don't think that'd be fair. Two of us and one of you. I like showing off every now and then, but I don't like unfair battles." Sina pointed out. Sun frowned and put a hand on his chin, deep in thought. He wasn't very good at commanding multiple Pokémon at once, like what was needed in a Double Battle. That just came down to lack of experience on his part. But on the other hand, there were two of them and he wanted the practice having two of his Pokémon out at once. It'd be weird fighting just one of them…His gaze fell on Lillie, standing nervously behind him at the new arrivals.

And then it hit him.

"Lillie?" The girl started as Sun spoke to her, looking at the girl with a wide smile. She could see the excitement in him, the thrill of preparing for yet another battle. She marveled at how much being a Trainer had changed her friend. She had seen him grow so much, even in the short time they had known each other. What was it about being a Pokémon Trainer that made people…stronger?

"Y-yes?" the girl asked, curious as to what he friend wanted.

"Can you battle with me against these two?" Sun asked the girl, making her take a step back in surprise. Was he…was he seriously asking her to battle with him!? She knew how much she didn't like battling, or fighting at all! Was he being serious? Was he playing a joke on her?

"You…I…Huh?" Lillie couldn't even process the request let alone give Sun a reply, but Sun's smile widened in excitement.

"I want to battle these two, but I can't really control two Pokémon at once all that well. So…I can loan you one of my Pokémon, and we can take on these two together. What do you say?" Sun asked his friend, who took another step back and slowly shook her head.

"S-sun…I…I couldn't. I'm not a Pokémon Trainer. I've never commanded a Pokémon in battle. And I… What if I seriously hurt one of their Pokémon? What if _your_ Pokémon gets hurt? I wouldn't be able to forgive myself for it. I'm sorry Sun, but…" Lillie said quietly, slowly stepping away from her friend. Sun's smile faded and he gave her a neutral expression, sensing her discomfort.

"If you don't want to, I won't make you." Sun unclipped a Poké Ball from his belt and offered it to Lillie, who stared at it.

"But…I'd never blame you if something did happen. I just figured this could be something fun we could do together. Plus it lets me challenge both of these two. Nothing on the line, nothing at stake. Just a battle for fun." Sun explained with a small shrug, somehow not mad at her for not going along with it. She was acutely aware of the confused looks Sina and Dexio were giving each other. Lillie was very aware she was making a scene now. And she was aware she was letting her friend down even now by not helping him like the many, many times he had selflessly helped her.

"But I've never battled before! What if I mess this up? _What if I let you down!?_ What if…" Lillie took another step back but stopped when she saw Sun's unwavering expression of understanding, and she realized who she was talking to.

Sun would _never_ be mad at her even if she did mess up. Even if she did let him down. He was asking her to spend time with him, doing something that he enjoyed. He had agreed to help her with her stupid, dangerous journey against forces Sun didn't even understand…And here she was, telling him no because she didn't like Pokémon battles.

But…even if she didn't like them, she couldn't deny that they were exciting at times. And seeing her friend's expressions of joy and excitement during them made her happy to see. But seeing the Pokémon involved get hurt still made her uncomfortable…She didn't know if she could do it.

 _"Would you be willing to do it for Sun? After everything he's done for you?"_ a little voice asked her in her head. Her answer was an uncertain one. Would she be willing to go back on her morals just to help a friend that she harbored some affections for? Would she be willing to try commanding Pokémon to hurt one another just for the sake of a simple battle, that she _knew_ that she would mess up due to her lack of knowledge on how everything worked?

 _"But have you ever given it a chance?"_ asked the voice. Lillie considered that and felt a guilt bloom in her chest. She hadn't. Her upbringing had made her abhor Pokémon battles and she had always disliked them because of the violence that the Pokémon involved had endured. The pain that they went through. Seeing injured Pokémon throughout her life had made her intensely dislike the pain that those little showdowns dealt on those involved...

But spending time with Hau and Sun had shown her the other side of being a Pokémon Trainer. The bonds that could be formed. The strength that could be found by testing yourself against overwhelming odds. The joy in victory and the sadness of defeat, both of which helped Pokémon Trainers grow. And the love between Trainers and Pokémon. She only had to look at the boy in front of her to see how much he had benefited from becoming a Trainer. She had seen both sides of it…but again…

Could she take up the mantle this once for her friend?

"Will you be my partner?" Sun asked Lillie, his voice soft as he took a step back. He wasn't pressuring her, he wasn't trying to reason with her. Just a question, and that was it.

He just stood there with a patient and neutral expression while she had her internal crisis. Lillie looked down, her hat obscuring her face. Nebby let out a faint cry from within Lillie's bag, and with that the girl looked back up with Sun, her expression clearing as she gave a very small nod.

"I'll do it. I…I've got your back, Sun." Lillie said quietly, extending a shaking hand and accepting the Poké Ball from Sun. She was surprised when Sun tackled her in a hug, making her let out a yelp of surprise.

"Thank you so much." Sun whispered as he let go of his friend, grinning as he pulled out another Poké Ball. Sun turned around to face Sina and Dexio, who had observed the scene with interest.

"Fantastique! Let's move off to the side over here and begin!" Dexio said as he jogged over to a large open space where they could battle and not bother anyone. Lillie stood next to Sun, trailing her fingers over the Poké Ball, wondering which Pokémon was inside. Soon enough Sina and Dexio stood across from them, both of the Kalos-natives looking excited. Sun looked over at Lillie and, seeing her nerves, tried one last time to calm his friend.

"You know…If there's anyone I know that can control the Pokémon inside that ball, it's you Lillie. You'll do great. I know you will." Sun said to his friend, surprising her with the faith he had in her. She had never battled before or commanded a Pokémon in combat. But he still believed in her like this?

" _I…I have to try this. Even if I'm scared. Even if I might hurt whatever Pokémon Sun entrusted to me…I have to do this for Sun. He's counting on me."_ Lillie thought as she clenched the Poké Ball tightly in her hand.

"I'll start this off! Go Slowpoke!" Dexio called out.

"Delibird, let's show them our stuff!" Sina called out.

"Rotom Dex, you want to give us the scoop on that Slowpoke?" Sun asked the floating device.

" _Absolutely. Bzzt! Slowpoke. The Dopey Pokémon._ _Alolan home cooking involves drying Slowpoke tails and then simmering them into a salty stew._ _Its long tail often breaks off. It doesn't really feel any pain, though, and the tail grows back, so Slowpoke isn't particularly bothered._ _"_ Rotom explained as Sun regarded the Pokémon ahead of him. He looked at the Delibird, remembering when he was dragged through the dirt by one to assist it in defeating Team Skull at a berry farm.

Sun released Penny, who let out a loud cry as she took flight. Sun explained the situation to her as well, receiving a nod in response from his loyal bird. Sun looked over at Lillie, who seemed nervous still. The girl was clutching the Poké Ball in her hand tightly, her bag swaying on her shoulder.

"Alright…" Lillie took a shaky breath before holding out the Poké Ball and tossing it into the air, releasing the creature within. Lillie blinked in surprise when she saw a massive owl standing before her, giving her a curious look. Lillie looked over at Sun in amazement, stunned that he had seen fit to give her his very first Pokémon, as well as his strongest.

"Oliver, we're doing a Double Battle. I'll be commanding Penny, and Lillie will be in charge of you." Sun said to the owl, who looked at Lillie. Lillie stared into the Dartrix's eyes, and she wondered if the owl would even listen to her. Lillie bent down until she was level with Oliver.

"I…I hope I won't let you down, Oliver." Lillie murmured as she reached forward, patting the bird on the head. Oliver shut his eyes and nuzzled Lillie's hand, surprising her. Oliver then fluttered into the air and turned around to face their opponents, letting out a loud chirp.

"Looks like you both are all set." Dexio said, an eager grin on his face.

"Yep. Let's start this off. Penny, use Echoed Voice on Delibird!" Sun called to his bird. Penny nodded and soared ahead, opening her beak and releasing a blast of sound at the bird in question.

"Rotom, give Lillie a crash course in what Oliver can do." Sun said to the device, who floated over to the girl and brought up a list of attacks that Oliver could use. Lillie scanned the list quickly before she looked ahead, taking a deep breath as Sun engaged the two other Pokémon with Penny.

"Oliver, use Razor Leaf on both Delibird and Slowpoke!" Lillie called out to the Dartrix. Oliver let out a cry and flapped his wings, releasing a barrage of spinning leaves down onto the two Pokémon. Lillie winced as she saw the two Pokémon cry out in pain as the attack dealt damage to them both. Penny swooped down on the Delibird and released a blast of sound at it, knocking it to the ground.

"Ah, a quick start. You won't get the drop on us! Slowpoke, use Confusion!" Dexio barked, throwing out a hand. The Slowpoke's eyes flashed blue and Oliver suddenly crashed onto the ground, shrieking in pain. Lillie gasped in horror, placing both hands over her heart as she saw the Pokémon flail on the ground and felt guilt creep through her.

"I…I can't do this…" Lillie whispered, doubt setting in now. She wasn't a Trainer…no matter how much she wished for the strength of one, she was kidding herself if she thought she could command Pokémon as well as Sun.

"Use Present on Trumbeak!" Sina declared, pointing at the bird in question. The Delivery Pokémon fluttered into the air and hurled a glowing cube at the bird in question. Penny let out a screech as the box exploded violently against her, sending her hurtling backwards. She caught herself in midair, glaring at the other bird.

"Penny, use Pluck on Slowpoke!" Sun called to his bird. Sun looked over to Lillie, seeing the girl standing still with a worried look on her face. Sun took a deep breath and called to her.

"Lillie, come on! Bounce back! Oliver's counting on you!" Sun called, even as Oliver took flight, albeit unsteadily.

"Oliver use…um…" Lillie hesitated, watching the battle ahead of her and trying to calm her own panic.

The moment of pause cost her as a blast of water slammed into Oliver. The bird screeched in response before a glowing cube tossed from Delibird exploded into him from below, sending him tumbling through the sky and crashing harshly onto the ground with a sickening thud right in front of Lillie, making the girl take a step back in horror at what she had done to the poor bird.

"Now…let's take out that Trumbeak!" Sina declared, a fierce smile on her face as she threw out a hand and her Delibird began lobbing Presents at Penny, who swerved and dodged as quickly as she could while firing off Echoed Voice as often as possible. Sun looked over at Lillie, who seemed horrified and distressed that Oliver had been hurt so badly. He needed to reassure her that Oliver was okay and get her back into this. Sun knew couldn't defeat the duo on his own with just Penny, and using Brago was out of the question because he was still much weaker than everyone else on his team.

"Lillie, stay focused! Oliver's strong. He won't let you down." Sun said to the girl, giving her a confident smile as he looked back ahead and commanding Penny to shoo Delibird away with Echoed Voice.

Lillie couldn't help but be amazed at that. Sun had so much faith in his Pokémon, and in her. Lillie shouldn't have been surprised when Oliver rose to his feet, shaking his head but otherwise fine.

"Oliver, I'm so sorry you got hurt. I…I…" Lillie trailed off, shaking her head. Oliver turned his head around completely and just stared at her. No trace of anger was in his eyes. No judgement or scorn that her lapse had caused him pain. Only worry about the friend of his Trainer, and the resolve to keep on going until the end of the fight. His expression reminded her so much of the owl's Trainer, that Lillie felt the worry and guilt ebb away. The Dartrix's expression softened a moment later.

"Dar dar triiiix." Oliver chirped softly at her before rotating his head around and getting into a flying stance. Lillie couldn't understand the bird like Sun seemed to, but she understood that Oliver was ready to keep battling alongside her, despite the fact that she was so inexperienced. The battle ahead seemed to have taken a turn, with Penny getting overwhelmed at the barrage of attacks being sent her way. Sun was having Penny dodge as often as she could, but the bird was tiring. Lillie took a shaking breath, steeling her nerves.

"Okay Lillie…Okay. Oliver, hit Slowpoke with Peck!" Lillie called out. The Dartrix shot into the air with a cry before soaring downwards with a glowing beak, slamming into the side of the Slowpoke with a screech. The pink hippo tumbled onto its side and remained still, making Dexio laugh in delight. Lillie stared at the Slowpoke in amazement before she broke out into a smile.

"I…I did it." Lillie whispered, amazed at the development. Oliver swooped back to her side, giving her a chirp. Lillie ran forward and hugged Oliver tightly, surprising him.

"You did it! We did it! We beat one of their Pokémon!" Lillie hopped to her feet, amazed. She had helped Sun and managed to actually beat one of the other Trainer's Pokémon. She felt elated that she hadn't messed this up. She…she could do this!

* * *

" _My flower…You won't leave me, will you? You're not like Mohn or your brother…You wouldn't disobey your mother. You don't chase stupid dreams like they do. You're a good girl, Lillie…you wouldn't break your mother's heart like they did…"_

* * *

Lillie couldn't help the wince that came to her at the words. She felt her smile falter, and Oliver looked back at her. She was so caught up in the moment…She had deluded herself if she had forgotten why she was so terrified to control a Pokémon in the first place. Even worse, she had hurt a Pokémon to the point where it passed out.

"No…I've seen Pokémon get hurt way worse than that. Dexio will just heal Slowpoke and it'll be just fine." Lillie said to herself, shoving away her guilt. Sun glanced over at Lillie, seeing her lost in her own little world. He frowned at that, but looked ahead and decided to call out an attack while Sina was likewise distracted.

"Penny, use Pluck!" Sun called out. Penny swooped down and crashed into the other bird with her beak, knocking the Delivery Pokémon senseless.

"Well shoot. That's what happens when you get distracted." Sina sighed, though she wore a smile on her face regardless.

"Thanks for the assist, partner." Sun said to his friend, giving her a bright grin and a thumbs up. Lillie laughed shakily as she snapped out of her musings, giving Sun a thumbs up in return before looking forward, her expression becoming one of focus. The battle wasn't over yet, after all. She couldn't dwell on the past and her own insecurities. Not when Sun needed her now.

"Well done, Miss Lillie. But can you handle my next Pokémon?" Dexio asked, recalling Slowpoke and drawing out another Poké Ball. Sina did the same.

"Espeon! Come out!"

"Show them what we're made of, Glaceon!" Both of the Kalos-natives threw their Poké Balls skyward, releasing two fox-like Pokémon that Lillie recognized as the Psychic-type and Ice-type Eeveelutions respectively. And she knew these two would be much harder opponents than the previous two Pokémon. Lillie quickly reviewed the attacks Oliver could do and took a deep breath, steeling her nerves.

"You ready for this Lillie?" Sun asked his partner, a wild grin on his face as Penny soared past him, letting out a loud cry and preparing herself for battle. Meanwhile, Lillie was doing the same, feeling something click into place as she considered Sun's question. It wasn't a question of worry, but a playful one of camaraderie. She could almost feel the faith Sun had in her, and that gave her strength to express her feelings aloud.

"I can do this." Lillie whispered to herself. After so long of being scared and of constantly worrying about failure…to be able to throw yourself into something like this where victory was actually within reach made Lillie feel something she couldn't even describe. But she knew she _wanted_ this win. If not just for Sun's sake, then her own. She would do this.

It was her decision to make. She had spent so much of her life having every little thing dictated for her. From what she ate, to what she wore, to what music she listened to, down to the very things that were allowed to bring her happiness. One by one, she had lost the people she loved until she was all alone. She had been a prisoner within her own home, living in the shadow of the person who had once mattered most to her. Doomed to lose her to the monsters she chased...

But Lillie had chosen to step away from that life. She was on her own now. She had her friends and her own path to follow.

The first step was saving Nebby.

The second step…would be braving her fears and winning something that her mother had always told her to never be a part of.

"Penny, use Brick Break on Glaceon!" Sun barked out, throwing an arm forward. Penny shot forward with a cry, soaring towards Sina's Pokémon.

"Use Icy Wind!" Sina cried out.

"Oliver, use Leafage and block the attack!" Lillie yelled out. Oliver nodded and shot forward, releasing a leafy whirlwind that slammed into the Icy Wind, creating an explosion of ice and shredded leaves. Penny darted through the mist and rammed her beak into Glaceon's side, sending the Pokémon to the ground with a squeal.

"Thanks!" Sun said to Lillie, but the girl was cut off from her reply when Penny screeched in pain and was slammed into the ground as Espeon attacked it with Confusion, sending the bird crashing up and down onto the ground.

"Oliver, use Leafage! Then dive through the attack and use Peck on Espeon!" Lillie called out as Penny shook her head as the attack on her ceased, though she was now obviously suffering from the effects of being confused from her dazed expression.

Sun's eyes widened as Oliver flared his wings and released Leafage, a swirling blast of wind and leaves towards Espeon. Oliver then cried out and flew forward into the maelstrom, becoming a literal tornado of fury that slammed into Espeon and sent the Pokémon hurtling across the battlefield and crashing onto the ground with authority. Dexio and Sina both watched the display with shock, but Sun was beaming with pride.

"Lillie, that was amazing! You're teaching _me_ new things about battling!" Sun yelled out, astounded that his friend had been able to combine two moves like that. Lillie gave Sun a bright smile, delighted at the praise, but she looked forward again. Dexio's Espeon slowly rose, its limbs shaking with effort while it hissed at Oliver, who hissed right back, making the Psychic-type Pokémon nervously back away.

"Penny, snap out of it!" Sun called to his bird, who smacked herself several times in the face with her own wing in confusion. Oliver flew over to the bird and slapped her in the face with his own wing, several times, back and forth, again and again, until her eyes gained awareness in her surroundings. Penny snapped out of her confused status at that point, but decided to slap Oliver in the face in retaliation, sending him toppling to the ground, dazed.

"I never get tired of those two being complete dorks to each other." Sun admitted with a chuckle as Oliver got back up, glaring at Penny who glared back at him.

"Use Icy Wind!"

Oliver let out a shriek of pain as the ice-cold blast of wind slammed into him from behind, making him tumble to the ground in pain as the Glaceon rose to its feet again. Lillie gasped in horror, knowing the move had dealt an incredible amount of damage on the Grass/Flying type. She made a move to run onto the field to check on Oliver, but she saw the bird rise to its feet with a pained expression. He locked eyes with Lillie, his expression fierce and undeterred. The Dartrix nodded at the girl as it rose to its full height, letting out a fearsome screech that made the Glaceon back away. The message was clear.

 _I won't give up on you, so long as you don't give up on me either._

Lillie slowly nodded at the bird before she pointed behind him, where an Espeon was bounding towards him. Lillie took a deep breath and moved her finger skyward.

"Go high into the sky and hit them both with Razor Leaf!" Lillie called out. Oliver nodded and launched himself into the sky, quickly soaring above the field.

"Penny, hide in the panic and then hit Glaceon with Brick Break!" Sun added after a moment, with Penny soaring around Glaceon as it launched an Icy Wind at her. Penny barely dodged the attack, since she was sporting heavy damage, and even then winced as the attack nearly hit her in midair. Penny strained to gain altitude, but after a few moments the Trumbeak rose higher into the skies to regroup with her partner. Oliver's expression was horrific glee as he rained down leafy disaster upon the two other Pokémon from high above, making them both cry out in pain and making the Espeon finally fall over in exhaustion.

"Now Penny!" Sun called to his bird. Penny nodded and pulled her wings close to her body, dive-bombing down to the ground and slamming into Glaceon from above with a brutal Brick Break. The attack finally made the powerful Ice-type succumb to its injuries, and the Glaceon collapsed alongside its ally. Sina and Dexio stared at their two downed Pokémon in surprise before exchanging a glance, the two of them breaking into smiles.

"I get it…Facing Trials helps you grow close to your team. I think that's absolutely wonderful." Sina said as she regarded the two children ahead of her with happiness in her eyes.

"That it is." Dexio agreed, nodding with a chuckle.

"New encounters help people and Pokémon grow and mature!" Sina added, crossing her arms. "I imagine this is what Professor Sycamore meant when he said we would learn and grow despite our work here."

"Seems like it. Alola Trainers have a different charm than those in Kalos!" Dexio remarked, even as he returned his Espeon. Sina nodded in agreement, returning her Glaceon.

"Absolutely. That was fun. Even if we were using our new teams, the talent of those two are unquestionable." Sina replied, grinning widely now.

"That's what I should expect from a Trainer doing the Island Challenge." Dexio added after a moment, smiling as well. "I felt the bond between you and your Pokémon. I feel like I've been able to have a glimpse of the Island Challenge. Let me heal your Pokémon as thanks."

"You and your Pokémon are the ultimate team! No doubt about it!" Dexio praised Sun, who chuckled as both of his birds finished getting healed. "This battle reminded me of us in the past…and that group of five young Trainers."

"You thinking what I am?" Sina asked Dexio.

"…Regarding the Cube? I'm…considering it." Dexio admitted, making Sun's expression turn to confusion. What were they talking about? Sun was then distracted by the sound of Lillie suddenly exhaling deeply next to him before taking in a deep breath and letting out a shaky breath.

"I can't believe you actually convinced me to do that…and that we won." Lillie's eyes slowly widened in realization.

"Oh my goodness…I won a Pokémon battle. With Sun! I…That…That felt _incredible_." Lillie said quietly, looking over at Oliver as he soared back over to her. Lillie walked forward and pet the bird on the head, receiving a happy chirp from him.

"You were wonderful, Oliver." Lillie whispered to the Dartrix, who happily hooted at Lillie, nuzzling the girl's hand.

"Why can't you act that good all the time?" Sun wondered, receiving a cheerful hoot from Oliver. Sun shook his head, but was drawn to Lillie's next words as she spoke again. Not to anyone in particular, if anything, she seemed to be speaking to herself

"It…it wasn't all good, mind you…I was terrified for a good bit of that. It was all so much to take in. But I won. I got to battle with Sun, and I didn't hold him back. I wasn't a _burden_. I…" Lillie trailed off, feeling herself get choked up, her emotions getting the better of her.

"Lillie?"

The girl turned around saw Sun giving her a concerned look. Sun was surprised then when the girl started to laugh. Slowly at first, but soon she was breathless with giggles. Sun walked over to his friend, extending a hand out to her. She recovered somewhat and saw what Sun was doing, and after hi-fiving him eagerly, her smile returned as she composed herself once again. He was then surprised when Lillie tackled him into a fierce embrace.

"Is that what it's like for you every time you battle?" Lillie asked Sun, beaming at him with a joyful smile. He could see the rare look of _pride_ on her face at what she had accomplished. Sun couldn't help but smile at her. Mainly because she looked so happy at her triumph, but also because she looked incredibly cute with the excitement from the battle gleaming in her eyes. Truthfully, he was amazed she had done so well, but he knew he wouldn't regret making the offer to her.

"Yeah. It's an incredible feeling, isn't it?" Sun replied as he hugged Lillie back, making the girl laugh in reply. Sun relished the warmth he felt holding his friend close, and couldn't stop smiling at her happiness.

"I've always thought Pokémon battles were senseless showdowns! I was terrified about Oliver getting hurt, but then I saw how much he was into the fight and…But I felt…like I was one with Oliver just then! I commanded him and he did what I asked, and we won! I didn't hold you back. No one got hurt…I didn't bring you down or mess it up." Lillie explained, trying to convey her feelings about something she had, up until now, detested. Even now she was trying to process what she was feeling.

"You were amazing out there. I'm so proud of you, Lillie." Sun said to Lillie as they separated, with Lillie brushing her hair out of her face, a bright blush on her face.

"I couldn't have done it without you, Sun." Lillie replied softly, unable to get rid of the silly smile on her face. "Though I don't think I'll be doing that again. It was fun to battle with you, and I liked winning, but I don't think battling is for me right now. I don't know if I can handle that much excitement again. Besides, I really don't like how I had to hurt Sina and Dexio's Pokémon. That's a lot to wrap my head around…but it was still fun."

"Fair enough. Thanks for giving it a shot. It means a lot to me." Sun admitted to his friend.

"You two are so adorable." Sina remarked, making both of the children's faces flush (in Lillie's case an even darker shade of red). Dexio chuckled, adjusting his sunglasses.

"We may be adorable, but we also creamed you both." Sun shot back, his grin becoming smugger. Maybe it wasn't a good idea, but overcoming two foreign Trainers with Lillie had put him in a great mood.

"Ah! You Alolans are full of surprises. Your comeback was impressive, Lillie. You made me and Sina look like amateurs." Dexio said in mock distress before bursting out into laughter.

"You two have a great day. We've got things to do, so we'll catch you around." Sina said cheerfully, giving them a little wave.

"Ahem. Yes. We'll be taking our leave now! Bon voyage!" Sina said to the two children. Sun and Lillie bid the duo farewell, with the four of them exchanging the Alolan farewell, and walked back down the street with their heads held high after their victory. Sun and Lillie walked down the nearby sidewalk, the both of them smiling in triumph as they began to talk about what had happened during the battle. Sina and Dexio exchanged a glance, smiling.

"They've both got talent. I couldn't really tell that the girl had no battling experience towards the end there. And that Leafage-Peck combo? Incredibly resourceful of her. I wonder what she'd be able to do with a Pokémon of her own at her side." Dexio wondered aloud, smiling at the thought.

"And that boy…he's a damn prodigy, fending us both off at the same time like that while the girl struggled. I can't believe those two beat us with just two Pokémon." Sina remarked, putting a hand on her hip. "Maybe they can help with the project?"

"Perhaps. But it would also be incredibly irresponsible of us to just throw the Zygarde Cube into the hands of some random child who happens to be able to beat us in a battle." Dexio replied, earning a bob of the head from his companion.

"Yeah. We're not irresponsible morons who would just hand off a device that allows someone to recreate a legendary from the ground up to a child. That'd be silly." Sina said with a small laugh.

"So…recon?" Sina asked, a smirk coming to her mouth.

"Recon." Dexio agreed, chuckling lightly a moment later.

"I'm excited now. This is gonna be a blast. We haven't done this since Team Flare." Sina remarked, her smirk turning into a grin.

"Then let's follow them and see what happens next. Professor Burnet sent us into town for a reason, after all, and you know we can't let Doctor Colress down. He's counting on us not to fail. Lives hang in the balance, my friend." Dexio said as he reached into his bag, eyeing the mask inside with his eyes burning with purpose. The two young adults dashed into the hotel and within a few minutes, came dashing out again clad in their infamous disguises, ready to keep the peace as they had in Kalos.

And they would start by following this promising young Trainer and the girl at his side.


	36. Out of the Past

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _So…I have had a terrible problem with keeping chapters shorter than they need to be with this story. So this one will be somewhat short for once, but no less awesome. When I started this story, the chapters were supposed to be 5,000 words or less with each weekly update. Now I'm doing at least 7,500 words every update, with maybe one or two exceptions._

 _So yeah, here's a normal chapter. Not really, since it's well over 5,000 words, but its fun to pretend._

 _On the plus side, I've finally gotten around to reading a few new fanfics as of late. If you've got a chance, check them out. I've got the ones I've managed to get to, I still have many more to read, saved as favorites on my profile. So send some love their way if possible. Especially for my fellow authors in the Pokémon archive!_

 _We've only got a chapter or two left of Heahea before Sun ventures towards the Water Trial, and towards a character we're all very excited to see. Also, I'm pleased to say that this arc will not focus on solely Sun, which may not be news really but it's something I will wholeheartedly say now. This arc will focus on all of the main cast, showing things like Hau's journey, Team Skull, Gladion and other such things._

 _Also, in regards to USUM, my stance on whether or not I'll include things from the two games is...Honestly, still a maybe. At this point, it looks like it'll be a much more in-depth story than what we received in Sun and Moon. As of now, the only thing that can absolutely tell you is that the Epilogue of the story will be likely different than what I had planned, thanks to some of what I've seen with Necrozma and how it acts within the game's trailer. Anything else? It's up in the air. If I can include it or make references to some things, I may, but I just don't know right now, sadly._

 _I'll have more to say once I've played and beaten the game for myself. The next few chapters wouldn't be changed anyway, so I'm not too concerned._

 _Shoutout to the folks who've reviewed since the last update, which includes Consumer of Fantasy, Sai Og Sus, Madame Rodoshe, Anasazi Darkmoon, Cottonmouth25, BraviaryScout, TheDragonLegend, skyguys, Gokan123, AKhaos, BouncingFish, Infinite Nexus, a new guest reviewer known as Burku and a new reviewer that goes by Forgotten Slacker. Thanks for the support and wonderful feedback. Last chapter, despite taking a bit of a risk, seemed to turn out very well according to you all. I'm glad you all enjoyed it._

 _Let's keep this train rolling!_

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 _Chapter 36: Out of the Past_

* * *

"So what next?" Sun asked as he and Lillie continued their trek through the city. Lillie seemed to be in great spirits after their battle, as her smile hadn't diminished in the slightest.

"I don't really know. My meeting plan failed through. I suppose I'll get some shopping done and hang out around the city before heading back to Professor Burnet's Lab." Lillie explained before she looked at Sun.

"How about you?" Lillie asked.

"I was going to hang out with you for a little bit, but I do need to get going…" Sun then realized what he was saying. He didn't want to leave Lillie. He enjoyed spending time with her too much. But…it would be selfish of him to ask her to come with him instead of working on her own research for Nebby.

"Well…If you're going to resume your journey, we can shop today and prepare you for your trip." Lillie replied cheerfully, bounding forward with a slight skip in her step. Sun chuckled at the sight, seeing his friend in such a good mood. He was proud of her and what she had accomplished today. She had won a Pokémon Battle, despite not being a Trainer. And seeing her own pride in herself and what she had done made Sun feel nothing but happiness.

Sun swung by the Pokémon Center to purchase some basic medicine, food, and pick up the TM for the move Protect. He taught the move to Oliver, since he had not taught his starter a TM Move up to this point. After that, he and Lillie went clothes shopping.

After all, Sun had managed to ruin a few of his old outfits from his trek around Melemele Island. Lillie just enjoyed browsing, despite her never actually buying much of anything. Sun wondered about this, but decided it wasn't really his business. Sun scanned through the colorful store, somewhat bored but forcing himself to remain attentive, knowing this was an important errand. He decided to try to be both practical and fun while picking out his clothes, with some success.

He did however get much amusement out of Lillie trying on different sunglasses and posing in a mirror in the corner of the store, where she thought she was out of sight. At least until she caught Sun looking at her. Of course, the shy girl began blushing like crazy as she hastily put the sunglasses back on the stand and knocked the whole lot of them over. Sun smiled, shaking his head, and went and helped the poor girl out.

As time went on, Sun realized that Lillie also greatly enjoyed having Sun model the clothes he was buying in front of her. He had bought a few shirts and a pair of black cargo shorts, which cost him an arm and a leg, but as he modeled his outfits in front of his friend he felt the smile of approval she wore on her face was absolutely worth it.

"How do you get so much enjoyment out of me getting dressed up, Lillie?" Sun asked as he changed back into the clothes he had arrived there in.

"Oh, you know…Hau is kind of a broken record when it comes to his own clothes, as much as he gives me grief for wearing white dresses all the time. You like to wear different things and have no qualms about trying new clothing out, so…I like to experience that with you. Besides, a girl's opinion on these things is a must. You have good taste, too." Lillie stated, sounding like she was grinning at him. Sun stepped out of the changing room and saw that she was indeed smiling in amusement at him.

Sun didn't quite believe her line of logic, but if it made his friend happy, he didn't mind all that much. However when he offered to be a judge of her in a dress or any outfit that was in the store, the girl turned down his offer. She wasn't comfortable being in anything except her particular dresses. Some habits were hard to break, according to her.

"Come on, try _something_ out. Like…these new colored contacts! Look at these!" Sun said as he gestured to a pair of contacts on display that showed off a beautiful baby blue color. Lillie, to Sun's surprise, did look interested in the contacts for a few moments before she considered it.

"I'll get them then, if it'll satisfy your curiosity, Sun." Lillie said, fishing out some money for the new contacts.

"You are most gracious, Princess." Sun said sarcastically, sticking his tongue out at Lillie.

"Pew!"

"Nebby, I don't need you agreeing with his sass." Lillie sighed, paying for the contacts.

"Pew."

"You tell her, Nebby."

"Between you two, I have no idea who will drive me insane first."

"Hau."

"…Touché."

* * *

The duo emerged from the clothing store with Lillie sporting bright blue eyes now. Sun personally thought that her original eye color was better, but he was the one who had made the suggestion and she went with it. Besides, blue wasn't a bad color for her.

"So, what do you think?" Lillie asked inevitably, once they had made it a ways down the sidewalk.

"It looks good. Your original eye color is better, but this is a nice change." Sun said honestly, making Lillie chuckle softly at that.

"Well, it is something different that doesn't clash with my dress. I can wear these contacts with any of them." Lillie said as she walked ahead of Sun, who slowed down to tie his shoe. Lillie glanced back at Sun for a moment, noticing he was lagging behind. As a result of this, Lillie failed to see what was in front of her and crashed into someone very solid, making her fall flat on her butt on the ground with a yelp.

"Oh…That hurt…I'm sorry for running into you. Are you…okay..?" Lillie trailed off, her words dying in her throat as she looked upward. As her brain processed what she saw, she let out a horrified gasp.

Towering above her was a massive monster of man, clad in a pair of ripped jeans stained in blood and dirt. The man's boots were metallic and leather with skulls decorating them, as did the thick and tattered black jacket the man wore with even more tears on it. The man's face was covered in scars and lacerations, some of them bleeding freely much to the horror of the two children. The man was bald, with two hazel eyes that were bloodshot and narrowed down to slits. A tattoo of a Mightyena was visible just below his neck, the jaws of the dog depicted wide upon as it howled upwards.

Lillie couldn't help but stare helplessly upwards into the face of the terrifying man, whose face contorted into a horrifying scowl that made Lillie almost scream if she hadn't been so scared. A fresh drop of blood splattered onto the ground right in front of her, trailing down the man's chin from the bloody slash on his forehead, but the man didn't seem to care.

"You best watch your step, little girl. There's lots of dangerous people on this island. You know that, _right_?" The man hissed, gritting his teeth in barely restrained fury, his entire body trembling as he restrained himself from lashing out further. Sun was suddenly standing in front of Lillie, glaring up into the face of the man.

"Oh…Think you can protect her from _big, bad mister Jack_? You've got guts, kid." the man snorted with amusement, shaking his head as a rough cough escaped him, his rage dissipating to Sun's surprise. "That's funny. I'd break your neck without a second thought. Heh…Haha…Ah, I needed that laugh right about now. Thanks for that, brats."

Jack, to Sun's surprise, backed away and moved around the two of them, limping down the road and drawing looks from everyone down the street. Sun watched the man leave for a while before he turned around and extended a hand to Lillie, helping her up. Lillie threw her arms around Sun, hugging him tightly. Sun returned the hug, even as Lillie let out a shuddering breath into his ear.

"You're okay…it's okay Lillie…" Sun murmured, even as the girl continued to quake in his arms. Sun pointedly ignored the looks passing people on the sidewalk gave him, instead focusing on making sure Lillie was alright. That was all that mattered to him.

"I'm so sorry Sun…I…H-he didn't even do anything and I'm…I was so scared…" Lillie whispered, unable to stop the tears forming in her eyes and she shook in terror.

"It's okay to be scared. It's perfectly natural." Sun replied quietly as he held his friend in his arms. The two held the embrace for a long while until Lillie managed to finally calm herself down. Lillie separated from Sun, wiping her eyes with a shaky sigh.

"Let's get inside some place and have some lunch." Sun suggested to his friend. Lillie nodded, and with that the two of them managed to find a local restaurant where they enjoyed a cheap but tasty lunch of sandwiches and tea. The distinct Kanto-style cuisine made Sun a little homesick, but he was happy to have a taste of his old home in his new one. Lillie eventually managed to calm down as they ate, though her mood was now subdued.

"So, there's no chance of me catching you a Pokémon and having you tag along with me?" Sun asked Lillie with a small smile as they finished their meal. The girl seemed surprised at the question, but to Sun's non-surprise she shook her head.

"As much as I ended up enjoying myself back there, I don't…I have other things to worry about Sun. I have to keep an eye on Nebby and even then, I'm also not entirely comfortable with Pokémon Battles. Pokémon getting hurt in battles still bothers me. I spent my entire childhood watching over Pokémon that were injured or abused get treated. I can't just turn my back on _all_ of those experiences…" Lillie explained, looking down at her cup of tea.

"But I can't deny the rush of joy I felt out there when I finally got into it. I felt such a deeper connection to Oliver, Penny, and you. I felt stronger…I've always wanted to be better, Sun. More confident and just…I…" Lillie sighed, shaking her head.

"What's wrong?" Sun asked, concerned.

"For once in my life…I didn't feel _powerless_. It felt incredible being out there with you. And then we won…I've never won at anything before. Did you know that? Ending such an intense battle with me winning…with you? It was wonderful. It made me want to battle again…But then I remember what my mother told me about battling. How senseless it was and that it was beneath a proper lady like me. I remember my time back home and realize that me becoming a Trainer shouldn't happen, and it makes all of this hard to think about and…" Lillie sighed, taking a calming breath. So many conflicting emotions were swirling around her head right now, it threatened to give her a headache.

"As much I'd like to…I can't even begin to entertain the idea of becoming a Pokémon Trainer, Sun. Not with what's at stake right now. I have a job to do…I have to save Nebby before things get bad. I can't let them win. If they do, then Nebby may be lost forever." Lillie explained softly, her expression becoming somber. It made Sun worry even more about her.

"Lillie…who's after Nebby?" Sun asked quietly.

"I can't say. I _can't_ tell anyone else, Sun. The few people I have told already know too much…If they found out where I am…if _she_ heard the faintest whisper of my whereabouts, there's no telling what she'd do to get me back. Who'd she hurt to get her way. And then…Nebby…" Lillie cut herself off, shaking her head furiously, fresh worry and fear on her face. Sun could tell that Lillie was absolutely horrified of whoever was pursuing Nebby.

"She won't get Nebby, whoever she is. They'd have to get past you, which won't ever happen. And before that, they'd have to get past me and Hau and Professor Kukui and everyone else who's watching out for you." Sun said comfortingly, making Lillie looked up in disbelief.

" _How can you say that?_ You don't know what she's capable of! She could wreak untold havoc on Alola if she wanted too, and that's not taking into account what she'll do once she gets her hands on Nebby!…I can't let her unleash those monsters, Sun!" Lillie said, her voice increasing in volume and panic. Sun rose to his feet and pushed in his chair, with him beckoning Lillie to follow him. He calmly walked out of the store with Lillie watching him. She followed a moment later, looking somewhat confused but still upset.

"Sorry. Everyone was looking and I know you don't like the attention." Sun apologized, beginning to walk down the sidewalk. Lillie sighed deeply, trying to keep herself calm.

"I just…Ugh, I'm sorry Sun. I shouldn't have thrown all of that you." Lillie muttered, hating the fact that she had lost control of her emotions like that. She usually kept things like that bottled up. And she had said so much…she didn't want anyone to pry because it'd just make things worse. Sun had enough to worry about anyway.

"Don't worry about it. You trust me enough to tell me what's bothering you so…Yeah, don't worry about it." Sun shrugged, offering his friend a smile. Lillie sighed in response, but gave Sun a weak smile as well.

"How do you do it? Hold back all that pain and…emotions? You're able to smile through it all and it's just…I don't get it. You're so strong." Lillie asked Sun, whose smile vanished. The boy looked ahead, thinking about her question. The girl realized just what kind of question she had asked her friend, and was about to tell him to disregard it when he answered.

"I smile because if I can keep smiling, then I can make it through the pain. Before all of… _this_ , I used to be a really happy kid, Lillie. But recent events have showed me that there's a lot of dark and bad things in the world. I'm not so happy anymore. Not after what my Dad did to me and Mom." Sun replied calmly, to Lillie's surprise.

"But I'm getting off topic. Lillie, even if you're suffering…Even if you just want to curl into a ball and cry your heart out, you just have to keep going. Smile through the pain. Don't bring others down. Try to help them as much as you can. Try and forget. That's how I've been managing. It helps that I have my Pokémon, my Mom, Hau, and…you. People who support me. People who care about me…I have to be strong for you all."

"But…I'm not okay, Lillie. I haven't been okay for a while." Sun replied honestly, laughing hollowly as he walked ahead of his stunned friend, who couldn't hold back the shock on her face as she heard her friend speak.

" _And he's always worrying about_ my _well-being…"_ Lillie thought sadly, smiling wanly as she caught up with her friend.

"Well…I think you're very strong, Sun. I wish I could be half as brave as you are," Lillie said quietly.

"You are, Lillie. You just don't see it. One day you will." Sun said simply, stuffing his hands into his pockets. Lillie had the suspicion that Sun wasn't feeling talkative, so she led them to a nearby park she recalled was nearby and the two of them sat and enjoyed the afternoon, with Sun's expression relaxing as time went by.

Lillie fidgeted with her fingers, contemplating what to do…she had started all of this, hadn't she? If she hadn't gotten upset, they could have continued to have a wonderful afternoon, basking in the joy of their victory. Instead, she had once again ruined something…

 _"No. I made this mess…I'm going to fix it."_ Lillie thought, a glint coming to her eyes as she gathered her courage. Lillie scooted over to Sun and wrapped an arm around his chest, giving him a one-armed hug as she pressed herself close to him. Lillie tried to ignore the butterflies in her stomach and her ear tips burning, instead focusing on her friend, much like he had done for her earlier.

After what seemed like an eternity, Sun wordlessly returned the gesture, putting his arm around Lillie and hugging her back tightly, trying to show how much he appreciated her with a single gesture. Lillie and Sun separated and just watched the clouds, glad to enjoy a bit of peace with just each other.

Lillie's head inevitably drooped and she nodded off to sleep, lulled to a doze by the warm weather and the sound of the ocean nearby. Sun gently scooted closer to her and nudged her head until she was resting on his shoulder, her breathing slow and soft. Sun felt a smile tug at his face as he looked up into the bright sky, feeling more of his gloom fade away as he felt a flutter in his chest.

It was a beautiful day outside and he had Lillie with him. What was there to be sad about?

* * *

"You think we should have waited for Sun and Lillie?" Demi asked, shifting her bag to her other shoulder. Hau shrugged, grinning as per usual. The duo had won another Double Battle together, and were feeling pretty good about their trek so far.

"Nah. They're too busy being awkward and antisocial. I'm gonna get a head start on Sun and finally surpass him!" Hau cheered, hopping up on his feet before he charged ahead.

"Someone's excited today. I guess that's why we mesh so well. LET US GO ONWARD!" Demi declared, laughing as she chased after the energetic grandchild of the Kahuna, sharing in Hau's dream of proving herself to her family. The duo ran down the path, laughter ringing through the forest path.

* * *

"So…what do you think Demi and Hau are up to?" Sun asked Lillie as they hopped up from their spot in the park. Lillie had dozed for a time and woke up well-rested while Sun people-watched. He didn't really see the appeal, and wondered how people like Mister Oliver did this as a hobby. Maybe it was an adult thing.

Regardless, he enjoyed the peace and quiet and oddly enjoyed Lillie laying on him. Just being so close to her made Sun feel warm and happier, so he hadn't felt the need to move while Lillie slept, since it had improved his mood quite a bit and got him out of yet another slump.

He owed his friend so much for that.

"Hehe…Maybe they're already at the Trial. With their enthusiasm I wouldn't be surprised." Lillie laughed quietly as they exited the park and began walking down the main street of the city.

"They're probably sprinting off into the distance while yelling incoherently." Sun commented as they continued down the sidewalk.

"They also seem to be getting along very well. I wonder if they…no, that's silly. It's also none of my business." Lillie said quickly, shaking her head.

"What?" Sun asked.

"No, I shouldn't. It's rude to gossip." Lillie said, shaking her head.

"Lillie, I'll take your hat and wear it askew the entire day if you don't tell me." Sun joked, making Lillie laugh quietly, though she did adjust her hat more firmly on her head.

"Well…I wonder if the two of them are interested in each other. They spent a lot of time together at the beach and even when I talked with Demi on her own, she expressed some attraction to Hau. Maybe while out and about they'll…start dating…" Lillie trailed off, a little smile on her face.

"I myself am rooting for it. Hau is such a wonderful friend, and has such a unique spirit. He deserves to find his soulmate. He'd be happy with a peppy girl like Demi. They work well together." Lillie mused quietly, looking off into the distance.

"That's…wow. It kind of works, though. Hau's an awesome guy. It kinda makes sense that he'd end up with a pretty girl that's just as hyper as he is." Sun remarked, but his smile faltered when he saw the odd look Lillie gave him.

"What?" Sun asked his friend.

"Nothing. Just…I don't know, it feels weird hearing you call other girls pretty. You've only ever called _me_ that…even though I'm really not." Lillie said softly before wincing internally. She really needed to stop venting her thoughts to the boy she was currently…there really was no way around it.

Lillie had developed a massive crush on Sun.

There wasn't any other word for it, and she was forced to face the facts. She admired the boy so much and was taken with him in a way she hadn't ever felt with anyone before. Sun made her feel wonderful and happy. He always supported her, even at her worst moments, and he was patient and kind and Lillie adored that in him. Despite everything he had gone through, he selflessly helped others and was a friend to all Pokémon. Add onto that the fact that he was quite handsome in her eyes and Lillie finally had to admit to herself that she was smitten with her dear friend from Kanto.

Lillie forced her expression to remain neutral, even as she realized her own attraction to her closest friend.

"Ahem…Um…" Sun pulled at his collar, suddenly feeling rather hot and uncomfortable. Lillie had kind of put him in a little bit of a spot, now hadn't she? And once again, she was being down on herself. He really wished she could see what he saw in her, because to him she was definitely pretty. How did she not see it?

"Just because I called you pretty first doesn't mean I can't find other girls pretty…" Sun said defensively, wondering where this had come from. "However, I will say you're much prettier than Demi. Um…if I'm being totally honest...you're the prettiest girl I know, Lillie." Sun said awkwardly, feeling his ears burn at the admission as he rubbed the back of his head.

Lillie tilted her hat downwards, letting out a small squeak. Her face was practically crimson in embarrassment, her mind reeling as she tried to process that bit of information and…was she really the prettiest girl Sun knew!?

Despite her efforts, Lillie could not hide her reaction from Sun. The boy realized the girl was embarrassed and couldn't help a smile coming to his face. He decided to have a bit of fun with this. After all, she did look adorable when she was flustered.

"Oh? Does Princess Lillie liked being called 'pretty'?" Sun asked her teasingly, stepping closer to her with a wider smile appearing on his face. Lillie let out a little peep at the question, looking away from Sun but making no move to distance herself from Sun, who was grinning now. How was it he was friends with someone who managed to make everything she did cute?

"All girls like being called p-pretty, Sun." Lillie shot back, giving him a light shove. Sun allowed the push to send him away, with the boy laughing quietly. Sun did walk back over to his friend, giving her a hug that made her stiffen in surprise before she relaxed, the two of them walking together very closely.

* * *

"How do they not see their attraction to one another?" Sina stated in awe, almost dropping her smoothie.

"They are quite young still. Maybe they're each other's first crush? I don't know for sure, but I do know that they're both special." Dexio shrugged, sipping his tea from their vantage point on a nearby roof.

"Any news?" Sina asked Dexio.

"No, oddly enough. No Team Skull activity. I'd like another display from the boy to determine if he's worthy of the Zygarde Cube, but…maybe entrusting the entirety of the reformation of Zygarde is too much a task for one person." Dexio mused quietly, making Sina look at him.

"Perhaps…I guess we'll just keep watching then."

* * *

Sun held the position for a few moments before letting go.

"Better?" Sun asked, seeing Lillie put and cross her arms. The girl stuck her tongue out at him, and after Sun laughed at the display, she gave him a small smile.

"Better…Mmm…What about you Sun?" Lillie asked, her voice curious. Maybe a bit too curious for Sun to be comfortable with. This had really turned into an odd conversation. Part of him enjoyed it, but the rest of him was worried that Lillie would catch on to his own attraction to her. He was still clueless as to what all these feelings and emotions he held for the girl were. His mother, when he asked about that, told him he'd have to figure out his relationship with Lillie on his own. Apparently he was doing well enough with that already.

"I don't know…I'm just starting to even acknowledge girls like that. Having a Dad who wanted me to learn nothing except running a business and advanced academic stuff kind of made me really bad at knowing how _this_ stuff works. I doubt any girl my age would be interested in me anyway…I've got too much baggage and I'm too socially awkward." Sun admitted with a dry laugh. Lillie watched the boy with a sad smile, shaking her head very slightly so that Sun couldn't see her denying what he had said.

"I don't…I don't think that. You're too hard on yourself. You have a lot of qualities a girl would like." Lillie said quietly, looking up with her smile widening as her blush faded.

"Maybe…I'll probably sort out this as I go. With everything going on, I don't want to sit on a chair and just figure out this stuff." Sun admitted, shrugging. As much as he enjoyed spending time with Lillie, he also wanted to get back on the road and start conquering the Trials yet again. She couldn't really go with him all around the Island, but…well, maybe they'd sort something out later? He would just enjoy the time here with her for a little bit longer.

"Yes, I see…that…" Lillie trailed off, tilting her head in confusion. Sun followed her gaze and was likewise confused.

A small distance away from them, within the middle of the intersection in the nearby street, there was something…off. The air was shimmering with a strange distortion and shuddered, warping the area around it. As if the space itself was being pushed aside to make room for…

Something else.

* * *

"Professor Burnet! Our readings regarding the space in Heahea City! They're…they're going haywire!"

"What is it? Another Ultra Wormhole!? The Aether Foundation said that-"

"No ma'am…I think it's something else entirely! This seems to be a distortion within the very fabric of time itself! It doesn't make any sense, but the readings are too intense for it to be anything else. Look!"

"This is so strange, and quite alarming. A distortion within time?...Wait a minute. I…Contact Colress. Now!"

"What?"

"GET HIM HERE NOW!"

"Honey, what is it!?"

"It's here, Kukui. Just like Colress suspected. It's-"

* * *

Sun and Lillie both let out yells as the space in front of them exploded forth, sending a shockwave across the street and kicking up a fierce wind that howled and tore at the children. Sun clutched Lillie in his arms as the girl wrapped her arms around his chest, even as the windows all around them shattered and car alarms went off from the force of the shock-wave radiating from the strange growing vortex that was forming before their very eyes.

Suddenly, the indistinguishable shape grew into a large half-circle, a tunnel of sorts Sun realized. A gateway. Within the strange tunnel was a swirling collection of blue and green lights, and even then Sun couldn't see very far within the tunnel without his eyes starting to burn. He then saw strange wisps of yellow smoke creeping forth from the vortex.

"S-sun…What is this!?" Lillie asked, sounding horrified. Sun took a fortifying breath and composed himself into a more relaxed expression, trying to keep Lillie calm by showing he wasn't scared.

"I don't know! Just stay close!" Sun yelled out, reaching for a Poké Ball even as several people on the street backed away. The citizens screamed in horror as the strange tunnel continued to expand, sending out more smoke. Several yellow shimmering rings flashed into existence in front of the gateway, distorting the air further. Suddenly a figure began to form within the depths of the tunnel.

" _Did she manage to summon one of those monsters? Did…Did I fail somehow?"_ Lillie despaired, even as the figure before them gained distinct shape before exiting the depths of the vortex, appearing properly before them.

It was a green pixie-like creature with a teardrop-shaped head. It was rather small, with clear wings fluttering behind it as it slowly hovered in the air, its small arms crossed. The vortex behind the creature suddenly turned an even darker shade of blue, making the creature sigh. And then…Lillie and Sun heard a voice.

" _If throwing her though the Passage of Time doesn't do the trick, then I'm officially out of options…Now, where am I? I felt something familiar…so why am I in a place I've never been to before?"_ The Pokémon said softly, its thoughts branching outwards and brushing against Sun and Lillie's minds. Sun was snapped out of his daze as he noticed Rotom Dex shuddering slightly as it popped out of Sun's backpack, floating beside him.

"Rotom, what is that?" Sun asked the device, who was processing just what was going on. Rotom Dex then turned its full attention to the Pokémon floating off of the ground and its eyes widened in horror.

" _I…S-sun…That's…"_ Rotom sounded absolutely horrified, a small alarm ringing from the Pokédex as he slowly floated behind Sun. Sun was surprised at this and was worried by this response. The boy looked back and forth between the strange floating Pokémon and Rotom Dex, preparing himself for the worst.

"Rotom…What. Is. That. Thing?" Sun asked firmly, feeling a small sense of horror slowly creeping into him. It looked familiar, but he couldn't figure out why. Rotom finally gathered its courage and began to speak.

" _Zzzt…zz…Celebi. The Time Travel Pokémon. This Pokémon came from the future by crossing time. It is thought that so long as Celebi appears, a bright and shining future awaits us."_ Rotom managed to say, shaking in midair as Lillie's eyes widened in wonder.

"Amazing…I've read about Celebi, back at Professor Burnet's Lab. It has many powers regarding nature. It's a protector of forests, while also holding the unique power of purification." Lillie said breathlessly, amazed at their luck. Sun however, couldn't help the cold feeling inside of his gut. This sounded very familiar to him…

Rotom's next words brought a crushing realization to Sun.

" _WARNING! WARNING! SHADOW POKÉMON DETECTED! SHADOW POKÉMON DETECTED!"_ Rotom screamed as Celebi slowly turned around, a cruel smile creeping onto the creature's face. A flickering series of black spheres of darkness formed above the legendary, even as the creature's evil gaze turned to the two children directly in its path of destruction.


	37. The Heroine Appears

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _They seriously cannot stop introducing awesome things into USUM. Like…seriously? All of the previous villains, including a new and improved Team Rainbow Rocket? And craptons of legendaries to capture? A darker and more in-depth story with some of the best characters in the series?_

 _Just…shut up and take my money, damn you…_

 _Now, onto other things. This past week I managed to successfully graduate from my first course within my training. Meaning this next week I'll be moving across the country to a new base, and won't have access to internet for a few days at worst, a day at best. I don't know how it'll work, so I'm warning you all in advance that the next chapter could be delayed as a result of this. Or it won't and all will be well. Just figured I'd keep you all posted._

 _Now...have I have been waiting long time for this chapter. But I say that a lot with a lot of chapters, to be honest._ _Seriously, in a story with 200 chapters, it sucks to have to wait to introduce a character or have an awesome scene happen. It makes the story even more worth it as I write it, but makes those moments when they do finally get there be all the more fun. Next chapter will by our last in Heahea City, at least for now, so that the path to the Water Trial will begin. There will be a return trip later with more fun stuff._

 _Also, quick sidenote?_ _I love having an outline for this story. It keeps me excited and motivated and helps me in general to plan out things. Totally recommend it to everyone out there. Because it took me years to realize how much they help._

 _So that brings us back to this chapter. I'm excited, just gonna say that._

 _Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes Madame Rodoshe, Gokan123, Cottonmouth25, BraviaryScout, Anasazi Darkmoon, BouncingFish, DarkestShade73, Consumer of Fantasy, Ways, a Guest reviewer, and two new reviewers known as LoveGlutton and sceptilezeno. Thanks as always for the support and feedback._

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 _Chapter 37: The Heroine Appears_

* * *

Sun had just enough time to throw himself at Lillie and tackle her to the ground before the Shadow Celebi attacked, hurling the barrage of black orbs at them. Sun crashed onto the ground with Lillie on top of him, crying out in pain as the orbs exploded violently all around the road, sending smoke through the air as screams erupted from those still on the street, who fled into the city, leaving them alone with Celebi.

Lillie scrambled off of Sun in worry and pulled the boy to his feet, with Sun grunting as he pulled out three Poké Balls, rolling his shoulder that now throbbed with pain. The smoke quickly cleared, with Celebi floating ahead of him with a cruel little smile on its face, malice gleaming in its eyes. Eyes that burned with hate and pain and suffering until it had slowly become a force of evil. Sun stepped forward, a fierce scowl on his face, already preparing himself for a battle.

"Sun…" the boy looked behind him, seeing Lillie giving him a terrified expression. Sun looked back ahead, gritting his teeth at the impossible task ahead. He wasn't a bad Pokémon Trainer, and didn't doubt he was capable, but this was a legendary Pokémon. A being that could travel through time itself. And Sun could tell from that last attack that it was immensely powerful. That said…

"Lillie. I promise you…I'm not going to let that thing hurt you or Nebby. _I swear it._ " Sun breathed, releasing Oliver, Penny, and Brago at once. All three of his Pokémon readied themselves to attack, staring down the legendary fearlessly as their Trainer glared at the infamous Shadow Pokémon. The one that caused so much trouble to his friends from Unova while under Cipher's control. The Time Travel Pokémon regarded Sun with amusement, its harsh eyes widening as its smile did the same.

" _Hehehe…You have such a familiar feel to your mind…it's like meeting an old friend. You even look like him, you know…How odd."_ Celebi murmured, sending a shiver of horror down Sun's spine. Did his father have something to do with this? Did he send Shadow Celebi to capture him and bring him home? Or was it here to wreak havoc on Alola like it had the other regions?

" _But…do you think you can defeat me, human child?"_ Whispered a soft voice within his mind. Shadow Celebi smiled even wider at him, flicking out a hand as several black tendrils of darkness slithered out of nowhere.

"Absolutely. Penny use Echoed Voice!" Sun yelled out, taking a step towards the legendary as his Trumbeak shot forward, opening her beak and releasing a blast of explosive sound. Celebi giggled as it flashed out of existence, dodging the attack completely and effortlessly before reappearing a few feet to the right, looking amused.

"Penny use Pluck! Brago, hit it with Ember! Oliver, use Razor Leaf!" Sun yelled out as his three Pokémon rushed forward, separating and surrounding Shadow Celebi. Brago opened his mouth and unleashed a blast of flame from his maw, but the fire was repelled away with a burst of black energy from Celebi. The Time Travel Pokémon lazily swung to the side to dodge Penny's attack, giggling now as it turned to face Oliver, who was flapping his wings and raining down Razor Leaf with a fierce cry.

Celebi raised a finger skyward and a series of glowing rocks suddenly ripped free from the ground and hurled themselves upwards, smashing into all of the leaves and making Oliver soar away with a screech to dodge the attack.

"Brago, hit it now! Bite!"

Celebi whirled around in time for the Growlithe to sink his teeth into the chest of the Celebi. Despite the massive difference in power between the two, Celebi still snarled in pain at the super-effective attack.

" _Stupid little-!"_ Celebi cut itself off by pressing both of its hands against Brago and sending him flying away from the Shadow Pokémon as a tendril of shadow smacked into him. Brago tumbled through the air with a howl, the smell of burnt fur filling the air as Penny let out a cry of distress and Oliver's eyes narrowed in anger from above.

"Brago!" Sun screamed as the dog slammed into the ground, rolling several times before coming to a stop. The Growlithe stirred feebly on the ground, but was unable to get back up, passing out with a faint whine.

Penny and Oliver screeched in fury and dove at the legendary, who lazily launched a barrage of glowing leaves at the two birds. The two of them cried out as the Magical Leaf attack sliced through them both, sending them both spiraling into the ground, shuddering in pain and showering the ground with feathers and blood.

"NO!" Sun yelled out, running forward before he felt the air shudder in front of him. He jumped to the side, falling to the ground, but moving just in time for the ground beneath him to explode with energy. Sun crashed onto the ground with a yell of pain, but managed to roll on the ground and stumble to his feet, panting as adrenaline pounded through him. To his surprise, Oliver slowly rose from the ground beside him, quivering in pain but still able to fight.

" _Weak…It'd almost be a shame to kill you all."_ Celebi whispered, though that didn't stop it from raising a glowing hand. A swirling black ball of energy formed in its palm, charging up to obliterate the Trainer and his starter with one last attack.

"Stop right there!" came a familiar voice. Shadow Celebi turned around and fired off its attack at the new arrivals, but a Protect barrier went up just in time to stop the blast, which exploded harshly against the shield and cracked it heavily. Dexio stood behind an Alakazam, wearing his heroic ensemble and ready to stop this new threat. Sina stood beside him, a massive Abomasnow towering beside her as she regarded the legendary with cold anger behind her mask. The shield protecting them flickered away, and the warriors from Kalos took a challenging step forward.

"Looks like we were right to follow them." Sina murmured to Dexio, who simply replied with a sharp nod.

"We won't let you hurt anyone else, Shadow Celebi!" Sina declared as she charged ahead with her Abomasnow stomping beside her. Sina held out her hand, where a shimmering Key Stone was attached to her bracelet.

" _Oh? More victims? How fun! You can die too_!" Celebi cried out, flinging its arms outwards as the street cracked with the force of the movement.

"We're the Masked Heroes of Kalos! Prepare to face justice!" Sina shouted as Dexio revealed the Key Stone around his arm as well.

"Abomasnow! Mega Evolve!"

"Alakazam! Mega Evolve!"

A dazzling display of light erupted from the two Pokémon, and a few moments later Sun beheld a floating Alakazam with a series of spoons floating above it and an even bigger and meaner looking Abomasnow standing tall beside the two foreign Pokémon Trainers.

" _Interesting…A challenge."_ Celebi laughed as it raised a glowing hand, several glowing rocks ripping free from the earth as it floated forward.

"Abomasnow, Ice Beam! Spread outward and enclose it!" Sina barked out the command.

"Alakazam, use Shadow Ball! Full-power!" Dexio yelled out, clenching his fist forward. Alakazam nodded, charging up a jet-black sphere of surging energy. Mega Abomasnow roared in response at the command from its Trainer, opening its horrifying maw and spewing forth an icy torrent of sheer energy that soared into the air and spread outward, above the Shadow Celebi. The Time Travel Pokémon watched the display in wonder, confused as to what the woman was up to. It received its answer as the Ice Beam suddenly struck down all around it, with small blasts of energy surging into the Celebi and making it snarl in pain. It then became aware that it was suddenly surrounded on all sides by ice, save for directly in front of it, where Mega Alakazam stared it down, firing its attack and hitting the Celebi directly.

"Blizzard!" Sina commanded as Celebi hung in the air, shuddering in pain and too stunned by the super-effective attack to flee or warp away. Mega Abomasnow roared an affirmative before releasing a deadly gale of icy fury at the corrupted legendary.

"Hyper Beam!" Dexio shouted, with Mega Alakazam giving him a nod in response. A massive beam of raw energy erupted forth from above the head of Mega Alakazam, surging towards Shadow Celebi as it screamed in pain.

Sun wretched his gaze away from the showdown between the two sides and saw the Passage of Time glow brightly before another figure began to materialize within its depths. However, the vortex shuddered and flashed white several times before someone was suddenly launched from the depths of time itself, crashing harshly onto the road and rolling several times before coming to a stop, smoke trailing off of their body as they exited the vortex.

"Oh my…" Lillie gasped, watching the newest arrival as they slowly picked themselves up off of the ground, trembling in pain. The figure rose to its feet shakily, and Sun saw it was a woman.

She had long, black flowing hair that was coated with a thin layer of snow, though a pink streak of color was also barely visible underneath the snowy mane. Her dark, deep blue eyes were wide in shock, her small mouth wide open in a silent scream of agony as the bag around her shoulder fell to the ground. The woman pushed herself to her feet, dressed in a thick black jacket that she quickly tore off and threw to the ground, seeing as it was no longer needed in the scorching heat of Alola. Despite this, she wore a red and black sweater and black gloves on her hands. She wore a pair of black boots and worn blue jeans, with four Poké Balls clipped to her belt. She looked to be in her late teens or early twenties at a glance, and as she looked over the scene before her and seeing the Shadow Celebi, her eyes narrowed.

The woman scowled, taking a step forward. However, the woman bent over and threw up in the ground before falling to her knees with a gasp, her body shaking violently. Sun and Lillie ran over to the woman's side, even as she wrapped her arms around her chest, her breathing ragged and strained. The woman took notice of the two children, giving them a shaky smile.

"I'm not in Unova anymore…Am I?" she asked weakly, her gaze going between the two children.

"No. Welcome to Alola." Lillie said softly, making the woman quietly laugh before uttering a groan, bending back down to the ground.

A loud crash brought their attention back to the showdown behind them. Celebi smashed into the ground as another Hyper Beam slammed into it from above, fired by a Mega Alakazam that was slowly floating back down to earth. Sina and Dexio grinned underneath their masks, pleased that they had brought down the legendary. The ice that had been used to corner the legendary was shattered and broken at this point, with the legendary itself twitching as it struggled to stay awake.

"With all the damage that thing has taken, it'll be a while before it can attack again. We should capture it now, before it gets back up." Sina suggested to Dexio, pulling out an Ultra Ball. The Masked Hero hurled the ball towards Celebi as it weakly flew out of the crater, shuddering and twitching in pain. The Time Travel Pokémon gasped as the ball hit it squarely in the forehead, enveloping the legendary in the red glow of capture-

That shattered a few moments later, with the Celebi still floating where it was as the useless Ultra Ball clattered to the ground. Dexio and Sina felt horror roll through them as Celebi laughed softly, eyes shut tight in pain.

" _Idiots…Grand Master Greevil…saw fit to capture me to prevent any stray fools from attempting what you just did. Regular Poké Balls won't work on me…"_ Celebi explained before the Pokémon let out a yell, its body glowing bright white. A few moments later the glow faded, revealing a fully-healed Celebi. Sun shivered, realizing that Shadow Celebi had used Recover.

" _Heh…Back to normal. You two, however, won't be as lucky."_ Celebi said lightly before its eyes glowed bright white. Sina called for an Ice Beam, which was fired at the legendary, but Celebi simply vanished into the future, reappearing high in the air and dodging the attack. It let out a yell of glee, picking up Mega Abomasnow with Psychic and throwing it across the street. Sina let out a scream of horror before she too, began to glow. Sina was flung backwards, crashing into her Pokémon fifty yards down the road and falling onto the ground senseless. Celebi then vanished and reappeared in front of Mega Alakazam, throwing a massive maelstrom of leaves at the psychic-type and making it yell out in pain and fall to the ground.

"Sina! Alakazam! No! You little…It seems we bit off a bit more than we could chew." Dexio growled as his Alakazam rose to its feet, panting as it floated back into the air.

"Alakazam, use Recover." Dexio growled, a ripple of anger spiking through him. Mega Alakazam glowed bright white, healing its injuries as Celebi lazily watched with boredom.

"We won't give up though. Use Psychic and match its power! Let our bond shine, my friend!" Dexio barked with his eyes flashing, with his Alakazam snarling in agreement as its eyes glowed bright. Celebi laughed in malevolent delight as its eyes glowed as well, and the street shuddered as the force between the two psychics met each other.

"I am really glad they didn't use those against us in our battle earlier." Lillie whispered to herself, shivering at the caliber of battling going on before her. Lillie heard a cough and looked beside her, and saw the woman from the portal looking over at the battle with a worried expression.

"They need help…you kids didn't hurt by Celebi, did you?" the woman whispered, rising to her knees and watching the battle with an exhausted expression on her face. Despite that, Sun saw the kindness and intensity in her eyes, as well as a fire of resolve that Sun could barely comprehend. It was like an inferno radiating from within the woman herself. A fierce refusal to ever give up…

Determination.

Celebi let out a snarl, vanishing from sight before it reappeared to the side of Mega Alakazam, grinning widely in triumph. It unleashed a tendril of darkness that slammed into Mega Alakazam, sending it crashing to the ground with Dexio yelling out in horror. The Shadow Pokémon laughed as it held out a hand, releasing Magical Leaf towards Dexio and Mega Alakazam, the latter of whom tried to protect them with Reflect. However the shield failed, and the two were mercilessly cut apart by the attack, with Dexio falling to the ground underneath his Mega Alakazam as it tried to shield its Trainer with its body.

Celebi huffed tiredly before turning its attention to the children it had been playing with before. Its eyes widened in surprise at seeing the woman who was speaking to them.

"We'll be okay. Who are you? You followed that thing through the portal, right? So what's going on!?" Sun asked the woman. He received a shake of the head in response, with the woman turning back around to face the legendary Time Travel Pokémon, who now was quivering in fury.

" _Why won't you just die!?"_ Celebi snarled at the woman, though it made no move to attack. It sounded downright rattled if anything else.

"I honestly don't know what's going on, little guy…Getting thrown into the Passage of Time has really messed me up…" the woman trailed off, a tremor racking the woman for a moment before she took a deep breath.

"But you kids…will be just fine. I promise...I'll take care of this." The woman panted, looking back at them again with a broken smile. "But as for my name? Just call me Aria. Now if you'll excuse me…I've got a stupid time-travelling asshole to deal with."

The woman faced forward, taking another calming breath before she slowly stood up to her full height, towering above them both. Her breath was ragged and uneven but her expression burned with an intensity that made Sun shiver as he stood beside her, healing his team as he looked over at the other Trainer. Aria held no fear in her eyes, even as she took a small step forward, barely able to move as she slowly drew back her sweater sleeve.

Sun was surprised to see that her arm was covered with a metallic sleeve of sorts, ending in a red and black gleaming leather and metal glove that encased her entire hand that thrummed with glowing lights.

Sun began putting the pieces together…until everything clicked.

He knew _exactly_ who this mysterious woman was. Lillie seemed to catch on as well, as her eyes were wide in surprise.

"Sun...I think this is Hugh's friend, Aria. The one who vanished...she's the personal student of Wes." Lillie said quietly, eyeing the strange device attached to the woman's arm. Sun nodded slowly, also staring at the Snag Machine on the woman's arm and wondering how she had acquired it. She was supposed to be dead...but here she was.

" _You have it? How…No. No, it doesn't matter. I'll still end your miserable life! We got rid of Wes, and that means we can get rid of you!"_ Celebi snarled, black energy crackling around it.

"I'll be damned if I let you hurt anyone else, you little shit." Aria growled, reaching down to her belt and pulling out a Poké Ball with a small scratch on the front.

" _You're so determined, little girl! Let's see what good your determination is against this!"_ Celebi snarled mockingly, flaring out its arms.

"Sophie, let's go!" Aria shouted, releasing her Pokémon as Celebi let out a screech and sent a glowing barrage of leaves at her. A yellow fox-like Pokémon with spiky fur landed on the ground in a crouch, staring down the legendary with a fierce expression on her face.

"Protect!" Aria shouted breathlessly. The Jolteon let out a yell and a blue shimmering barrier surrounded Aria and Sophie, as well as Lillie and Sun (and his team). The Grass-type attack smashed into the shield, creating an awful grating sound as it struck. The barrier held firm, however. To Sun's surprise, the mysterious woman's Jolteon began speaking. Sun then realized the Eeveelution was wearing a black band around its neck that resembled one of Colress's translation collars.

" _Aria, what's going on!? Why is that Celebi here? Where are we? And…you're hurt."_ The last words were spoken softly, worry creeping into the voice as the Pokémon as Aria put a hand on her aching head, pulling it away and finding her hand was stained crimson. The older Trainer wiped her hand on her sweater and took another step forward and grimacing in pain.

"I'll be fine. Your other questions? No idea. Let's deal with this thing for good so we can figure out just what happened to us." Aria replied as she grit her teeth, taking a shuffling step forward, as if the very movement had caused her great pain.

"Use Pin Missile!" Aria shouted as the Protect-shield dropped. Sophie let out a yell as her fur bristled and became even more spike-like. Then, dozens upon dozens of glowing yellow needles fired out of her back like gunfire, darting through the air and slamming into Celebi, making the legendary scream as the attack sliced through it again and again.

" _DIE!"_ Celebri snarled, soaring out of the attack as scratches and dings covered the Pokémon. The legendary flung out its hands and two orbs of darkness erupted out of its hands, racing towards Sophie.

"Use Quick Attack to dodge! Agility into Return, let's go!" Aria barked, throwing out an arm. The Jolteon swiftly dodged a barrage of black orbs from Celebi, who began getting increasingly frustrated as the nimble Jolteon dodged the attacks. The Jolteon then remained still as it landed on the ground, a white glow surrounding it before the Pokémon vanished, moving so quickly towards Shadow Celebi that it was a blur. Sophie's body then began to burn with a harsh, white fiery aura before it slammed into Celebi, sending a clear ringing sound through the air that made Sun shiver. Celebi toppled out of the sky and crashed onto the ground, letting out a squeal of pain.

"Rotom, that attack. What was it?" Sun asked, curious despite everything.

" _Zzzt! Return. A physical attack that can be learned by most Pokémon. It is a move that grows in strength proportional to the strength of the friendship between the Trainer and the Pokémon using the move."_ Rotom Dex warily explained from the safety of Sun's backpack as Sophie landed on the ground. Sun looked back at the Celebi as it clutched its chest, eyes shut tight as it began floating again and clearly in intense pain.

Suddenly, Celebi began to glow and Aria let out a yell of anger as Celebi straightened in midair, a smile crossing its face as Recover healed all of its injuries.

"Crap…How could I forget?" Aria growled as Celebi laughed at her.

" _Stupid girl. I will never falter, while you're barely holding yourself together. Your little trip through the Passage of Time wasn't kind to you, was it? Shame…Wes handled it so much better."_ Celebi taunted the girl, whose eyes narrowed with loathing.

"You leave him out of this!" Aria barked. "Sophie, Shadow Ball!"

Sophie charged up the ball of darkness and fired it at Celebi, who vanished and reappeared behind the Jolteon. Sophie began to glow bright blue and was flung across the street behind Aria, slamming harshly into the ground. Aria whipped her head around, worry flashing across her face even as Celebi grinned in triumph, flinging out its arms as a massive pulsating orb of darkness formed above its head.

"~ _Shadow Salvo!~"_ Celebi sang, forcing the attack to erupt forth as Aria turned back around in surprise, the barrage of massive black lasers soaring towards her from the sphere above Shadow Celebi, rushing forward with deadly purpose-

"Oliver, use Protect!"

Aria's eyes widened as a turquoise shield sprang into existence just before the shadowy blast hit her. The beam slammed into the shield, passing harmlessly around it. The woman looked to her side and saw Sun standing next to his Dartrix, whose eyes were glowing the same color as the shield.

"I'm sick and tired of this. Of Cipher hurting people while I just watch on...their stupid legendaries have done enough damage, don't you think?" Sun asked Aria in a tone that surprised the woman. His tone was deathly serious, a tone that sounded almost profane coming from a boy so young. Aria saw Sun's fists clenched in anger, his entire body shaking with barely controlled anger, his eyes flashing like thunderstorms intent on releasing their fury.

"I'm guessing you're familiar with them?" Aria asked Sun.

"Yeah…I guess you could say that." Sun replied quietly as Oliver flared his wings, dissipating the shield.

"I'm not letting him ruin another home for me…Alola has helped me through so much. I'll protect it with everything I've got from those _monsters_." Sun breathed, making the three Pokémon ahead of him shiver at the livid tone of their Trainer's voice. Lillie's eyes widened in surprise at Sun's righteous fury, but when she realized what her friend was talking about, she understood his anger.

Once again, Cipher had found its evil influence in Alola. While Amber had apparently been a fluke, having one of the prized assets of Cipher, Shadow Celebi, appear out of nowhere was too big to be a coincidence. Lillie understood the rage Sun felt. She'd be furious too if a parent who had abused and betrayed her kept meddling in her life and tried hurting the people she cared about…

She knew that feeling all too well.

Aria seemed confused, which didn't help her already dazed state. The woman felt another wrack of pain surge through her, making her clutch her chest in pain. Lillie noticed and went over to the woman, looking her over and putting a hand on her back. Lillie was alarmed to see that the woman was bleeding in several places and was clearly not used to the heat of Alola, considering she was drenched in sweat. Lillie was jarred back into reality by Shadow Celebi flying torwards them more shadowy tentacles creeping forth from its body…

Before a massive blast of lightning crashed into it, sending it reeling backwards. Lillie sighed with relief as the Shadow Celebi slammed into the ground, creating a small crater.

"Sophie…you're okay." Aria murmured as her Jolteon bounded back to her side, concern on the Pokémon's face. The Jolteon seemed alright, but was clearly damaged a bit from the attack it had sustained.

" _What about you?"_ Sophie asked.

"I'll be okay…I have to be, right?" Aria breathed, shaking her head and forcing herself to remain conscious. Every moment was a struggle for her, so she knew this had to be ended quickly. "We'll get back to that comment you made later, kid. For now, we fight. Sophie, get ready! I'm going to try and Snag it." Aria said as she dropped her bag on the ground and reached within, pulling out a strange purple Poké Ball with a large M on the front.

"What is that? Some kind of Poké Ball?" Sun asked, curious despite everything.

"This is a Master Ball. It'll catch any Pokémon without fail. A friend of mine named Colress entrusted it to me after Wes…" Aria's expression darkened for a moment before she shook her head, snapping back to reality. "We were saving this for Kyurem, but I think tackling that thing isn't happening in the foreseeable future…no pun intended. Between you and me, we should have a good shot at getting Celebi off-guard. Be careful though…This thing will not hesitate to kill you or your Pokémon, and I've probably got just one shot at this."

"Noted. Brago, hit the thing from below with Ember! Oliver use Peck and keep moving. Penny, you do the same with Pluck! Keep this thing busy so that Aria can make the catch!" Sun instructed his loyal trio, who nodded in response and rushed ahead. Sun felt an arm grab his and saw Lillie giving him a worried look.

"Sun…please don't put yourself in danger." Lillie said quietly, holding his arm tight.

"I'll try. But this thing is dangerous. It's a Shadow Pokémon. If we don't catch it or…deal with it, it's just going to wreak more havoc until it can get back to Cipher. And then who knows what it'll do? It might even tell Dad where I am!" Sun said to his friend, who hesitated for a moment before nodding.

"What can I do to help?" Lillie asked, surprising Sun. She looked horrified at the proceedings, but still wanted to help? Sun looked over at where Sina and Dexio were slowly stirring, their Pokémon looking worse for wear as they were still unconscious.

"Go get them some help. Heal their Pokémon if you have the supplies for it. Stay low and avoid drawing attention to yourself. Okay? _Be. Safe_." Sun said to his friend, stressing the last two words. Lillie nodded quickly and jogged off, leaving Sun with the task of facing Celebi as he took a place next to Aria.

"Sun, right?" Aria asked the boy.

"Yeah. Sunshine Smiles. If you laugh at the name, I'll sic my psychotic starter on you." Sun warned the woman, who couldn't help but smirk.

"I'm in _way_ too much pain to laugh. But I'll give you crap for it later. Now…Sophie, use Thunderbolt!" Aria yelled out. Sophie nodded as she bounded forward, towards the Celebi that was furiously lashing out at the three smaller Pokémon attacking it from three different angles. The younger Pokémon attacked mercilessly, fueled by the desire to protect their Trainer and stop the monster that had come upon them. Brago repeatedly blasted flames from below, dodging the attacks of the Shadow Pokémon as it launched them his way. Penny and Oliver were working in perfect unison, ramming into the legendary repeatedly with super-effective attacks that, while not strong enough to seriously damage a legendary as strong as Shadow Celebi, did cause it pain and whittled away its strength.

"Back away now!" Sun yelled out as the lightning burst out from the Jolteon. Sun's Pokémon broke away from the Celebi, hitting it with a Razor Leaf, Ember, and Echoed Voice at the same time as Sophie's savage Thunderbolt struck the legendary, making it shriek in agony as the overwhelming damage coursing through it. The Celebi vanished and reappeared a short distance away, panting in pain before raising a hand. A ball of darkness crackled within its grip before the legendary hurled it. Not towards any of the Pokémon…

But at Sun.

"Sun, move!" Lillie screamed at her friend, who was frozen to the spot in horror.

Sun could feel the attack even as it raced towards him, ripping through the air with a horrible intensity to it. And yet, right before the attack hit him, a green blur dove in front of him. It slammed into the attack head-on, creating a deafening explosion and made Sun stumble to the ground. Sun looked up and saw Oliver hanging in the air, smoke trailing off of his starter's form. The Dartrix then began to fall.

"Oliver!" Sun screamed as the Dartrix crashed onto the ground, twitching in pain. Sun ran over to his owl and scooped him up in his arms, grunting slightly at the weight as Oliver looked up at him. He was barely conscious as Sun put a hand next to the Dartrix's face, adjusting a few feathers that were out of place as his eyes burned with tears. Despite how much the Dartrix had messed with him, Sun knew that his starter cared about him just as much as Sun did Oliver. This wasn't the first time the owl had saved his life, after all.

"Dar…" Oliver chirped weakly, nuzzling Sun's head before passing out. Sun returned Oliver, not wanting to push the Dartrix further, even if he could just use a Revive on him. Sun got to his feet again, scowling at the Shadow Celebi as it began fighting Brago, Sophie, and Penny again.

"Brago, use Ember again! Penny, hit it with Pluck before it can hit back! Then back away!" Sun barked, anger surging through him. He wouldn't let Oliver's sacrifice be in vain. Penny and Brago continued to pepper attacks at the legendary while Sophie distracted Celebi, but the legendary was quickly getting frustrated and erratic, it's attacks becoming harder to dodge. Sun then realized that he had one last trick up his sleeve...or rather, on his wrist.

" _Maybe if I can just catch it off-guard…"_ Sun realized, glancing down at his Z-Ring.

"Penny, get back over to me! Brago, use Bite!" Sun ordered his two Pokémon. Brago lunged at Shadow Celebi as another blast of lightning slammed into the legendary, making it shriek in agony, but not before unleashing Magical Leaf on Sophie, making the Jolteon cry out in pain. Brago chomped down on Celebi's head, completely distracting it.

"Penny, land! Let's put everything we've got into this!" Sun said to his Trumbeak as it landed on the ground.

Sun took a deep breath, calming himself and steadying his heart-rate.

The Kanto-native began to strike a series of poses, invoking the sacred powers of the Z-Ring on his wrist. Energy exploded outwards from him, making him shiver and feel alive as it extended outwards towards Penny, who became enveloped in the energy as well. Like before, she could feel the strength of her Trainer flow into her. The love, pride, and faith he had in her was almost overwhelming, and made her want to try even harder. She had to help her new teammate Brago, and avenge her friend Oliver, who had been injured protecting their Trainer. And now…She and Sun would finish this together. The two of them, Trainer and Pokémon, became of one mind and heart. Their very souls merging to combine their strength into one final attack to bring down this powerful foe.

"Sophie, use Thunder!" Aria shouted as Sophie bounded past her. Brago was suddenly engulfed in a harsh blue aura before being thrown into the Jolteon, knocking them both to the ground.

"Penny, channel Echoed Voice… _and use Breakneck Blitz!"_ Sun screamed, feeling the power of the bond he shared with his Trumbeak surge through him. Penny screeched in unison with her Trainer as the aura around her exploded in fire and the bird charged forward, speeding down the road towards the Celebi that had landed briefly on the ground, shuddering in pain and trying to gain enough will to use Recover again. Celebi opened its eyes and looked towards Sun and Penny, horror and surprise in its eyes before the Trumbeak collided with the legendary, creating a sonic-boom of sheer force and kicking up a cloud of smoke. Sun strained to see through the smoke, but felt relief fill him as Penny soared out of the haze with a triumphant cry. The smoke then cleared, revealing the Time Travel Pokémon.

Celebi lay there on the ground, eyes wide in shock and pain at the final move. Despite the difference in strength between the two of them, the Z-Move had been enough to surprise the legendary and sent pain coursing through its small body, the accumulated damage nearly being enough to make it faint.

"Aria, do it now!" Sun yelled to the older Trainer. Aria grinned ferally, taking her chance and tightening her grip on the Master Ball. The Snag Machine attached to her arm shuddered as it activated, sending energy into the Master Ball and giving it a grim purpose. To shatter the connection it held with its Trainer and transfer that connection to Aria. Aria felt the ball glow, a slight hum filling the air before a beep notified her that the ball was primed for use. The Master Ball had now become the strongest Snag Ball possible.

"I don't have a cliché line for this one. Wes would be _so_ disappointed." Aria remarked with a small shrug before she wound her arm back and hurled the Master Ball, which whirled through the air and collided with the forehead of the Shadow Celebi just as began to get back up. The Pokémon had time to let out a gasp, its eyes widening in horror. A massive purple surge of energy erupted from the Master Ball, forming into a claw-like hand and reaching upward and closing down on Celebi as it was sucked into the ball. The Master Ball fell to the ground with a thud.

It shook three times before letting out a faint click…

Signifying that the Pokémon was captured.

"Snag…confirmed." Aria gasped, falling to one knee. Sophie the Jolteon bounded over to the purple Poké Ball and picked it up with her mouth, bringing it to the woman. Aria reached forward with a shaking hand, grabbing the Master Ball with a look of relief.

"Thank goodness…it's over…it's _finally_ over" Aria laughed painfully, hanging her head down as she fell to both of her knees. Sun saw a single tear roll down the woman's face, one of absolute relief that the struggle had ended.

" _You're hurt…"_ Sophie said as Aria stuffed the ball containing the Shadow Celebi into a pants pocket. Lillie took a deep breath and began walking towards the woman shuddering on the ground, taking very ragged breaths. Sun followed his friend, but the two of them were suddenly cut off by the Jolteon, who bristled with electricity.

" _Get away from her!"_ Sophie growled at the two of them.

"Your Trainer is hunched over on the ground barely able to breath. We want to help her." Sun said to the Pokémon, who didn't seem to believe his good intentions, despite them working together to bring down Shadow Celebi. Aria suddenly swayed and fell onto the ground, hitting her head hard on the road.

" _Aria!"_ Sophie cried out as she ran over to her fallen Trainer. Lillie and Sun ran over to the woman, this time with no trouble as Sophia tried to nudge her Trainer again and again, to no avail.

"Can't stay grounded…" Aria hissed, shutting her eyes tightly, her breathing even more strained. Sun noticed that her forehead was coated in a mixture of sweat and blood, and that fragments of ice still clung to her. Lillie looked up and saw that Sina and Dexio were walking towards them, looking rather worn-out but thankfully still able to move.

"That was incredible. I never thought I'd get to see a Snagging…And on such a powerful opponent." Dexio said quietly, bending down to inspect the woman. Aria slowly turned her head to look at him, a flash of recognition appearing in her eyes. The woman's eyes then rolled into the back of her head as she finally passed out.

"Doctor Colress is going to be ecstatic that Aria Cooper is back with us." Sina said as she pulled out her phone. The masked girl called the local authorities, as well as making a call to have an ambulance pick them up.

"And hanging by a thread. Whatever Shadow Celebi did to her must have made her very weak…She's barely able to breathe." Sina whispered, sounding horrified as she closed her phone.

"She's very determined. Colress was adamant on that, so I know she'll pull through…hmm…Professor Burnet will be interested in what Aria has to say as well. It's not every day you meet someone thrown through time…I suppose this explains her absence." Dexio said as he looked over at Sun and Lillie.

"Are you two okay?" Dexio asked.

"Yeah…but why are you two dressed like that?" Sun asked.

"Dressed like what? We've never met you two before in our-" Dexio began to say, but Sina cut him off.

"We can deal with that _later_. Looks like our ride is here." Sina said as she pointed down the road where an ambulance was racing towards them. Sun let out a sigh of relief, sagging with a sense of exhaustion now that the threat was over. Sun began to heal Oliver as best he could, applying a Revive and Super Potion to his brave starter. Brago and Penny moved over to him, on standby should anything else attack.

Lillie walked over to him, giving him a weak smile as she put a comforting hand on Sun's shoulder. Sun smiled gratefully, rubbing Oliver's head as the Dartrix slowly woke up, giving Sun a questioning look. Sun continued fixing the feathers that were out of place Oliver as Lillie sat down next to him, with the boy letting out another tired sigh.

After all…it had been a long day.

* * *

"So…What you're telling me is that I'm having a waaaay better day than you?"

"Hau, just for that, I'm having malasadas tonight. I'll send you pictures of each one I eat and do serious poses that show how I'm not having fun with it either." Sun said as he heard a sound of horror from the other end of the phone. Lillie giggled beside Sun from the chair next to him.

"I hear that adorable laughter! Lillie, how dare you conspire with him against me! I've known you longer! This is treason of the highest caliber!" Hau declared loudly.

"Hau, you're not allowed to use words that big. You'll give yourself a headache again." Lillie piped up, making Sun burst out laughing as silence reigned on the other end of the phone. After a few seconds, Lillie and Sun exchanged a look. Rotom popped out of Sun's backpack, wearing a smirk.

 _"Zzzt! He's gonna need a Burn Heal for that one."_ Rotom chuckled, landing on the ground

"…Dude, she just got you _good_." Demi said into the phone after a beat, sounding deeply impressed. Sun extended a fist out to Lillie, and with a wide smile the girl hit it with her own.

"I'm going to go cry myself to sleep now. Goodnight." Hau said, sounding stunned beyond belief that he just got owned by a girl in a fancy dress.

"He just handed the phone to me. He's…he's actually crawling into his sleeping bag. Lillie, remind me to buy you a cupcake or something when we meet back up. Because that was _so_ awesome." Demi said to the girl in white.

"Make it a muffin, please."

"What kind?"

"Surprise me."

"Can do."

"So, are you both getting close to the Trial location?" Sun asked Demi.

"Kinda? It's only been a day. It's about a week to get to the first Trial from where we're at. Hau, despite how eager he is, wants to train a bunch on the way. I'm using him as practice, since I'm not good with Water-types. I think that's the Trial we're heading to, if I remember right." Demi explained to the two children.

"Well, I hope you two do well! Me and Sun are going to stay in Heahea City until this mess gets sorted out. Professor Kukui and Burnet are on their way here now, along with Doctor Colress. He's teleporting in from Melemele Island to see what's going on. Hugh and the others are on their way here right now on a boat." Lillie explained to Demi, who hummed on the other end of the phone.

"I guess that's a good thing. How do you think they'll react to seeing their friend again?" Demi asked.

"Hopefully well. She's really roughed up." Sun said as glanced over at the motionless woman on the hospital bed. She was sleeping peacefully now, thanks to the medicine that the doctors had given her, with Sophie the Jolteon lying down beside her, keeping guard. The Snag Machine and the Master Ball containing Shadow Celebi rested underneath her, meaning that anyone who wanted either would have to go through her.

"Well, thanks for keeping us in the loop. All of the crazy stuff you told me about Cipher and those freaky Neo Team Plasma guys is…odd as heck, but hey, this is a good sign! Right?" Demi said to Sun, who nodded. And then he realized his friend couldn't see the gesture.

"Yeah. Colress said that the Snag Machine is the best weapon against Cipher. Aria somehow has it, so…we'll see what happens when the others get here and she wakes up. I'm willing to wait and see how this works out." Sun said to his friend.

"Us as well."

Sun started as Sina and Dexio walked into the room, still wearing their outfits but looking exhausted. Sun wondered why they kept up the disguise routine despite him calling them both out on their 'secret identities', but he couldn't figure it out.

"You two ate dinner, right?" Dexio asked the children. Both of them nodded. Sun had volunteered to grab them food from the cafeteria, since Lillie wasn't comfortable walking around the area for some reason. They had eaten inside Aria's room after being checked out and cleared by the doctors here. Sun had gotten a few bruises and cuts while Lillie had been totally unharmed. All of their Pokémon had made it out of the battle with no injuries that weren't easily healed, even Oliver.

"Well, the best we can do is wait. I mean, we can't do much until Aria wakes up." Sina said tiredly, leaning against a wall and wincing in pain. Thankfully, the worst the two heroes had been given during the battles was a few bruises, a concussion, and some scrapes. They had been incredibly lucky.

Dexio opened his mouth to reply when a groan from beside them surprised them, making them look at the injured woman in question. Aria shivered before her eyes flickered open. As she regained consciousness, the woman bolted upright in the hospital bed before she fell back down, suddenly weak.

"Yeah, I knew that'd happen. Calm down, Miss Cooper. You're amongst friends." Dexio said calmingly, walking over to the woman.

"Sina and Dexio, right? I…I don't think we've ever met in person." Aria said quietly, giving them a wan smile, looking a bit lost.

"No, but it's an honor. You did much for Unova before it fell. We're glad to see you back amongst us safe and sound. I suppose you do live up to your nickname. 'The Lost Heroine of Unova', if I remember correctly." Dexio said gently, giving her a wide smile.

"Right…Where am I? I'm…trying to piece everything together in my head, but it's all jumbled up." Aria asked, putting a hand on her head.

"Well, you're in the Alola Region, in Heahea City on Akala Island. Quite a distance away from the ruins of Nimbasa City, where you were last sighted." Sina explained to Aria, who seemed confused.

"Alola…I've always wanted to go on a vacation here. Arceus knows I need one…" Aria murmured, a smirk coming to her face after a moment. "It's going to take me forever to figure this out. No wonder Wes was so bewildered back then. It took him days to stop mentioning how the time-travel messed him up."

"If you don't mind me asking…what happened to you? Doctor Colress has explained to us many things, and while we suspected you were taken by Shadow Celebi, we…never expected you to return alive and well. For those of us involved with the efforts to stop Cipher's world-domination efforts, your disappearance has confounded us at every turn." Dexio asked the woman. Aria sighed deeply, closing her eyes. For a moment, Sun and Lillie thought she had fallen back asleep.

"Well…sit down then. I'll tell you all what I can remember. I guess I'll start from after Kyurem froze Nimbasa and we were left scrambling in the ice, trying to save who we could…there's not a whole lot to it, but if it helps piece everything together…" Aria trailed off, seemingly lost in the dark memories. Her gaze wasn't all there, as if she was still lost within the Passage of Time.

Aria regained focus a moment later, shaking her head before she began her tale.


	38. Reunion

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _Howdy folks. Happy Veteran's Day weekend, and a grateful thank you goes out from me to all of those who have served and are currently serving right now. I'm so proud to wear the uniform that I do each and every day, and I'll endeavor to continue the legacy you all have fought for._

 _Now, it's truthfully been a hectic week for me getting settled in at my new tech school, catching up on RWBY, and discovering "Star vs. The Forces of Evil."_

 _Like, holy shit…I found my new obsession. This show is freaking amazing and I ship StarCo like crazy._ _Farewell, Undertale. It was nice knowing you._

 _Seriously though, I'm actually quite excited about the future and the next few upcoming chapters. Of course, I've got a few surprises in store for you all, with some development for our favorite kids and Gladion finally appearing officially. I've even seen some clips from the newest episodes that have come out and have some delightful ideas for the future. Interesting how Faba is being played up as such a villain, but then again, it really isn't considering how he acts in the game. Ah well, I suppose we'll see what's to come of that in time._

 _Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes Madame Rodoshe, Cottonmouth25, Gokan123, sceptilezeno, DarkestShade73, Consumer of Fantasy, BouncingFish, and BraviaryScout, as well as a new reviewer known as SuOmAlAiNeN92. Thanks for the support, feedback, and awesomeness._

 _Also. It's about time I officially did this, but here we go._

 _ **Spoilers for Pokémon Sun and Moon are in this chapter.**_ _But if you've been following this story and haven't played the game at this point, that's your own fault. Because future stuff will be addressed and late game stuff will be mentioned._

 ** _NOTE: Sun will be seeing a psychologist upon arrival on his next visit to Heahea City. I did not forget about it, it's just not happening yet. Thanks to those who've remembered and pointed it out. It shows that you all have some damn good memory, which is actually pretty awesome to see._**

 _Here's a long one for you all._

 _On_ _that note…_

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 _Chapter 38: Reunion_

* * *

 _Nimbasa City:_

 _Six Months Ago…_

* * *

 _Cold. Cold, all around them. A cold that had nothing to do with the fact that Kyurem had froze the entire city, sentencing everyone who lived there to an icy grave. Forever trapped within the ice that covered the most populated city in Unova. No…It was the bitter chill of defeat that sent a cold to the very bones of the heroes within the city._

 _It had been three days since the final battle. Three days since they had escaped Cipher's floating fortress. Three days since Ghetsis had unleashed Shadow Kyurem's deadly attack and doomed the city of Nimbasa City, all at the order of the man who had turned on them. Each and every one of them felt the sting of Borlath's betrayal, knowing that it was him who had been the ultimate reason they had lost._

 _And as for Wes…_

 _Aria watched the Snagger with growing worry. He hadn't say a word since she had found him, kneeling on the ground as Ghetsis cackled ahead of them, with Amber Fontaine admiring the sight from nearby as Kyurem prepared to put Wes out of his misery. Despite having been able to best Amber in a battle, by stacking the odds heavily against her, Aria knew she had to get Wes out of there before they killed him._

 _Somehow they had managed to escape, but now…_

 _Now they had no plan. No way to fight back. And were running out of time._

 _They had found shelter within a hotel that seemed not as bad off as some of the other buildings, though considering the entire place was completely frozen over, it wasn't saying much. Aria watched as tall, slim man with pale green hair paced back and forth, looking agitated as his Zoroark watched passively. That man was N, former King of Team Plasma, who had battled alongside them since the beginning._

" _They were in so much pain…My friends…can we even save them? In that state…is it even possible?" N asked the others, barely keeping his voice steady._

" _Zekrom, Reshiram, and Kyurem…All of them lost to the shadows. I don't know how things can get worse." Hugh said with an angry sigh, flinging his arms down. "If it wasn't for that bastard…I hope no one has a claim on him yet, because I'm going to strangle Borlath myself!"_

" _Hugh." The teen stiffened as he looked over at Aria, her blue eyes burning with emotion as always. Hugh's expression relaxed and he sighed, running a hand through his hair, before walking over to the side of the room she was on, sitting down beside her._

" _Sorry…" Hugh murmured. Aria wrapped on arm around him, pulling him close to her and hugging him tight. Hugh's face reddened, but he sighed with contentment and closed his eyes, relishing the contact. Aria just clung to her friend for support, taking comfort in his presence. He was her rock, and she never appreciated that more than now._

" _So…now what?" Aria asked N. The man shook his head, seemingly unable to answer._

" _We rebuild. Get our heads on straight and figure this out. We have allies working to assist us. We have to hope that one of them will stumble upon a way for us to strike back. As it is now, trying to fight back against Cipher in Unova is next to impossible. It's…"_

" _It's NOT hopeless." Aria said to the former King, her expression fierce. N couldn't help a smile, even if it was just for a moment._

" _I didn't say that, but…I'll admit the odds are truly against us now. If even Wes couldn't stand up to my father and Shadow Kyurem, then…" N trailed off again, and Aria saw just how tired the man looked. He shook his head once again._

" _We managed to save seventeen from the ice today. We'll keep at it tomorrow. The cold is too intense as it is tonight, and even Cipher and Neo Team Plasma wouldn't dare venture into the city yet." N explained as he turned towards the nearest door and walked away from Hugh and Aria, his loyal wolf Pokémon padding behind him. He cast a glance at the haunted figure leaning against the wall, staring into the air with a vacant expression, and knelt down to him._

" _I still believe in you, my friend. Come back to us. We need your strength now more than ever." N murmured to the golden-eyed man, who stirred slightly, his gaze flicking to N for a brief moment before the eyes shut. N rose and departed, leaving the three of them alone. Aria and Hugh got up as well, deciding to follow N's lead. However, Wes refused to budge from his position. Aria worried about him, but after three days of prodding, he hadn't spoken. She decided to give him space and retired to a corner of the room that had become her makeshift bed and settled in for the night. She looked at her bag, seeing something glint at her from within it. A small Poké Ball, purple with a massive M on the front._

 _The Master Ball that should have ended it all…However, it wasn't to be. A simple mistake…A miscalculation and a betrayal ended their battle against Cipher and doomed them all. Aria sighed and shut her eyes, hoping to drift off to sleep and hope that this was all an elaborate nightmare._

 _Or she would have if Wes hadn't suddenly risen to his feet, surprising her and Hugh. The Snagger wordlessly strode across the room, flinging open the door and leaving the building. Aria scrambled away from the pallet, casting a glance at Hugh, who watched the scene from his chair._

" _I'll be right back." Aria told her friend. Hugh looked conflicted, like he wanted to tell her no or to come along with her. Instead he nodded, and Aria bolted from the building, slinging her bag around her shoulder and chased after her teacher. It didn't take long for her to catch up with Wes, and when she did…she almost wish she hadn't._

 _Wes turned around at the sound of her approaching, and Aria felt a gasp escape her as Wes looked at her. This was her mentor. Her hero. Her best friend. The man who had became the brother she had never had…looking at her with an expression of complete hopelessness. All of the pain he had gone through. All of the bloodshed. All of the suffering he had endured at the hands of Cipher during his endless battles against them had finally taken hold of the Snagger. His eyes had lost their gleam, now appearing dull and lifeless. The golden eyes that always shone with excitement, drive, and determination were now dead. It was like Aria was looking at a completely different person._

" _Aria…I can't. Not after that. Not after this…I let them all down. Millions are gone because I wasn't strong enough. I didn't think far enough ahead and…And now…" Wes broke off, shaking his head as he rolled up his sleeve, revealing the gleaming Snag Machine that had become synonymous with his name. Aria watched in horror as Wes unclasped the device from his arm and allowed it to fall onto the ice on the ground with a metallic clatter, the sound deafening in the silent and frozen street._

" _I'm done. Let someone else save Unova. Ghetsis and Borlath took the last bit of fight I had…I can't carry the weight of this thing anymore." Wes said as he gave her one last glance, his eyes showing something else. Something awful and terrible. A pain of the deepest kind, that had finally broken the person she had looked up to for so long. Before this, she had seen glimpses of the sea of misery that raged behind the gleaming eyes of Wes, but now it was almost too intense for her to fathom._

 _Without another word Wes turned around and continued down the icy road, past the frozen bodies of those he had failed to save, sinking deeper into the darkness of his mind._

 _Aria stood there for a few moments, shivering at what had happened. She looked down at the ground, staring down at the device that Wes had left behind. With a deep sigh, Aria bent down and picked up the Snag Machine. Aria stared at it for a moment before shrugging off her jacket, rolling up her sleeve and clasping on the device to her own left arm. She pulled her hand into the attached glove and flexed it. Oddly enough, it conformed to her hand, making it feel comfortable. Aria rolled her sleeve back down, zipping her jacket back up as she began to chase after the man who was walking away from everyone and everything, unable to withstand the burden he had been tasked with any longer._

 _Aria pounded down the icy road, determined to bring her friend back to her senses. She was cut off, however, when a black ball of energy suddenly smashed into the road in front of her, throwing her skyward and making her land painfully on the ice._

"Hehehe…How sad. Wes has officially left the building!"

 _Aria whirled around and saw a familiar floating green Pokémon sitting on a streetlamp, smiling at her. Aria felt a stab of fury, clenching her fists as Shadow Celebi floated down to her level, laughing quietly._

" _For a Pokémon tortured into being evil…I really don't feel any pity for you anymore." Aria admitted, shivering in the cold as she rolled to her feet. She really needed to get out of this and find Wes. A glance behind her told her that he was off the street._

"I don't need pity. I'm just a weapon, anyway. No point in feeling bad for something like me." _Celebi said quietly, its smile widening as it held out a hand shuddering with darkness._

" _And you really believe that. You know what? It doesn't matter-" Aria was cut off when a series of icy rocks exploded out from the street beneath her, sending her to the ground._

"Die." _Celebi intoned, grinning as it unleashed Ancient Power at the woman. Aria darted away, sliding on the ice and barely avoiding the barrage of rocks and grabbing a Poké Ball from her belt. She spun around, drawing back her hand to throw it, before she was frozen in place by the blue aura engulfing her. Aria felt horror grip her as she realized she had been hit by Psychic._

" _That's enough, Celebi."_

 _Aria felt a stab of fury boil through her as the calm voice spoke up from nearby. Celebi's smile became Cheshire as a man in a white suit slowly walked into Aria's line of sight, giving her a sad smile. His long black hair was tied into a ponytail and his eyes were mismatched, blood red and bright green._

 _Borlath._

" _You…have some serious balls." Aria hissed at the man who had sold them out to Cipher and Neo Team Plasma. He had pretended to be their friend, an invaluable ally against their forces. But it had all been a ruse. A trick. He had played them all for fools._

" _Not really. I actually quite hate that I had to do this. Killing people, innocents mind you, doesn't give me a sick thrill like it does Greevil. What I did to Nimbasa is admittedly…hauntingly beautiful, in a way, but no. This was necessary, as awful as it was. And sadly, you won't be allowed to see how the end of the story plays out, my friend." Borlath said with a deep sigh. If Aria hadn't known the man had commanded the attack from Ghetsis and Shadow Kyurem to freeze Nimbasa City solid, she would have asked the man if he was okay. He seemed exhausted and it was obvious he was not used to the cold, as he shivered violently in the icy city. Yet his resolve was steel._

" _Wes has officially been broken. It's incredible how one final tragedy made him finally lose the will to live. I'll be dealing with him after we deal with you." Borlath said as he snapped his fingers. Aria let out a scream of pain as Celebi's eyes glowed a harsher color of blue, putting intense pressure on Aria and sending agony through every inch of her body._

" _I wracked my brain for a fitting way to kill you. Leaving a corpse behind would make you a martyr. Embolden the others to keep fighting…So I won't leave a body. You're going on a trip through the Passage of Time. An unguided one, at that." Borlath said as he slowly walked closer to Aria, his eyes changing to two golden orbs. Aria spit in the man's face, but he didn't even flinch. If anything, he seemed amused._

" _I've always wondered what staring into the infinite is like. The endless abyss of the time-stream…However, I know the consequences of what such an experience are. This is the end of line, Arianna Cooper. Farewell." Borlath flicked his hand in a careless gesture. Celebi's entire body flashed white as the blue glow around its eyes grew weaker._

"You'll waste away as you gaze into the endless expanse of time, your mind slowly unraveling…A fitting end." _Shadow Celebi whispered as its eyes burned with a harsh white glow. Aria could feel the space behind her distort and warp as Celebi invoked its powers, ripping through the fabric of reality to summon something she had only seen once. The Passage of Time. The portal that allowed Celebi to leap through long stretches of time…_

 _And from what she knew, anyone who went through their unguided by the Time Travel Pokémon itself would be subjected to the wrath of time. Aria felt horror and rage burn through her, knowing that this would probably be the end of her. She only wished she had managed to say goodbye to the others before this…_

"~Goodbye!~" _Shadow Celebi sang as Aria went flying backwards, into the vortex…Borlath walked away without a backwards glance, down the frozen road of the city he had condemned to an icy hell._

 _Tumbling through the Passage of Time was like being inside of a tornado. Millions upon millions of thoughts, sights, and emotions pressed down upon her at every angle, tearing at her mind and her body. A multitude of dazzling colors assaulted her vision, creating a startling visage that couldn't be described. It was beyond overwhelming, gazing into countless moments within the time stream, every single one of them burning into her brain. She was barely aware of Shadow Celebi brushing past her, a cruel smile on its face before it vanished somewhere ahead of her…_

 _Leaving Aria falling through time…_

 _Falling…_

 _Falling…_

 _Falling…_

 _Forever…_

* * *

"The next thing I know, the Passage of Time suddenly narrowed and I saw a light. I was thrown out of the portal and was in Alola. I'm…still catching up on everything. It seemed to go on forever, but…it couldn't have been more than a second? I just don't…I can't wrap my head around it." Aria finished, shutting her eyes and sighing.

"I am so tired, right now. I feel like I'll never get enough sleep." Aria laughed weakly, clutching her chest with a groan. Just then her eyes flew open, and instead of blue they glowed bright green. Aria shivered violently for a few moments before her eyes stopped glowing, leaving the woman hissing in pain.

"What on earth was that?" Dexio asked, sounding concerned.

"No…idea…I was back in the time-stream again. No I'm back here…Agh…This really does hurt, heh." Aria remarked with a wince and a smile, sounding painfully amused.

"That's what happens when your entire body was stressed in the manner yours was. The doctors had no idea what was wrong with you when they first got you here. They've never dealt with injuries like yours." Dexio said with no small amount of horror. "Unguided travel through space and time, according to Professor Burnet, can leave a person adrift within the time-stream forever. Or, if they manage to escape, completely insane. Most of the time it just kills them…The fact that you're alive, conscious and speaking is nothing short of amazing. There've only been a few documented instances of humans travelling through time, and almost none of them are pleasant."

"It was an experience. My mind is coming and going at times. Sometimes I'm completely aware, others…not so much. Borlath sure knows how to put people through the wringer. I wish Wes or Hugh was here…I could really use them right about now." Aria said with a small sigh, a note of wistfulness in her voice.

"Wes is still missing from what I can tell, but Colress texted me a few minutes ago. Hugh and his friends just landed on the island, so they'll be here soon." Sun chimed in, making the time-traveler perk up slightly.

"Have they changed much in six months?" Aria asked.

"From what I can tell, not really." Sun replied with a smirk.

"Figured. Even after what we went through, six months won't really change anyone." Aria muttered, smiling despite herself. Sina and Dexio smiled at the remark.

"They used the Heal Pulse Treatment with positive results, but you won't be cleared to leave until tomorrow, and even then they suggest taking things easy. Plenty of rest, water, and taking the medicine they provide." Sina explained as she picked up Aria's chart.

"Though given that it's you, I'd imagine you'll be on your feet and about by tomorrow." All of the occupants turned around to see Colress enter the room, smiling widely at them all. He stepped over to Aria, his smile fading somewhat. He seemed almost unable to understand that his friend from Unova had returned, as he slowly walked forward, his expression becoming rather somber.

"I suspected…I hoped…But never seriously _considered_ that you'd return to us." Colress laughed quietly, shakily, before extending a hand towards the woman. Aria clasped it firmly, grinning at the Doctor.

"Good to see you, Doc." Aria replied softly, and with that they separated.

"It's good to have you back, Aria. And with the Snag Machine and Shadow Celebi in tow? Wes would be so proud." Colress said to Aria, who flinched but didn't reply. "I'd imagine you'd like to be out and about, but for now I ask that you take it easy. We should be able to properly treat the rest of your injuries by tomorrow, but we have no idea what the extent of the mental damage was. I trust that you're okay with that?" Colress asked Aria, who nodded.

"Sounds good…Even if I don't like hospitals, maybe some peace will do me some good. Getting thrown into this furnace after spending a few days in Nimbasa was…a shock. Going from sheer cold to pure heat was a bit of a change for me." Aria admitted with a small sigh.

"Sucks, doesn't it?" Sun asked the woman.

"Sun moved here a few months ago. He's…still adjusting to the heat, himself." Lillie explained to the older Trainer.

"Right…What's your name? I got Sun's, but you were with him down there too, right?" Aria asked the small girl.

"I'm Lillie. It's a pleasure to meet you." Lillie said with a smile.

"Likewise. And…Thanks for helping me capture Shadow Celebi. All of you. I don't know what's gone on since I vanished, but I know that catching that thing is gonna help us out immensely. Especially if we can figure out how to purify it." Aria explained, giving them a painful grin. Sun started as his phone beeped. He checked it, texted a reply and sent it, before looking back up.

"Hugh's at the hospital. He'll be here in five." Sun said to everyone. Aria, to their surprise, flung off her blanket and moved off of the bed, wincing as she tried to stand on her own. She swayed for a moment, but held firm.

"Careful. You're still hurt." Colress warned the woman, who ignored him.

"You good?" Sun asked the woman. Aria nodded stiffly, exhaling deeply before inhaling. It didn't take long for a certain Unovan Trainer to burst into the room, taking in the sight of all of them before his crimson eyes fell upon Aria. Hugh's expression turned to one of absolute shock, the young man taking a step back. His face drained of color, leaving him ghost-white as one hand clutched the frame of the door for support.

Sun and Lillie exchanged a brief glance, unsure of what to make of Hugh's reaction. But after a moment of thought it didn't surprise them. Hugh had thought the friend that he had admitted he loved was dead and gone. To have her suddenly show up out of nowhere would be a shock to anyone.

Hugh's face suddenly worked itself into a deep frown. Aria was jarred out of the silence between them, her face breaking out into a massive and relieved smile. At this, Hugh looked down at the ground, his frown growing.

"Hugh…You…You have no idea how much I have missed-" Aria began to say before she caught onto the look of absolute fury that was spreading across Hugh's face as he looked back up. Sun moved in front of Lillie in concern, seeing Hugh grit his teeth, his face set in a scowl of rage as he stepped towards Aria, who seemed confused…

And then Hugh punched Aria in the face.

"Hugh!" Sun yelled at the young man, with Lillie letting out a horrified gasp. The young man lowered his fist as Aria tumbled backward, falling onto her bed with a grunt, barely catching herself.

"Stay. Out of this." Hugh hissed, eyeing Aria with blinding, seething fury. Aria looked up, a trail of blood running down her mouth with a worried look on her face.

"The hell was that for!?" Aria demanded, staggering to her feet in time for Hugh to stride forward. This question, hearing his friend's voice again, made what little control he had left break.

"How dare you come back! Like nothing has _changed_! How DARE you!" Hugh roared at the time-traveler, who blinked in confusion. Sun and Lillie were likewise befuddled. This was one of his closest friends. Shouldn't he have been happy she was back? Why was he so angry?

"Sorry, I didn't know I should've stayed gone. Not like I had a choice in getting tortured in the time-stream." Aria replied coolly, setting her expression into a determined frown.

"We thought you were dead! Everyone did! Do you have any idea what we've gone through?! _What I went through_?! Every. Single. Day…I had to deal with the fact that you were g-gone!" Hugh's voice broke on the final word, with the young man taking a shuddering breath. Sun could see the raw pain in his eyes, the frustration and anger and relief swirling within the crimson eyes of Hugh. The young man looked down at the ground, inhaling and exhaling and desperately trying to reign in his emotions.

"But I'm back now…I'm okay." Aria said quietly, but apparently those were the wrong words to say to her friend, because he drew closer to her with fire in his eyes.

"I MOURNED YOU!" Hugh screamed at Aria, whose gaze finally broke as she looked away. Lillie shook in terror at the force of the sheer rage in the young man's voice. Sun too backed away, worried at how much Hugh had lost control. Sophie landed on the ground in front of Aria, growling as her fur sparked furiously, but he ignored the Jolteon as he glared down Aria. The time-traveler looked back at him, her dark blue eyes glistening with tears.

The time-traveler watched Hugh with a guilty expression on her face. She bit her lip, trying to say something but was unable to get the words out. She finally sighed, taking a deep breath before speaking a full minute later.

"I didn't have much of a choice, like I said...I ran after Wes when he disappeared, and Shadow Celebi got me. Borlath instructed it to kill me, and it threw me into something called the Passage of Time, and I went forward in time about six months. I…I floated adrift, within time. Sometimes I was fully aware, other times it was like I was in a haze. I saw millions upon millions of glimpses into the future and past that threatened to drive me insane…maybe it did. Maybe I'm still floating in time, but considering that punch hurt pretty bad, I think I'm safe for now…I had a glimpse of _forever_. I saw the infinite…Hugh…I don't know how I survived, but I'm here." Aria said quietly, a sad smile on her face.

"And I'm so sorry…I'm sorry you're hurting so much. I can't even begin to think of what it's been like for you, not knowing where I've been or if I was even alive. Thank you for getting here so quickly…it tells me even if this is agonizing for you, you're still there for me after all this time." Aria whispered as Hugh's expression softened ever so slightly.

"But I'm back…And Hugh…I really, really need you right now. I'm in a lot of pain, and I can't seem to stay grounded…please." Aria said to her friend, a note of pleading in her voice. Hugh looked back into his friend's eyes to see a faint green glow within the blue. It faded a moment later, with Aria uttering a small groan as she put a hand to her head.

"Please forgive me, Hugh…I know I don't deserve a friend like you, but just… _please_ …" Aria said quietly as she leaned back, bracing herself against her bed, her breathing becoming strained again. Hugh watched her for a time, his expression unreadable. His fists clenched and unclenched, as if they were trying to make up their mind about something.

"Every day after you vanished, I left you voice messages on your phone. I poured my heart out to you, trying to explain everything I ever felt about you. Good and bad. Every little thought…And now…I don't really have much more to say other than this." Hugh spoke softly, closing his eyes and exhaling through his nose. He then held his arms out, taking a step forward. Aria stumbled forward and embraced her friend with a gasp of relief.

Lillie smiled as the two hugged each other tightly, the two dear friends finally reuniting after so much hardship. Hugh began to shake, whispering apologies to Aria while the woman ran her fingers through the man's spiky hair, a joyfully sad smile on her face. The two of them fell to their knees, still holding each other. Sun could see tears running down Hugh's face, and couldn't help but feel that they were tears of relief.

"I think we should leave those two alone for a little while." Sun whispered to Lillie. The girl nodded and the two of them quickly excused themselves as Aria held Hugh in her arms, her own tears flowing freely now. Lillie noticed that Sina and Dexio had likewise vacated the room, departing down another hallway. Colress remained behind, giving them a small wave as the children left.

"It's…sweet, to see them together. I would've rather not see someone get punched, but…This is a turn for the better. Don't you think?" Lillie asked Sun quietly. The boy nodded slowly, a small smile on his face.

"Yeah…We might've had a big scare today, but think about this. Colress and Hugh's little team have Aria back. One of their best Trainers. Plus the Snag Machine, and she managed to Snag one of Cipher's biggest assets. If they can heal Celebi, there's no telling what good it can do! And now they can steal back the Shadow Pokémon, just like Wes used to. This is a huge step in the right direction, Lillie. It's…things are looking up." Sun said with a wide smile on his face, looking happier than Lillie had seen him since her little breakdown earlier. Lillie couldn't help herself, beaming with happiness as she saw a small ember of what seemed to be hope burn in Sun's eyes.

With that, the duo continued their walk down the corridor to kill the time, the two of them smiling at the recent turn of events. Eventually they ran into Professor Kukui, who had come to take Lillie to his wife's lab while Sun returned to the Pokémon Center. After a quick text to Hugh telling him where they went, Sun slipped out into the dark as they exited the hospital, waving Kukui and Lillie goodnight as they stood outside.

Lillie turned to the Professor as Sun walked out of sight. She seemed nervous, and was about to open her mouth to speak when Kukui cut her off.

"I've already spoken to the doctors. Your visit here has been completely scrubbed from all records. Even the videos from the security cameras has been deleted. No one will ever know you were here." Kukui said quietly, smiling down at Lillie, who sagged with relief.

"It's a relief…I'm still amazed you can do that. You managed to do that at the Hau'oli Hospital as well…Thank you so much, Professor." Lillie thanked the man, receiving a playful ruffle of the hair from Kukui as he laughed.

"Think nothing of it. If those creeps are gonna try and find you, I'll make them work for it. They have volunteers and members just about everywhere in Alola, but even they can't beat _my_ influence. It's thrown them off so far. Let's keep on hoping it'll continue to do so, liʻiliʻi." Kukui said as he began walking down the road. Lillie opened her bag slightly, seeing the slumbering Cosmog within, before she zipped the bag back up and hurried after the Professor, feeling gratitude and relief that she was still safe despite everything.

* * *

Sun had decided that today was a lazy morning.

Unfortunately, that idea was ruined by a pretty girl in white knocking on his door. Sun crawled out of bed, threw on a shirt, and opened the door blearily. Lillie smiled at him, making him smile tiredly at her as well.

"Good morning, Sun. Did you sleep well?" Lillie asked her friend as he let her into the room. Brago barked a greeting at Lillie as she walked over to where Penny and Oliver were sitting, with Oliver shutting his eyes and falling asleep, his dutiful overnight watch over Sun being complete.

"About as well as usual. I'll manage." Sun replied as he carefully made the bed and slipped some shoes on. Lillie felt a pang of worry, knowing Sun was likely being plagued by nightmares again, but didn't say anything. He knew she would help if he needed it.

"Well, I was wondering if you wanted to meet up with Mallow and a friend of hers at a café later today. I believe it's another Captain." Lillie remarked, piquing Sun's interest as he ducked into the bathroom.

"Sure, why not?"

"Good. I may have to leave early, though. My… _friend_ is meeting with me at the Tide Song Hotel at noon, and I can't miss this meeting because she's supposed to be leaving the island soon." Lillie explained as Sun exited the bathroom, ready to face the day. He returned his Pokémon and left the room, with Lillie following him. The duo exited the Pokémon Center and ventured to the south side of the city, where Sun eventually spotted Mallow sitting in a chair reading a book at an outside table.

"Mallow!" Lillie called to her friend. Mallow looked up and beamed at Lillie and Sun.

"Hey you two! How's it going?" Mallow called to them, waving to them happily as they sat down with the Captain.

"Pretty good. Fought an evil legendary, found a lost hero and went to the hospital. You know, nothing new." Sun said casually, causing Mallow to blink several times before her smile vanished.

"Wait, what?" Mallow asked. Sun and Lillie filled in the Captain on what had happened the past day, leaving the Captain bewildered.

"So…an evil time-travelling Pokémon attacked the city and it took me this long to hear about it!?" Mallow demanded.

"Yep. Kind weird, huh?" Sun replied, giving the green-haired girl a grin.

"Freaking bizarre."

"You're telling me. This is the second time I've gone to the hospital this month." Sun said with a small sigh, with Rotom Dex popping out of his bag with a laugh.

" _Bzzt! It's almost azz if a sadistic author is tormenting his characterzz again!"_

"Rotom, I thought you were sleeping?"

" _Not a chance! I'm always watching, always waiting to be of use!"_ Rotom declared, zooming around the group.

"Oh, well…Cool."

" _The coolest. Zzt!"_

"Sorry I'm late!"

Sun, Lillie and Mallow looked to their right to see a girl jogging their way, panting heavily. She had pure blue hair and blue eyes, and was dressed in a white sleeveless shirt, blue pants with a wave-like design on them as well as a dark blue undershirt with a little blue cape on her back.

"Lana! You made it!" Mallow cheered, hopping out of her chair and hugging her friend. Lana tiredly hugged the girl back, smiling weakly. The two girls sat down, and Mallow properly introduced her friend.

"Sun, Lillie, this is Lana. She's the Captain of the Trial of Brooket Hill, where the first Trial of the island is." Mallow explained, with Lana giving them a shy wave.

"It's nice to meet you all. I've heard a bit about you from the other day." Lana said as the waiter swooped down to take orders. Each of them ordered the sweet tea, at Mallow's suggestion, as well as some assorted sandwiches.

"So Lana, what kind of Pokémon do you specialize in as a Captain?" Sun asked the new arrival.

"I don't know. Take a guess." Lana said with a small smile. Sun eyed the blue hair and wave designs on her pants.

"Dragon. Totally a Dragon-type specialist." Sun said with a snarky grin, making Lillie giggle while Lana's smile turned to a smirk.

"There hasn't been a Captain for the Dragon Trial in years." Lana remarked with a chuckle, meanwhile Mallow was snorting with amusement. Sun caught onto that info with interest, and was about to remark on it when yet another arrival made themselves known.

"Well, hello there, my lovely Captains. You didn't forget about our interview, did you?"

Sun and Lillie both jumped as a man suddenly stepped to the table, dressed smartly in a blue tuxedo. His jet-black hair gleamed in the Alolan Sun as the man's handsome face gave them a brilliant grin.

"Who's he?" Sun asked in a loud whisper.

"Adrian Laser Battlestorm, at your service!" the man said with a chuckle, reaching into a pocket on his coat and pulling out a business card. Sun took it, reading it over before nodding.

"Cool. I met a celebrity today. Suck it, Hau. I'm having a better day than you." Sun remarked with a wide smile, making Lillie hit him lightly on the arm.

"Aren't you the man who got smacked the other night on the news?" Lillie asked, looking back to Mister Battlestorm. The man chuckled at the remark, seemingly happy that Lillie had known that.

"Ah, a fan! Always nice to meet my wonderful supporters in the flesh! I hope you've found my broadcasts informative and entertaining!" Adrian Battlestorm said with a dazzling smile, making Lillie blink. Lana flushed bright pink, looking away from the man, but Mallow simply grinned at him.

"We don't mind still giving an interview! Island Trial Tuesday is always fun. Lana, stop being socially awkward and help a friend out, eh?" Mallow said to Lana, who nodded shakily, not trusting herself to speak. Adrian then seemed to realize something, smacking a hand to his forehead.

"Oh…wait. Are these your friends? I didn't interrupt anything, did I?" Adrian asked the two young Captains.

"Uh…kinda? We were just catching up, but we did agree to the interview last week…But then again, my friend just made her way back into town and Sun here is going to be leaving to go to his Trial…" Mallow trailed off awkwardly.

"I was planning on leaving today, if at all possible." Sun admitted as he scratched the back of his head. He had discussed this with Lillie while on their while to the café, and knew he had dwelled too long in Heahea City. He was however promised by Hugh that the teen would keep him updated on anything that happened in regards to Aria and Shadow Celebi.

"Well, that's fantastic! It's always fun to interview up-and-coming Trainers. Where are you from, little guy?" Adrian asked Sun, who's cheerful expression fell somewhat.

"Celadon City." Sun replied, catching Adrian off-guard.

"Ah…" Mister Battlestorm's eyes closed, a sad expression crossing his exuberant features. "I'm…I'm so, so sorry for your loss. No one should have to endure what you did."

Sun didn't have anything to say to that. Lillie leaned forward, putting a hand on Sun's shoulders. Mallow and Lana exchanged a look, confused. Adrian allowed a few moments of silence before he smiled again, though not nearly as wide as before.

"That said, I hate to interrupt a friendly gathering. I think me and Kelly will grab a snack and wait inside for you all to finish. That way I can get some material for today and I can try that delicious looking strawberry shortcake." Adrian said to the group, giving them a small wave before he walked off.

"He's…actually pretty nice." Lillie remarked, surprised. He seemed like such a buffoon on TV. Mallow and Lana nodded in agreement as their drinks were dropped off at the table.

"He's a character, but he's fun and can brighten up people's day with just one silly report. I admire him, truthfully. It's hard to be that positive and energetic all the time, especially in times of hardship and tragedy." Lana remarked, smiling a little.

"You and Hau would get along then." Sun replied, chuckling quietly at the thought.

"Hau? Another friend of yours?" Lana asked.

"Yeah. He and our other friend, Demi, are on their way to a Trial now, actually. They should be there in a few days." Sun explained to the Captain, who gave him a small nod.

"I see. It's likely mine, then. Well, I'm sure it'll be fun for the both of them. Though…" Lana trailed off, appearing nervous.

"What's wrong?" Lillie asked.

"The Totem Pokémon of Brooklet Hill has been very agitated lately. Something is bothering it, but I don't know what. Its last battle almost turned out badly for the Trial-Goer and it…" Lana seemed worried now, but Mallow interjected.

"Hey, our Totem Pokémon sometimes get a bit antsy. It's hard to hold that much power and only be able to use it every now and then. They're meaner and tougher than other Pokémon of their species. I'm not surprised yours is acting up a bit. I'm sure you'll be able to sort it out, Lana. You're a whiz when it comes to that beast." Mallow said with a reassuring smile.

"I…Thank you, Mallow." Lana murmured, smiling slightly. The waiter returned to them with their food, and the group chowed down. As Lillie was finishing her meal, a beep from her phone made her jump. She pulled out the device and checked it, and smiled at what she read.

 _Room 103. Ensure you're not followed. Be safe, and I'll talk to you soon._

"I have to go. Thank you for meeting up with us, you two. I know you're swamped." Lillie said to her friends before she hopped out of her chair and walked away from them.

"Wonder what that's about?" Mallow murmured, closing her eyes in thought.

"Lillie's got a lot going on. If she needs something, she knows we're here for her." Sun replied, earning looks from the two girls.

"True…SO! Sun! I hear you're a _really_ good friend of Lillie's!" Mallow said conspiratorially, her smile becoming rather sinister and sending a shiver down Sun's spine.

This wasn't going to be good.

* * *

Lillie hurried along as quickly as she could, knowing that her 'friend' was waiting for her. She knew it likely wasn't a good idea for her to venture around the city alone, but she didn't want to have to drag Sun along with her everywhere. He would be leaving the city later today and she didn't want to be a burden to him. Besides, she could see the hotel already!

A few minutes later and Lillie was inside, catching her breath for a minute, before she began walking to the appropriate room. She raised a shaking hand and knocked three times.

The door flew open and a woman appeared, with soft yellow eyes and voluminous purple hair. She wore a pink and white uniform of sorts, with yellow decorations here and there and with a pink pair of glasses covering her face slightly. Her face broke out into a happy smile upon seeing the little girl in white.

"Miss Lillie!" the woman cried out, hugging the girl tightly. Lillie returned the embrace, happy to see a familiar and friendly face from her old home.

"I missed you, Miss Wicke. How are you?" Lillie asked as she walked into the woman's room. Wicke closed and locked the door behind her, sighing quietly.

"Well enough. The work at the Paradise is rewarding yet taxing at the same time, as always. But enough of that, how are you?" Wicke asked Lillie, looking over the girl.

"Still going strong. I think. Nebby is safe and I'm still a free girl. That's more than I could ever wish before, right?" Lillie said as Miss Wicke walked over to a set of chairs and sat down in one, with Lillie sitting opposite her.

"Quite true." Wicke replied, her smile faltering somewhat.

"How…how is she?" Lillie asked, getting straight to the point.

"Your mother is managing her facade as well as ever, though the insanity slips through every now and then. Her obsession will run the entire Foundation into the ground, I fear. Diverting more and more funds into the studies of the Ultra Beasts instead of protecting Pokémon. Thank goodness for the donations we're getting from Kanto or we'd be in serious trouble." Miss Wicke explained, sighing a little and showing the stress she had been under. Lillie felt her pain. There was a reason she had fled, after all.

"Wait…donations from Kanto?" Lillie asked.

"Yes. We've had monthly donations from a large cooperation out of Kanto. Aupini Industries. It's suspicious, but I can't determine if it is truly out of place. Not with Faba and the President as suspicious of me as they are. For now I have to assume it's for charitable reasons and not the research the Foundation does." Wicke explained to the young girl.

"I see…I'll keep that in mind. We just have to hope for the best." Lillie said with a small nod.

"Indeed. Aside from that, everything is business as usual." Miss Wicke said wearily, smiling a little despite everything. There was a silence that hung before the two of them as Lillie considered this bit of information. She tended to linger over any bit of information she could get about the Foundation, and wondered as to what this latest bit of data meant. After a moment Lillie decided to just consider it later, not wanting to waste this chance to speak with Miss Wicke.

"How's my brother?" Lillie asked softly.

"I haven't spoken to him since his birthday two months ago. He's…not doing well, sadly. I believe all of this has made him quite miserable as of late. He's driven, though, to help stop your mother however possible. I believe in his strength." Wicke said to Lillie, making the girl smile.

"Glady was always the brave one. I know he can do it." Lillie said with a small fist pump, making Wicke laugh.

"Well, you both still have time. The President can do little without Cosmog. I'm trying to divert her attention to other projects and back to our main efforts, with some success." Wicke replied, making Lillie nod in response.

"So please, tell me about what's happened with you the past few months." Wicke said to Lillie, who obliged. The two talked for the next two hours, with Lillie waxing on about the small details of her life. Her experiences with Professor Kukui and Professor Burnet. Travelling to Melemele Island and meeting Hau, her first friend ever. Sun saving Nebby at Mahalo Trail and becoming one of her closest friends. Lillie spent an inordinate amount of time speaking about the boy from Kanto, not realizing that Wicke wore a knowing and amused smile on her face.

The smile faded when Lillie described the tragedy of Celadon City and the effect it had on Sun. Wicke felt a rush of pride for Lillie when she described how she ventured into the raging storm and comforted her friend, forming their friendship out of understanding each other's suffering. Lillie described some of the struggles of their friends from Unova and doing field work with Kukui. Their confrontation with Amber, which made Wicke gasp in horror. She was relieved when she heard of Kukui and Tapu Koko's battle against the assassin and everyone being okay. Wicke smiled again at the detailed description of Sun and Hau's battles against Hala and their decision to go to Akala Island to continue their efforts. Lillie described her first ever battle with Sun, detailing the emotions and struggles she felt and again Wicke felt pride in the brave little girl sitting beside her. Wicke was horrified to learn that the incident yesterday, which she had only heard rumors about, was centered around the arrival of a monstrous Shadow Celebi. She thanked the powers above that the girl had again escaped danger.

"And now…here we are. Professor Kukui told me that they're all sorting out the details of what's going on at the hospital. I think things are looking up, though." Lillie said cheerfully, ending her narration.

"You've been through so much in so little time. I can't tell you how proud of you I am. You have grown up so much since you left the Paradise. It heartens me to see you not giving up, and seeing you surrounded by such wonderful friends." Wicke said to Lillie, who nodded.

"I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for them. Hau and Sun especially…I can't ever thank them enough for being my friends." Lillie said quietly, feeling herself tear up. Hau had been her rock since the beginning, always there for her no matter what. Sun had shown understanding to her pain and inspired her to do better, as well as being someone she…admired quite a bit.

"Miss Wicke, I have to ask you something."

"Yes?"

"What…ahem. What do you do when you realize you have a crush on one of your friends?" Lillie asked quietly, a flush coming to her cheeks.

"Let me guess. Sun?" Wicke guessed shrewdly, making Lillie nod slowly, her blush burning darker.

"That's sweet. So, you have a crush on a very close friend of yours and have no idea what to do about that?" Lillie nodded as Wicke looked upward, her gaze thoughtful.

"Truthfully, the best way to proceed is to figure out what you want, Lillie. Do you wish to pursue a romantic relationship with your friend Sun? Or do you simply wish to be friends? Is what you feel just a passing interest? Or do you think something deeper is developing? Do you love him?" Wicke asked Lillie, who frowned. She considered Wicke's questions, and didn't have an answer to any of them. She felt warm and comfortable around Sun. Safe. She felt special, in a way. As long as he was with her, she felt as if everything would be okay. But…did she feel more than that? Was there something more there than a crush?

"I...don't know. I don't even know what love _feels_ like, Miss Wicke." Lillie admitted quietly, looking down.

"Lillie, you're a very smart young lady, but you're only twelve. You're still learning about the world outside of the small island you lived on for most of your life. Give it time. Consider your feelings and decide on what you feel. And if you should feel love for your friend…well, that you'll have to figure out for yourself. Trying to navigate the path to a man's heart is tricky at the best of times." Wicke said patiently to Lillie, who frowned at the words, but was jolted out of her thoughts by her phone beeping. Lillie pulled out her phone and was surprised by the text notification she had received.

 _Gonna have you escort Sun to his next Trial. Increased Team Skull activity near Diglett's Tunnel. City not safe for you and Nebby. Get to the Route 4 entrance ASAP. We're all gathered there and I had Sun get extra supplies for you. – Kukui._

Lillie sighed, knowing that her reunion had just been cut short. She wished that those she had set herself against would just stop for a single day.

"I have to go." Lillie said quietly, rising to her feet. Miss Wicke gave her an understanding smile as she rose to her feet and Lillie stepped forward, hugging the woman tightly.

"Stay strong, Miss Lillie. I believe in you and your brother. Together you'll right the wrongs of our Foundation. I know it." Wicke said as she hugged the girl, making Lillie tear up slightly. The words of faith in her meant so much at times like this.

"T-thank you…for everything." Lillie whispered as the two separated. Lillie wiped her eyes, smiling at Miss Wicke. The woman nodded with a smile as Nebby suddenly popped out of its bag, letting out a happy cry.

"It's good to see you too, Cosmog. Please be good for Lillie." Wicke said to the small Pokémon as it soared towards her. Wicke gave the small Pokémon a pat on the head, receiving an affectionate nuzzle from Nebby.

"It remembers you." Lillie said quietly as Nebby floated around the room.

" _He_ remembers me," Wicke corrected, surprising Lillie.

"He?"

"Yes, after extensive study over the information we had gathered on Cosmog, we concluded that Nebby is indeed male. The President determined this just last week, after reviewing some of the tapes we have in stock on its behavior and data based on its body composition. Unfortunately, we haven't made much more headway to understanding Cosmog besides this small breakthrough." Wicke said apologetically, though Lillie was beaming.

"No, this is great news! Anything that helps me understand Nebby better is good! Though I suppose Nebby being a boy does makes sense...He's such a handful." Lillie giggled, making Miss Wicke laugh as well. Nebby cooed in response, floating over to Lillie and nuzzling her cheek. Lillie opened her bag and Nebby soared into it.

"I suppose this is goodbye." Lillie said quietly, zipping up the bag.

"For now. Until next time, please stay safe. And if you need anything, let me know." Wicke said to Lillie, extending a hand to the young girl, showing her respect for her. Lillie smiled at Miss Wicke and shook the older woman's hand, and she departed the room after Wicke made sure the coast was clear. Lillie left the building and moved quickly, not wanting to be caught by anyone. To her relief, she managed to make it to the entrance to Route 4 without any issues, spotting a cluster of people ahead of her. Lillie approached the group, surprised at the large gathering.

Lillie took note that Sun was blushing slightly, looking rather annoyed. Lillie wondered inwardly what sort of teasing Mallow had subjected him to. Everyone else seemed to be in a pretty good mood, though.

"I guess we've come to some kind of consensus on what's going on here?" Lillie asked them all.

"I think so," Hugh remarked with a shrug.

"So, what's the verdict?" Sun asked them.

"Well to start off, Celebi accidentally gave me superpowers." Aria remarked dryly, shrugging casually as if she had just suggested that the sky was blue. Lillie and Sun exchanged a glance, unsure if this was a joke.

"Prove it." Sun and Lillie both said to the woman, who grinned at them as her eyes flashed green. She put a hand on Sun's head and let out a sigh, her eyes glowing slightly before she gasped and yanked her hand away.

"Shit, that's freaky…Your Mom's first Pokémon was a Meowth, but it evolved into a Persian. You liked to sleep next to it when you were four years old." Aria said with a shiver as Sun blushed furiously. Lillie giggled, thinking of a very small Sun curled up with a big cat. It was adorable.

"Alright, I'm convinced. So you can see the future now? That's cool." Sun said as he regained his composure. And then lost it again as he just realized what he had just said.

"Wait, that's crazy. How did that _happen_?" Sun asked the time-traveler.

"Side-effect of going through time, I think. If my eyes are glowing and I'm in physical contact with someone I can see flashes of their past or future. It's horrifying, actually…I'm hoping this fades like it did with Wes. He used to have episodes like this too, but they went away after a while." Aria explained with a tired sigh.

"Anyways, we've decided on several things. One, is that Aria should not be in the hospital. She's recovered from most of her physical injuries and we're concerned that if she's in one place to too long, it may draw Cipher to Alola." Sina explained, waving a hand.

"How?" Lillie asked, confused.

"Cipher tends to have spies and plants in just about every region of the world. Even if Alola doesn't seem to be on their radar, I wouldn't be surprised if they did have some operatives here," Colress responded.

"I doubt it. This place doesn't even have a League. They have no reason to come here." Aria remarked, crossing her arms. "But I'm not going to complain about being out of the hospital..."

"Of course not." Hugh chuckled, making Aria punch him in the shoulder. Hugh winced and rubbed the spot where he had been punched, but still smiled. He looked so much happier, in Sun and Lillie's eyes. Having Aria back seemed to have brought some true fire back to him.

"Two is that there's a lot we don't know about concerning what Shadow Celebi did to me. Wes wore gloves most of the time when he went through the Passage of Time and so he didn't deal with having future flashes about people, so I have no real basis as to what to expect. He did suffer from some of the problems I'm having, so the common consensus is that I should get out of the public area for a bit. Get my head on straight, and hope this future-seeing nonsense fades away and that me spazzing out stops." Aria said to them before she suddenly swayed on her feet, catching herself on Hugh as her eyes glowed green again. They faded to blue a moment later.

"I'm okay…seriously, I'm fine." Aria grunted, pushing herself off of Hugh.

"She's also stubborn as hell and refuses to remain at the hospital on top of all of this. So, I wanted to ask you a favor Sun." Hugh said to the young child, who looked confused.

"There's a chance Cipher might try and track down Aria now that she's active again, like we mentioned before. Sun, I want you to let Aria tag along with you while you're on your way to the next Trial. Just for a few days until I can take care of some business here and catch up to you guys. It'll help her clear her mind and let us make sure Cipher isn't aware that Celebi and Aria have returned from the past. Plus, she's a really good Trainer. You could learn a lot from her." Hugh said to Sun, who seemed surprised at the request. It was odd, having stronger and older Trainers asking him any kind of favor. Still, Sun was used to others tagging along with him. After all, Hugh had done the same with them back on Melemele Island and he very much enjoyed travelling with Hau and Lillie.

"How do you feel about this?" Sun asked Aria, who grinned.

"Exploring sounds fun. And you seem like a really good kid. A little trip may be just what I need to get my head back in the game. So…if you've got my back, I've got yours." Aria said simply, extending a hand to Sun. Sun grinned at the woman and shook her hand, thinking that he would definitely get along with Aria.

"Three, and this banked a little bit on your decision there Sun…We'd like to ask you another favor. This having much larger implications." Dexio remarked as he and Sina both stepped forward.

"You see…Me and Sina may have mentioned that we're on an expedition of sorts." Sina began, offering Sun a small smile.

"And while that is true, and we've been playing the part of tourists for a little while, we were tasked with a more important task than that." Dexio continued, though Sun interrupted.

"Is that why you were following us? It seems weird that you two just show up randomly, dressed like superheroes." Sun asked the duo, who flinched, but both of them nodded.

"Yes, we followed you both. But it was for a special reason. You see, we have acquired a powerful device that allows a person to reform one of the legendary Pokémon of Kalos. A Pokémon that is said to govern the fabric of nature and serves as the overseer of the ecosystems of our world. Zygarde." Sina explained, smiling slightly. She looked to Colress, who nodded slightly.

"I worked in Kalos many years ago, searching for answers to my questions. I stumbled upon the legends of the trio that governed the powers of nature, especially the one that would intervene should the balance ever be upset. During that time I learned of Mega Evolution, which strayed me away from my studies of the legendary trio of that region, but not enough to put it out of my mind for later." Colress explained, a small smile on his face.

"Soon after I disbanded Neo Team Plasma, I went soul-searching and began to right the many wrongs I committed in the name of science by helping others and learning more about myself. When I discovered that my disbanded group had formed an alliance with an even worse group, I returned to help fight them off. Our efforts failed, and we retreated to Alola. I…However, made use of my contacts and began to orchestrate a plan."

"You see, while Kyurem is a mighty foe and is at this point, nigh undefeatable…There are still Pokémon in this world that can stand against it. Zygarde is one of them, possessing immense strength once its true potential has been unleashed. I ventured to Kalos to attempt to find the Order Pokémon and convince it to help us, with Sina and Dexio assisting me at Professor Sycamore's instruction. However…we only found a few Cells and scale fragments." Colress continued, but Lillie chimed in, confused.

"Cells?" Lillie asked.

"Yes. It seems as if Zygarde is able to split its body apart, when necessary. It can separate its body into Cells and Cores, with each small piece of Zygarde able to survive on its own. I believe it does this to allow it to be in multiple places at once and survey the land with its power. I tracked Zygarde to Alola…But in many, many pieces. Cells scattered throughout the land…So, I began the task of creating something to put it back together, so that we may properly request the aide of Zygarde in our future battles against Cipher." Colress held out a hand, and Dexio pulled a black and green device that he handed to Colress.

"This is the Zygarde Cube. A device I created with the help of Professor Sycamore to put Zygarde back together. Sina and Dexio followed you, Sun, because they believed you were a worthy Trainer to assist us in our quest to put Zygarde together. And I believe they are correct. So, I ask you this, Sun…Will you help us collect the scattered pieces of Zygarde and reform the Order Pokémon?" Colress asked Sun.

"Absolutely." Sun said without hesitation. If it would help end Cipher's horrible efforts, then he'd help out however he could.

"Wonderful. Now…This is too large of task for me to ask of a child. You're a talented boy, Sun, but recent events have taught me to be cautious. So…I believe splitting the task is necessary." Colress said as he held the cube in his hands. The scientist placed a palm on the device, making it shudder and flash green before it suddenly split apart, with one section of the cube remaining intact, but a large outer ring portion of it breaking off from the device.

"In order to cover more ground and allow the process to go more quickly, we've decided that Aria will assist you in this task. It'll allow us to make progress and sort out what to do now that we have both the Snag Machine and Shadow Celebi here in Alola." Colress explained as he handed the Zygarde Cube centerpiece to Sun, and handed the ring to Aria.

"I feel like there's a lot more to this than what you're telling me." Sun said to the group. Sina and Dexio grinned at the boy.

"There is, but that's not relevant now. If you can find some of Zygarde and collect some Cells and Cores, we'll be able to explain some more of this to you. Most of its guesswork that can't really be confirmed until we have something to work with." Dexio explained with a shrug.

"Alright…Wait, I have another question. What's going to happen to Celebi?" Sun asked the group. Professor Kukui spoke up, giving Sun a grin.

"That's where me and my wife come in. We're working on getting a special containment unit to hold Shadow Celebi so that we can study it. We believe that between Colress, myself, and my wife we can figure out how to purify it. Celebi is…likely going to be uncooperative in its current state, so that is our first step. Until the time comes to where we can study Shadow Celebi, Aria will hold onto its Poké Ball until we're ready to begin." Kukui explained, with Aria pulling out the Master Ball containing the Shadow Pokémon and flashing it to them.

"Once we get Celebi purified, any Shadow Pokémon we encounter can be purified once we get them away from their Trainer. It'll become invaluable once we figure out how to do it." Aria said to them, putting the ball away.

"And…why did you want me to come along?" Lillie asked Professor Kukui.

"The city isn't safe for you at the moment. Team Skull is causing trouble near the lab. I think they're up to something, but I can't be sure of what. So go along with Sun for a little while until we're sure it's okay for you to be at the lab and this city again. That way we can study Nebby a bit more when the coast is clear and hopefully find some new information to help us get it home." Kukui explained, with Lillie nodding slightly. Sun grinned at his friend, who smiled a little at the grin she was getting.

"I'll try not to hold you both back." Lillie said lightly to Aria and Sun.

"Nah, you'll be fine! The more the merrier." Aria said cheerfully, walking over to Lillie and clapping her roughly on the shoulder. Aria let out a gasp as her eyes glowed green-

* * *

" _I'm sorry, Lillie. I…This is the last time you'll see me for a long time."_

" _Brother, please! Don't…don't leave me alone with her. She's crazy…"_

" _I know, and that's why I have to do this. Alone. Just try and cover for me for as long as possible. Can you do that? It'll help keep her off my trail and help me get away."_

" _I…Yes. If it'll help keep you safe…I…I'll do what I can. Miss Wicke may even be able to help me."_

" _Thank you, Lillie. Stay strong, okay?...I love you."_

" _I love you too, Glady. G-goodbye…"_

" _Don't cry….Be strong for me. Okay?"_

"… _okay…"_

* * *

Aria clutched her head, wincing in pain as everyone stared at her. Aria stood back up, brushing her hair out of her face.

"Ignore that…Come on, Sun. Let's get you going to that Trial." Aria said before turning to the others.

"Just give me a few days to sort things out…Trust me, I'll be fine." Aria said before walking up to Hugh, who raised an eyebrow at his friend. "You'll be only a day or two, right? Then you're meeting up with us?" Aria asked Hugh. The young man nodded and Aria smiled widely before pulling him into a tight hug.

"Don't keep me waiting." They all heard Aria whisper loudly before she pulled Hugh closer towards her and kissed him full on the lips, making Hugh's eyes widen in surprise as a fierce blush crept onto his face, with a pink one coloring Aria's cheeks.

"Awww!" Lillie and Sina squealed as the two friends from Unova kissed. Hugh shut his eyes, pulling Aria closer into him. Sun coughed awkwardly and looked away from them, instead looking at Lillie, who caught his gaze. Both Sun and Lillie stared at each other for a moment before they both blushed, looking away from each other.

" _I'm NOT thinking of what it'd be like to kiss Sun right now!"_

" _I am NOT thinking of what it'd be like to kiss Lillie right now!"_

It doesn't take a genius to figure out who thought what.

Aria separated from Hugh with a gasp, panting slightly. The new Snagger grinned at her best friend from Unova and said, "And that...Well, I figured some things out. So hurry up and catch up so we can talk more about us, alright?"

Hugh stammered something incoherent in response, and Aria hugged him one more time before walking over to Sun and Lillie, wiping her mouth. Hugh fell to the ground behind them, wearing the widest smile on his face. Sun was surprised at how silly he looked, but then realized Hugh just got kissed by a woman he loved, who apparently returned the feelings he had towards her. Sun smiled at that, even as the group slowly splintered apart, with Kukui giving Lillie a hug and promising to inform her when it was safe for them to return. Sun put the Zygarde Cube into his backpack while Aria did the same.

"Alright, fearless leader. Lead the way." Aria said with a smirk as they watched the group around them depart. Sun grinned at the two girls he was traveling with and marched ahead, releasing his Pokémon to travel alongside them. Soon enough, Brago was padding beside him while Penny and Oliver flew overhead. Lillie couldn't help a smile as Nebby let out a cry from within her bag. Aria just watched the clouds, lost in her wandering mind as she struggled to grasp her gaze into the infinite reaches of time...

Their trek towards the first Trial of Akala Island had begun.

* * *

"Ma'am, I'm sorry to report that our pilot was ordered to return to the Paradise. There's been a change in plans."

Miss Wicke frowned slightly as she walked down the sidewalk, surprised at this. She had been expecting a helicopter to pick her up from a nearby clearing and then to be back at the Aether Paradise before sundown. This was quite odd.

"How do you mean?" Miss Wicke asked the man on the other end of the phone.

"I believe there's someone else that can explain better, ma'am." Miss Wicke heard a small beep on the other end of the line, and was surprised to hear the melodious yet firm voice of the President of the Aether Foundation begin speaking to her.

"Miss Wicke, I'll need you to stay in the city for a little while longer. One of our volunteers at the Pokédex Registry Center picked up on…something that just cannot be ignored. As much as I loathe to divert time away from our studies of the Ultra Beasts, this is a matter that must be looked into."

"Ma'am, what are you talking about? I thought nothing was more important than tracking down Cosmog?" Miss Wicke asked the woman on the other end of the phone.

"All of my leads have turned up _nothing_ …" the President practically snarled with frustration. "So I will bide my time. Soon my little flower will make a mistake, and then both of them will be mine once more. But until that wondrous time, do tell me…Have you ever heard of the Legendary Pokémon that can travel through time?" the President asked, with Miss Wicke feeling a small thrill of horror roll through her. Her mind raced as she considered the implications of what was just asked and what it might mean for the precious little girl in white that had just departed the safety of Heahea City. One thought burned in her mind, and made her heart sink with worry.

" _Lillie…please be safe."_


	39. Small Rebellions

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _50,000 views...What the actual hell..._

 _I'm just stunned, truthfully. This story has almost as many views in less than a year than my last full story has had in more than five years._

 _So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you all for the views, favorites, follows, reviews, feedback and support. It's because of that stories like this one do as well as they do. They'd be nothing without you all._

 _So, onto the proper and planned AN._

 _T_ _his week has been god awful. Hopefully you all have been doing well. I'm heading off now to pick up USUM. So hopefully that'll improve things._

 _I also completely forgot you battle Hau on your way to the Water Trial…And I follow another Sun and Moon novelization story that's further along on the story than me, so how the hell did I mess that one up? And it's because of that this chapter ended up 30% longer than it should have been._

 _The song depicted in the scene later in this chapter is a portion of the song "This Life Is Mine" by Jeff Williams. I do not own the song, but I do think it's wonderful and I absolutely consider it to be a song that reflects a lot of Lillie's struggles and her growth as a character._

 _Also, to respond to a few comments from last chapter, I am a huge fan of RWBY. I actually went to the RWBY Panel at RTX back in 2016. Fun times. And I'm a new fan of SVTFOE, and have been reading StarCo fanfics like crazy lately._ _By the way, just in general, feel free to message me regarding stuff like that if you want to. It may be surprising, but I'm pretty approachable when it comes to just talking with people. Answering questions about the story, advice, or just chatting. I'm fine with whatever. I'm just another person at the end of the day, and it's always fun talking with readers about other fandoms or even Pokémon. So yeah, go for it. Just please respect the fact that I'm busy with school and may not be able to respond right away._

 _Due to a request from a few chapters ago, I decided to go with a chapter from a…different perspective, or rather series of perspectives. This is why feedback is important. Because it does nothing but help a story improve. Thanks go out to Infinite Nexus, who suggested the idea a few chapters ago. Hopefully this turns out as well as you hoped!_

 _Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes The Dragon Legend, sceptilezeno, Madame Rodoshe, Consumer of Fantasy, Cottonmouth25, BraviaryScout, Gokan123, Technetium2, Sai Og Sus, Ways, and two new reviewers known as Angelfir3 and Antex-The Legendary Zoroark. Thank you all so much for the support!_

 _Also, quick little note_ _ **.**_

 _ **PLEASE DO NOT POST SPOILERS FOR ULTRA SUN AND ULTRA MOON IN THE REVIEW SECTION. OR ASK ME ABOUT IT, OR ANYTHING. I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO COMPLETE THE GAME RIGHT AWAY AND DO NOT WANT STUFF SPOILED FOR ME.**_

 _ **Or PM me about the game, or anything like that. PLEASE don't be that person, is all I ask. It'll be a while before I'll be able to complete the game and there are people who occasionally read the review section, and I just don't want things spoiled for anyone. If people want to discuss things with me regarding the new games, please wait until I post a chapter and say that I've beaten the game. Then by all means, go nuts. **_

_**And as far as incorporating USUM things into Radiant Sun, I'll just have to say that nothing will happen as of now, because I have no idea what the game will introduce aside from what was shown in the trailers. So just give me time to play and beat the game and I'll let you all know.**_

 _And on that note, enjoy._

* * *

 _Chapter 39: Small Rebellions_

* * *

Oliver couldn't help but let out a piercing screech as he slammed into a Lillipup, delighting as the dog Pokémon went soaring into a tree, and then falling to the ground unconscious. The Dartrix laughed as he swooped back towards Sun, who was grinning at his starter.

" _Zzzt! It looks like Brago just learned the move Helping Hand!"_ Rotom Dex said as he floated by Sun.

"If we keep this up, that Totem Pokémon won't know what hit it. Good job you two." Sun said as he tossed a green Poké Bean at the Dartrix, who snatched it out of the air. Sun fed a red bean to Brago, who gobbled down the treat, but seemed annoyed despite this.

"I still don't like how Oliver has to keep interfering in my fights. I should be strong enough to stand on my own." Brago grumbled, snorting out a burst of fire.

"Yeah, but you're not. We've been with Sun way longer than you. Of course we're way stronger. And we're in a place with much stronger Pokémon. Teaming up to take on opponents like this is how weaker Pokémon get strong. One of the ways, anyway, so stop complaining." Penny chided the Growlithe from her perch on a nearby tree. Brago rolled his eyes and just continued on the forest path.

The group had been travelling for most of the day, with the three of Sun's Pokémon out of their Poké Balls and training along the way, slowly getting stronger. Their Trainer was the happiest they had seen him in quite some time, with hope burning in his eyes. He still carried the sadness inside of him. The weight that seemed to drag him down. The pain that came from within...but there was a spark of hope inside of him, and that's what burned the brightest.

It made them happy to see him happy, and so they battled even harder against the poor Pokémon that wandered into their path.

Sun was currently focused on getting Brago up to par with everyone else. This usually involved having Brago come out to face a Pokémon, and then have Oliver or Penny switch places with him and finish the fight. And while the Growlithe was making great progress, he still struggled against the stronger Pokémon of Akala Island.

They had gained a new travelling companion in the form of the time-traveler, Aria, as well. She had spent the past few days explaining various elements of traveling to Sun and Lillie, as well as giving odd tips here and there concerning battling. Even Lillie, as a non-Trainer, had listened to the woman's advice. The most useful bit of advice was telling Sun that travelling with all of your Pokémon out and battling everything in sight was not only one of the most efficient ways to power up your team, but also the most fun in her eyes.

When asked why Aria wasn't doing that herself, she explained that she was trying to keep a low-profile and the only Pokémon that wouldn't look out of place here in Alola was her starter, Sophie. Oliver shivered at the thought of more Pokémon as strong as that Jolteon, but comforted himself with the knowledge that the Eeveelution was the peak of the time-traveler's team. Starter's were almost always the strongest member of a team, after all.

Though, Oliver had to agree that being out of the Poké Ball with his teammates was delightful. It was nice being able to fly alongside his Trainer and his teammates. He wondered how the Brionne owned by that Hau boy coped with not having a Trainer as great as his own. Oliver realized he was being a little biased, but then realized he didn't care that much.

So, the Dartrix turned his attention away from the Growlithe as Penny swooped past him. Oliver watched the bird, entranced for a moment before shaking his head.

"See something you like, birdbrain?" Penny called back to him.

"Not if you were the last bird on earth, beaky!" Oliver shot back, amused at the remark. They often squabbled, but it had become a game of sorts between them. They'd annoy each other, push each other, and argue, but they remained teammates that had each other's backs. Penny was a good friend.

Oliver flapped down to Brago's eye level, seeing the dog grumbling in annoyance. While the Growlithe had fit well into their little cast of misfits, he seemed to be annoyed with being so weak compared to them. Oliver couldn't think of anything to alleviate the canine's annoyance, which bothered him slightly. Oh well. They'd either figure something out, or Brago would just have to get stronger.

"It is nice to see how they're all working together." Lillie remarked, reaching down and petting Brago. The Growlithe tensed at the girl's touch, but relaxed as his head began getting scratched.

"Such a good boy." Lillie cooed while Oliver and Penny laughed. Brago couldn't give a care, though. This girl had magic fingers.

"Mama?"

Oliver's eyes narrowed as Nebby suddenly poked his head out of the large bag that he was always carried in. The Cosmog's voice was always childish but curious to them, like a hatchling still discovering the world around it. Lillie looked down and reached into the bag, pulling out the Cosmog.

"You slept in late today, didn't you?" Lillie said as she hugged the Cosmog with a happy smile.

"Can't help it…I was sleepy." Nebby tried to pout, but it was ruined by the Pokémon sighing with joy as it was being hugged by the girl who had taken care of it for so long. Oliver couldn't help a faint smile on his face at the display of love between the two. Lillie had earned the respect of each of them with her kindness to them and the close friendship she shared with their Trainer. And it was that respect for her that allowed Oliver to trust the girl when she had commanded him in battle just a few days ago.

"Sleepiness is one thing. Being lazy is another." Brago said to the Cosmog, who pulled a face. Oliver swooped down and examined the Cosmog, who seemed content to be in his caretaker's arms. The strange Pokémon had always confused him, truthfully. It seemed like something from another world. Something extraordinary, which was odd because it seemed to only be able to exist. It had no moves to speak of, no abilities that made it special.

But Oliver could feel his power. Dormant, yes…But very much there.

Penny shared the same sentiment as him. The Cosmog confused her and made her uneasy, but she admitted the Pokémon was just a child and should be protected. That Oliver agreed with, as did Brago when they broached the topic with the Growlithe. It was instinct, for them. Pokémon children were precious and must be kept safe. The humans believed that too.

"You have a good mother, Cosmog." Penny said to the strange Pokémon. Nebby opened its eyes, smiling at Penny.

"I have the best Mama." Nebby said proudly, wriggling in Lillie's grip and flying free. With a happy laugh Nebby soared around the group and tapped Brago on the snout, surprising the canine.

"Play tag with me!" Nebby called as he soared ahead.

"Nebby, come back!" Lillie called to the Cosmog. Oliver and Penny shot after Nebby, quickly stopping its progress in the air. Brago leapt into the air and grabbed the Pokémon in his mouth, landing on the ground roughly. He slowly padded back to Lillie, with Nebby wriggling in his grip. Not hurting the small Pokémon, but definitely ensuring it wouldn't flee.

"I just wanna play! Come on!" Nebby whined. Soon enough Nebby was grabbed by Lillie, who thanked Sun's trio for their help, and put Nebby back in its bag for a little while. That was just about the most exciting thing to happen for the remainder of their third day in the wilds, so when the sun began to descend they decided to stop on the edge of a small cliff.

"We'll make camp here and make it to the town by tomorrow morning." Aria said to the two children. Lillie and Sun had no complaints. The new Snagger had kept them going at a much quicker pace than what they were used to, but allowed them to have way more breaks from walking than they would have usually gone for. Oliver was curious about why this was, but he realized the new Snagger seemed unwell and tired, and was struggling to keep the pace she was obviously used to.

Soon enough the group was settled for the night, with a pot of stew cooking over the fire. Oliver and Brago ate their kills while Penny ate birdseed their Trainer had packed. Nebby was hand-fed as always by Lillie, while Sophie the Jolteon nibbled at some fish.

"So…Aria?"

"Yeah Sun?"

"What's going to happen now? You know, with you and your friends?"

The three Pokémon of Sun looked at the strange Trainer that had come through time as her expression turned thoughtful. She considered the question for a few moments before she crossed her arms.

"Recovery. And then we plan. I have a little plan of my own, to tell the truth, but there's no point in considering it because I'm in no state to deal with any of that. I'm still adrift…So I'm going to get my head on straight. Let Colress and the others figure this out for a bit. They've got something going on with Zygarde, so we'll focus on that for now." Aria explained quietly, flexing her hand. The girl hissed as her eyes suddenly flashed green, sending her rocking forward for a few moments before she recovered, shaking her head.

"Ugh…That sucks." Aria grunted, brushing her long black hair out of her face with a strained grin.

"And the Snag Machine?" Sun asked. Aria looked down at the device attached to her arm, which was attached to the hand she had been flexing. Oliver wondered what was going through the time-traveler's head.

"I guess I'll take Wes's place. He only taught one other person how to use it…me. I'm willing to take on that mantle. After everything, I am not going to give up on beating those idiots. My friends are already looking to me to figure something out and…I'm not going to let them down." Aria said quietly, but the conviction in her voice left little doubt that she ever would give in.

"We all need a hero." Sun said with a small smile. Lillie smiled at the remark, and Sun's trio of Pokémon could tell by the little girl's expression that she was looking at her own hero as their Trainer spoke. Aria slowly nodded, pulling out the Master Ball that contained Shadow Celebi.

"It starts with this. We purify Celebi. We recruit Zygarde to our cause. And we kick in Cipher's teeth." Aria breathed, her grip on the Master Ball tightening. Oliver couldn't help but feel satisfaction at the girl's words. The group had been the source of his Trainer's misery. The Dartrix hoped that the entire group burned for what they had done.

Oliver had fought Shadow Celebi and Amber's Shadow Rhyperior. He had seen the suffering in their eyes. The agony they went through just to _exist_. And the evil that manifested in an aura around them. It was a crime against nature, what the group known as Cipher had done.

"I wish I had the chance to tear apart those fools myself." Brago growled, his tail swishing slightly.

"After last time? They'd tear _you_ apart." Penny said to Brago, who bared his teeth.

"All the more reason to get stronger. So that way, next time it's them who go down." Brago said as he closed his mouth, instead laying on the ground. Penny and Oliver quite liked the dog, but he certainly was a proud one.

"Wait, what's that?" Sun suddenly spoke up, pointing to something just out of their sight. Oliver soared into the air and saw his Trainer jogging towards a strange wriggling green worm-like creature. Sun regarded the creature with confusion before he suddenly dropped his backpack down on the ground and pulled out the strange device he had received the other day. The Zygarde Cube, Sun had called it. Without any prompting the strange creature was sucked into the device and Sun looked down at the Cube in confusion.

"Hey Aria, I think I found a piece of Zygarde!" Sun called to the older Trainer. Aria gave him a thumbs to the boy as she inhaled more of her stew. Lillie watched on silently, eyeing the Zygarde Cube with interest as it glowed faintly in Sun's hands. Oliver and his teammates had listened to the conversation the three humans had been having as of late, and knew that the strange device was the key to reforming a god-like being. Zygarde, they had called it.

It was not one of the Pokémon deities Oliver was familiar with, but he knew the name held great power. The Dartrix ruminated on this before he felt a wave of tiredness hit him. He had been awake for too long, again. He landed on the ground, his eyelids drooping.

"Get some sleep." Oliver looked over at Penny, who was watching him with worry. She was usually the one who reminded him to rest, and tonight was no different.

"Right…Thank you." Oliver murmured as he shut his eyes, allowing himself to recover from the events of today. Oliver drifted peacefully off to sleep, knowing his teammates would keep watch in his stead.

Penny guarded the camp with Brago well after the humans had retired for bed. The older one, Aria, had at first insisted that someone stay up to keep watch. But the children had soothed the girl's paranoia and insisted she was safe in Alola. What she didn't know is that Sun's three Pokémon had recently started keeping watch anyways. Oliver kept watch at night and slept in the day, while Penny and Brago stayed alert in the daytime. Oliver often ended up awake more often than he should have been, but he never complained. Despite everything, his loyalty to Sun trumped everything else.

And so, when Oliver awoke and took watch, he maintained unyielding vigilance. He wasn't sure quite why he kept watch like this. He had done this long before he and his teammates had chosen to keep watch. Tonight, he decided to ponder this.

Was it because he was a trained Pokémon? Or because he was Sun's starter? His first Pokémon. Oliver had never been caught, like the others. No...

He and Sun had _chosen_ each other. They were _partners_.

That was why Oliver did what he did, the Dartrix realized. He protected Sun with everything he had, because they were bonded. Because of Sun, Oliver had become stronger. He had been able to evolve, thanks to the love and care he had received from the young boy. And in return, Oliver…well, Oliver certainly enjoyed teasing his Trainer. He wasn't exactly a nice Pokémon, per say, but he had fun at the expense of others and as long as no one was seriously harmed, he didn't really care.

But despite all of that…Oliver _cared_. He wanted the best for his Trainer, and cared for his happiness. And because of that, he would never stop fighting for his Trainer. He had prevented Sun's untimely demise twice now, at the hands of Cipher, by putting his own self in harm's way. And he would continue to protect his Trainer however he could until the time Giratina called for him.

Oliver was startled at a sudden burst of moment as Lillie bolted upright, gasping as she clutched her chest. Oliver's head tilted in confusion as the girl gasped for air, looking around with a horrified expression on her face. The girl seemed to realize where she was, because she sighed deeply as a tremor rolled through her.

"A dream…it's just a dream, Lillie…" Lillie said quietly to herself, but not quietly enough to keep from rousing Penny and Brago. Sophie opened a single eye, but when she saw the other Pokémon awake, the Jolteon decided to return to sleep.

Oliver's eyes widened in surprise as he saw Lillie cry softly to herself, shaking as she struggled with whatever had awoken her. Oliver had watched his own Trainer sleep enough times to know that she had suffered from an awful nightmare. The three Pokémon could see the tears streaming down her pale cheeks, the raw fear and pain in her green eyes. The owl cast a look at Penny, who seemed sad at the girl's suffering and shuffled slightly from her perch. The Trumbeak then fluttered over to Lillie, who sniffed a few times, trying to calm herself. The girl then noticed the Trumbeak beside her and scratched the bird's head.

"Thank you." Lillie whispered to Penny, casting her gaze to Brago and Oliver. "All of you."

"So stupid…Letting something like that get the better of me." Lillie sighed as she got to her feet, stretching. She wiped her face and began rummaging through her bag, pulling out a small device. She inserted two…things into her ears and Oliver's head cocked in confusion as he heard music begin playing from the strange items in the girl's ears. Lillie sat down on the ground, closing her eyes and attempting to calm herself.

"Just like Trainer…her heart hurts." Oliver said quietly to Penny, who looked up at him. Penny didn't reply, but that was mainly because Lillie had begun to sing quietly to herself.

 _Mirror…Can you hear me?_

 _Do I reach you?_

 _Are you even listening?_

 _Can I…get through?_

 _There's a part of me that's desperate for changes…_

 _Tired of being treated like a pawn._

 _But there's a part of me that stares back,_

 _From inside the mirror._

 _Part of me that's scared I might be wrong…_

 _That I can't be…strong…_

Oliver could feel the surprise from his teammates, even from his perch. The girl had a surprisingly wonderful singing voice. They had heard her play the flute with their Trainer before, but this was the first they had heard her sing. Lillie opened her eyes, holding a loud and hauntingly beautiful note for several long seconds before she shut her eyes again, listening to the remainder of the song in silence, feeling emotion bubble up within her as she trembled where she sat.

"Being back on Akala is doing this. It was where everything started for me. When all of my doubt and pain was fresh…" Lillie murmured as she finished listening to her song. Out of all of Jeff William's masterpieces, this was one that truly spoke to her. Crimson Dawn sure had one amazing producer.

Lillie started as a groan rang out from camp and Aria sat up, rubbing her eyes. She spotted Lillie and gave the girl a sleepy smile, but that vanished when she saw the girl's troubled expression.

"Hey. You good?" Aria asked as she crawled out of her sleeping bag and stretched, looking at the trio of Pokémon that were awake and watching them.

"At ease, you three." Aria said lightly as she walked over to Lillie, who slumped her shoulders but scooted over so that Aria could sit down next to her.

"What's up? You look sad." Aria asked the girl gently. Lillie didn't reply, instead closing her eyes. She always managed to mess things up.

"It's nothing…"

"We both know that's not true. I may be new to this place, but I know someone who's just had a bad nightmare. Wes had them all the time. I still do." Aria said softly, putting a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"I…Yes, it was a nightmare. About my mother. I…I can't help but fear I'll mess up. I'm so scared that I'm not strong enough, not good enough to do what I have to do. Everyone believes in me, but I…I can't even break my old habits from home. How am I supposed to help Nebby if I can't even stand as my own person?" Lillie despaired, hanging her head in her hands. She knew she was supposed to keep all of this bottled up. This was all supposed to be a secret, so that no one would get hurt…but right now she just didn't care. It was too much to handle for her. She needed to talk to _someone_ about this. To the Lillie's surprise, she felt two arms wrap around her, pulling her into a comforting embrace.

"Wow, that's a lot. Information overload…" Aria laughed a little, but her expression became serious after a moment.

"So…You've gone through a lot, from what I can tell from that little outburst you just had. And I don't know your whole story, so there's only so much I can advise you with. But if you're trying to deal with breaking the chains people ensnared you with, whether it's from an abusive boyfriend or parents controlling their kid's every damn move, I think I can offer you some advice." Aria said to the girl, releasing her from the hug. Lillie nodded slowly, listening to what the woman had to say.

"So, what's the basic situation? Don't tell me specifics, just give me a ballpark to work with. That little tirade didn't really explain much." Lillie hesitated, unsure if she wanted to say anything. But…this was someone new and unburdened by as many problems as Sun had. Hau didn't and couldn't understand, but maybe an older friend would.

After all, as Hau always said…You could never have enough friends.

"Um…It's concerning a parent who dictated every little thing I did for many, many years. I ran away from home, but I can't seem to break out of the mindset I grew up with." Lillie said quietly, sighing at her own weakness. This wouldn't be easy for her.

"Hey, enough of that. So…Every little thing?" Aria asked quietly.

"Yes. What I wore, what I ate, what I listened too. What I was allowed to think. How I behaved. Her views on the world became my own. Even her views on my own self-worth became my own beliefs…I ran away after taking Nebby from her. Since then, I've been trying to help Nebby get to its true home, as well as discover who I truly am." Lillie said haltingly, but her voice became a little stronger as she finished what she was saying. It felt good to articulate what she really wanted.

"Hmm…Alright. So you want to break those chains your mom had on you? Okay. So, let's start with what you've done. You've already done some things to go against your controlling mom, right? You ran away from home. That's a good start. What else?" Aria asked Lillie, who nodded.

"I eat all sorts of things my mother would hate. I get to read whatever books I want and listen to whatever music I want. I get to stay up past my pre-approved bedtime, and I even get to buy my own clothes." Lillie explained to Aria, who grinned at her.

"There we go. That's progress!"

"But…I can only do small things like that. I can't bear to wear anything besides my dresses from home. The ones my mother loved to have me wear. They helped make me beautiful, in her eyes…" Lillie trailed off, shaking her head. "I can't seem to break out of this mindset that this is all for naught. She always said that I was weak at heart. A coward. That to be loved, I had to be perfect. A proper lady that _obeyed_ when called upon. She said so many things about me, about my character and who I am, that I still believe the things she told me even though I know they're not true…I _hope_ they're not true…"

"…"

"According to her, I had to stay at home for my own protection. Once, I asked her if I could have my own Pokémon for company, she told me that becoming a Pokémon Trainer was for idiots who wanted to harm them. That Trainers who battled for fun were sadistic and cruel. I…I don't believe that quite so much, but I still can't take the leap and decide to become a Trainer on my own. I _want_ to, Aria, but I just _can't_ …" Lillie hung her head, feeling drained at this outpouring of emotion. She knew she shouldn't have thrust her problems into the hands of another. Especially someone who was struggling with recovering from an incredibly painful event, but the nightmare had rattled her. She just…wanted someone to talk to. She didn't want Sun to always be the one she ran to for help. It wasn't fair to him. His friendship meant too much for her to tarnish with her problems.

Even though she knew he would listen anyway.

The older Trainer remained quiet at the information. Aria had a bit of a stifling upbringing herself, but certainly not to this extent. The Snagger felt a rush of gratitude towards her parents for being loving and supportive her entire life. Aria thought hard about what to say to Lillie, before recalling a book series Hugh had shown her. It was one of her favorites, and she recalled a certain chapter that applied to this situation…sort of. But it made sense to her, damn it!

So she took the plunge.

"Have you ever heard of a small rebellion?" Aria asked Lillie, who shook her head, confused.

"What is that?" Lillie asked.

"Well, the concept is simple. But I call it that because it's the title of a chapter I read in a book once. In a book about magic and swordplay and dragons. Freaking awesome stuff, but anyway! It was in the last book of four. One of the main characters, a woman who had become the leader of the resistance against an evil king, was captured by the enemy and brought to their capital city. Cut off from her friends and with little resources at her disposal, she racked her brain time and time again for some way to fight back. To resist. To rebel is some small way, to do anything to show that she was her own person still. That her spirit wouldn't falter. That she wouldn't give up, despite how hopeless her situation was."

"And…how did she fight back?"

"Well, she managed to steal a spoon that was brought in with her dinner. She sharpened it into a knife of sorts and used it to kill the servant that brought her food every night. She managed to kill two guards as well in an escape attempt. It was completely pointless, because she was captured a few minutes later. But still, the act of trying meant everything. It showed that her spirit wouldn't be beaten without a fight." Aria explained to a disturbed Lillie.

"That sounds…very violent."

"Well, yeah, but the book is amazing. Besides, when you're stuck in the enemy's stronghold and want to escape, you'll do whatever you have to. Hell, I've killed people before. It's…awful, but necessary."

"Oh…"

"It's not something I want to dwell on either. Wes got over it. So did I. But we're getting sidetracked. Lillie, if you want to really work on breaking all of those chains still wrapped around you, you've got to start and continue with the small rebellions. So keep expanding your comfort zone. Break the rules. Dance in the rain or something, I don't know. Just keep working at it. And don't stress about not being able to handle the big things. They'll come in time." Aria said with a shrug. To her surprise, Lillie actually smiled.

"I…Heh. Dancing in the rain…" Lillie smiled finally, a small burst of happiness within her at the fond memory that surfaced. One of her happiest memories. She held it in her mind for a moment before it faded, bring her back to reality. She knew what Aria was talking about and decided to consider it deeper.

She had already made many small steps, hadn't she? She had stolen Nebby. She ate unhealthy food every now and then. She spent time with boys (scandalous!) and listened to music that was quite unladylike. She had traveled outside much more than she could have ever dreamed to back home. She had also developed an attraction to someone, which her mother had been very against over the past few years. Ever since her father…

"Oi."

The little girl snapped out of her musings again with Aria smiling at her. "You're a strong girl. I can tell. You just need to take some time and sort all of this out. Vent. Get things off of your chest. And break every single one of the stupid rules you don't like that your mom came up with into little pieces."

Lillie couldn't help a defiant grin on her face. "I'll try. Some things will be easier to work on than others, but…I want to be my own person. I don't want to be that perfect little girl. I want to just be Lillie."

"Good. I'm rooting for you." Aria pulled Lillie into another hug, surprising the girl, but Lillie returned the embrace after a moment. It was warm and comforting, but strong and firm. Aria let go of Lillie and stood up, stretching.

"I'm going back to sleep. You should too, so you're good for tomorrow." Aria advised Lillie, who nodded and went back to her sleeping bag.

"Goodnight Aria. And thank you."

"Goodnight Lillie. Sweet dreams, kiddo."

Lillie turned around and waved at Penny, Oliver, and Brago and told them goodnight before she slipped into her bag and wrapped her arms around Nebby, who cooed softly in his sleep.

Thankfully, her dreams had calmed down and allowed her a few hours of comfort before the sun rose once more.

* * *

"Holy crap, it's like we're a low-budget movie…and it's amazing."

Sun had a similar reaction, though he didn't voice that aloud. After four days, they had arrived at Paniola Town, which was an old-fashioned country sort of town. It looked just like one of those cheesy movies out of Pokéstar Studios. Wooden houses, dirt instead of concrete and the smell of manure lingering faintly in the background. It was a quiet and peaceful town that-

"HEEEEEEEY!"

And then everything changed when the Hau Pakelaai attacked.

Or showed up. Whichever you prefer.

"Hey! Sun! Glad I ran into you!" Hau said cheerfully, putting his hands behind his head.

"Dude, why are you here? I thought you'd be at the Trial by now with Demi." Sun asked his friend, who chuckled.

"Well, me and her decided to grind in this area. Now my team's waaaaay strong. So…we can see who's stronger now, Sun!" Hau declared, pulling out a Poké Ball. Sun saw the shining bracelet on Hau's wrist and Sun's eyes widened in surprise.

"Heh. I see your surprise, sir! My gramps must've thought I did good enough in my Grand Trial, 'cause he gave me a Z-Ring, too!" Hau said proudly, doing a fist pump.

"That's wonderful Hau. I'm happy for you!" Lillie said to her friend with a wide smile on her face.

"If you want to battle, Hau, then I'm game." Sun said with a grin, crossing his arms. Hau laughed, bouncing up and down on his feet.

"Ah yes! Having a battle in a place like Paniola Town feels like we're in a real old-fashioned Western showdown or something, right? This is so cool!" Hau said with a laugh.

"You should do corny accents and pretend to shoot each other." Aria suggested with a chuckle, putting a hand on her hip. Hau raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Who's this chick?" Hau asked.

"Aria. I'm from Unova. Nice to meet you." Aria said, extending a hand to Hau. The cheerful boy grinned and shook her hand, always happy to meet new people.

"Same with me! Welcome to Alola!" Hau said to the woman, who laughed a little as the group began walking towards the center of the town. Sun noticed a prancing girl in a bright blue sundress coming towards them and beheld a cheerful Demi grinning at him. Feya the Shiny Fletchinder soared above her, chirping a greeting to Oliver and Penny.

"Though if we're real honorable cowboys, we've gotta make sure our teams are healthy first." Hau said with a small laugh. Lillie stepped in to heal everyone on Sun's team, patting each of the Pokémon on the head and wishing them good luck. Sun returned them and thanked Lillie before turning to Hau, who led him to a vacant spot in the town that seemed to be cleared just for battles.

"So…who do you think is gonna win? Hau's put in a ton of extra effort training. He's good." Demi asked Lillie, who nodded.

"That may be, but Sun hasn't lost to him yet. And Sun's been working all of his Pokémon out these past few days. It'll be interesting." Lillie replied to Demi, as she shifted her gaze to Aria. Demi's eyes widened in surprise, pointing a finger at the time-traveler.

"Wait…You're that super cool chick from Unova! I saw you do an interview last year with Roxie!" Demi shouted, only for Aria to clamp a hand on the girl's mouth.

"Yes, I'm Aria. I'm keeping a low-profile." Aria said to Demi, who nodded in understanding. Aria released the girl, who beamed widely.

"I met a celebrity today. Awesome."

"Not really a celebrity, but if it makes your day better, think whatever you want." Aria said as she stuffed her hands in her jeans. She really should've gotten a new set of clothes back in the city. Oh well.

Soon enough, Hau stood across from Sun, beaming as he put his hands behind his head and shut his eyes. Sun took a calming breath before exhaling, feeling the thrill of battle creep into him. He smiled as Hau spoke up.

"Awright team! Let's show this newbie what Alola's got!" Hau declared.

"Has he forgotten I've beaten him three times now?" Sun asked no one in particular as Hau snatched a Poké Ball from his belt and tossed it forward.

"Duke, let's roll!" Hau called out, releasing his Pikachu. The Mouse Pokémon landed on all fours, a spark rolling through its body.

"Alrighty. Brago, come on out!" Sun called forth the Growlithe, who let out a loud bark upon release. The fierce canine gave Duke a sharp look, making it take a step back. Hau smirked at that, knowing that Intimidate had just hit his Pikachu. But he knew Brago wasn't nearly as strong as Sun's other Pokémon. This would be an easy win.

"Duke, Electro Ball!" Hau shouted to his Pikachu. Duke dashed towards Brago like a blur, leaping into the air and spinning around while a ball of electricity charged up at the tip of the Pikachu's tail. With a cry, Duke unleashed the raging ball of electricity towards Brago.

"Dodge, Brago! Then hit Duke with Bite!" Sun commanded the Growlithe. Brago nodded and dashed forward, but not quick enough to avoid the ball of lightning. Brago snarled in pain but tanked the hit regardless, rushing forward to meet the Pikachu as it landed on the ground. Brago lunged at Duke, opening his mouth wide to clamp his teeth down onto the chest of the rodent.

"Piiikkaaaa!" Duke screeched as Brago thrashed the Mouse Pokémon around, snarling furiously. Brago then let go of the Pikachu suddenly, grunting as a surge of electricity surged through him and made his muscles seize up.

Sun winced, realizing what had just happened. Brago had been hit with Static, Pikachu's Ability. Sun knew that the weaker Growlithe wouldn't be able to stand up to the Pikachu much longer. But…

"Brago, let's wrap this up. Ember!" Sun called to his Growlithe, who nodded sharply.

"Duke, use Electro Ball!" Hau shouted, unsure of what Sun was planning. Both Pokémon released their attacks, but the fire and electricity collided in the middle of the battlefield, creating an explosion of smoke and force.

"Brago, return." Hau's eyes widened as the smoke slowly cleared, with Sun holding a Poké Ball and recalling his Growlithe with a glow of red light, wearing a smirk.

"Awww! Lame!" Hau pouted as Sun gave his friend a shrug.

"Brago's getting better, but I only got him a little while ago. Don't judge me for using your Pokémon as experience for him." Sun pointed out as he pulled out another Poké Ball.

"Just so long as you don't send out that sadistic owl just yet, I'm game for whatever."

"Right…About that…"

"Sun, please don't. I'm begging you, buddy."

"Nope. Oliver, let's go!"

"Daaartrix!"

"…Crap."

Demi looked at Lillie and asked, "What's with Hau and Oliver?"

"Oliver has single-handedly beat Hau's entire team three times now. He _is_ Sun's strongest Pokémon and he has a type-advantage of sorts over Cassy and Duke, so that makes sense. But Oliver's also a bit of an eccentric Pokémon, and so…all of Hau's Pokémon are basically terrified of him." Lillie explained as Oliver flapped into the air, eyes gleaming as Duke the Pikachu slowly backed away in fear.

"Alright Duke…Let's give this thing a beatdown, Hau-style!" Hau declared, punching his fist outward. "Use Electro Ball!"

Duke leapt into the air and released a ball of lightning at the Dartrix, who let out a trill as it dove at the Pikachu. The owl smashed into the attack with a wince, and Sun called out, "Use Razor Leaf, Oliver!"

"Electro Ball again!" Hau shouted desperately as Oliver drew closer. The Pikachu let out a cry and spun around, discharging another ball of electricity at the approaching owl, hitting it yet again. However, this didn't stop the barrage of leaves that rained down from the sky, slicing into the Pikachu again and again until it crashed onto the ground, swirls in its eyes.

"Whelp, knew that was gonna happen. Once again, one freaking attack." Hau sighed, smiling dryly as he returned Duke. "Good battle, buddy."

Hau put the Poké Ball away and pulled out another, looking down at it. "Come on, Cassy. Let's put this thing in its place!"

The cheerful boy released his Brionne, who landed on the ground with a jubilant cry, throwing her arms wide in joy-

And then she saw Oliver.

Cassy looked back at Hau with a deadpan expression on its face. Hau just shrugged, and Cassy hung her head and sighed before turning back around to face the Dartrix.

"You know, if you caught another Pokémon you wouldn't be stuck in this position, dude." Sun said before he held up Oliver's Poké Ball, recalling the bird.

"Hey, I've tried! I just don't wanna catch a whole bunch and have them waste away in the PC. If I'm gonna catch something, I think I'll take a bit more care in it." Hau explained as Sun pulled out another Poké Ball.

"I feel you there. Brago, come back out!" Sun called forth the Growlithe, who winced in pain from its paralysis. Hau grinned widely, thinking he'd be able to knock out the weakened Growlithe in one hit.

"Alright, Cassy! Let's-"

"Brago, return."

"You suck!"

"That's what she said!" Demi called out to Hau, who face-palmed as Sun gave Demi a massive grin. Lillie just shook her head while Aria snickered with mirth.

"Penny, come on out!" Sun called forth his Trumbeak, who let out a cry upon release. Hau grinned fiercely, knowing that this was a more even fight.

"Cassy, use Disarming Voice!" Hau called out, throwing out a hand. Cassy nodded and opened her mouth, releasing a sound-wave of pink energy that slammed into Penny, knocking her out of the air for a few moments before she caught herself.

"Penny, use Pluck!" Sun commanded as the Trumbeak rose high into the air. Penny shot downwards like a bullet, her beak glowing like a beacon before she slammed into the Brionne, sending Cassy tumbling and rolling in the dirt.

"Cassy, you okay?" Hau called to his Brionne. Cassy pushed herself up, letting out a cry as an affirmative. Penny landed on the ground, flaring her wings out.

"Good! Use Disarming Voice again!" Hau called out to his starter.

"Match it with Echoed Voice!" Sun commanded Penny as she opened her beak. Both Pokémon released a soundwave of energy that rushed towards each other, culminating in an explosion of sound and energy that made both Hau and Sun wince and cover their faces as dirt kicked up around them.

"Hey Sun!"

"Yeah?"

"Knock knock!"

"Who's there?"

"Z-Move."

"…Z-Move who?"

"Dude, why are you asking? There's more important stuff going on! Like how I'm gonna use a Z-Move!" Hau said happily before he began to strike a series of poses. Finally, after watching his grandfather for so long…He would be able to harness the power of his people.

It started small, at first. Like a candle's flame. But it began to increase in strength, becoming a massive inferno that suddenly exploded outwards in his body, enveloping his Brionne before him. Cassy's eyes widened at the sheer power flowing through her. A fierce joy bloomed through her and gave her an incredible burst of strength and confidence. She and Hau felt their hearts and soul become one, possible because of the close bond they shared.

"Cassy, channel Pound… _and use Breakneck Blitz!"_ Hau shouted as the smoke finally cleared. Cassy let out a yell and slapped the ground hard with her tail, sending her rocketing towards Penny as she soared through the dirt cloud. Penny's eyes widened in horror as the Brionne collided with her, creating a sonic-boom of force and sending the Trumbeak hurtling backwards into the dirt.

"Penny!" Sun shouted in horror.

"Heh! Not bad for a first attempt!" Hau said proudly, crossing his arms as Cassy bounded back over to him. Hau patted his Brionne on the head, but then he saw the Trumbeak they had been fighting slowly rise from the dirt, shaking in pain but still plenty able to fight.

"Dang…Ah well. Cassy, knock it out with Aqua Jet!" Hau called out, pointing a finger at the weakened Trumbeak. Cassy let out a cry as water engulfed her, making her race towards Penny quicker than the Trumbeak could react. The Brionne collided with Penny, knocking her high into the air.

"Penny! Correct yourself in midair and swoop down with Pluck!" Sun called to the Trumbeak as she reached the height of her ascent. The Trumbeak's eyes snapped open and she flared her wings out before tucking them into her body and diving downwards. Cassy looked up at her opponent, her eyes widening in horror before Penny slammed into her with a glowing beak, sending her tumbling into the dirt. The Brionne rolled several times before she finally stopped, completely knocked out.

"Aww, man…Just like usual, you came through with the win." Hau laughed as he scratched his head, returning Cassy. Penny soared back over to Sun, who beamed at the Trumbeak.

"You were amazing. You took that Z-Move like a champ." Sun said to Penny, who chirped with happiness as Sun patted the bird on her head.

Aria couldn't help a smile as she saw the scene. Hau's cheerful attitude despite losing, as well as the love Sun showed his Pokémon, made her feel a warmth of sorts.

" _It's nice having something to smile about again."_ Aria thought as Demi and Lillie ran to their friends, with her slowly following behind.

"Ma-a-an, that was some kinda battle! Our Pokémon all look like they had a blast, too!" Hau said with a laugh as he put his hands behind his head again. He then closed his eyes, taking in the moment, before opening them again and reaching into his backpack.

"Right then. Here. I'll share my bit of good luck with you, Sun." Hau said to his friend, pulling out a small capsule. Sun recognized it as a Dire Hit, and pocketed it.

"Thanks, Hau." Sun said with a grateful smile. Hau chuckled, putting his hands on his hips.

"You know how the Totem Pokémon are all, like, surrounded by some aura type of power? Well, if you use a Dire Hit on your Pokémon and manage to land a critical hit, that aura won't mean a thing!" Hau explained to Sun, who nodded. He'd keep that information in mind.

"Thanks for the heads up," Sun said to Hau.

"Heh. No problem. You know…" Hau glanced at Demi and Lillie, his smile widening at the sight of his two female friends. "Pokémon battles are just like, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. But you're only a loser if you don't have any fun while you're at it. Right?" Hau said to his friends.

"Debatable. I mean, some battles have to be serious. But having fun is important." Sun said to Hau, who stuck out his tongue at him.

"I agree. But hey, you do you, man." Aria said to the cheerful boy.

"Meh. Anyway, I'm heading off to Paniola Ranch! Demi, let's get a move on now that these Slowpokes have caught up!" Hau said cheerfully as he jogged off to the next Route, waving happily to them. Demi sighed, muttered something under her breath, and departed with a smile and a wave.

"He seemed really nice. So did the girl. I'm guessing those two were the friends you kept talking about?" Aria asked Sun.

"Yep. Hau and Demi. They're two regular balls of energy. Lillie thinks they're going to hook up."

"S-sun! It's not polite to gossip!"

"It is kind of fun though. You wouldn't believe how many newspapers I had to burn when people thought me and Roxie were a lesbian couple." Aria said casually, earning two bewildered looks from the children. Aria looked back at them with a wide grin.

"Long story short, don't trust Vivian with anything important." Aria replied to the two children's questioning gazes.

"…Why?" Lillie asked.

"Well…the last time we did, Nimbasa City got frozen and millions died because she forgot she had the Master Ball on her. She's the reason our mission failed, along with Borlath's betrayal. She and Noah didn't come to the hospital to see me for a reason. She's too scared to face me." Aria said with a small sigh, rubbing her temples as her smile faded.

Sun and Lillie exchanged a look of horror, wondering what would happen should the two women run into each other. This definitely explained Hugh's annoyance with the violinist, that was for sure.

"But we're getting sidetracked by negative crap. So. Pokémon Center. And then, a drink. Lillie, what are the Pokémon Centers here like?" Aria asked as Lillie walked towards the building, with her and Sun following slowly, trying to wrap their head around the idea that Vivian had been the reason the final fight against Cipher had ended badly.

"Comfortable. Relaxed. There's a café in every one, on top of the amenities that all Pokémon Centers have." Lillie explained as they approached the building in question. The group decided to restock and have lunch at the building, with Aria declaring she was in love with Alolan Pokémon Centers. Lillie and Sun both pulled out a book to read while drinking Moomoo Milk. Aria decided on Pinap Juice, and ordered cookies and Poké Beans for their Pokémon to enjoy. Before Sun could thank the woman, Rotom Dex popped out of Sun's backpack with a giggle.

" _Ahh. Now thizz is a mighty fine place. A Pokédex could get used to living in a place like this, pardner."_ Rotom said as it floated out of Sun's backpack, its voice somehow gaining a country twang to it, making Lillie giggle.

"I'd like to at least stay the night here." Lillie said as she pulled a sleeping Nebby out of its bag.

"I think that's not a bad call. Hugh should be catching up with us in a little while, so…yeah. There's that to look forward too." Aria said casually, though Sun picked up on a faint blush on her cheeks.

"How did that happen, anyway? From what Hugh said, he didn't know how you felt towards him before you vanished." Sun asked Aria, who chuckled.

"True. I was confused on it myself, for a while. I knew I liked him, but I didn't know if there was more there. We're birds of a feather. Compassionate. Determined. Hot-headed. I knew he was nuts over me, but I wasn't sure if I was ready for a relationship with him. I was…admittedly scared it'd make him a target for Cipher. But going through time made me realize how much I missed and cared about Hugh. How much I depended on him. He's my best friend. He's helped me through so much and has always supported me and I…just realized I felt something more there. I knew for sure when I started crying in his arms back at the hospital. That's when I knew I wanted something more than friendship. He means too much for me not to want to be more with him. He told me he loved me, back there in the hospital room, and I realized that's what I felt too. Its hard to explain..." Aria said quietly, a small smile on her face.

"That's so romantic." Lillie sighed, dreamily closing her eyes. The Snagger blushed, laughing awkwardly. Sun just sipped his Moomoo Milk, making sure not to meet Lillie's eyes as he considered what Aria had said about realizing her feelings for Hugh. Sun still remembered the thought of wanting to kiss Lillie from the other day, and was startled by how much he wanted to do that.

" _She's your friend. And she's way out of your league. Our relationship is nothing like that of Hugh and Aria's. Keep focused."_ Sun chided himself as Aria and Lillie continued to talk. The trio got rooms at the Pokémon Center for the night and decided to explore the town, which despite not having a lot to do, at least had some colorful scenery and friendly locals. Rotom Dex led them throughout the area.

Lillie had decided to go shopping with Aria, deciding on getting a few clothes that went with her dress. After having Hau look up her skirt, she decided to just wear shorts and a tank top under her dress from now on, which Sun thought was a very practical and big move on her part. Sun decided to buy some souvenirs, including a clay statue of a Miltank, and paid for them to be shipped to his mother back on Melemele Island. Aria had acquired a cowboy hat and a plaid long-sleeve shirt to cover the Snag Machine on her arm, as well as a pair of tan shorts. She fit right in, according to Lillie, which pleased the older Trainer, though she admitted later it was just a relief to get clothes that didn't make the Alolan heat worse for her. Night inevitably fell upon the town and the heroes retired for the evening, glad to be in beds after a few days of hard travel.

Sun and Lillie decided to spend some time reading together, as the night wore on. Aria had retired early, which wasn't surprising. Despite the older Trainer keeping them going at a fairly intense pace, she wasn't at her best after going through the Passage of Time. Sun was fine with that though, because he wanted the woman to recover and be at her best. Once again, he had made another friend in Alola.

"So…what do you make of all of this?" Sun asked Lillie quietly, making her look up at him in surprise. The girl hummed quietly in response.

"We'll see…I'm worried about Team Skull's activity. Hau and Demi are giving me daily updates on their progress and being adorable all the time. And Aria is a really strong woman. She's straining to keep up that strong look though, and doesn't want to see how badly the time-travel thing is bothering her." Lillie said thoughtfully, folding a page down to mark her spot as she looked at Sun.

"I think all we can do is just try and be her friend," Sun said quietly.

"Sounds like a good plan to me. She was quite patient with me the other night when I was having some confidence problems. Her advice to me was very helpful, even though I still worry about…some things." Lillie said to Sun, her mouth curling into a frown.

"Hey, enough of that. You're awesome and you'll always be awesome." Sun said to his friend with a sincere smile as he set his book down. Lillie couldn't help but grin in return. He was so handsome when he had those kind of smiles on his face. The true, happy ones. And it was because of her that he was smiling, which made her even happier.

"Sun, can I have a hug?" Lillie asked softly, looking away from Sun as heat rose to her cheeks. Sun chuckled and turned around, moving his arms around Lillie's stomach and making the shy girl squeak in surprise before melting into the embrace. As usual, Sun's arms around her sent a simple joy through her heart. She felt warm, happy, and safe. The girl twisted in Sun's embrace and hugged the boy back, sighing. They remained like this for several minutes until Sun spoke up.

"Lillie, you're weird."

"How so?"

"Because you are way too happy about me hugging you."

"Please…You have the best hugs."

"Is that so?"

"Yep. And you said back in Melemele Meadow that I can have hugs from you whenever I like. It's so embarrassing in public…BUT we're alone, so I'm collecting on that promise."

"I spoil you, Princess."

"That's because Hau's a guy and you're too awkward to do this with any other girl."

"True. Very true."

"And I'm happy with this. Because I can have all your hugs for myself."

Sun chuckled at that, though he reflected on this exchange. Here he was, practically cuddling (again) with one of his closest friends and just chatting casually about it. Again Sun felt a maelstrom of confusion as he considered his friendship with Lillie. His incredibly pretty friend that he would do anything for. That he tried to help as much as possible, just like she had helped them through his own struggles. He wondered if Hau felt a similar way about Lillie. He had mentioned that he had a crush on the girl himself. Hau had said that he liked Lillie. Maybe Sun felt the same way.

" _It's time like this I wish I could talk to Dad. He'd straight up tell me what I was feeling, instead of have myself figure it out like Mom…"_ Sun thought before he shuddered. What was he thinking? He didn't want his father anywhere near him.

Lillie was surprised when Sun tightened his embrace around her, pulling him closer to her for comfort. The warmth she had felt before felt like an inferno as she realized how close their faces were. Lillie thought back to her own feelings concerning Sun, and remembered what Miss Wicke had said.

 _"Truthfully, the best way to proceed is to figure out what you want, Lillie. Do you wish to pursue a romantic relationship with your friend Sun? Or do you simply wish to be friends? Is what you feel just a passing interest? Or do you think something deeper is developing? Do you love him?"_

Lillie considered Wicke's words, as she hugged Sun a little tighter. She knew she felt _something_ for him. As far as she knew, it was a crush and that was it. But as she thought about it, Lillie realized that maybe that wasn't quite all.

" _The best way to proceed is to figure out what I want…But what if I'm not sure what I want? Maybe in time I'll figure out my feelings. No…I know I will."_ Lillie thought to herself, smiling a little wider. _"Well, for starters, I know that I don't want this hug to end. And I want to spend as much time as I can with Sun."_

To Lillie's delight, the hug lasted for another ten minutes. And she enjoyed every second of it. She didn't care if she didn't know her feelings towards her friend.

Nebby was safe. Lillie was still free to explore the world and learn about herself. And she knew that she was with someone who made her happy...

And so she'd continue to rebel with everything she had.


	40. Pleasant Days

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow Americans and happy Thursday to everyone else! I figured I'd drop an early update on you all so…boosh. Hope you like it!_

 _Man…Chapter 40. Wow. We're officially a 1/5 of the way done with this story. And I've got a lot more fun stuff in store for you all._

 _Seems like a lot of people enjoyed last chapter, especially the perspective change with Oliver and the fluffy bit at the end. Fun fact, that ending was completely rewritten twice._

 _I originally had something else entirely planned for the ending, which ended on a dark but touching note, but decided to save that for later. Then I was going to do a thing with Tapu Lele showing up that I scraped, and then decided on the scene that ended up in the chapter. I think this ending worked out best, because Sun X Lillie is my ship and it's gonna sail into the damn sunset._

 _Things are definitely coming together at this point in the story and I'm really liking with how this arc is coming along. So yeah, let's keep the good times coming. Or at least as good times can come in a fanfic written by yours truly._

 ** _Speaking of, here's my thoughts on Pokémon Ultra Sun so far. Non-spoiler (sort of) review as of beating the game, including post-game content. Or at least the RR Episode. Also, feel free to message me questions about the game and all that stuff now. Thank you for being patient and allowing me to enjoy the game without having anything spoiled. You all were very understanding and I appreciate the respect you all showed me._**

 _So, my thoughts on the newest games. Sort-of non-spoilerish review._

 _-The fact that Lillie's Theme plays more than once in this game made me very happy. It plays in the very beginning and several times after that. Yas._

 _-Up until you battle Lusamine, this game is a slightly different retread of Sun and Moon. After that, the game switches a lot of things up which I enjoyed, but ¾ of the game is basically the same as its predecessor. Again, this was incredibly annoying and super disappointing when I realized this._

 _-The new Totem Battles are interesting and were pretty good. Water Trial and Electric Trial were the highlights for me._

 _-The new Elite Four member was a great touch. On top of that, the modified teams for the Elite Four were really well-chosen and challenging._

 _-The twist with defending your Championship the first time at the end of the game…Was damn near perfection. I was grinning the entire time. Loved the remixed theme too._

 _-Hau's development in the game was fantastic. His character is even more awesome than in the original games and while it may have came at the cost of Lillie's development in the game (as well as scrapping two of her best moments in the games), I appreciate what they did with Hau in this game. I truly do. They gave him an amazing team that actually gave me trouble at times and made him a legit rival as well as your buddy in the game. I'm considering going back on what I've said before and making his USUM team his RS team, just because it's so much better than his team here. It's my biggest gripe about Hau as a character, is that his team is lacking a bit. USUM fixed this wonderfully._

 _-They made up for Lillie getting her two best scenes scrapped because of the post-game content. I'm okay with this, because Lillie is not only adorably awesome, but she shows that she's a badass too._

 _-Ultra Necrozma is…Well, it's pretty damn cool. Its theme is also the coolest theme I've heard in a while. The design, is just...hehehehe...That battle was fun and very, very awesome._

 _-Post game…imagine Delta Episode, but with more fanservice. I enjoyed every moment of it, even if I was under-leveled and used every trick in the book when it came to defeating the past villains. Their teams, themes, and schemes were so awesome. ESPECIALLY MY FAVORITE VILLAIN, GHETSIS._

 _-Glad to see Colress getting a little bit extra prominence. I was really happy to see my favorite scientist being weird yet awesome, as he only can be. Madame Rodoshe, you will be very happy to hear this has inspired some future scenes with Colress. Maybe not a thing with Porygon-Z, but definitely some more Colress content to come down the road thanks to USUM._

 _-All in all, I don't know if should recommend the game or not. I had fun, I enjoyed the new content an insane amount, especially the post-game, but a solid portion of the game is literally just replaying Pokémon Sun and Moon again with new Pokémon and some modified trials here and there. As of now, I'd say get it, maybe don't buy both games like I did. Or do. It's up to you. It was fun, and has me even more inspired to keep this story going strong, but on the other hand I feel a bit let down because I thought that all of this new stuff wouldn't be relegated to the last 10 hours of the game and the post-game. It was fun and awesome, but disappointing and definitely not a Black 2/White 2 situation, where the sequels were better than the originals._

 _Final Team: Oliver (Decidueye…Don't judge me), Zane (Zoroark), Aaron (Ampharos), Jet (Vaporeon), Belle (Salazzle), Hail (Alolan Ninetales)._

 _I would've had Flygon on my team, but it's damn near impossible to get some of the more fun Pokémon in USUM. It's making me seriously reconsider Sun's sixth and final Pokémon because I know it'll also be a bitch and a half to get in-game…_

 _And no, Sun's final Pokémon isn't Flygon. Didn't even consider doing that. And don't ask what it is because you won't find out for another like, two and a half years._

 _Also, in regards to seeing the Poké Pelago and the appearance of Mohn in the story…I'm still undecided. I know that they're important, and I have a very good idea in mind of how to explore that, but I'm still trying to decide on if I should do it or not in the way I have in mind. I do have a plan for Festival Plaza, to an extent, but dealing with the Poké Pelago is another matter entirely. I'll let you all know if/when I decide on a course of action with it, but know it won't be explored on this island for sure unless I have some kind of breakthrough in brainstorming on it. It's not something I can do lightly or flippantly._

 _Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes Madame Rodoshe, The Dragon Legend, Infinite Nexus, Angelfir3, sceptilezeno, DarkestShade73, BraviaryScout, a Guest reviewer, Cottonmouth25, TyForestGames, Ignaci0, and Consumer of Fantasy. Thank you all for the support and feedback!_

 _Sorry about the super log AN. Sometimes those are necessary._

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 _Chapter 40: Pleasant Days_

* * *

"Torch, use Flame Wheel!" Demi shouted with a wide smile, her Quilava nodding sharply as he let out a growl at his opponent. Feya the shiny Fletchiner cried out encouragement to her teammate while a floating Litwick watched on silently from above.

"Zubat, dodge it yo!" the Team Skull Grunt yelled out desperately, gritting his teeth in frustration.

Hau couldn't help but whoop with glee as the speeding and flaming Quilava slammed into the Zubat, knocking it out of the air and onto the ground senseless. Demi did a fist pump of sorts and called, "That all you got, bonehead? Hit me with your best shot!"

"Stupid girl. Grimer, go get 'em!" the Team Skull Grunt shouted as he released a greenish-colored blob that glared at Demi and her Quilava. Hau stood beside the girl, nodding slightly at the new arrival.

"Think Torch can handle it? He's knocked out like, five Pokémon now." Hau asked his friend, who chuckled.

"My Torch can handle a lot more than that! Isn't that right?" Demi asked her Quilava, who let out a cry as his flames burned brighter.

"Grimer, use Bite!" the Grunt called out. The Grimer slid forward with surprising speed, baring its glowing teeth.

"Get into the air and use Quick Attack!" Demi shouted. Torch nodded, waiting for the Alolan Grimer to approach. It then leapt high into the air, dodging the snap of his opponent's jaws, before it suddenly sped downwards and smashed into the pile of goo, making it snarl in pain as the Quilava bounded away.

"Finish it off with Flame Wheel!" Demi commanded, grinning with triumph.

"Use Poison Gas!" the Team Skull Grunt yelled out, but it was too little too late. The Quilava burst into a rotating wheel of fire and sped forward, slamming into the Alolan Grimer and knocking it to the ground, where it slowly oozed with a groan.

"Shit…This girl's good." One the female grunts muttered, backing away.

"We thought grabbing that shiny bird she had would be easy but…screw this, let's bail!" the trio of grunts sprinted down the road, leaving Demi and Hau alone.

"Wooooo!" Hau cheered as Demi knelt down and fed her Quilava a Poké Bean before patting him on the head.

"You were awesome, Torchy. You're be caught up with Feya in no time." Demi praised her Quilava before turning to her Litwick.

"Aou, see that just now? You've gotta just…you know what, I don't even know. But you'll get into the passion of battling soon. Okay?" Demi said to the floating candle Pokémon. It just gave her a blank look in reply.

"Still no drive, huh?"

"Yeah…I don't know what to do about it. He really hates battling, but I mean…I dunno." Demi sighed before she perked up, grinning. "But that was still fun."

"You were awesome out there. Three-on-one and you showed them up with class." Hau said to his friend, grinning at her with pride. She was definitely quite a battler, that was for sure. He wondered if she would be able to beat Sun, but then pushed the idea out of his head for now. They had a Trial to focus on! And Sun was his rival, darn it! He was supposed to be the one to defeat him!

"Thanks." Demi said as she leaned Hau's shoulder, chuckling. "Shouldn't be much longer to Brooklet Hill. Maybe another day or two."

"Sweet. So…let's get going?" Hau asked his friend, who was leaning against him and was making no effort to move. Demi hummed for a moment, her expression thoughtful.

"Sure." Demi leaned up and kissed Hau on the cheek, making the boy's eyes widen in surprise. Demi backed away from Hau, blushing furiously but looking very pleased with herself as she turned her back to Hau and skipped away, laughing softly.

Hau held his cheek, blushing pink with surprise as he watched the girl saunter ahead of him. Demi looked back at the boy staring at her, winked at him, and began walking while whistling cheerfully.

The boy behind Demi caught up with his friend in a few seconds, smiling so wide he thought his face would burst with joy.

* * *

Lillie whistled a happy tune as Aria walked alongside her, watching the countryside with a content expression on his face. Sun waked ahead of them, battling anything that came into sight, with Brago again getting assistance from Penny and Oliver. Since he was focused on this, Lillie and Aria were able to talk without the boy listening in, which the older girl made use of a few hours into their traveling for the day.

"So, I've got a question for you."

"Um…shoot."

"Are you and Sun a thing or…?"

"You've only been in this time period for a few days, and _already_ you're starting with that." Lillie huffed, crossing her arms in annoyance as a blush crept onto her face.

"I mean…You and him were alone together for a _while_ last night. He's a cute little kid, you're an adorable little girl. And from the way you're blushing…well." Aria winked at Lillie, who flushed a darker shade of red.

"I will say nothing about the subject. It's our business, not yours." Lillie retorted with a huff, making Aria chuckle.

"I can't judge. I had a crush on Wes for months before I realized it wouldn't work out."

"Really?"

"Oh god yes! Hugh was sooooo jealous back then because I couldn't stop fawning over my teacher. It's so embarrassing looking back on it, heh. Wes let me down gently and explained some stuff and I got over it." Aria remarked with a small laugh.

"I bet. I know I start to feel annoyed when other girls flirt with Sun." Lillie admitted with a small sigh. She hated the idea of her being jealous over girls giving Sun attention, because she had no right to feel that way. Sun was her friend, and he should be allowed to interact with other girls however he wanted to.

"Well, that's natural. You should let him know that you're interested though."

"Maybe…I'm still sorting out how I really feel. I want to be sure of both my feelings and his before I risk changing our friendship. It means too much to me to mess up with carelessness."

"So you DO feel something for him!" Aria cried out triumphantly, wearing a wide grin. Lillie sighed and hung her head, ashamed for falling for Aria's trick. Aria laughed softly and was about to comment further when a familiar shout caught their attention.

"About damn time I found you all!"

"Hugh!" Aria yelled out happily, looking around them. She then looked up and grinned. A green blur rushing towards them from above alerted them to the Unovan's appearance, with the young man leaping off of his Flygon and tackling Aria in a fierce hug as soon as he got close enough to the ground. Both friends fell to the ground, laughing as they wrestled on the ground, struggling to remain dominant in their tussle. Aria managed to pin Hugh to the ground, a grin on her face. Hugh leaned up and kissed the Snagger on the lips, making her eyes widen in surprise before she leaned into the kiss, pressing her body against Hugh's.

"So…that's a thing?" Sun said awkwardly as he walked back to Lillie. She didn't have an answer to that, lost her in own thoughts as she looked skyward.

"Sun?"

"Yeah?"

"I want to tease Aria about Hugh."

"…Okay?"

"Want to help me?"

"Sure. Maybe give them a little bit, though."

Soon enough, the group continued moving forward, with Hugh and Aria leading the way as Lillie and Sun trailed behind and enjoyed each other's company, allowing the two Unovan's to catch up.

"So, any news?" Aria asked Hugh as the two walked alongside each other.

"Well, Kukui is nearly done with preparations for Shadow Celebi and studying Lillie's little friend. Cipher is completely unaware of your presence here and that Shadow Celebi has returned from the past. You're safe. Though I was warned by Professor Burnet to keep an eye out for a robber who's been sighted near the Lush Jungle."

"A robber?"

Hugh nodded, though he shrugged as well. "So idiot with a Gothitelle. Oddly enough, he has no affiliation with the local crime group, Team Skull. This loser calls himself Night Slash, and he targets lone Trainers travelling near this area. Wears a red mask and carries a machete. Pretty stupid in all honesty, but the fact that he's sent four people to the hospital this month alone is enough for people to be worried." Hugh explained, sounding unconcerned. After what they had been through, some robber didn't exactly rattle them.

"Sounds like someone who loves cliché horror movies. Should we look around, see if we can find this guy?" Aria asked.

"On an unfamiliar island with you having trouble keeping your mind level? No. Give it a week or two and if no one's stopped this creep, we can look around." Hugh said to Aria, who nodded slowly.

"Usually I'm proactive about this. I hate being sidelined."

"I know…How've you been feeling? Seriously." Hugh asked Aria, who sighed deeply.

"Tired. Sore. I can't travel as fast as I'd like, and I know those kids have noticed. They're pretty smart. I'm not sure if I'm having nightmares or flashes into the future, but sleeping is horrifying. Moving isn't fun either, come to that. There's no respite for me." Aria said as she rolled her shoulders, wincing at the movement. Colress's famous Heal Pulse Treatment worked wonders, but it had its limits. Some injuries could only be healed with, ironically, time.

"You're going to be okay…right?" Hugh asked worriedly.

"Yeah. I think so. Just…don't let go of me. I'm actually still scared this is just another vision from the time-stream and I'll wake up adrift in the Passage of Time." Aria said in a small voice, a rare note of fear in her voice. She started as Hugh wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close to him.

"The day I let you go again is the day I die." Hugh murmured to his friend, a small smile on his face. Aria couldn't help but laugh as she wrapped an arm around Hugh and walked side-by-side with her best friend.

"So what did you decide?" Hugh asked Aria after a few minute of comfortable silence.

"…I want to be with you. You're already in enough danger from Cipher and I'm sick of being alone while everyone else gets to be loved." Aria sighed, feeling a headache coming on. She tried so hard, but so felt so tired. Maybe agreeing to explore the wilds with Sun and Lillie was a mistake. Maybe she really did need to take it easy for a bit.

"You were always loved. It just took you a while to see it." Hugh said quietly, looking away from her as he blushed at his own words. Aria felt a warmth in her at his reassurance, however. She was nervous about all of this, but…screw it. She was determined to see this through and act on her feelings.

Hugh felt a hand on his face, slowly turning him towards his friend before she kissed him on the lips, making him feel like he had swallowed a flame, spreading warmth through him. Hugh closed his eyes, savoring the moment, before they separated. Hugh then started as he remembered something, and reached under his shirt to pull out two pendants, one of topaz and the other of ruby. Both in the shape of hearts, though the ruby one was damaged.

"Holy…You have it! I was wondering where it had gone!" Aria stated in shock as Hugh separated the two necklaces, handing Aria her own pendant back. The woman slipped it around her neck, smiling widely.

"Nate found it a little while ago. It must've fallen off when Celebi attacked you." Hugh explained to his friend, only to be stopped short by another fierce hug.

"You held onto that for me? Damn it, I don't deserve you." Aria muttered as Hugh stopped the returned the embrace. Hugh laughed at that, but didn't reply. He didn't need to.

Sun and Lillie watched the display with small smiles, glad that the two friends were being so sweet to each other. After a moment, the older Trainers separated and continued walking, hand in hand.

"So, have you had any more of those future flashes?" Hugh asked Aria, who shook her head.

"I'm taking precautions. Long-sleeve shirt and only touching people with the Snag Machine arm. It hurts to do that, anyway, so I'll just keep-"

"Making out with Hugh, right?" Aria flushed pink as Sun and Lillie suddenly appeared on either side of them, both wearing wide smiles. Hugh looked at the two children with a confused expression while Aria sighed inwardly. These two had a long way to go when it comes to teasing people, but she'd give them this one…

This was going to be a long afternoon.

* * *

By the time the quartet arrived at the Paniola Ranch, which they had been advised several times by the locals in the town to go to, all four of the travelers were blushing and a little annoyed at each other. Lillie and Sun weren't making eye contact with one another and Hugh hadn't stopped blushing in over ten minutes. Because you better believe if the older Trainers were going to be teased for being in a relationship, they were going to tease the two children for the same thing.

"You kids are the best. I say that to counteract the next statement…You both suck." Aria grumbled, crossing her arms and pouting that two adorable kids had managed to get her flustered. The group was snapped out of their individual musings by a man standing at the front of the ranch they were approaching. The man in question pointed at Sun, who was leading the pack.

"Oh! You've got to be a Trial-goer, right? Well, you've got a good sense of timing!" the man said to them. Sun glanced at Aria, Hugh and Lillie, who all shrugged. Sun stepped forward with a smile.

"Uh, sure. Is everything alright sir?" Sun asked the man.

"Everything's going fine! It's just that the Captain's actually here now, so come on!" the man said, leading the group to the pasture proper. A large pink cow Pokémon stood in front of them, looking expectant.

"The name's Wesley, by the way. What can I call you four?" the man said with a friendly smile.

"I'm Sun. This is Lillie, Hugh and Aria." Sun introduced the three of them. Lillie, Hugh, and Aria greeted the man, who regarded the cow in front of them.

"Go on, lead these kids to the Captain." Wesley said to the Miltank. The Pokémon mooed in response and ran off towards the other end of the pasture, where a familiar girl with vibrant green hair was patting another Miltank on the head. Mallow turned as the quartet approached, grinning widely and waving them over.

"Thanks for stopping by!" Mallow said happily to them. Mallow noticed the new faces to the group and introduced herself to Aria and Hugh, the former of whom seemed confused as to who she was.

"New around here?" Mallow asked with an understanding smile.

"Something like that." Aria said with a sheepish laugh. Mallow gave the Unovan a quick explanation as to the mechanics behind the Island Challenge, as well as who and what the Captains and Kahunas were. Aria seemed interested, and Sun had a feeling the Captains would have another Trial-goer on their hands soon.

"Fascinating…So what brings you here?" Aria asked.

"Heh! I'm just double-checking a few things for business stuff. As well as keeping an eye out for trouble!...And maybe eating lunch along the way." Mallow said with a giggle, rubbing her stomach. "You know, the Moomoo Milk from Paniola Ranch is the best. It's so rich and creamy when you use it in white sauce and other things…Mmm! The taste can't even be described!"

"I'm hungry now. Thanks Mallow." Sun admitted, chuckling softly. Both of the Miltanks mooed in response, making Mallow laugh as well. The girl then became a bit more serious.

"By the way…Since I was lucky enough to run into you here, I'll do you a little favor." Mallow walked over to Sun and asked to see his Ride Pager. The Kanto boy obliged, handing the device over to the Captain. Mallow fiddled with it for a moment before laughing in triumph, handing the device back to Sun. While Hugh explained the mechanics of Ride Pokémon to Aria, who seemed excited, Sun looked over the device and saw that a new option was available for him to select. Stoutland Search.

"See, Stoutland can sniff out items for you that are buried in the dirt where you can't even see them!" Mallow explained with a wide smile. "Get up there and try it! There's all kinds of stuff laying around waiting for you to find it!"

"Sounds handy." Sun admitted, holding the device in his hand and grinning. "Thanks for the upgrade, Mallow."

"Anytime." Mallow said with a wink. The Captain glanced at Lillie, who was giving her a glare. Mallow giggled and returned her attention to Sun again.

"So. If you go all the way down to Route 5, you'll come out on Brooklet Hill. My friend Lana, as you might recall, is up there." Mallow said to Sun, making the boy nod.

"She seemed pretty cool. She didn't tease me nearly as much as you did." Sun said pointedly, making Mallow laugh with delight.

"Come on, I have to get my kicks somehow." Mallow said with a shrug, smirking like crazy now. "When you do get down to the Trial, say hi to Lana for me when you see her!"

"Sure thing." Sun said to the cheerful Captain. To Sun's surprise, Mallow bounded forward and hugged him tightly, making the boy blush in surprise. Sun returned the hug after a moment, and Mallow separated, grinning widely. Mallow fist-bumped Aria and Hugh and then hugged Lillie.

"You better make your move, girl. He's a nice catch." Mallow whispered into Lillie's ear.

"Back off. He's _my_ knight in shining armor. Not yours." Lillie replied with a hiss. Mallow bounced back with surprise in her eyes before she beamed at Lillie.

"Good! You need to stake your claim and make a stand. I'm happy for you, girl. He's all yours. Make sure to keep in touch, okay?" Mallow said happily to her friend. Lillie smiled at the response, knowing that despite the Captain's teasing, she was just looking out for her. Mallow was a flirt, but the Captain wouldn't ever mess with a friend in that way. With another wave, Mallow jogged off.

"She's energetic. I like that in a local leader though." Aria said as they watched the girl leave.

"You're making all kinds of friends. Just remember that you still need to keep a low profile. Technically you're in this region illegally. Kukui is sorting out the details, but just keep things on the down low." Hugh muttered to Aria, who shrugged. The two turned around and were surprised to see Sun wearing a bright outfit and sitting on a massive Stoutland, with Lillie handing him a helmet.

"Onward, my noble steed!" Sun declared before he suddenly took off on the Stoutland.

Lillie giggled at the sight of her friend rampaging through the ranch, finding a finding a Repel, a bottle of Moomoo Milk and a bottle of Fresh Water. The group questioned how healthy drinking those items were, considering they were found in the middle of a ranch, but video game logic, it was fine.

What wasn't fine was when Sun passed by a very angry Tauros, who roared at the Stoutland he was on and spooked the large dog into fleeing as the Tauros pursued them. Eventually the bull chased them next to a small pond, where it stopped running after them and just glared at the boy and hound.

"Bwo! Bwo! Bwooorrrrrr!" Tauros roared, stomping down on the ground furiously.

"Jeez, calm down big guy." Sun said as he hopped off of Stoutland, who was slowly backing away from the ornery bull. Wesley jogged over to where Sun was, as did Aria, Lillie, Hugh, and a young female ranch-hand that Sun learned later was named Sally.

"I wouldn't tease that one. If you do, he'll buck and kick you." Sally warned Sun as the group approached. Sun looked back at the Tauros.

"Tauros are generally known as spirited Pokémon, but this fellow is pretty feisty even for a Tauros." Wesley said with a small shake of the head. "But I guess it's not that surprising, considering how new he is to the ranch."

"So, why keep him around and not just release him into the wild if he's being a big bother to you?" Aria asked.

"Because…I'd like him to train and become a Ride Pokémon." Wesley admitted, crossing his arms. "But I can't even put him through his paces if he bucks at every little thing like this."

Sally smirked, an idea coming to her. "I guess we'll need the mistress's skill for this one!"

"Is that you?" Sun asked, confused.

"Dude, you're like ten or something. You shouldn't be asking girls to be your mistress." Aria said with a chuckle. Lillie flushed pink, as did Sun, but Wesley shook his head with a smile while Hugh and Sally just started cackling.

"Oh man…That's a good one. Me? Ridiculous! Hahahahah!" Sally slowly calmed down, putting a hand on her hip. "You think the mistress is some weak little girl?"

" _Weak? This girl looks like she could break my arm with no effort."_ Sun sweat-dropped, eyeing the girl's toned arms before he realized he was staring.

"Right then. It's time we called the mistress!" Wesley said with a nod before he whistled loudly. A loud moo echoed throughout the ranch, and Sun caught sight of a massive Miltank pounding down the path with fire in her eyes. It was no doubt that this Pokémon was the boss around here, given the steel in her eyes and the small scratches on her body that showed she had been in many a fight.

"Here she is…the mistress of the ranch! Miltank!" Wesley said theatrically as the mistress stopped in front of them. The Miltank stomped down with a snort, letting out a fierce moo.

"One roar from Miltank and even the most ornery Tauros is instantly as quiet as a little Litten!" Wesley bragged proudly as the mistress stomped repeatedly, sending small quakes through the earth. Sun started as a flash of light erupted from nearby, but he saw that Aria had released her Jolteon.

"She can translate for us. I figured it was a good idea." Aria explained, gesturing to the translation collar on the Pokémon's neck. Sun stepped out of the way as the powerful Miltank stepped forward, eyeing the Tauros. The distinguished cow Pokémon mooed several times at the massive bull, who's eyes narrowed in anger. The two engaged in a shouting match of sorts.

"So, what's the verdict?" Wesley asked Sophie, who was watching the argument between the two Pokémon with a growing look of horror on her face.

"… _I don't think there's a human equivalent as to what was just said. And I don't want to try and repeat it. I feel dirty enough having only_ heard _that."_ Sophie said softly, shuddering slightly.

"Rotom? Care to translate?" Sun asked. The Rotom Dex just beeped from within Sun's bag.

" _Sun. Buddy. I don't want to have to bump thizz story up to an M-rating just because of a translation."_ Rotom said simply, before going back to sleep.

"Well, they do say the stronger the Tauros is, the harder it is to control." Wesley sighed, crossing his arms again. "Looks like even the mistress is having a tough time with this one."

"So what now?" Lillie asked.

"Maybe if he burns off a bit of excess energy, it'll be a bit easier to bring him to heel…" Wesley mused, looking over at Sun. "What do you think, Sun? How about taking on Tauros in a battle?"

"Sure, I'll battle. Anything to help out." Sun said with a smile, already thinking of how to reign in the massive bull.

"Then don't hold back! Go all out against this one!" Wesley said with a wide grin as he slowly walked to the other side of Tauros, pulling out a Poké Ball. The group cleared off, leaving Sun alone against the Tauros and Wesley.

"Alrighty, Tauros. Let's get him!" Wesley said to the bull, who lowered his horns and growled in response.

"Heh. Not likely. Brago, let's go!" Sun sent out the Growlithe, who crouched and sent a piercing look to the Tauros, hitting it with Intimidate and weakening its attack power. Tauros took a step back while Bargo bared his teeth.

"Go, use Ember!" Sun commanded the dog. Brago nodded sharply and opened his mouth, spewing a burst of flame at the massive bull. Tauros snorted in pain, backing away from the fire.

"Tauros, hit 'em with Rage!" Wesley called out. Tauros snarled with fury, it's body glowing red as it charged at Brago, who stood his ground and was knocked back by the massive bull as it slammed into him.

"Brago, Ember again!" Sun called out.

"Alrighty, Horn Attack!" Tauros roared furiously, slamming into Brago with glowing horns as the dog spat more flames at his sides. Brago went airborne this time, but righted himself in midair, snarling in anger and pain.

"Ember again! Spread outward!" Sun called out, remembering how Sina had used the move to great effect against Celebi. Brago opened his mouth wide and held the fire in for a few moments longer before a larger blast of flames spewed forth, covering the grass the Tauros in fire and making the bull bellow in fury.

Sun pulled out a Poké Ball and said, "Brago, that was awesome. Return."

"Hey now, you can't just up and leave now." Wesley said with a smirk.

"Wasn't planning on it, _pardner_. Penny, let's go!" Sun released his Trumbeak, who let out a cry as she soared into the air.

"Ah, now I see. This is one of your heavy-hitters, eh?" Wesley asked Sun. He received a wide grin in response.

"Use Rage, Tauros!" Wesley roared. Tauros snarled in response, charging towards Penny and slamming into her as its body glowed red.

"Use Supersonic, Penny!" Sun called out to the Trumbeak. Before the bird could use the attack, Wesley called for another Rage attack that hit Penny and sent her tumbling into the dirt. The Trumbeak got to her feet with fury in her eyes. She wouldn't let some overgrown bull get the better of her!

"Tauros, go hit it with a Horn Attack!" Wesley bellowed as Tauros did the same. Penny let out a piercing screech of fury and shot towards the bull as Sun grinned widely, the thrill of battle rising.

"Brick Break!" Sun barked as Penny raised her beak into the air. Tauros slammed into Penny, making the bird cry out in pain, but then she brought her glowing beak down onto the back of the massive bull, knocking it into the dirt. Penny tumbled through the air before she soared high into the air, putting distance between it and Tauros.

"That thing's quick and strong. Tauros, use Scary Face and slow it down." Wesley commanded the ferocious beast. Tauros snorted and gave Penny a horrifying glare, but to the bull's surprise Penny was falling towards it with her eyes closed. Scary Face had been rendered completely useless thanks to the Trumbeak's quick thinking.

"Brick Break, Penny! Let's wrap the battle right here and now!" Sun called to Penny as the bird plunged downwards, her beak shining bright white. Tauros let out a startled bellow in response, but couldn't move quick enough to dodge Penny's strike, which knocked the massive Pokémon down on its side. After a few moments, the Tauros collapsed, panting heavily.

"Looks like Tauros is done. The winner is Sun!" Sally declared, gesturing to Sun. The Kanto-native chuckled as he walked over to Penny, who had soared towards him.

"Good job. You sure showed him, huh?" Sun said, patting the bird on the head. Meanwhile Lillie was beaming with pride at her friend, proud of him as always.

"He's got a lot of talent." Lillie turned around and saw Aria looking thoughtful. The Snagger smiled and said, "He's new to this, but he has so much heart. You can tell the love between him and his Pokémon runs strong, too. I can't wait to see where this kid would be in a year or two."

"It's a shame this place doesn't have a League." Hugh remarked with a small sigh. Lillie smiled knowingly, a small giggle escaping her.

" _I know something they don't know."_ Lillie thought to herself before she started at the sound of Wesley laughing loudly.

"Ahh, refreshing!" Wesley said with a happy sigh, returning the Tauros.

"Heh. Looks like you worked up a fine sweat! I think Tauros feels pretty satisfied, too." Wesley said with a laugh, clapping the massive bull on the side. The Tauros let out a bellow of agreement, sounding rather happy as Sally treated its injuries. The Miltank mistress mooed at the Tauros, who replied with a soft snort.

"Even Tauros couldn't stand up to the combined powers of the pair of you and Miltank." Wesley said with a wide smile. Sally walked over and patted the Miltank on the head.

"Thanks, sweetie. Just what we expect of the ranch's mistress!" Sally said proudly. The Miltank did a chest bump of sorts, mooing loudly in response. Sally and Wesley turned back to Sun.

"Thanks to you, I think we can finally start on this fellow's Ride Pokémon training. I hope you'll take this!" Wesley reached into the small fanny pack on his waist and pulled out a strange eye device that confused Sun.

"What is it?" Sun asked as Aria, Hugh and Lillie approached.

"That's a Scope Lens. It helps Pokémon land critical-hits. It's a pretty good Held Item." Aria explained as Sun stored the item away.

"Indeed." Wesley said as he pet his Tauros on the head, receiving a gentle moo in response. "With Ride Pokémon, even people who aren't Pokémon Trainers can enjoy a convenient life."

"And that's why we've got to appreciate them and treat them with compassion. Pokémon are our partners and friends, after all." Sally said with a small smile, with the mistress Miltank nodding in agreement. The group of ranch-hands invited the quartet inside for lunch, where they had homemade pizza using some of the fresh ingredient's from the ranch, including the white-sauce that Mallow had mentioned before. Sun thought it was all amazing, and had to stop himself from eating a third helping of food so he didn't feel sick later on that day. Of course that didn't stop him from having a few fresh cookies with fresh Moomoo Milk afterwards.

After lunch, the quartet said farewell to their new friends and departed, ready to continue their journey.

They spent the night in the fields, enjoying each other's company. The stars were on full display that evening, with no clouds obscuring them and allowing everyone to see them in their true astral beauty. Lillie and Sun played their flutes around the campfire while Hugh and Aria listened. After a while, Aria playfully danced with Sophie and Nebby as Sun and Lillie preformed their latest duet, with the duo receiving a round of applause from the two older Trainers and their Pokémon.

It was a wonderful night to be with friends.

* * *

" _Zzzt! Lookee there, Sun. Brago just learned Flame Wheel!"_

"That's how we do it!" Sun cheered as Brago let out a happy bark, sitting down on the ground and swishing his tail in glee. After finding more items on Stoutland and recovering another Cell of Zygarde, Sun was feeling pretty good about their progress as they approached a large house beside a fenced in enclosure, holding a variety of Pokémon playing with each other.

"Looks like Brago is almost up to par with everyone else." Hugh noted as they continued along the fields, hands in his pockets.

"Absolutely. He's putting in a lot of hard work." Sun said with a wide grin. He turned around to face the building ahead and asked, "So what's with that place?"

"It's the Day Care Center. There's usually one in every region, somewhere. This is where the one in Alola is located." Lillie explained to Sun, who nodded in understanding. Sun had read about the topic of Pokémon Breeding and the history of the Day Care system the week before he left for Alola. It was definitely a place he was interested in.

"You feel like checking it out?" Hugh asked Sun.

"Sure. Are you all just going to wait out here then?" Sun asked the three others.

"You go on inside alone. I'm gonna check in with Kukui and see what's up. From what Hugh told me, he's expecting us three to be at the lab today." Aria said to Sun, who nodded and entered the building.

After getting TM10 for Hidden Power from someone standing nearby, Sun approached the counter and got an explanation of the Day Care Center worker about just what the facility did for Trainers and Pokémon. It was certainly more interesting hearing about it from the point of view of someone who worked there than it was reading it in a book. As Sun said farewell to the woman at the counter, she stopped him before he could get out the door.

"Excuse me, but do you want one of the Eggs I found here at the nursery recently?"

"Umm…Sure?" Sun said uncertainly, surprised at the sudden offer.

"Thanks for taking it off my hands! And don't go trying to crack it just because you want to see what's inside!" The woman said way too cheerfully for the dark remark she made.

"Oh god, no! That's terrible." Sun shuddered at the implication, making the woman at the counter laugh.

"Heh. I've never heard of a Pokémon Egg cracking except when it's ready to hatch. If you carry a Pokémon Egg around with you, it will hatch into a Pokémon."

"Seriously? And here I was, thinking it would hatch into a three-legged grandpa."

"Are you making fun of me?"

"Maybe a little bit."

"Just…get out."

Sun walked out of the nursery with a smirk. After all, Pokémon Eggs were pretty expensive and there was no telling what kind of Pokémon was inside. And it'd be interesting taking care of a Pokémon Egg. It was a decision made on a whim, but maybe the Pokémon within would be a perfect fit for his team.

"So, find out anything interesting…You have an Egg." Hugh trailed off, eyeing the brown and crème–colored Pokémon Egg with confusion. All three of Sun's companions were surprised at this latest bit of information, but the surprise soon faded. Hugh smiled, crossing his arms as he wondered what was within the small Pokémon Egg. Lillie was grinning softly at the thought of Sun being a daddy. Aria was staring at the Egg with a knowing little smirk.

" _What are the odds…"_ Aria thought, looking down at her Jolteon. She knew exactly what was in the Egg Sun was holding. After all, she had hatched Sophie's Egg herself before she departed on her journey.

"It seems like you're having an e _ggcellen_ t day, Sun." Lillie said quietly, making Sun giggle at the pun. No matter how awful, he just couldn't help himself.

"Anyways, the verdict is that Kukui is heading here now to pick us up. He's prepared to study Shadow Celebi and Lillie needs to have a talk with him and Professor Burnet." Aria explained as she shoved her phone in her pocket. As if on cue, the Professor himself showed up in a flicker of teleportation.

"Alola, everyone!" Kukui said with a cheerful wave.

"Time to go already?" Lillie asked sadly. She had forgotten the Professor could Teleport, noting the Kadabra beside him. She was hoping he would take a little while to get there. Kukui gave the girl a small nod and Lillie sighed. She turned around to say something to Sun but found that the boy was walking towards her, and pulled her into a fierce hug. Lillie stiffened, a blush creeping onto her face, before she returned the gesture. The two children separated, and Sun turned to Hugh and Aria, who were both smiling at the display of affection they had just seen.

"Thanks for everything, you two. Keep me posted on what happens with Shadow Celebi, alright?" Sun said to the two older Trainers. Aria grinned, holding a fist out to Sun, which the boy punched. Hugh did the same with Sun, offering the boy a wide smile as Sun picked his new Egg Incubator back up off of the ground.

"Show that Trial who's boss. I won't be too far behind you." Hugh said to his friend, his eyes gleaming with excitement. It was obvious that the older Trainer was eager to battle the Trial himself. Sun nodded and turned to Kukui, who was grinning.

"Hey Sun, if you feel like meeting up in a little while, you should swing by Royal Avenue in a week or so. There'll be all sorts of fun battling events going on there." Kukui suggested to Sun, who shrugged.

"I'll see if I can check it out. First things first, I have a Trial to take care of." Sun said to the Professor, who smirked.

"Just show them your Strength and believe in your team. Do that, and you're golden, cousin!" Kukui said to the boy, giving him a wide smile and a thumbs up. Aria and Hugh drew close to the Professor and Lillie, preparing them for a Teleport. Sun waved to the group goodbye, but not before one final surprise.

"Have fun with your Eevee Egg!" Aria said with a massive grin, earning an annoyed look from Hugh before they all vanished with a small flash. Sun blinked in surprise before looking down at the Egg in his arms, a smirk on his face as he began digesting this bit of information. Sun released his team, now that he was back outside. They admired the Egg with curiosity, while Sun just thought to himself.

"So, an Eevee Pokémon Egg, huh? That's pretty cool." Sun admitted as he admired the brown and creme-colored Pokémon Egg in his arms, smiling at it.

And then-

* * *

" _Our little secret-"_

* * *

" _Don't let him find out!"_

* * *

" _I'll name her Nova! Fits, doesn't it, Mom?"_

* * *

" _Ua kaumaha loa wau._ _Sun…Someday you'll understand."_

* * *

Sun fell to his knees, his mouth open in a silent scream as a collection of memories slammed into him with the force of a freight train. Oliver, Penny, and Brago rushed to him, worried that he was hurt. But they saw the look of absolute horror on his face, and they realized that something far worse was happening to him. Something not physical, but mental, and enough to disturb Sun beyond comprehension. Sun slowly set the Egg down, his breath trembling as he tried to gain control of his emotions. He was failing miserably. Sun began hyperventilating, his breath ragged and strained as he clutched his face, his thoughts going haywire.

" _NO. NONONONONONONONO! Thiscan'tbehappening! Not here, not now! It's not…It's gonna be okay. It's going. To be okay. This is a different one. He can't…No. I_ have _to get rid of it. I can't think of it. It didn't happen. It's going to be okay. It didn't happen. It…did…not…happen…"_ Sun's thoughts ran wild, watching the Eevee Egg in front of him with growing terror. His mind rebelled and clawed at him, horror and rage and a scramble of emotions swirling within him as he tried to keep his grip on his sanity.

"Daar?"

Sun snapped his eyes open, seeing Oliver standing in front of him with a concerned look in his eyes. The sound of his starter's voice helped everything fall into place, reminding Sun that he was here in Alola. He was safe. He had his Pokémon. And this was a different time.

"Oliver…" Sun sighed as his Dartrix landed beside him, looking up at him with concern. Sun gestured for his Pokémon to come to him and he hugged them all tightly to him, trying to gain some comfort. Sun had no idea how long had passed when he finally let go of his Pokémon, shaking with the effort of remaining calm. Sun picked up the Egg and sighed deeply, trying his best to keep composed. All three of his Pokémon seemed very alarmed, which was understandable considering the breakdown Sun had suddenly had.

"I'll just give it to the first Trainer I meet or something. Maybe the Pokémon Center. Just…I can't keep this." Sun explained to his trio, who nodded understandingly. Maybe not quite understanding why Sun was deciding to suddenly give up the chance to nurture an Egg, but understanding that the Egg was causing him pain and that it needed to go.

Sun continued down the trail, his heart sinking as he continued to push that particular set of memories back. Forcing them to return to the deepest reaches of his head where they belonged. By the time night fell, Sun felt better and was back to normal, or at least normal enough to maintain the façade of being okay.

But he knew that this Egg was not going to be in his care much longer. He couldn't bare it…

Some memories were too painful to remember.

* * *

 _I wonder what that was all about…_

 _Alrighty folks, we're forty chapters in! And that means I've got another poll coming your way!_

 _So, here's my latest question._

 _ **What is your preferred starter Pokémon type? Fire, Water, or Grass?**_

 _I generally go with one specific Pokémon every time I start a new generation Pokémon game. I'm curious as to what you all will choose, so I'll end this author's note here. Next chapter we'll have the battle and official appearance of Gladion, which I'm looking forward to very much. And maybe another surprise._

 _Also, feel free to share your opinions on Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon in the review section, PM's, and all that good stuff. It'll take some time to digest the information I have now to see whether or not I'll include stuff from the game into the story, but I will get back to you all on that. I definitely have some ideas in mind._

 _As always, thanks for reading. If you could offer some feedback or support for the story in the form of a review, PM, favorite or follow, that would be fantastic. As shown with the perspective change bit with Oliver that a lot of you enjoyed last chapter, your suggestions and feedback make this story improve and grow._

 _Take care and stay awesome._

 _Until next time, FlygonNick out!_


	41. Renegade

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _Over 400 reviews…and 10,000 views on this story in just this November alone…_

 _You all are fantastic, you do know that, right?_

 _It just stuns me, is all. This story isn't even a year old and RS is at over 400 reviews. We've got so much more to go, and the amount of support, love, and feedback this story gets continues to amaze me. A lot of you may know this, but it's worth repeating. A bit of feedback every now and then can seriously just make my entire day and just gives me more drive to make this the best damn story possible. It makes this story what it is._

 _So thank you, again, for everything._

 _ **Interesting responses from the poll. Turns out most people enjoy Grass and Water-types as their starters, as the poll showed both options tied with Fire-types receiving no votes. Which is interesting because I only pick from Fire-types on my first go around in a new Pokémon game. Except this time with Ultra Sun, because Rowlet is awesome and because Oliver is one of my favorite characters in this story. Again, don't judge me. I'm a nerd, I know. Or judge me anyway, because that means you're reading this message and still put up with my nonsense. Thanks for the feedback and participation!**_

 _So, here we are! Gladion's official appearance in the story! I've had a pretty good week, so I'm uploading a day earlier than planned! Damn it I'm hyped for this. I think I managed to do the battle justice, as it ended up about as long as I wanted it to be and was a lot of fun to do. I may have added a few little things to the battle to make it a bit more exciting than it was when I actually battled Gladion in my current playthrough of Pokemon Sun...because seeing Tackle again and again is boring as all hell._

 _Also, since I can't seem to find the official ruling on this, I'm just going to go with what makes sense for the discussion of how the Island Trials function in this beginning bit. If someone feels like finding the confirmed information and can give me a source, feel free to do so._

 _Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes Technetium2, Madame Rodoshe, skyguys, Consumer of Fantasy, BraviaryScout, Angelfir3, Gokan123, Cottonmouth25, BouncingFish, sceptilezeno, GeekyGamer314, DarkestShade73, Ways, and Sai Og Sus, as well as a_ _new reviewer known as Nightbat._

 _Special shoutout to GeekyGamer314, who was my 400th reviewer! Cheers for the support and feedback, because it's bloody awesome and helps make this story awesome._

 _Also, a quick little note. To those who have pointed out the rather consistent mistakes in the story, regarding misspelled words or sentence flubs, thank you so much for pointing them out. It helps me find them later, and let's me know how bad the problem is. While I do re-read chapters several times before I officially post them, I'm liable to miss a few errors no matter how thorough I am. I apologize for this, but I'm just not the best at spotting these problems right away, as these chapters aren't exactly small, and fresh eyes always spot things easier than me. I plan on re-reading through the entire story soon and fixing errors that I've noted and that reviewers have noted as well, so please don't think I'm ignoring the feedback you've all given. It's just not something I can just hop online to quickly correct with as busy as I am._

 _Anyways, back to the AN proper...Actually that was it._

 _I'm really glad people have been enjoying the fluffiness of the past few chapters. It's been really fun to write, in all honesty…heh._

 _Damn it…I am a terrible, terrible person sometimes…_

 _Whelp. Here's the chapter._

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 _Chapter 41: Renegade_

* * *

"Home sweet home."

Lillie sighed as she sank into her old bed. Nebby cooed somewhere above her, landing lightly on her stomach and flailing his arms happily. Lillie giggled and pet Nebby, making the Cosmog sigh happily. The room was one of the many spare ones within the Dimensional Research Lab, but this one was Lillie's room and she felt at ease here. It was the first place since running away that had she felt safe in.

The little girl curled into a ball and closed her eyes, sighing as she grabbed Nebby and hugged the Cosmog close to her, the small Pokémon cooing with pleasure as he closed his eyes. The two runaways lay there curled up on the bed for a long time, simply enjoying each other's company. Eventually Lillie grabbed a book and laid down next to Nebby and read silently about Alolan Regional Variants.

"Hey Lillie. You got a sec?" Lillie sat up as Aria leaned into the doorway, a book in her hand.

"Um, yes. What's the matter?" Lillie asked the older Trainer.

"I had a few questions about Alola, actually. I don't feel like bugging the Professors and Hugh is gone. Figured a book-smart girl like you could help me out with the details." Aria asked the smaller girl, who smiled at the compliment.

"I've done a lot of reading with Sun regarding the culture of Alola, and Hau has explained quite a bit of things as well. What did you have questions about, Aria?" Lillie asked the Snagger.

"So, this Island Challenge thing. What is it exactly? Mallow explained a bit, but I'd rather hear about it from someone who isn't really involved. They'll tell it to me straight, you know?" Aria asked Lillie. The girl smiled at the question, knowing how best to answer it. Lillie launched into a lengthy explanation of the Island Challenge, describing the Captains and the Kahunas who watched over each island and the deep-rooted significance of the Island Challenge within the culture of Alola. She also touched upon the Z-Rings and Z-Crystals of Alola and what they were capable of. As Lillie explained the Trials themselves and how young Trainers would have to battle against the Totem Pokémon to finish the Trials, Lillie saw Aria frown from her chair.

"That sounds…Pretty dangerous, actually." Aria said after a moment as Lillie paused in her explanation.

"Dangerous?" Lillie questioned.

"Are wild Pokémon attacks not a thing here? Having kids fight super-powered Pokémon seems kind of crazy. Gym Battles are intense, but they're way safer than just pitting a kid against a super Pokémon of some kind." Aria said as she crossed her arms. "I've run into my fair share of rogue wild Pokémon while in Unova. Even if they're trained up, these Totem Pokémon are still wild Pokémon at the end of the day. Very strong Pokémon trained to fight harder and better than other Pokémon of their species…It just feels unsafe to me. And I've battled Shadow Pokémon for most of my time as a Trainer."

"Oh, well...there _are_ precautions that are put into place. Obviously the Totem Pokémon are usually stronger than what Trainers would normally run into, but the Totem Battles and the Trials themselves are supervised by the Captain in charge of said Trial. They step in if things get bad." Lillie explained to the Snagger, who nodded.

"That said, despite being trained, the Totem Pokémon are still technically wild. I can't imagine what it's like handling the strange power that they hold. I wonder if it ever gets to them." Lillie mused, putting a hand under her chin.

"This whole Island Challenge concept is interesting in general. I've been doing some reading on it, and the whole Z-Move thing you can do seems like another edge we can use against Cipher. Hugh says he and Noah were doing the Trials to get stronger…" Aria murmured, crossing her arms.

"The cutoff age for the Island Challenge is eighteen. Adults aren't _usually_ allowed to undergo it, or become Captains. And only those who have completed the Island Challenge are allowed to be chosen to become Kahunas. Or at least, that's what the data says regarding who the Tapu have picked to be Kahuna. Of course, it's always possible for there to be an exception...If I recall, Sina and Dexio mentioned earlier today that they wanted to give it a try." Lillie mused softly as Aria closed her eyes, in deep thought.

"Good enough for me, because I'm seventeen. I'll ask Kukui about it once I'm feeling a bit better." Aria said to the little girl, even as Aria's eyes flashed green and the Snagger leaned against the door frame, her mouth open in a silent scream of pain. Aria snapped out of it a few moments later, sighing.

"Seriously…Don't ever get thrown through time, Lillie." Aria said to the girl, who nodded slowly.

"Noted. Though I'm curious about what my future holds…" Lillie admitted, trailing off. Aria gave the girl a pained smile and walked forward, holding out a hand. Lillie looked at it for a moment before she slowly reached out and grasped it. Aria waited a few moments before she felt the small surge of power bubble up within her and then-

* * *

 _Lillie was running through the rain, the storm overhead a writhing tempest unleashing its fury. Oliver swooped past her, determination burning in his eyes as he shot into the sky alongside Penny, leaving Lillie to pound down the slick muddy path with Brago racing beside her. Aria saw that each of the Pokémon were wearing Colress' translation collars around their necks, which explained why Aria was able to understand Brago as he spoke to Lillie._

"Do you really think you can get through to Alpha, Miss Lillie? He was…not doing well when he left." _Brago growled to the girl, his nose twitching rapidly as he tried to track down the familiar scent of his Trainer. The rain was likely making it difficult for him to do this._

" _I hope so. I helped him last time. It was raining then too, come to that…No one deserves to go through what Sun is going through alone…That father of his is a monster, no matter what he says. What man could do what he did and still call himself a good person?" Lillie said with a rare note of anger in her voice._

"You're a good friend to him. He cares about you more than he can express." _Brago said to Lillie, who looked at the dog in surprise._

"You and him…the both of you are similar souls. You understand each other so well. Even we can see the powerful bond you two share, Miss Lillie. If there's anyone who can ease the suffering his young heart is going through, it would be you." _Brago said in a low voice before he suddenly stopped in place._

"Got it. He's this way!" _Brago shouted as he suddenly took off through the trees and off the path they had been following. Lillie sighed and ran after the canine, wincing as the trees and branches scratched and clawed at her. Aria couldn't help but feel proud of the little girl as lightning crackled above, the storm raging around her as the girl tore through the foliage to get to her friend._

"I've spotted him! He just went into a cave!" _Oliver shouted as he dove through the trees, with Penny swooping down beside him a moment later._

"Thank goodness…I was so worried." _Penny sighed with relief as she flapped her wings to avoid a branch._

" _Good! Because I think this dress is ruined and I'm going to slap your Trainer for that…before I hug him and never let go, of course." Lillie added after the fact. Oliver and Penny laughed while Brago's face twitched into a grin as they neared a small cave in the side of a cliff-_

* * *

Aria was thrown out of the future and collapsed onto the bed, panting as Lillie watched on with worry. Aria pushed herself up and gave Lillie a small smile.

"I saw you running with Sun's Pokémon, trying to chase him down in a thunderstorm. I don't know why, but it had something to do with Sun's father." Aria explained to the girl, who frowned.

"That…does sound similar to a situation that happened a few months ago. When Sun saw Celadon City burn, he was overwhelmed from the stress of the situation and ran off. I suppose something equally awful happened to make him run away again…he's gone through a lot in such a short span of time." Lillie mused, a pang of worry in her heart for her friend.

"Well, you can't run away from your problems. I've tried. Doesn't work. You've got to face them head-on if you really want to overcome them." Aria said with a tired shrug. "So what's the deal with his Dad?"

"It's…not my place to say." Lillie said quietly. On top of that, Lillie had no idea how Aria would react to learning that Sun was related to one of the leaders within Cipher. That likely wouldn't end well. Come to think of it, none of the others from Unova knew either…

"That's alright. I won't pry, don't you worry. I'm here for the both of you if you need anything, though. Okay?" Aria said to the girl with a smile, easing Lillie's nerves.

"Thanks, Aria. I know how tiring this is for you, and I appreciate you telling me about the future." Lillie said gratefully to the older Trainer. Aria gave the girl another smile in response, ruffling her hair before she walked out of the room, thinking about what the young girl had told her. Lillie was likewise deep in thought about what the time-traveler had said…What could happen to Sun that was bad enough to drive him to that state?

* * *

"Hello. My name is Lana. I'm the Captain of the Trial of Brooklet Hill."

The blue-haired girl regarded the duo before her with her usual smile. In front of her stood a cheerful girl with dark skin in a colorful dress and a rather handsome boy of similar skin color wearing a black shirt and equally colorful yellow pants. Both of them were grinning at her.

"Nice to meet you! The name's Hau." The boy greeted her, holding out a hand. Lana shook the boy's hand, feeling a bit of heat rise to her face as she let go. Lana did the same for the girl beside him, who gave Lana a knowing look that made her nervous.

"I'm Demi. We're both here for the Trial, but I'll be going first." Demi explained to the Captain in front of her.

"Then with that, I'll head back to the PMC and await your victory." Hau said as he did a small fist-pump.

"Don't wait up. This Water Trial thing takes a little while from what I understand." Demi said to the cheerful boy. Hau chuckled and walked back towards the Pokémon Center, with both girls watching him depart with matching smiles on their faces. Lana jumped when Demi put a hand on the girl's shoulder, still watching Hau as he vanished from sight.

"I saw you checking him out. Sorry to say, I've got a claim on him." Demi said to the Captain, a teasing yet friendly smile on her face. Lana blushed, but smiled back at the Trainer.

"I understand…um…You have good taste, Demi." Lana laughed quietly as Demi walked alongside her.

"Yep. He's a sweetheart. Can't stay serious to save his life, but he's got an awesome personality. Thinking after we're done here we might actually go on a date." Demi said with a smirk before saying, "Let me guess. Too shy to get a guy of your own, Captain Lana?"

Lana blushed a darker shade of red and looked the other way, not meeting Demi's eyes. "Um…Something like that. I've gotten a bit better with talking to boys since I became Captain a few months ago, but even then I…Ahem. Well, I'll improve."

"Of course you will. Just takes practice and a bit of confidence. Take a stand and let a guy know you're interested. It worked for me, and it'll work for you!" Demi said bracingly to the Captain, who beamed at the friendly girl. Lana and Demi continued to talk as they approached the Trial site, where Demi stopped at the water's edge and took a deep breath before clenching both of her fists. Lana remained quiet, watching Demi with interest.

One of Demi's Poké Balls opened at her waist, releasing her partner and starter, Feya the Fletchinder. The Shiny bird nuzzled Demi's head as she fluttered to Demi's shoulder, murmuring softly words only the dark-skinned girl could understand after being together with her starter for so long.

"I believe in you…You'll do great out there." Feya said softly, yet the words were encouraging despite that. Demi nodded slowly, exhaling her pent-up breath and feeling calm enter her.

It was time to prove herself against the Trials of her homeland, once again.

For her family…

For her Pokémon…

For herself.

* * *

"What do you think? Too flashy?"

"Beeaaak!"

"Dar."

Brago just shook his head at Sun, who was wearing a chain with a gleaming golden coin attached to it. The boy chuckled as he took off the chain and Rotom popped out of his backpack, buzzing with amusement.

" _Looks like you found an Amulet Coin, buddy! Thatzz a major discovery!"_ Rotom said as he floated around Sun.

"What's does it do?" Sun asked.

" _Well, if you use a Pokémon in battle thatzz wearing an Amulet Coin, the person you're battling givezz you double the prize money, zz-zzt!"_

"That seems sketchy."

" _Searching for more data…Hmm. Turnzz out the Amulet Coin item is legal to be used, but they're part of a special mind-control Held-Item thingy that originated out of Hoenn yearzz ago. Not even going to go into the horrible science involved, but there were so few of these thingzz made that the Pokémon League never actually had them banned…Which begzzz the question, where did thizzz one come from?"_ Rotom mused.

"How the heck is this legal? Mind-control items that make people give you more money? That's crazy."

" _Hey, I'm just a Pokédex. A sexy, sexy Pokédex, mind you. But still just a Pokédex. If you have a problem with it, complain to Game Freak…Or the other freak writing the story."_

"I have no idea what you're talking about. But if it's legal to use this, then I'm going to get free money." Sun said with a shrug as he pulled out an Attachment Collar and clipped it around Brago's neck. The Amulet Coin clipped onto the collar with ease, with Brago snorting in amusement.

"Hey, it looks good on you." Sun said to the Growlithe, who shook his head slowly. "And I'm going to use you more so I can have you catch up to these two birdbrains."

Penny and Oliver exchanged a look and shrugged as best as they could. They were fine with Brago receiving a good bit of Sun's attention as of late, due to the Growlithe being weaker than them. He needed to be trained up.

After Lillie, Hugh, Aria, and Kukui had left, Sun had taken the next full day to get to Route 5. Now, he had spent the morning exploring a series of cliffs and battling the Trainers along them, giving Brago more experience. He decided to teach Penny the move Hidden Power, though. He also stumbled upon TM41, which was for the move Torment.

Sun leaned against a rock, sighing with contentment as his Pokémon rested beside him for a break. It was nearing afternoon now, and Sun was starting to wonder how much further until they arrived at the next Trial. More worrying was the increased Team Skull presence in the area. He had spotted some of them doing squats nearby, to his bemusement, but wondered if there were more lurking nearby. Sun wouldn't let down his guard, even if the group was silly at times. He was secretly glad Lillie wasn't with him, even if he did miss her.

"Travelling alone really does give you way too much time to think." Sun muttered as he glanced over at the Eevee Egg he set down nearby. Sun could feel something bubbling up from within him, but he shoved it right back down where it belonged. No point in having things from the past bother him now. Best thing he could do was pawn the Pokémon Egg off on the first person he could and leave what was in the past in the past.

" _Uhh…Sun? You good buddy?"_ Rotom asked worriedly, seeing the brooding look on Sun's face.

"I'm fine…" Sun replied quietly, hating that it was a lie. Thankfully Rotom Dex accepted that and didn't push the issue.

" _How about some radio? Zzzt!"_ Rotom Dex suggested to Sun. Sun nodded slowly as Brago walked over to him, giving him a worried look. Sun patted the Growlithe on the head as Penny and Oliver flew over to his spot and sat beside them. Rotom landed in front of Sun as he picked up on Alola's radio stations. One of them, anyway.

" _-out there in radio-land. This is Adrian Battlestorm live from Channel 9 News. Alola's Premiere News Station of Awesome, bringing you the best news right here at the top of the hour!"_ Adrian Battlestorm said with his usual gusto. Sun recalled the interview he had seen with Mallow and Lana, and knew that while the man was a bit silly, he was dedicated to his job of providing quality news and information to the people of Alola.

" _We have an update on the medical condition of beloved pop music icon Clara Ho'omaha, who was in a deadly motorcycle accident just last week at Royal Avenue. For those not keeping up, Clara's injuries were severe and due to the head trauma that she sustained, has been in a coma since the accident. Today we've received confirmation that the family has decided to, after much deliberation, pull the plug on her at the Heahea Medical Center…Clara's daughter, Sonya, died at the scene of the crash while the husband of Mrs. Ho'omaha, retired Police Commander Caleb Jackson, managed to escape the crash with minor injuries…Ahem. I think I speak for all of Alola when we say…Thank you, Clara, for giving our people a voice in the world. Alola will be a little less beautiful when you're gone."_ Adrian's voice was somber, as if it pained him to speak those words. Sun knew that Alola was more of a tourist destination to most people, despite the rich culture and the exotic Pokémon, and realized that famous people like Clara Ho'omaha helped spread Alola's identity around the world. Sun wondered if Hau knew of this pop singer, and decided that he would ask Hau about it later when he caught up with him and Demi.

" _And onto some breaking news out of Akala Island, where we have confirmed reports that the bandit known as Night Slash is still in the area, having attacked yet another Trial-goer yesterday morning. He is considered armed and dangerous. Those who are travelling in the vicinity of Lush Jungle and Brooklet Hill are advised to exercise caution and not to travel alone. If you have any information on Night Slash, please inform the local authorities or a Trial Captain. Authorities do not urge Trainers to confront Night Slash in person, as he is confirmed to possess a high-level team and is once again, armed and dangerous."_ Adrian said seriously to those who were listening.

" _Freaky."_ Sun thought to himself, frowning at the idea of a robber attacking people. He knew that the idea of robbers and bandits on the road wasn't exactly a new one, but it still bothered him. Apparently in Hoenn and Unova they had been quite the problem, but it was something fairly rare in Alola considering this was the first robber he had heard of that wasn't affiliated with Team Skull.

Sun listened to the radio for a good while longer, enjoying the music of Alola after the news segment had ended. Apparently there were quite a few pop stars who got their start in the tropical islands. One of the most prominent was the previously mentioned Clara Ho'omaha, who sang a wonderful jazz tune called "Fever Dance", which Sun enjoyed quite a bit. Sun silently prayed for her and her family, knowing that they were going through an awful time right now. He couldn't imagine what he'd do if something like that happened to his mother or one of his close friends.

After a little while, Sun continued onto the Route, battling two children as he traveled along the trail. After healing his team up, he spotted a familiar cheerful boy up ahead talking to another boy, so Sun recalled his team and approached the two of them.

Hau grinned as he healed Cassy, the Brionne twitching as her injuries vanished. Hau returned his starter and chuckled to himself, crossing his arms behind his head and closing his eyes as he regarded the opponent who had just defeated him.

"Hahaha! Man, I lost again!" Hau said cheerfully, brushing off yet another loss with his usual good grace. Sun couldn't help but smile at the attitude his friend had when it came to defeat. He accepted it so well, and used that defeat to improve. He never let it bother him, which Sun admired…especially because Sun was a bit of a sore loser himself. That was one of the few bad traits he got from his mother.

Sun then saw Hau's opponent, and slowly raised an eyebrow at the young man standing opposite of his friend. The teen that had defeated Hau was a slim and pale young man, with blond hair stylized into square-like strips. He had bright green eyes, one of which was covered by his blond bangs. The teen wore a grey hoodie with red slashes in it, with black sleeves and black pants with rips in both. A red bag was wrapped around his waist and he wore red shoes with grey soles. He seemed to be only a year or two older than them.

"Are you even taking this seriously?" Hau's opponent growled, his hands on his hips and indignation gleaming in his eyes.

Hau laughed in response, lowering his hands and stuffing them into his pockets. "I am! So seriously! I'm seriously _enjoying_ it!"

The teen in black closed his eyes, calming his annoyance with visible effort as he murmured, "…Enjoying it?"

The strange teen opened his eyes again, fire in his gaze. "You can enjoy Pokémon battling when you put everything you have into it…which you clearly _haven't_."

Sun, sensing an argument building up, decided to step in and back his friend up. Sun approached the two boys and stopped by Hau's side, surprising his friend.

"Whoa! Hey, Sun!" Hau said with a wide smile. His expression became a little more thoughtful as he turned to his friend and said, "This guy is plenny scary!"

The strange teen's eyes widened slightly in surprise before he put a hand to his chin, a contemplative look on his face. After a moment, he asked the Kanto boy, "You're Sun?"

Sun smirked at the boy's seriousness and decided a little snark wouldn't be amiss. Sun and Hau exchanged a brief glance before Sun said, "Who?"

To the teen's credit, he didn't seem bothered by the remark. If anything, a small flash of respect flickered in the teen's green eyes. The young man crossed his arms as he said, "Hmm. So you have enough sense to be wary. Not bad…"

" _HOLD THE PHONE!"_

All three boys jumped as Rotom Dex popped out of Sun's backpack, wearing a massive grin.

 _"I've been waiting forever for this. It'zz time to bust out one of the best themezzz in my library. DJ Rotom strikezz again!"_ Rotom declared as it began playing a rather intense bit of music with a guitar riff in it. Sun looked at the teen across from him, who's expression lightened somewhat as the music played in the background.

" _I figured an edgy guy like thiz deservezz an edgy theme. You like it?"_ Rotom asked the strange boy in black.

"I give it a eight out of ten." The teen said to Rotom, who buzzed happily as he floated besides Sun, still playing the music.

"So, since we're standing around here, I guess I'll introduce myself. The name's Sun." The Kanto-native introduced himself to the other teen. Hau, seeing an opportunity to have fun, spoke up.

"Actually, his name is Sunshine Smi-OOF!" Hau doubled over as Sun elbowed him as hard as he could in the gut, bowling him over.

"I am Hau…hear me roar…"

"Ignore him, he's being a twat again." Sun said to the other teen, who rolled his eyes at the silliness of the two friends. However, he did finally introduce himself to the two boys.

"I'm Gladion." The teen said to Sun, his tone formal. "I battle for my partner, Null, to make it strong."

"Really? That's…cool." Sun said diplomatically, thrown off by how serious the teen known as Gladion was despite this being casual conversation. From the way he spoke, it sounded like he was carrying out a noble mission. As if everything he cared about rode on this one objective of just…getting stronger.

"Hmm. I say that, but most of our time gets used up doing small jobs for Team Skull." Gladion admitted as he sighed, shaking his head slowly.

"You work for Team Skull? I am so sorry." Sun said with a small chuckle, earning a sharp look from Gladion.

"You're familiar with them, then?" Gladion asked the Kanto-native.

"I've run into them a few times. They're harmless but annoying, in all honesty. I've had a decent conversation with one or two before. If they could stop harassing people for five minutes they'd be somewhat alright." Sun admitted, making Gladion raise an eyebrow at the description of the Alolan gang.

"If that's the case then…Battle me. I won't take no for an answer." Gladion said as he grabbed a Poké Ball from his belt, the fire in his eyes becoming a fierce blaze. Sun grinned back at the teen, grabbing a Poké Ball as well. Sun could feel the other teen's strong resolve, and knew that this would be a different battle than what he was used to. Excitement burned within him, overriding the dread that the Eevee Egg had brought him over the past day.

Hau looked at Sun with a worried expression on his face. "Sun, be careful. This guy isn't like normal Team Skull Grunts. He's tough. And he's got this freaky Pokémon-"

"Stay out of this!" Gladion barked at Hau, who shrank back. "You already lost. This is between me and Sun. Now move aside."

Hau backed away from the two Trainers, though Sun was glaring at Gladion now. He'd put this guy in his place for yelling at Hau like that. Gladion looked back at Sun, seeing the Kanto boy's anger, with a glimmer of amusement sparking in his _familiar_ green eyes…

Why were they familiar?

With an audible click, Rotom Dex's music changed into a far more intense song that Sun admittedly thought sounded really cool, but seemed to make the upcoming battle far more intense. Gladion moved a hand to his forehead and crossed his other arm over his chest, striking a pose as his eyes radiated a ferocity to them that Sun was thrown off by.

"I'll start this off. Zubat, prepare for combat!" Gladion called out, throwing out a Poké Ball and releasing a familiar blue and purple bat that hovered next to his trainer. Gladion moved his right hand to his left arm, clutching the area above his left elbow. The teen's face grimaced in pain as his left hand trembled, but Gladion's expression became even fiercer.

"Alright then. Brago, let's go!" Sun called forth his Growlithe, who landed on the ground with a grunt and glared down the Zubat, using his Ability, Intimidate, to weaken the other Pokémon's attack.

"Zubat, use Wing Attack!" Gladion shouted. The Zubat shot forward with surprising speed, both of its wings glowing bright white before it slammed both of them into Brago, knocking the Growlithe back a few steps.

"Brago, hit it with Flame Wheel!" Sun ordered. Brago nodded and charged forward, pouncing into the air and somersaulting forward as fire erupted from his mouth. The end result was a revolving ball of raging fire that slammed into the Zubat, knocking it out of the sky and onto the ground. Brago landed on the ground as the fire dissipated, a feral grin on the Growlithe's face. Sun could feel the joy coming from the dog at finally becoming strong enough to stand on his own without his teammate's assistance. Sun was proud of how far Brago had come in such a short time.

"Zubat!" Gladion called out to his Pokémon, a note of worry in his voice. The Zubat flapped its wings hard and returned to the air, flying somewhat shakily now. Sun was surprised at this, considering how powerful the attack had been, and saw Gladion relax somewhat before narrowing his eyes at Sun.

" _So…unlike the other kid, this guy takes battling seriously. He'll be good experience for us."_ Gladion thought as he threw out a hand. "Wing Attack again!"

"Ember!" Sun commanded, punching forward with a wild grin. Brago nodded sharply and shot a burst of fire from his mouth skyward at the incoming Zubat.

"Dodge it and keep going!" Gladion shouted. The Zubat tucked in its wings and dove under the flames, flaring out its wings and smashing into Brago with another Wing Attack. Brago skidded backwards, an annoyed growl coming from the dog.

"He's definitely a step up from the usual Team Skull dorks. Doesn't mean we can't take him. Brago, Ember again! Widespread!" Sun commanded the Growlithe.

"Wing Attack, Zubat!" Gladion called again. The Zubat rushed forward, but this time Brago was ready. The canine inhaled deeply, holding the flames within him for a few moments longer than usual before releasing a large burst of fire that enveloped a far larger area than a normal Ember. Gladion's eyes widened as the flames smashed into his Zubat even as it tried to dodge, the flames knocking it downwards and sending it spiraling to the ground, only for the Zubat to halt its descent a mere two feet above the dirt, looking very battered.

"Damn it. Come on, Zubat! Show them…Wing Attack!" Gladion barked, clutching his left arm with gritted teeth. The Zubat rushed forward a fourth time, its wings shining bright as it faced down Brago.

"That Zubat is one tough customer…Brago, wrap this up! Use Bite!" Sun called to the Growlithe. Brago nodded and waited for the Zubat to speed closer before he leapt into the air to meet it, taking the third Wing Attack head-on and wincing in pain. However this didn't stop him from biting down on one of the bat Pokémon's wings, making the Pokémon screech. Brago spun rapidly in midair, twirling the Zubat around before releasing his grip and throwing the Zubat into the dirt, knocking it out.

"That was awesome, Brago!" Sun cheered the Growlithe, who barked happily as he landed on the ground. Gladion returned his Zubat and looked down at the Poké Ball with a thoughtful expression.

"You did well. Thank you." Gladion muttered, clipping the Poké Ball to his belt and drawing forth his second and final Pokémon. Gladion looked down at the ball in his hand, feeling his left arm ache more, and then looked up at his opponent.

"Brago, you think you can handle his next Pokémon too?" Sun asked the Growlithe. Brago nodded as he crouched down on the ground, preparing himself for whatever was to come.

Gladion watched the display for a moment. He then raised the ball upward, prepared to release the beast within, a simple whisper escaping him as he closed his eyes…

"Alright partner…lend me your strength."

"GO! TYPE: NULL!" Gladion bellowed, hurling the Poké Ball forward with a wild look of absolute ferocity on his face. The Poké Ball exploded and released the Pokémon inside with a burst of white light-

Sun gasped.

What crashed onto the ground, glaring him and Brago down could only be described as a... _creature_. It was a quadruped, with a body that was best summed up as an amalgamation of sorts of other animals. It wore a horrifying metallic helmet that encased its entire head, though a pair of grey eyes gleamed from within the mask and two ears poked out as well. A mane of grey fur covered its neck and shoulders while short black fur covered its torso and legs, with the bottom of each of its feet green and purple. The creature had a blue fish-like tail that swished slightly as it regarded its opponents, a low groan coming from the monster as it glanced back at Gladion, and then to Sun and Brago.

"Rotom…What is that exactly?" Sun quietly asked the Rotom Dex, who lowered the music and scanned the Pokémon as it glared at the device.

" _Searching…searching…Data not found!? Zzzt! Sun, I have no idea what that Pokémon izz! Be careful!"_ Rotom warned Sun, who nodded.

"We've got this. Right Brago?" Sun said to the Growlithe, who fearlessly nodded. Gladion clutched his left arm with a scowl on his face, feeling the pain deepen. But it reminded him of what he fought for.

"Null, use Tackle!" Gladion yelled out. The beast before him growled in response, lumbering forward but slowly picking up speed as it drew closer.

"Ember!" Sun commanded his Growlithe. Brago nodded and inhaled deeply before spewing out a burst of flames, but the monster known as Type: Null slammed through the attack head-on and smashed into Brago, sending him into the dirt with a yelp.

"Brago! Are you alright?" Sun asked his Growlithe, who shakily got to his feet, panting heavily in pain. Sun sighed with relief, but looked up at the mysterious Pokémon known as Type: Null. He had no idea what kind of tricks this thing had in store for him, so their best bet was to end this quickly.

"Flame Wheel, Brago!" Sun commanded his Growlithe. Brago nodded and forced himself into the air, unleashing fire as he did so and becoming a spinning ball of flames.

"Null, meet him head on! Tackle!" Gladion bellowed, throwing out an arm as Type: Null roared, leaping into the air and colliding with Brago. The two Pokémon clashed for a few moments before Brago was sent flying backwards, crashing onto the ground heavily in front of Sun. The Growlithe tried to push himself back up, but collapsed after a few moments, his breath coming in short gasps. It was clear the Growlithe was unable to get back up and fight.

"Brago…" Sun murmured as he returned his Growlithe. Sun smiled at the Poké Ball. "You were awesome out there. I'm proud of you. Get some rest, okay buddy?"

Sun clipped Brago's ball to his belt and pulled out another. Gladion watched him like a hawk, eyeing how kindly this kid treated his Pokémon with a lighter expression on his own face.

"Penny, let's go!" Sun called forth his Trumbeak, who let out a joyful cry upon release. Penny landed on the ground and cocked her head in confusion at the strange Pokémon before her.

"Be careful, Penny. This thing is…different." Sun warned the Trumbeak, who nodded. The calculating gaze of the Trumbeak focused on Type: Null, who groaned as it crouched on the ground, prepared to attack at the command of his Trainer.

"Null, use Tackle!" Gladion called out. The strange Pokémon charged towards Penny, who readied herself.

"Use Pluck!" Sun said to Penny, who darted forward to meet the strange Pokémon. Both of them collided, creating a shiver in the air as the two Pokémon struggled for dominance. Both were forced away from each other and a shockwave erupted from their clash, with them both sporting damage.

"Penny, hit it with Hidden Power!" Sun commanded. Penny nodded and a strange glow emitted from the Trumbeak before she opened her mouth, releasing a golden-brown pulse that crashed into Type: Null. This wasn't enough to deter the beast from slamming into Penny with another Tackle and sending her into the dirt. Penny shot the beast an annoyed look and darted into the air, glaring down at it.

"Looks like Hidden Power did next to nothing…Use Brick Break!" Sun ordered the Trumbeak. Penny nodded and shot towards Type: Null. Before the beast could move, Penny slammed her glowing beak into the monster's chest, knocking it to the ground and making the Pokémon roar in pain.

" _Now THAT got a reaction…So, Brick Break is super-effective, maybe? Let's go with that. I wonder…Type: Null might be a Rock, Steel or Normal-type…I'd go with Normal, since it's only used Tackle so far."_ Sun thought with a small smile. Sun's smile fell as he heard the next move commanded by Gladion.

"Use Payback!" Gladion called out as Type: Null was enveloped in a black and purple ring of energy. The beast let out a roar before the energy blasted outwards, crashing into Penny and sending her tumbling through the air.

"Dang…Payback does double damage if the Pokémon's been hurt recently…Alright, use Brick Break to finish it off, Penny!" Sun called to his Trumbeak as she steadied herself in the air, nodding in response before she shot towards Type: Null.

"Not going to happen! Use Thunder Wave!" Gladion shouted, making Sun's eyes widen in surprise. This moment of hesitation was exactly what Gladion needed, as the electrical attack erupted from Type: Null and washed over Penny, sending her to the ground as she shivered in pain as the paralysis set in.

"Penny, use Brick Break!" Sun called to Penny. The Trumbeak didn't respond, however, instead continuing to shiver as the paralysis immobilized her.

"Null, Tackle!" Gladion shouted as the beast he commanded snarled in response, charging towards Penny who was struggling to move.

"Use Supersonic!" Sun yelled desperately as Penny struggled to flap her wings. The Trumbeak opened her beak and released the burst of sound from her mouth, but Gladion was ready.

"Dodge to the left and hit it with everything you've got, Null!" Gladion barked as Null snarled, weaving to the side and barely dodging the blast of sound before smashing into Penny head-first, sending her to the ground. The Trumbeak remained still in the dirt, swirls in her eyes. Sun returned his Trumbeak, eyeing the Pokémon before him and the strange teen glaring him down. They were such an odd duo, the two of them.

"Penny, you were great. Now I've got a better understanding of just what this thing can do. Rest up, okay?" Sun whispered to the Trumbeak within her ball. Sun clipped it to his belt and drew forth his final Poké Ball.

"Alright then, Gladion. Let's see if you can handle my kind-of evil starter. Oliver, let's show them how it's done!" Sun yelled out as he released Oliver, who hooted as he fluttered down to the ground. Oliver began grooming himself as Type: Null growled a warning to the Dartrix. Oliver barely spared him a glance, which seemed to annoy the strange monster.

"Null, calm down. He's not worth it. Use Tackle!" Gladion commanded Type: Null, who rushed forward as Oliver calmly preened.

"Oliver, fly into the air to dodge and hit it with Razor Leaf!" Sun called to Oliver. The Dartrix nodded, but continued to preen as Type: Null pounded towards him. Just before the beast collided with the owl, Oliver flapped his wings and shot into the air, surprising both the monster and his Trainer. Oliver let out a hoot before releasing a barrage of spinning leaves, all of which sliced through Type: Null and made the creature howl in pain.

"Null, hang in there!" Gladion yelled out, concern in his voice. "Use Thunder Wave!"

"Oh no, not a second time! Oliver, use Protect!" Sun shouted as Type: Null released an electrical wave of energy. Oliver screeched as a shimmering blue shield flashed into existence, rendering the electrical wave harmless. Oliver released the barrier and shot towards Type: Null, a screech erupting from the owl as he plunged downwards.

"Oliver, wrap this up with Tackle!" Sun called out.

"Null, meet it head-on! Tackle!" Gladion shouted as Type: Null dug its claws into the ground before leaping upwards, colliding with Oliver. Both Pokémon shimmered white as they met in midair, much like how Penny and Type: Null did before. However after a few moments of struggle, Oliver let out a triumphant screech as the monster it faced let out a snarl, with both Pokémon separating. Type: Null crashed into the dirt roughly while Oliver calmly hovered in the air, a smug look on his face.

"That thing is tough, but it's tired. Oliver's fresh and he's my strongest Pokémon. Sorry to say, but I think we're done here." Sun said with a smile to Gladion, whose scowl deepened.

"We'll never give up. We can't afford to…Null, use Tackle!" Gladion barked, throwing out a hand as Type: Null roared in response. The beast leapt into the air, fury in its eyes.

"Razor Leaf, Oliver!" Sun cried out as Oliver swooped low to avoid Type: Null's attack. Oliver hooted as he spun around in midair and flapped his wings hard, releasing another barrage of leaves that tore through the hide of Type: Null, making it roar in agony. However, when the beast landed on the ground, its legs gave out. The strange Pokémon collapsed in front of Gladion, shuddering in pain.

"Null…" Gladion muttered, watching as the beast tried to get to its feet, only to drop to the ground again. Type: Null snorted in fury and with a great snarl, forced itself back to all fours, glaring down Oliver as he waited for the monster's next move. Type: Null took a single step forward…And then trembled before slowly falling onto its side, its injuries and exhaustion catching up with it.

"And that's that, I guess." Hau said with a wide smile, a small chuckle escaping him. He wasn't the slightest bit surprised that the Kanto-native had prevailed where he hadn't. Sun was his friend and rival, after all. He had to be awesome.

Hau looked over at Gladion as he returned Type: Null, and couldn't help another laugh at the expression on the weird teen's face. Gladion clutched his head in absolute shock, taking a step backwards before throwing his hands downwards, staring down into them.

"How annoying!" the teen hissed, his voice thick with irritation. Sun chuckled as Oliver soared over to him, with Sun ruffling the bird's feathers affectionately. Oliver screeched in response, pecking at Sun's fingers before beginning to frantically groom himself while Hau chuckled nearby at the Dartrix's distress. Gladion ignored all of this, instead moving an arm across his stomach and bringing his right hand to his head.

"Hmph…It's not like me to slip up like that." Gladion said quietly, but not quietly enough for Sun and Hau not to hear him. Rotom switched back to the previous music it had been playing.

"We all lose sometimes. You were really good there. That Null thing took out two of my Pokémon by itself. Be proud of that." Sun said to Gladion, who scowled at him.

"You wouldn't understand. Neither of you would. You haven't had to fight for your lives or truly struggle." Gladion practically growled at them, fire in his eyes. "I've got to keep fighting stronger opponents. Looks like I'm still not ready…"

"Strong opponents?" Sun questioned. Gladion answered by lowering his hands and gesturing to Hau.

"That kid there. His Pokémon aren't weak." Gladion said to them both. His expression softened slightly, but the edge to his voice was still there. "And sure, it's fine to enjoy battling…"

"But this brat…" Gladion's next words dripped with sheer frustration, his teeth grinding for a moment before he continued. "He's just using that as an excuse not to try hard because he can't beat the Kahuna. Because he can't beat Hala when he's serious!"

Gladion shrugged at the end of his tirade, but Hau was smiling at his words, putting his hands behind his back. "Heh. You know gramps?" Hau paused for a moment, considering Gladion's words further. "So you think I'm strong?"

The teen in black sighed in response, and opened his mouth to reply before an unfamiliar voice cut through the air.

"Awww, look at you, little Gladion! Aren't you just a real cool guy? Heh heh heh…"

Gladion whirled around in time to see two Team Skull Grunts approaching, one male and one female. The female had pink-dyed hair instead of blue, but seemed to hold the arrogance of Team Skull just as well as her male partner. Both of them struck their poses as Gladion sighed in annoyance.

"I guess it's no surprise a homeless kid would turn out spineless, too, huh?" Grunt B said with a chuckle, her voice dripping with scorn. "No worries! We've got enough backbone to cover for you!"

Sun regarded Gladion with a small pang of sympathy. The guy was homeless, _and_ had to deal with these idiots? No wonder he was so serious and… _unhappy_.

The male Team Skull Grunt moved past Gladion, his hand moving to the single Poké Ball on his hip, but Gladion cut him off with an exasperated, "Just give it up already, Tim."

"Huh?" Grunt A, also known as Tim, questioned as he looked back at the teen in black. Gladion glanced back at him, a sharp look in his eye.

"You know you can't beat me. You'll just get your Pokémon hurt for no reason." Gladion said to Tim, making the Grunt cross his arms at the teen. Gladion looked back at Sun and Hau, a small glimmer of something that may have been respect in his eyes now as he regarded the two Trainers.

"They're good Pokémon. Yours as well, Tim and Kayla. It's just senseless violence at this point, so drop it." Gladion said quietly, looking away from all of them. Both the Team Skull Grunts scoffed at the remark, but it seemed that was all Gladion had to say on the subject.

"We came all this way, and for what? For a big fat waste of our time, thanks to you." Kayla said to Gladion, anger laced in her tone. "If you hadn't gotten in our way, we could've stolen the Totem Pokémon from Brooklet Hill!"

" _Right, and I'm going to sprout wings and fly to the Gravy Dimension."_ Sun thought dryly, rolling his eyes.

"Let's get out of here. Look, the Murkrow are crying, and it's time we should be flying. Axen and Kevin are waiting for us anyway, so get a move on." Kayla said before turning on her heel and walking away. Tim sighed angrily before looking at Gladion.

"Listen up good, Gladion…The boss _does_ like you. That's true…But you're just some hired help we keep around for when we need you. You aren't a part of Team Skull, not really. And you never will be. Got it? You better get it." Tim said firmly to Gladion. Gladion's eyes snapped open, an expression of fleeting hurt on his face that was gone the moment after it appeared. The Team Skull Grunt walked away, leaving Gladion behind. The teen remained still for a moment before shaking his head and following the two gangsters, leaving Hau and Sun behind.

The teen in black returned to the rendezvous point in silence, even as Tim and Kayla chatted up their newest scheme to mess with the Trial Captains. He caught the nods that Axen and Kevin, the two Team Skull Grunts who had accompanied him to Melemele Island, sent his way and he nodded in return.

Gladion reflected on the battles he had just gone through, his thoughts briefly dwelling on Sun. The boy was talented, but he was also kind to his Pokémon and his friends...Gladion couldn't afford that luxury…

After all…There was strength in pain and suffering.

He and Null knew that too well.

* * *

"Poor guy…" Sun muttered. Even if he wasn't exactly friendly, no one deserved to be talked to like that. Especially since the guy already looked pretty miserable to start with.

"Thanks Sun." Hau said with a relieved sigh. "It was a good battle!"

"Dartriiix!"

"Yeah, just accept the compliment…evil owl."

"Play nice you two." Sun said to the two of them, earning exasperated looks from the both of them.

"Well…Phew…" Hau chuckled as he put his hands behind his head. "Looks like I've gotta train up my team if I'm gonna take on the Trial at Brooklet Hill next."

Hau reached into his bag, smiling at his friend. "Here, Sun, take these with you. We're gonna beat this Island Challenge!"

Sun grinned as Hau pressed a few Revives into his hand, which Sun put away into his bag.

"Thanks man." Sun said gratefully, appreciating his friend's generosity. After all, Revives weren't cheap.

"No problem. Wanna head to the PMC with me? I'm waiting for Demi to finish up her Trial. I was trying to get some last minute training in when I ran into Edgelord and battled him. Wasn't expecting to get wrecked but…eh. It happens." Hau shrugged as he and Sun began walking.

"Have I ever told you how much I admire your attitude? Seriously, man. You have the most refreshing outlook on life. Like, I try to keep smiling despite everything, but you genuinely have an awesome attitude and I appreciate that." Sun said to his friend with complete sincerity. Hau laughed sheepishly, scratching the back of his head.

"It's not all great. People get on me because I don't take things seriously. Tutu and Mom have been telling me that for _years_. Even Demi was getting annoyed with it. Speaking of...She kissed me, dude!" Hau exclaimed, suddenly remembering what had happened the other day.

"Seriously? That's awesome!" Sun said with a wide grin. Hau held out his fist with a giggle, and Sun tapped it with his own.

"Heh. You're telling me. I felt all nice and warm and flustered. It was weird, but…nice." Hau explained awkwardly, but with a wide smile. Sun laughed with his friend and clapped him on the back, proud of him. Hau was his closest friend next to Lillie, and Sun was glad that Hau and Demi were working out.

As the two friends neared the Pokémon Center, they slowed down, with something seeming… _off_ , to them. And then-

"GET AWAY FROM ME YOU STUPID BITCH!"

Hau and Sun froze at the words, a furious shout coming from somewhere up ahead. The two boys shared a worried glance before sprinting ahead, recognizing the voice that had yelled out. To their alarm, they saw Demi running towards them, carrying something in her arms. Sun then saw the girl's expression.

Demi was crying. Her expression was a mixture of pain, grief and anger as tears streamed down her face. She was drenched in water and had a long cut down her arm that bled freely, her body heaving with fatigue at having ran a considerable distance.

"What happened!?" Hau yelled out, sprinting past Sun and approaching Demi. The girl stopped moving and fell to her knees, breaking down completely as she clutched what was in her arms even tighter.

"H-hau…that _monster_ …it…it killed her…" a broken-hearted sob cut Demi off, even as more tears slipped down her face. Close behind her was Lana, the Captain that Sun had met just the other week. The Captain was limping, and Sun saw the look of distress and guilt on the blue-haired girl's face, and this made Sun's heart sink lower.

"I'm s-so sorry! It…It was an accident! The T-totem Pokémon d-didn't mean to hurt anyone!" Lana stammered out, her hands over her heart as she shuddered behind Demi. The dark-skinned girl shot Lana a furious look that made the blue-haired Captain take a step back in fear, but Demi shook as another sob wracked her body, loosening her grip on the object in her arms. Sun finally caught up with the group and gasped in horror as he saw what exactly the girl was holding so tightly to her chest.

In Demi's arms was an unmoving Fletchinder that had finally stopped shining.


	42. And Now I Scream

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _Howdy folks._

 _Here's another update. I'll keep this AN shorter than usual because I figure sometimes it's better to let the work speak for itself. On that note, however, I have officially added Gladion to the character tags for this story, meaning that yes, we'll be seeing much more of him in the future._

 _Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes BouncingFish, Consumer of Fantasy, Madame Rodoshe, Angelfir3, GeekyGamer314, Sai Og Sus, Cottonmouth25, BraviaryScout, Ignaci0, Gokan123, DarkestShade73, Ways, a new guest reviewer known as_ _TheHero'sSpirit, and Rare Joe Star, as well as a new reviewer known as TrialCaptainJulian. Thanks for the feedback and support!_

 _Gonna have to give a special shoutout to the Guest Reviewer known as TheHero'sSpirit, who called out the references I made in Chapter 39 to_ Inheritance _, Book 4 of the Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini. The chapter's title and the scene between Lillie and Aria was a nod to one of my favorite book series of all time, and I'm glad that someone not only caught the reference but enjoyed it, because I loved that chapter title and the scene it represented. Most of the time when something seems familiar or seems like a reference to something, it usually_ is _some form of reference. So please, comment on them, because it's always cool to see when readers have read or played or watched the same things I have._

 _So last chapter was one I was looking forward to very much, for obvious reasons. This new chapter is one I have been looking forward to even more, and reaches a wonderful turning point in the story._

 _Because as much as readers and reviewers speculate...Not a single one of you saw this chapter coming, nor the implications of it. I'm pretty proud of what I've set up._

 _So on that note..._

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 _Chapter 42: And Now I Scream_

* * *

Sun felt his blood run cold, seeing the clearly dead bird Pokémon clutched in Demi's grasp. It was just something that made him feel an inherent wrongness in the world. As someone who had a great love of Flying-types, seeing one dead just…rattled him. But here it was, a Shiny Fletchinder with a broken neck that no longer shined and shimmered, and her grieving Trainer sobbing before him. Hau knelt down and hugged Demi tightly, trying to comfort her as best as he could. Sun looked up at Lana, whose face was an open canvas of emotion. Sun could see the fear, mixed with regret, on her face. It was obvious that the Captain hadn't meant for this to happen. Still, Sun had to know.

"What happened?" Sun asked the blue-haired girl, who took a shaky breath. After composing herself, she spoke.

"The Trial was going fine until about halfway through the Totem Battle. The Totem Pokémon started going crazy after one of the Pokémon helping it was knocked out. It just…went _berserk_. Demi's Fletchinder was hit with Waterfall and it sent her into the rocks and…she just landed at a bad angle. I could hear her neck s-snapping from across the lake…she fell into the water after that. And then the Totem Pokémon attacked Demi...it was horrible." Lana whispered, missing the grief-filled glare Demi sent towards the Captain.

"Why didn't you stop the Trial?" Sun asked the Captain.

"I tried! My Lapras was too scared to approach, no matter how much I tried to get her to help. I eventually managed to get close with my own Araquanid, but then the Totem Pokémon just started attacking everything in sight. Me and Demi barely managed to get her Pokémon's body and escape from the site in one piece. I ended up having to knock out the Totem Pokémon myself." Lana explained shakily, obviously still rattled by the incident. Sun took in how the Captain was standing and saw that she was avoiding putting pressure on her left leg. Sun saw how a chunk of her pant leg was messing with the area around it stained crimson, as if Lana had been caught on a rock herself. She must have been hurt trying to help Demi against the Totem Pokémon.

"What'll happen now?" Sun asked.

"The Kahuna, Olivia, will come by and ask me some questions. Evaluate me and see if I'm still competent enough to be a Captain. We'll have to run some tests and talk with the Totem Pokémon via translators to see what's wrong. It may be a day or two at least before we can allow Trial-goers to do the Trial." Lana explained with a small sigh.

"Right…Well, first thing's first, we help Demi. Are you going to-" Sun began to say, but Demi gently set her Fletchinder on the ground and pulled out the bird's Poké Ball, returning the fallen Fletchinder. She clipped the ball to her belt and slowly turned to face Lana, her face stained with tears and her eyes bloodshot.

"You still think it's okay to have the Trial opened up…even after what that _thing_ did to Feya?" Demi asked, her voice deathly soft. Lana didn't reply verbally, only giving a hesitant nod.

A whirl of motion went through the air and a sharp crack reverberated through the clearing as Demi slapped the Captain as hard as she could in the face. Sun and Hau both gasped as Lana fell to the ground, her hand clutching her face as Demi towered over her, trembling with righteous fury and with outright hurt blazing across her face.

"You…You're a disgrace…You were supposed to keep us _safe_. But you didn't! If it wasn't for Torch and Aou, I would've been dead! And you're going to risk _more_ people and Pokémon getting hurt?" Demi hissed at Lana, who backed away out of sheer fear. Sun watched on in absolute shock, seeing the normally cheerful and friendly girl so angry and… _destroyed_ with grief. Was this what losing a Pokémon did to someone? Sun winced internally, the memories coming back and confirming that-

" _No…It. Did. Not. Happen…Focus on Demi."_ Sun thought, closing his eyes and pressing the memory back, ignoring the weight of the Pokémon Egg in his backpack.

Demi took a step forward, but found that Hau was suddenly standing in front of her. His expression was somber, but he wore a small smile regardless, a gentle thing that only succeeded in making the distraught girl even angrier.

"How can you smile at a time like this, Hau!?" Demi whispered at Hau, not understanding how _anyone_ could smile right now.

"Hey…Enough of that. Let's take a second, and calm down. You're not in your right state of mind. It's going to be okay." Hau said quietly, putting a hand on both of Demi's shoulders. The girl felt a small pang in her at the boy's touch, but her grief and anger overrode that feeling, making her want to rebel. Lash out. Find some outlet for the torrent of pain rushing through her, now that her beloved bird was gone…gone…

 _ **Gone.**_

"'It's going to be okay?' No…No it _isn't!_ You can't smile your problems away, Hau! It's not going to bring her back!" Demi yelled at Hau, but Hau was firm.

"Yes, it will be okay. Let's just sit down and-" Hau began to say, but Hau was cut off mid-sentence. Hau doubled-over as a fist suddenly connected to his gut, dropping him to his knees as he gasped for air, trembling in pain.

"Shut up! Don't act like you understand what I'm going through! Like…Like my heart is breaking into a million pieces!" Demi managed to say as anger and hurt cracked her voice, even as Lana cried out in surprise. Sun moved forward to check on Hau, with Demi taking a step back and shaking the fist that had just punched Hau. Demi's breath came in ragged, desperate gasps as more tears dripped down her face, with horror creeping into her face as she realized what she had just done. The dark-skinned girl took two steps back, the dismay on her face growing before she whirled around and quickly walked away, shaking violently as the tears poured. A flood of misery let loose from the gates. Her closest friend was gone, and she had just hurt Hau, who was only trying to help.

"D-Demi! Come back!" Hau called out to his friend. Demi froze in her tracks, unable to stop herself from looking back at her friends. She saw the worried look on Sun's face. The horror-filled look of guilt on Lana's face…

And the pained and pleading look on Hau's face.

Demi choked back another sob as she turned around, running down the road. She couldn't bear to face them, not after that. She needed to be alone.

Sun made a move to follow her, but Hau grabbed him by the leg to stop him.

"No…She'll be alright. She just...needs time…She's a tough one. Grief does crazy things to good people…" Hau said with a painful grin. Sun helped his friend to his feet as Lana sighed deeply, rubbing her temples.

"Are you okay, Hau?" Lana asked quietly.

"Not really…I'll be okay when Demi comes back." Hau replied quietly, his smile slipping and the boy sighing angrily. "Why did she lash out like that? I was just trying to calm her down."

"Because when you're in that much pain…I think it's hard to imagine anyone smiling. Demi just lost her starter. Imagine losing Cassy, Hau. How much would that effect you? And then imagine someone making a joke or telling you that _it's going to be okay_ when, to them, it clearly isn't. I know I was mad when Celadon City was attacked and Vivian was making snide remarks about it." Sun explained to Hau in a quiet voice, the boy's face slowly gaining a horrified look as he realized just what he had said to Demi.

"Ma'am!"

The group looked to their left and saw one of the Trial Guides approaching, looking winded. He pointed towards where Demi had ran off and said, "Ma'am, I saw what happened. Should I send word out to Officer Jenny and get a warrant out for that girl's arrest? She's not moving too fast, it'd be easy to track her down."

"No! She didn't mean to do that, she was just-" Hau began to say, but the Trial Guide gave him a glare.

"She just assaulted a Trial Captain, which is a punishable offense in this region, kid. Captain Lana, I leave the decision up to you." The Trial Guide said formally, extending a hand to help the girl to her feet. Lana ignored it, her expression darkening at the man's words.

"I'm not pressing charges…It's all my fault. I should've been a better Captain and took matters into my hands before the situation got out of control. I had a feeling something was wrong with the Totem Pokémon and I was too late to step in. Send the word out to be on the lookout for Demi, but not because she's in trouble. She's hurt and probably needs to be looked at by a doctor." Lana said in a more formal voice, a note of authority in it. The Trial Guide seemed surprised, but he nodded and jogged off. As soon as he did, Lana slumped down on the ground and broke down into tears.

"What have I done…I don't d-deserve to be a C-captain after this…I let Demi get hurt…I'm a terrible person…" Lana sobbed, burying her face in her hands. Sun and Hau exchanged a glance before they helped the girl to her feet and took her inside of the Pokémon Center. Demi was beyond their help at the moment…But Lana they could take care of.

* * *

Demi leaned against a tree on Route 5, panting and rubbing her eyes furiously. She had finally managed to calm herself down, shoving down the grief and anger and pain and achieved a sense of calm. The girl considered her options, and decided to just head home. She may not have gotten along with most of her family, but her home still a place she could lick her wounds and recover. She would explain what happened and rest a bit. Bury Feya and regroup…Did she even want to be a Trainer anymore after this? She didn't know anymore. She didn't want to deal with this pain...this _agony_ again.

Demi shook her head and called her home phone. It didn't take long for someone to pick up.

"Hey sis. What's up?" Demi's young brother greeted her, his voice chipper as always. He was just a year away from embarking on his own Island Challenge, and was proud of the heritage that they had, unlike Demi, who hated the weight of it on her shoulders.

"Hey Danny." Demi whispered into the phone.

"Everything okay? You don't sound too good." Danny replied, worried at how shaken Demi sounded.

"Yeah…It's been a horrible day. I'm coming home." Demi mumbled, sighing tiredly as she shut her eyes.

Danny's excitement was now mixed with a bit of surprise. "What? Why? I thought you were with that Hau guy and about to beat the Trial. I bet you got to hang out with that water Captain too, heh. So how'd you win, huh? How'd you wreck that Totem Pokémon-"

"Danny, I lost." Demi said the words heavily. "I lost. And…and I got hurt during the Trial and I slapped Lana. I was so angry and upset that…Danny, Feya was ki-"

"YOU ATTACKED A CAPTAIN!? Demi, you…" Demi blinked at the anger and shock her in little brother's voice, mixed in with horror. "I can't believe you. I know you hate how much pressure Dad and Mom put on you about the Island Challenge, but to go that far? Just because you lost!?"

"Danny, you don't understand. Feya-" Demi was cut off as a new voice yelled back at her. Demi's mother's words were cold and sharp, cutting through the girl like a knife.

"Demi, you attacked Captain Lana!? Do you have any idea how much trouble you're in? Your father and I are going to look like idiots when word gets out that you attacked Captain Lana! He might even lose his job on the Heahea City Council over this!" she shouted at her daughter, fury in her voice, even as Demi shook with heartache and anger.

"Is that really all you care about?" Demi asked, her voice soft with hurt as her mother paused for breath.

"Of course not! But you have to take into account that we have a reputation to keep up! You can't just go around doing whatever you want, like you've been doing! We have a-" Demi's mother began to say, but Demi felt her emotions snap for the second time that day.

"I guess since our stupid family pride and reputation is all you care about, then don't expect me to come home! I'll go bury my dead Fletchinder that the stupid Totem Pokémon just killed and stay out of your life!" Demi shouted into the phone, receiving silence from the other end. She knew that her family's anger at her was likely gone now that they knew exactly _why_ Demi had lost her temper and slapped a Captain, but Demi didn't care anymore. They had never asked and just assumed the worst. Just like _always_ …Why did Demi even bother trying so hard for them?

"Demi…oh my god…Feya…" her mother's voice now shaking in horror as the true scope of the situation crashed upon her. "I…I'm so sorry, dear-" Demi's mother began to say, regret in her voice, but Demi hung up the phone. She let out a deep sigh before hurling it into the dirt. Demi walked over to the device, even as her mother tried to call her back. Demi stomped down on the phone, cutting it off permanently. She stomped down on it again. And again. And again.

And then the tears returned in full force.

"I hate this…I didn't even want to do this _stupid_ challenge. Why can't we just have Gyms like other places? No…Everything rides on people going on the damn Trials…I hate it so much!" Demi hissed through her tears. She walked down that road, sinking deeper into her own grief. Her best friend. Her starter. Her little Feya was gone…

* * *

Lillie watched Nebby as he flew around the room, playing with Winter and Sophie inside of the lab. Aria and Hugh were helping look over Shadow Celebi while Professor Kukui and Professor Burnet studied the Pokémon. The girl watched the Pokémon scamper around the room, a smile on her face as Nebby booped Winter, Kukui's Alolan Vulpix, on the nose and floated out of reach. Lillie was startled when a loud ringtone suddenly rang out, catching the Pokémon's attention. Lillie quickly dug out her phone and realized with a start that Sun was calling her. Lillie smiled, feeling a flicker of warmth within her at the thought of her crush, and decided to take this call.

"S-sorry, everyone. I need to take this." Lillie said as she stood up, walking to the doorway of the room. She opened the phone and pressed it to her ear. "Hello?"

"Hey Lillie. You have a minute?" Sun's voice sounded strained, and Lillie immediately became worried.

"Is everything okay?" Lillie asked, trying to keep her voice calm.

"Not really…There's been a…Dang it. There's just…Lillie, you may want to sit down for this." Sun said wearily. Lillie sat down and listened with horror as Sun told her how Demi had failed at the Water Trial because of the Totem Pokémon going berserk, killing Feya. She heard about Lana's failure to stop the beast in time and how Demi had lashed out, slapping Lana and punching Hau before storming off in a fit of tears. Lillie felt her heart sink with worry for her cheery friend. Grief was a powerful and painful thing, and Lillie didn't blame Demi at all for how she reacted in such a difficult time. Losing a Pokémon, from what Professor Kukui had told her, was one of the worst things that could happen to a Pokémon Trainer. That it was Demi's first Pokémon, her starter, made it so much worse.

"I don't know what to do, Lillie." Sun admitted from the other end of the phone.

"There's…nothing you _can_ do, Sun. I'll ask the Professor if he can help track her down, but at this point, maybe she needs some time to herself. After a loss like that, being around people might just make her worse…as we saw with Lana and Hau." Lillie said quietly, looking over at the Pokémon she had been watching and seeing Nebby curled up with Winter and Sophie on the ground on the carpet, all of them asleep. Lillie managed a smile at the sight, but couldn't help but worry for her friend who was all alone in her grief and misery.

* * *

Demi had stopped paying attention to where she was going hours ago. She was aware she had lost a fair bit of blood, and judging from the scared looks some of the passing Trainers had given her, she must have looked quite a sight…But she just didn't care. She didn't even care when she bumped into a group of Team Skull members on the road, nearly knocking down one with fierce green eyes as she ran away from her problems and her misery.

She had run out of tears long ago, and just felt crushing grief. She wanted to be alone, but she also wished she had someone to talk to. Demi felt a pang of regret set in, remembering how she had treated Hau, just for trying to be a good guy. She didn't deserve to be friends with someone as good as he was. He deserved an apology...As did Lana…the Captain had tried to help her, after all, despite being unable to save Feya. She didn't deserve the slap to the face that she had received.

" _I deserve this pain…how do people get back from a loss like this? I know I'm not the first person to lose a Pokémon…But this is_ torture _."_ Demi thought as she brushed her tangled black mane out of her face, a shaky breath escaping from her as she continued to drag her exhausted body down the road. Demi started as a voice spoke up from nearby.

"Man, you look like shit, little girl."

Demi's head snapped up and she saw a man watching her with an amused smirk up ahead. This struck her as odd, considering how late it was now. He was leaning against the tree, oddly nonchalant. The man was tall and but slim, with short brown hair and a rather plain face, his brown eyes twinkling in amusement at her. A Z-Ring glittered at his wrist, hanging loosely.

"Well, I feel like it. What's it to you?" Demi grumbled, stomping past the man. The man laughed softly as Demi passed by, unable to see the long blade that the man moved from behind his back, now gleaming the descending sunlight.

"It's _everything_ to me…especially someone in my line of work."

Demi felt her blood run cold at the remark and quickened her pace. She then felt her entire body freeze as a blue aura suddenly engulfed her, making her already sore limbs ache with pain. Her body slowly rotated as she floated into the air, facing the man and eyeing his machete with wide eyes.

"And when such an easy mark just strolls on by…I can't help but take advantage." the man said with a small chuckle as a strange white and black Pokémon Demi didn't recognize stepped out from behind a tree, its eyes glowing like beacons. The man shouldered his machete and reached into his pocket, pulling out a thin red mask that he carefully slipped over his face.

"The name's Night Slash, little lady. I'm the man who'll be robbing you this evening. So, let's take a little detour, so we can see just what you have." The man with the blade said lightly, turning to the Psychic-type next to him. Demi thrashed in her invisible bonds. "This is Minnie, my Gothitelle. Minnie, care to do the honors?"

The Gothitelle nodded and threw Demi through the trees, sending her crashing into the largest one in a clearing some distance away. The forceful attack sent her falling to the ground with a strangled gasp of pain. Demi felt a surge of anger blast through her as Night Slash entered the clearing, laughing softly as Demi forced herself to her feet, only to gasp as she felt pain shoot through her ankle.

"Oh? Did you get hurt? You should really be more careful." Night Slash said carelessly as Demi grabbed a Poké Ball from her belt.

"Feya, let's…" Demi stopped speaking, feeling her entire body go cold as she looked down at the Poké Ball. She would never be able to send out her starter again. Feya was gone…taken by the Totem Pokémon of Brooklet Hill.

Demi was snapped out of her musing as she was hit with Psychic again, pressing her tightly against the tree as a machete blade touched against her cheek, a tear of blood dripping free from her skin before the blade was removed. Demi let out a loud scream, surprising Night Slash and making him flinch in surprise. The man clamped a hand over the girl's mouth after about five seconds, scowling under his mask.

"Keep quiet! I might even let you live if you shut up. So, let's see what Pokémon you've got. Minnie, you wanna do the honors of keeping her silent for a while?" Night Slash said quietly. His Gothitelle took several slow steps forward before she tensed up behind the robber, as if sensing something was amiss...

* * *

"So yeah, Captain Kiawe won't ever suspect that. It'll even mess up those stupid moves of his. Sounds good, eh?" Axen said to the Team Skull Grunts, who chuckled at the suggestion.

"I like it. Though to be honest, I'd rather throw down with some dance moves of my own." Kevin replied, a smirk underneath his bandanna.

"Kevin, watching you dance is like seeing a brain-dead Hitmontop dance. Kind of funny, but sad at the same time." Kayla replied with a casual shrug, receiving laughs from the others in their little group, save for Gladion, who was a bit ahead of them, feeling a headache coming on. It had been a long day, and judging from the setting sun, it was about time to head back to his hotel room.

Truthfully, he was still in thought about what had happened earlier today. He had conquered the Trial of Brooklet Hill himself that morning, throwing off Team Skull's plans to steal the Totem Pokémon. He had then battled Hau and Sun, and since then he couldn't stop thinking about what he needed to do next…Which was what?

"-right, Gladion?"

"What?" Gladion asked, snapping out of his tired daze. To his annoyance, his Team Skull comrades had caught up to him, and Kayla sighed dramatically before putting an elbow on his shoulder.

"We said, that maybe these Captains need a personal visit from Team Skull to rattle them. A little breaking and entering, maybe scare them a little. What do you think?" Kayla asked Gladion, who scowled and pulled away from Kayla.

"I don't give a damn about the Captains, and I'm not going to stoop to breaking and entering. Especially to people who haven't done a thing to me." Gladion growled at Kayla, who put her hands on her hips.

"You know, the boss could make you. You'd have to listen to him." Kayla said to Gladion, who just crossed his arms.

"If Guzma really cared about what I did, he'd let _me_ know, not _you_. And-" Gladion stopped talking as Type: Null, who had been walking beside him, suddenly veered off to the left, a faint snort escaping the strange creature. Gladion raised an eyebrow at the odd behavior, but recognized that his partner was uneasy about something. Even if Gladion didn't fully understand Type: Null, he was learning more and more every day. He had let his partner out just a short while ago so that it could battle wild Pokémon.

"Yo Gladion, what's with your pet freak?" Axen asked the teen, who's expression hardened in fury at the insult. Instead of acknowledging him, Gladion followed his partner into the trees and heard a commotion from up ahead.

And then a scream.

Gladion quickened his pace, even as Type: Null did the same. Team Skull exchanged a few glances before slowly following behind their Enforcer, thinking that yet again he was wasting their time. Gladion stopped at the edge of a tree-line, a clearing right beside him and Type: Null, and felt a stab of cold horror at the sight before him.

A man was holding his hand over the mouth of an exhausted teenage girl, a massive blade in his hand that he was obviously using to threaten her with. To Gladion, it looked as if the girl was pinned to a tree with Psychic, judging from the blue aura around the girl and the strange Pokémon slowly approaching her. Was this a robbery? A kidnapping? Either way, the girl was in trouble. Gladion grit his teeth, knowing that Null had led him to a bad situation. Had the beast expected Gladion to help somehow? How did it even know this was happening? What should he do?

"Whoa…sucks to be her."

Gladion turned around and saw his companions watching the scene ahead with bemusement. Kayla cocked her head, a small smile hidden under her bandanna. "Maybe we can jump that guy after he's done with her."

"Yeah, that's rough. But hey, it happens." Axen said with as shrug, even as he watched the girl ahead of them shake with horror and pain.

"Shouldn't we maybe, you know, help?" Kevin asked awkwardly. Tim, Axen, and Kayla all shot the Team Skull Grunt a look of exasperation.

"Help stop something we do _all the time_? Are you stupid? That thing pinning that girl to the tree looks way stronger than anything we've got. Besides, we're Team Skull. The bad guys? We don't have to do anything." Kayla replied as she put her hands her hips.

Gladion looked back at the girl pinned to the tree, a blade ready to be driven into her, and saw something familiar in her eyes. Hopelessness. Fear. Horror. And _pain_ …fresh, raw and clear. Gladion took a breath, calming his nerves, before he sighed. The teen looked down at Type: Null, who was looking up at him. Its grey eyes gleamed from within its helmet, staring into Gladion's own green eyes.

"I promised you...when we ran away that we would get stronger together. In order to protect people. I guess this is our first real test. Together. Right?" Gladion murmured to his partner. The Pokémon beside him nodded slowly in response before turning its head towards the clearing and crouching slightly, preparing to leap forward. The teen put a hand on Type: Null's neck, patting it with the smallest of smiles before that smile vanished, replaced with a cold scowl of someone prepared to do what he must. Gladion stepped forward, pointing at the Pokémon approaching the girl ahead of them. Team Skull watched silently, content to let Gladion handle this on his own.

"Null, intercept!" Gladion barked as Type: Null suddenly lunged forward, a roar escaping the Pokémon as it dashed towards Minnie. The beast slammed into the Gothitelle as it turned around, surprised, and went to the ground with the Psychic-type. The monster clawed at the Astral Body Pokémon, who screamed as blood splashed across the grass.

Demi gasped as she fell to the ground, seeing the teen that had saved her with gazing at him in open wonder. Night Slash looked at Minnie with horror before whirling towards Demi with fury, lunging at her with his blade. Demi screamed as the machete plunged towards her, even as Gladion sprinted towards a distracted Night Slash. The teen tackled the slender man to the ground before he could silence Demi, the robber's blade falling to the ground. Gladion snarled as he drew his hand back, delivering a nasty punch to the robber's face, cracking the man's mask. Gladion hopped to his feet, looking over at a stunned Demi with his expression softening slightly.

"Are you okay?" Gladion tersely asked Demi, who opened her mouth to reply, but the Gothitelle known as Minnie screamed as a burst of energy exploded from her. The blast knocked the monster that had saved Demi across the clearing. Night Slash stumbled to his feet, giving Demi a furious look before turning to Gladion and snatching his blade off of the ground.

"I knew I should have knocked her out first. Girl's screaming must have carried for a good little distance…I'm getting _sloppy_. Well, alrighty then, kid. Let's go. I'll take your Pokémon and your money, or I'll gut you. How's that sound?" Night Slash spat as he strode forward, machete in hand as his Gothitelle walked alongside him, holding its bleeding chest with a wince. Night Slash grinned as Gladion reached into his pocket and pulled out a switchblade, his scowl deepening as he flicked the blade open.

"Ooh, _so threatening_. I've got the bigger blade, kid, and a way tougher Pokémon. I'm not scared of you." Night Slash laughed, stepping towards the fierce teen.

"Null, use Tackle!" Gladion barked, throwing out a hand as the monster beside him groaned and lunged forward.

"Robbery and serious bodily harm it is! Minnie, put it down with Psychic." Night Slash said carelessly. The Gothitelle hummed as she held out a hand, releasing the attack and hitting Type: Null with the attack directly, sending the beast hurtling into a tree and destroying the entire thing, making the tree topple over as Type: Null fell to the ground, unconscious. Gladion held back a yell of worry for his fallen partner, instead releasing his Zubat.

"Supersonic, Zubat!" Gladion yelled out. Night Slash's eyes widened as the piercing noise filled the clearing, confusing the Gothitelle and making the bandit clamp his hands over his ears in pain. He then felt a weight slam into him, knocking him to the ground, and brought up a hand to stop a blade being brought down into his chest. Gladion growled furiously, putting more pressure behind the knife, but Night Slash simply shoved him away, throwing the knife into the grass where it stuck, handle sticking out. The robber clenched his bleeding hand for a moment with a hiss before turning to Gladion.

"Zubat, use Wing Attack!" Gladion yelled out, taking a step back as Night Slash advanced towards him. The man swung down his blade at the teen as Gladion jumped out of the way, but the blond was unable to avoid a kick to the chest that sent him to the ground. Gladion's Zubat, instead of attacking the Gothitelle, lunged at the man hurting his Trainer. Night Slash swung his machete at the Zubat, who dodged the swipe and hit the man with a Wing Attack, knocking him to the ground with a howl of pain.

Demi watched all of this in horrified fascination. She had thought she was at the end of her journey, here. She had left behind everyone who cared about her in a fit of grief, and was about to be robbed and subjected to whatever Night Slash felt like doing to her…Only for this random Trainer to show up with a strange Pokémon and save her life.

The girl was snapped out of her musings when Gladion shouted out in worry, his Zubat hit by a ball of darkness that was shot by the Gothitelle he had confused just a little while ago. The Astral Body Pokémon was still dazed, but was quickly gaining awareness in her eyes. Gladion's Zubat crumpled as it hit the ground, with Gladion sighing angrily.

"Damn it! Why is it never _enough_?! I can't protect anyone at this rate…I'm still too weak!" Gladion despaired with a hiss as Night Slash let out a small laugh. Gladion gasped as he felt a cold chill creep into him, forcing him into the grass and onto his back. Minnie the Gothitelle let out an annoyed sound, her eyes burning with energy as she applied Psychic to Gladion. The teen fought back a scream as pain shot through him, the Gothitelle cruelly applying deadly pressure to his body.

"There'll always be someone bigger and badder than you." Night Slash replied as he twirled the blade in the air. He walked up to Gladion, putting a foot on the teen's chest and holding his blade above Gladion's heart. Night Slash then froze as a voice called out.

"Spearow, use Peck!"

Night Slash looked up in time to see a brown blur speeding towards him. The robber yelped and threw himself into the grass. The Gothitelle released its hold on Gladion and fired a Shadow Ball at the bird, who rolled through the air to avoid the attack.

"What in the…" Gladion muttered, but he looked behind himself to see four Team Skull Grunts standing at the edge of the clearing, with Kayla standing at the front with a hidden smirk.

"Just in the nick of time…Again? How _annoying_." Night Slash growled, staggering to his feet and eyeing the group with angry narrowed eyes.

"Boys. Let's show Gladion what it means to really throw down like Team Skull." The female Team Skull Grunt said playfully, her Spearow landing on her shoulder. Kevin and Axen stepped forward, drawing their Poké Balls as Tim lurked behind them, staying back.

"We may not like Gladion, but I ain't letting some freak slice him up like a Magikarp. Drowzee, let's knock this fool down!" Axen yelled out as he released his partner.

"Speak for yourself, yo. Gladion's not all bad. Zubat, let's go!" Kevin added, pumping out his fist as he released his bat Pokémon.

"You idiots…Run! This guy is too strong!" Gladion barked at them. Kayla scoffed, crossing her arms.

"It'll be a cold day in hell before I listen to you. Team Skull does whatever we feel like doing. And we feel like showing this fool how real hard crims throw down. Spearow, use Aerial Ace!" Kayla shouted as her bird took to the air. The Spearow let out a caw of fury as it sped forward, too fast to see, before colliding with the Gothitelle's mangled chest. The Pokémon winced in pain, but did nothing else.

"I said RUN!" Gladion yelled at the female Team Skull Grunt. Kayla growled in annoyance, not expecting that her attack would do so little damage.

"You two gonna stand there all day like lumps or are ya gonna help me?" Kayla growled to Axen and Kevin.

"Drowzee, use Poison Gas!" Axen called out as his Drowzee stepped protectively in front of his Trainer, the Gothitelle looming ahead of them as her eyes burned with energy.

"Zubat, Supersonic!" Kevin shouted as the bat fluttered overhead. Both Pokémon released their attacks, only to be blasted away with a burst of Psychic.

"Wow…Talk about pathetic. Then again, I should expect that from Team Skull. Tell me, how does your leader sleep at night knowing that he's in charge of a pack of worthless rejects? Hell, I've almost got a bigger bounty on my head than that jackass in just the past few weeks!" Night Slash asked the group with a cackle of mirth, earning looks of fury from all of the Team Skull Grunts.

"Don't you dare speak about the boss that way! Zubat, Wing Attack!" Kevin shouted, fury pounding through his voice as his Zubat shot by. The bat Pokémon was blasted out of the air by a Shadow Ball, knocking it to the ground close to where Gladion's Zubat lay. Gladion rose to his feet, reaching into his bag and pulling out two Revives. He pressed them both against the two fallen Zubat, allowing them both to recover their senses. Both bat Pokémon fluttered into the air, with Kevin giving Gladion a thumbs up.

"Keep him busy! I'm going to help Null!" Gladion called to the others as he dashed across the clearing.

"Gotcha, Edgelord! Poison Gas, Drowzee!" Axen called out as his Pokémon opened his mouth, releasing more of the toxic gas into the air and towards Minnie the Gothitelle. However, before she could respond with a counterattack, a brown blur slammed into the back of the Psychic-type's head, sending her stumbling forward into the purple gas and making her inhale a great deal of it.

"You have got to be kidding me…" Night Slash snarled, his grip tightening on his blade. "Minnie, suck it up! Use Dark Pulse!"

"Supersonic!" Kevin barked as the Astral Body Pokémon charged up her attack. Not only did Kevin's Zubat unleash an Supersonic attack, but Gladion's Zubat did as well, creating a powerful crescendo of sound that washed over the Gothitelle, making her drop to one knee as her eyes spun in her head. The Pokémon then twitched in pain as the poison began to effect her from the inside out.

"Null, use Tackle!" Night Slash whirled around in time to see the monster from before slam into Minnie, knocking her to the ground as the beast roared in fury, with Gladion striding back into the clearing with his expression of absolute ferocity.

"That does it…Minnie, Hyper Beam!" Night Slash snarled at the Gothitelle, who swung out with her arms at Type: Null and made the beast back off in order to avoid a lash of psychic energy. The Gothitelle rose to her feet, panting now, but held out her hands as a black flickering orb of energy began forming.

"Oh hell…" Axen hissed as Kevin took a step back in fear. The Gothitelle let out a scream and unleashed the deadly beam of energy, swiping it across the clearing in a furious arc of destruction that annihilated the area around them.

Demi screamed even as she saw everyone moving in what seemed like slow motion. Type: Null throwing itself in front of Gladion to protect its Trainer from the blast, even as Kevin snatched his Zubat in his arms and ducked. Drowzee threw Axen backwards so he was out of harm's way. Kayla and her Spearow flung themselves to the ground, barely avoiding the blast of deadly energy, even as explosions rang out all around them, with Night Slash laughing softly to himself.

"Damn…Screw being subtle! This is the best time I've had in a while. Six marks for the price of one." Night Slash said as he walked over to Minnie, handing her a pink berry that Demi recognized as a Persim Berry. The Astral Body Pokémon ate the berry, recovering from its confusion.

"Shit shit shit…Not good…" Kayla whispered, panic griping her as she saw Kevin and Axen struggling to their feet. Gladion stumbled upright, looking down at Type: Null with a horrified look of concern, frantically digging out a Revive and pressing it against the unconscious beast.

"Tim, help us out!" Kayla shouted to the tallest of their group, who had been watching them struggle the entire time without stepping in to assist. Tim crossed his arms, shrugging, before he pulled out a single Poké Ball.

"If I must…Druddigon, back them up." Tim said quietly, releasing a massive dragon that roared in fury upon being called out. Night Slash grinned savagely, swinging his blade as his Gothitelle crossed her arms.

"Use Dragon Rage." Tim said quietly, cracking his knuckles as the dragon beside him charged up a ball of energy, firing it at the Gothitelle who screeched in pain as the attack burned her skin. Night Slash glanced to the side and saw that the others were quickly recovering, with Gladion tossing Axen a Revive to heal his Drowzee while Kayla helped Kevin to his feet, the Zubat in the Grunt's arms hissing furiously at Night Slash. The Team Skull Grunt's Pokémon all rushed at the Astral Body Pokémon, forcing her back as she struggled to move, needing to recharge after Hyper Beam and wincing in pain from the Dragon Rage it had been hit with.

"Tch…Smart. Dragon Rage ignores defense completely…It doesn't matter if Minnie is way stronger than that Druddigon." Night Slash growled as Minnie tried to fend off the four Pokémon attacking it now. This was further made worse by Gladion's Zubat and Type: Null rejoining the fight.

"Alrighty then…You all die! Your Pokémon will be a lovely little payday for us." Night Slash panted, pointing his machete down at the group of Team Skull thugs. All of the Pokémon rushed at the Gothitelle, who danced and dodged the plethora of attacks rushing at her, going on the defensive as she recovered her energy. This served as a distraction from Night Slash, who approached the Team Skull Grunts with a wide smile, sprinting at them with his blade ready to slice them apart. Kayla gasped as Night Slash approached her, drawing back his blade as he drew closer, ready to-

"No!" Night Slash gasped as a pair of arms wrapped around his throat, cutting off his air supply. Kayla's eyes widened in surprise as Gladion clung to the man's neck, eyes blazing.

"Move, damn it!" Gladion barked as Night Slash fell to the ground, slamming Gladion into the grass and making the teen yell out in pain. Night Slash rolled to his feet and raised his blade to impale Gladion, only for another figure to throw themselves at the robber, who snarled in pain as fists slammed into his back and sides.

"Save your damn hero complex for later, Gladion! We're going to show this bastard what happens when you disrespect Team Skull!" Kayla snarled at the teen on the ground.

"Minnie, help me out here!" Night Slash shouted as he fell to his knees, with the Team Skull Grunt known as Tim putting the man in a powerful choke-hold. The Gothitelle screamed in fury, releasing a wave of Psychic energy that slammed into Drowzee, both Zubat's, and Spearow, downing them all at once. The Team Skull Grunt was plucked from the robber's back with Psychic and thrown into the air, where he floated high above them, glaring down at the Gothitelle that stood panting from the effort of withstanding all of the attacks she had over the course of the battle.

"Tim!" Kayla shouted out to the quiet gangster as he floated above them, the teen's Druddigon watching him from the ground with worry. The teen suddenly began screaming, clutching his head as his entire body exploded with psychic energy. Night Slash rose to his feet, panting and clutching his throat, eyeing the Team Skull members with hate in his eyes.

"One wrong move and I'll break his neck." Night Slash hissed to them all, his voice cold with anger.

"Come on, come on! Someone do something!" Kayla yelled to the others, who eyed their fallen Pokémon with panic. There wasn't much they _could_ do.

Night Slash's grin became manic, his fist clenched as the Gothitelle focused her power on the Team Skull Grunt in the air, with Tim's screams increasing in pitch and volume, sending shivers down each of their spines. Gladion pushed himself to his feet, gritting his teeth as he yanked his knife free from the ground nearby. The teen took a breath to calm himself before he flipped the blade in his grip and hurled it at the robber, who was too slow to dodge the knife that slammed into his back. Night Slash howled in pain, falling to the ground as crimson spurted from his back and his Gothitelle whirled around in surprise, her eyes narrowing.

Tim fell from the sky, released for Psychic's deadly embrace, and would have hit the ground had his Druddigon not caught him in its arms. The furious dragon shot another Dragon Rage at Minnie the Gothitelle, making her screech in pain as the explosion seared her. The Gothitelle snarled in fury and made the dragon back off with a Shadow Ball before it turned around to protect her Trainer from Gladion.

The teen in black felt the cold rush of Psychic hitting him once again. As the Gothitelle raised a hand into the air, a violent burst of fire slammed into the side of the Gothitelle, sending her stumbling backwards with a cry of pain. Gladion was released and dropped to the ground lightly, shaking as his limbs recovered from the sudden force on them. Gladion and the rest of Team Skull looked off to the side, surprise etched on all of their faces as they saw who had saved Gladion.

Demi stood tall, her legs shaking and bracing herself heavily against a tree, but her eyes burned with the will to fight. A very tired but determined Quilava stood at her feet, eyeing the Gothitelle ahead with anger while a nervous Litwick hovered overhead. Gladion felt a surge of respect for the girl as she called out, "Torch, use Flame Wheel! Aou, use Fire Spin!"

"No!" Night Slash called out as his Gothitella winced in pain, the poison from earlier seeping deeper into her body and making her shiver in pain. This moment of distraction allowed a Blaze-powered Flame Wheel to smash into the chest of the Gothitelle and send her toppling over. The flames spewed from the Litwick encircled the Gothitelle, scorching her even as she tried to stand back up. The angry Pokémon released a Shadow Ball from its hand at Demi, but Torch the Quilava threw himself in front of the attack and went flying into Auo as it exploded against him, knocking the two of them out cold as they crashed into the grass next to Demi. The girl let out a yell of worry and began tending to her Pokémon, a frantic look on her face.

"Nonononono! Not again… _please not again_!" Demi whispered, trying to rouse her battered and exhausted Pokémon and make sure they were okay. Gladion watched the display with a pang before he turned to Night Slash and his Gothitelle, his fists clenching in fury.

"Null, use Tackle!" Gladion barked, throwing out a hand as Type: Null bounded past him, roaring as it collided with the powerful Psychic-type, knocking it to the ground one final time. The Gothitelle slammed into the grass, finally passing out from the combined efforts of the Demi, Gladion and Team Skull.

"You…you rotten little…" Night Slash began to say, trying to get to his feet and grabbing another Poké Ball from his belt, but a swift kick to the face from Gladion cut him off. Gladion's lips curled into a furious snarl and he stomped onto the side of the man's head, making him howl in pain. Gladion silenced him with a third kick to the face, knocking him unconscious. Gladion glared down at the man, panting heavily, before spitting in the man's face for good measure.

"Awww yeah! That's how Team Skull does it, boys and gals!" Axen boomed, throwing his hands outwards.

"Yeah. We're done here." Kayla said with a small laugh, throwing her arms around Kevin and Axen, the two young men laughing at their triumph. Gladion could easily see why. Team Skull didn't exactly have a good winning streak. Beating such a high-level opponent felt…good.

" _Maybe I_ am _getting stronger…We both are_." Gladion thought as he put a hand on Type: Null's neck, rubbing it. Despite the stressful day, he felt a bit lighter now. The monster beside Gladion hummed in response, seemingly enjoying the victory itself. Or maybe it liked getting its neck rubbed. Gladion wasn't sure. Regardless, the group quickly revived and healed their Pokémon, in high spirits now that the battle was done.

"So now what?" Axen asked the group as each of their Pokémon were recalled, save Type: Null and Druddigon.

"I say we get some grub. I hear there's a neat little diner past the Pokémon Center…which is, well, two hours past Lush Jungle." Kayla said to the males in her group, with each of them nodding in reply.

"Yeah, this part of the island annoys me. Let's bounce." Axen replied with a laugh. Before they could reply, a voice spoke up.

"W-wait!"

Gladion and the rest of Team Skull turned around and saw Demi looking at them with an unsure expression on her face, sitting on the ground with her leg stuck out. Her Quilava and Litwick were still unconscious beside her, and the girl wore the expression of someone who just looked… _lost_.

"Please…d-don't leave me alone. I just…I can't do this on my own right now." Demi whispered, her entire body trembling as she just crumpled inward. It looked as if the fire that she had managed to gather to help them in the fight earlier was gone, extinguished as she watched them from the ground.

Gladion looked at the girl with a feeling of pity welling up in him. The girl looked like someone who was at the end of their rope. Exhausted. Heartbroken. D _esperate_. It reminded him of the first day he had ran away from home.

The green-eyed teen looked away, torn between what to do. On the one hand, this girl was obviously in bad shape and needed some help. He may have had his priorities, but he wasn't heartless. After a moment's thought, he realized he _wanted_ to help her.

On the other hand, the rest of Team Skull wouldn't allow her to come with them, even if it was to get this girl to safety. Gladion sighed as he took a few steps towards the injured girl, his mind made up. Demi looked up at Gladion as he approached, the teen stopping right in front of her and looking down at her. Gladion then extended a hand towards her, his expression unreadable. Demi stared at Gladion for a moment before grasping his hand, with the teen pulling Demi to her feet with ease. Gladion held the girl upright and beckoned Type: Null over to them. Demi returned her own Pokémon, regarding the strange beast before her with open wonder.

"If you don't want to be by yourself, then you can come with us. Null can carry you. Null, you're okay with that, right?" Gladion asked his partner. The beast nodded slowly, and to Gladion's surprise Demi reached out and patted the Pokémon on the head.

"Thanks…Null? Weird nickname, but I've heard weirder. I really appreciate it." Demi said to the Pokémon with a ghost of a smile on her face. Gladion stared at the girl in absolute shock, but was even more surprised when Type: Null hummed in response as Demi carefully got onto the monster's back.

 _"That's the first time anyone besides me has ever been brave enough to touch Null...And it reacted so positively. Who_ is _this girl?"_ Gladion thought with wonder, seeing his partner calmly watching him despite having a stranger on its back.

"So, this is happening then?" Gladion turned around to face Team Skull. He gritted his teeth, but nodded in response. Axen and Kevin walked forward, eyeing the girl with suspicion.

"Ain't you the one who wrecked Bone Unit 67 last week?" Axen asked Demi.

"Umm…Maybe? I fought some of you guys, but it was only because you all attacked me and my friend. I would've been fine with ignoring you all." Demi said to the teen with a tired expression.

"Hey, just checking. So, we're helping this chick out now, Gladion? I'm game, I guess." Kevin said with a shrug. Gladion looked at the Grunt in surprise, but Axen just laughed.

"We're tough as bones and hard as…bones, but we're not _evil_ , yo. Team Skull, unlike the prick we just dropped, has _class_. We get the lady to a Pokémon Center and get her fixed up. No sweat off my bones. Shit, she helped us finish him off. May as well help out a little." Axen said to a bemused Demi and Gladion.

"And we can turn in this slimy dude for the reward money and pocket his loot for ourselves. He said he had a bounty on him, which means he's worth something." Kayla remarked, earning nods with Axen and Kevin.

"You're fine with that, right?" Gladion asked Demi. The exhausted teen nodded in response, considering she didn't care what happened to Night Slash as long as she never saw him again.

The female member of Team Skull laughed, drawing their attention to her. "Look at that. All of us are finally getting along. Looks like all it takes for Edgelord to fall into line is a pretty girl, huh Gladion?" Kayla said teasingly to the teen, earning a middle finger in response from Gladion. Kayla shook her head and turned to Tim, who was still laying on the ground, staring into space, with his Druddigon next to him.

"You good, Tim?" Kayla asked the silent Team Skull member. Tim shook his head, whispering something before he clutched his head.

"...thgir t'nsi gnihtemoS...wonk t'nod I…" Tim replied a little louder, the words coming out as gibberish to them. Kayla slowly helped the teen to his feet, his Druddigon helping lift his Trainer as well.

"Yeah, Tim might need some help too. I didn't get any of that." Kayla said to the others, with Tim simply nodding in response.

"Maybe that Psychic attack scrambled his brain or something." Kevin suggested, earning a look from all of them. "Hey, it's a thought!"

"Yeah. A stupid one. Now get to lifting the robber douche. Tim and I will help." Kayla said to Kevin, who sighed and did what he was told. Demi watched the display with a small broken smile, faintly amused at the criminal's antics. Tim's Druddigon grabbed Night Slash and carried the robber over its shoulders, not caring that the man's head would be repeatedly hitting its hard scales as they walked. That meant less work for Team Skull, so they were totally alright with this.

"You all are so crazy…But you're the best thing that's happened to me today so…thanks. Thank you so much…" Demi said to the group, earning surprised looks from all of them.

"If we're the best thing that's happened to you today, you must have _really_ had a crap day. What makes you think we deserve a thank you for this? You're literally in the hands of criminals right now. You know, Team Skull and all that?" Kayla noted dryly as they made their way out of the clearing.

"You helped me…You had no reason to, but you all saved my life…even if you're Team Skull, you all still helped me. And as long as we're going away from that stupid Water Trial and it's evil Totem Pokémon, I don't care _what_ happens." Demi murmured, making each of the Team Skull Grunts exchange looks. Gladion knew exactly what they were thinking, as a shared expression of understanding dawned on each of their faces.

"Technically, we were helping Gladion. He's the one who found you and decided to save you. We helped him because, well, we're not going to let someone we work with get killed in front of us. Eh, that counts I guess." Axen replied with a chuckle. "So, Trial huh? Let me guess. The Trial at Brooklet Hill screwed you over?" Axen asked Demi, who nodded an affirmative. "Heh, same as Derek and Grunt 27B. Can't remember his name, but the other guy _really_ hated himself after that adventure."

"Yep. One got disowned by his family after he failed the Trial four times in a row, the other gave up on training altogether after his Popplio got killed. That Water Trial's got a not-good history. Stupid spider thing freaks me out." Kayla replied deprecatingly, looking at Demi with a hidden smile now. "Looks like we've got something in common then...Alright, Gladion. We'll play it your way. We help her out for realsies. Make sure she's all nice and taken care of. Not like we have anything better to do...So, what's your name?"

"Demi…Demi Palena." Demi said to the group as they began their trek down the road. Kevin and Axen were taking turns going through Night Slash's loot and supplies as they walked. Demi looked over at the teen known as Gladion, who was staying close to Type: Null and determinedly looking forward, not meeting the eyes of any of them. The female Team Skull Grunt known as Kayla decided to introduce everyone, her voice rather upbeat now as she cast a smug look at Gladion.

"I'm Kayla. This is Axen, Tim, and Kevin. And that grumpy dude on your left is Gladion." Kayla said to Demi, who gave the teen in black another look of gratitude before she slowly nodded, closing her eyes and sighing with exhaustion as she slumped her shoulders. Demi was surprised when the surly Trainer that commanded Type: Null spoke to her.

"If you need to rest, then rest. Null won't let you fall. I'll wake you up when we get to the Pokémon Center." Gladion said quietly, keeping his eyes forward with his hands shoved in his pockets. Demi smiled slightly at that and leaned against the strange Pokémon, sighing as she rested her eyes.

With that, Team Skull departed the area and headed north towards the Lush Jungle with Demi and Night Slash in tow, leaving the battered girl wondering just what would happen to her next...


	43. There Can Be Only One

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _I'll admit, the reactions I got last chapter were exactly what I was hoping for. We'll see where Demi's path takes her and if/how she bounces back from recent events. But let's just say that I made Demi a main character for a reason._

 _I don't exactly take a lot of pride in myself, despite everything I've done and been told. But I'll admit. I'm proud of last chapter and a lot of what I've done in this story._

 _Anyways, onto other related topics of equal importance._

 _Going to address the elephant in the room now. You see…when I mentioned that Hau and Gladion were getting ships in this story, I never specified who they were. Ever. I offered to message people back in chapter 25 that if they made a firm guess in the review section and were right. I didn't message a single person back. And to the one or two people who were maybe in the ballpark, with one person on the fence between two characters, I don't count that. One or the other. That said I did look back through the reviews and didn't see any correct guesses, so I may have been mistaken then._

 _I'll leave you all to speculate. Maybe some hints here and there may tip people off. Maybe not. We'll see._

 _Though I will make another quick note of something I've noticed appearing in the comment section. Night Slash may be a fairly strong Trainer, but also keep into account that Team Skull and Gladion are all pretty weak at the moment in the story. Type: Null and Gladion are the strongest out of that group, and Null is at level 20 at this point in the story. Any Trainer with a Pokemon over 40 should be able to completely mop the floor with anything below that. Gothitelle evolves at level 41, so even if Night Slash's Pokemon had just evolved, she should have been able to defeat Team Skull, Gladion, and Demi. However, that didn't happen due to their teamwork and numbers._

 _I generally try to keep events in the story based off of the game mechanics as much as possible. Yes, I'll maybe have battles where both sides take more hits than they should be able to, but that's usually just to make it a more intense affair. I take into account team levels,_ _Pokémon abilities and moves and viability, plausibility, and so much more. Mainly because I want there to be as few flaws and mistakes in this story as possible (see last chapter where a Spearow dodged a Shadow Ball it didn't need to dodge because it's totally immune to the attack for confirmation), but also because I want this story to be the best one I can make it. Hopefully that helps explain some things, because this is something that cropped up with Amber, another Trainer with a high-leveled team._

 _Speaking of games, I did notice several remarks in the reviews regarding how USUM has begun to affect the story. I did say that I was debating how to incorporate the ideas the game had into the story, and that's culminated in this chapter. While I'm not going to full-on throw every little idea USUM had into this story, there will be some things that get included because they mesh well with this story or help with something plot-related. The latter happens to be the case with the current Totem_ _Pokémon of Brooklet Hill._

 _Which reminds me. If you're a fan of the Captains in the game, you'll be very happy to hear that I'll be focusing on them quite a bit. Especially on Akala Island. Most notably Lana, because she's adorable in-game and in the anime. She's just my favorite of the bunch._

 _Though Lillie is still best character. And best girl. Just sayin'._

 _Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes Angelfir3, BouncingFish. Madame Rodoshe, Sai Og Sus, Infinite Nexus, Cottonmouth25, sceptilezeno, BraviaryScout, Rare Joe Star, Consumer of Fantasy, Ways, TheHero'sSpirit, GeekyGamer314, bigboy9969, Gokan123, DarkestShade73, as well as 3 new reviewers known as EL Hunter, Ultimate blazer, and LordAzrael1. The favorites, follows, and reviews as of late have been absolutely fantastic, and I thank you all for the support._

 _This was supposed to be a fairly short chapter. I obviously failed at this task._

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 _Chapter 43: There Can Be Only One_

* * *

Gladion leaned against the wall of the Pokémon Center, sighing deeply in exhaustion. He was tired…oh so tired. He had kept up his walls, as he always did with Team Skull, but right now he needed to breathe. Let down the vice he kept around his soul for only a brief moment.

He usually dealt with his particular cadre of Team Skull Grunts in small doses, usually leaving on his own and coming when called.

" _Like a dog_ ," Gladion bitterly thought, but it was his use to the organization. They allowed him to hide in plain sight from those who hunted him and Null. And so he stuck with them as he gathered his strength and became stronger.

The past few hours had seen him sticking with Team Skull and their newest companion, Demi, for far longer than he was used to and his patience was fraying. Gladion was surprised when a voice spoke up from beside him, nearly jumping as his concentration was scattered and the walls rose up once again.

"So now what?" Kevin asked Gladion, who shrugged. He was surprised that the Team Skull Grunt had snuck up on him, and the teen cursed himself for being so distracted.

"She made me promise to wait for her outside. She wanted to thank us again for helping her out and letting her tag along with us for a bit." Gladion said in a low voice, stuffing his hands inside of his pockets.

"Not surprised when she's as bad off as she was. I'm looking forward to her telling us just what happened to her, man. Stupid Trials do nothing but hurt people." Kevin said with an annoyed sigh, crossing his arms. Truthfully, Gladion could see the Grunt's point. The Island Challenge, while fluffed up with its history and significance, also had its very negative points. And that wasn't just in how dangerous they were. Team Skull has living proof of the toxicity that the Island Challenge created on the families who lived and breathed the culture of Alola with so much intensity. Gladion counted himself lucky he had gone through them with no problems so far. Gladion may not have agreed with Team Skull's methods or style, but he understood them.

Both Kevin and Gladion turned around as Demi walked out of the Pokémon Center, dressed in a shimmering forest green dress with a baseball cap pulled low over her head, her long black hair tied into a ponytail. Gladion's gaze lingered on the girl for several moments as Demi offered them both a wan smile that faded as she walked over to them. Gladion averted his gaze from the dark-haired teen, his scowl deepening.

" _Don't get distracted."_ Gladion scolded himself, gritting his teeth in annoyance.

"All set. Sorry about that…Nurse Joy wanted to make sure I could travel, since I refused to stay the night here." Demi said quietly as she approached.

"Eh, don't worry about it. Today's the best day our little group had for a while. Speaking of, we've got to split up the earnings from that bandit's bounty, yo. Should be fun. After that, chow time." Kevin remarked with a hidden grin.

"Dinner sounds good." Demi murmured, crossing her arms as she adjusted the strap of her bag.

"You're good to walk, right?" Gladion asked Demi, glancing back at her. The girl smiled faintly at the teen who had saved her and nodded.

"Yeah…I should be okay. The cuts were cleaned up and bandaged and my ankle was only sprained. I just might need to go a little slow for a bit." Demi explained to Gladion, who nodded.

"Then let's go." Gladion said in a low voice. The trio walked over to a cluster of nearby trees, where Tim, Axen, and Kayla were waiting. The trio eyed the other three arrivals for a moment before returning to their conversation.

"We should divide it evenly. No point in being greedy…even though I totally deserve a quarter of the take." Axen said jokingly, earning a middle finger from Tim.

"Right. Making it uneven just pisses everyone off, anyway. Demi, you were the one who turned him in, so you get a stake in this too." Kayla said, surprising the other girl, who opened her mouth to protest. Kayla cut Demi off. "Don't give me that look. Axen talked me into it. Consider it thanks for being the one who got us into this situation to begin with. If it wasn't for you getting captured by Creeper Douche 9000, we'd be a lot poorer than we are now. That prick wasn't kidding. That bounty on him made us all quite a bit wealthier."

"I don't want anything. I just want this behind me." Demi said firmly, making Kayla blink in surprise. Kayla shrugged after a moment.

"More for us, then. Don't ever say that Team Skull isn't fair. I'll even give Brood Master a bit more of the profit. Sound good, Gladdy?" Kayla asked Gladion, who didn't reply. Kayla shrugged and turned back to Demi, who was watching the exchange with interest. Kayla smirked under her bandanna, but shook her head.

"So, you're sticking with us for a bit longer then?" Kayla asked Demi, who nodded. "Why? You could've gotten some real rest and stuff at the Pokémon Center. Pretty sure that after whatever happened at that Trial, you've got some people worried about you too."

"My family has made it clear that they've got other priorities…" Demi said bitterly, feeling her heart ache at the words. Gladion gave her a sympathetic look and seemed like he was about to say something, but seemed to think better of it and remained silent. Demi continued with, "My friends are definitely worried about me, but I'm not comfortable with talking to them right now. I lost my temper when everything happened and I'm…I'm ashamed of myself. I really don't handle stressful situations well and I don't want to hurt them more than I already have."

"Yikes...Sorry to hear that. Family drama is never fun." Axen said with a shake of the head. Tim nodded in agreement, clenching his fists.

"You all are okay with me traveling with you for a bit longer until I get my head back on straight, so that's what I'll do. I don't want to be alone right now…but I don't want to burden my friends with more of my drama." Demi said quietly, looking down at the ground.

"Eh. No one's perfect. Except me, of course." Axen remarked with a chuckle, earning a kick in the shin from Kayla.

"Drater etulosba na er'uoy **."** Tim said as he cast a bored look to Axen, who waved a hand.

"Sorry, I can't understand you over the sound of your gibberish." Axen said to Tim. The taller Team Skull Grunt sighed angrily and stepped forward, drawing back his fist to deck Axen in the mouth, but Kayla shot him a look and made him lower his hand.

"Back to the topic at hand…I mean, I don't have an issue with you hanging around. After helping us and knowing that you got screwed like we did by those damn Trials, it'd be pretty shitty of us to rob you and leave you unconscious on the road like we initially planned." Kayla said to Demi, who narrowed her eyes at the girl. Kayla chuckled a few moments later, putting her hands on her hips.

"Heh, can you blame me? We're Team Skull, after all. We've got standards, but we're hard as bone. Now let's get moving. I want to be at Kiawe's Trial sometime before next week. Maybe if we're lucky we can swipe some of his Z-Crystal stash and make some nice profit." Kayla mused as she began walking down the road.

Gladion got up off of his tree, stuffing his hands in his pockets as the group began moving down the road. Demi walked slowly, but the group of thugs did the same to keep pace with her and not leave her behind. The teen in black could tell that while the girl they had picked up was fairly friendly to them, she was being cautious despite this. Rightfully so, of course, but Gladion couldn't help but be amused as he watched her from afar. He cursed himself again for getting distracted by their new acquaintance.

" _At least for a little bit, I don't have to deal with their crap alone."_ Gladion thought before he realized he didn't need to travel with them any longer for the time being. He'd just meet up with them at the Fire Trial site later, as he usually did when it came to him being paired with Team Skull groups.

"I'll be heading back to my hotel room now. Try not to get eaten or choke on your own tongues." Gladion said to the Team Skull Grunts, who all turned around and looked at the teen in annoyance at the jab.

"You're leaving?" Demi asked, surprised.

"I'm not officially with Team Skull. I'm an Enforcer, some extra muscle for when they can't provide it themselves. I travel with them when they need me, but I don't travel around with them forever. I have my own place, while they have their town. Now, I'll be going." Gladion said to the Team Skull Grunts before turning his gaze to Demi. "Good luck. And…I'm sorry for your loss."

Demi winced at the boy's words, a hand going to her heart. Gladion then realized that for a little while, Demi had forgotten about her starter's demise in all the recent excitement. Despite this, Demi nodded slowly and said in a very small voice, "I appreciate that, Gladion. Thanks for helping me earlier."

Gladion nodded without reply and turned away and began walking in the opposite direction from the group. Kayla stomped her foot, scowling underneath her bandanna. "The Boss said you were to stick with us until he called us back. He hasn't called us back, so you're staying with us and the girl. Got it? Or do you want us to have to get him to teach you another _lesson_?" Kayla said to Gladion as she pulled a phone out of her pocket threateningly. The teen in black growled something unkind under his breath as he stopped in his tracks.

"A lesson?" Demi asked quietly. Kevin shook his head in response, indicating that now wasn't a good time.

Gladion shook in fury for a moment before whirling around and walking back in their direction. The Team Skull squad began walking, with Kayla and Axen laughing under their breath at Gladion's fury. Demi watched the teen with a bit of worry. What was wrong with him? Why did Team Skull treat her, some random Trainer, with more respect than their accomplice and Enforcer?

"Hey, is everything-" Demi began to ask as the teen neared her, but Gladion cut her off.

"Save it." Gladion hissed, brushing past her and pacing away as Team Skull made their way down the road.

"Is he…alright?" Demi asked Kevin quietly. She may not have known any of them that well, but Gladion had been tense and irritable ever since the group had defeated Night Slash. Demi had seen glimpses of kindness within him despite that. After all, Gladion was the first to jump into the clearing and protect her from Night Slash. He had offered her a helping hand and let her ride on Type: Null all the way to the Pokémon Center…he had even offered condolences before he was about to leave.

So why was he acting so serious and angry now? It couldn't have _just_ been the ridicule Team Skull gave him, though that clearly wasn't helping. Being the kind of person she was, she couldn't help but worry about someone who was unhappy or upset. Much like Hau, she wanted to help people if she could.

Kevin shrugged by way of response. "Yep. That's Gladion for you. I mean, he's an alright guy. He's just a hardass and that makes it hard to get along with him. The fact that he's not an official member of Team Skull just proves that he's a lone wolf sort of guy. Homeless? Some freaky thing as his main Pokémon? Surrounded by people who don't like him? Yeah, he's an unfriendly one, but no one is surprised by that, yo. If you want to try and make friends with him, by all means, go ahead. It'd be funny to watch." Kevin offered as he stuck his hands inside of his pockets, smirking at her from under his bandanna. Demi looked ahead at the teen known as Gladion, unsure of what to think. She disregarded him for the moment, since she had enough to worry about right now.

Demi had a dilemma to deal with, after all. What was she to do next? As odd as it was that Team Skull had taken it upon themselves to help her, it didn't exactly give Demi an idea of what her next move should be.

" _Well, maybe some food and sleep will help. If not, maybe I can ask my new 'friends' for some advice…Though to be honest, I want to know why they're being so nice to me. This is Team Skull! The stupid crooks just like the ones I sent packing just the other day! Why are they acting like they know exactly what I'm going through…"_ Demi wondered, feeling a headache coming on with a wince.

Well, no matter what, she had to keep moving forward. Nothing good came from dwelling on the past. She just had to look forward to the future, no matter what it would bring.

* * *

"Yeah…it's one big mess, Mom." Sun sighed as he sank onto his bed, eyeing the setting sun out of his window. Penny chirped sadly as Oliver slept soundly and Brago watched them all from his place at the foot of Sun's bed. Their Trainer rested the phone on his pillow, the boy using the speaker-phone function so that he wouldn't have to hold the device to his ear.

Despite their efforts, the Trial Guides were unable to find Demi. They had received a call late in the evening that she had healed her Pokémon and received some treatment for her injuries at a Pokémon Center a few hours away, but she had departed afterwards and had vanished into the wilds.

Sun was worried. While Demi was a capable Trainer and was certainly able to handle being in the wilds on her own, she was still in a horrible state of mind. Grieving over the death of her starter and just… _devastated_. Sun remembered the look of pain and anger on her face when Demi had learned that the Trial that had killed her Feya would be running again like nothing had ever happened in just a day or two.

It made him wonder if the Island Challenge was more dangerous than Professor Kukui and Kahuna Hala had let on. Sun decided to look into the matter later, once things had calmed down a little.

"Sounds like it. How's Hau holding up?" Laura asked.

"Not good. He's been looking on Route 4 for the past few hours." Sun explained to his mother, who sighed deeply.

"That boy has the biggest heart I've ever seen. But he really shouldn't have said what he did to a girl who just lost her Pokémon. I don't blame her for wanting to get away from it all. Do you know anything about where she might've gone?" Laura asked Sun.

"Hau talked with her parents on the phone before he left. Apparently Demi and her folks got into a fight. I just know that there was a lot of crying on their end and they seemed to think it was all their fault that Demi was upset." Sun explained to his mother, who hummed on the other end of the phone.

"You said Demi was under a lot of stress from her family to do well on her Island Challenge?" Laura said to her child.

"Yeah. She doesn't have the best relationship with her parents, if I remember right."

"I've heard that this isn't uncommon within Alola. Hau's mother mentioned once that a lot of children are put under a lot of pressure to complete the Island Challenge, and those who fail or give up on them can be ostracized a bit in their families and communities. I believe Team Skull formed around something like that…" Laura mused quietly, her tone thoughtful.

"I remember back at Verdant Cavern, the Team Skull goons I ran into there warned me to stay away from the Island Challenge so that I wouldn't go through the same things they went through." Sun replied as he leaned back on his bed.

"I suppose they may have said that out of genuine worry that someone didn't suffer the same fate they did. I mean…They're crooks, but they're not evil. Not like Cipher." Sun's mother said with a small sigh as the boy glanced over at the Pokémon Egg resting on the table nearby. Sun winced at the very sight of it, shutting his eyes and sighing as the memories…No. It was nothing. It had to be nothing.

"-Sun? Can you hear me?"

"Yeah, s-sorry Mom."

"Is everything okay?" Laura asked, concerned as to why her child had suddenly went silent for about thirty seconds for no reason. Sun grit his teeth, hating the fact that he was about to lie to his mother.

"Mom, I'm fine. It's just been a long day. I'll be better in the morning." Sun said to his mother, who didn't reply for a moment.

"Dear, you know that you can tell me anything, right?" Laura said to her child, her voice still filled with concern. Sun felt his chest constrict for a moment, and he seriously considered telling her. Explaining what had happened to him. Telling her about Nova…His mind recoiled at the mere suggestion of it though and Sun sighed shakily, recovering his composure. Maybe someday. Not now. Not with everything going on.

"Of course."

"So what are you going to do now?" Laura asked her child.

"I think I'm going to check on Hau. He…wasn't doing well when I last checked. Lana's out with Olivia at the Trial site. They said something about retiring the Totem Pokémon there since the powers in the area had been effecting it for too long…whatever that means. Either way, Lana is working on taming a new Totem Pokémon as we speak. She's still in danger of losing her position as Trial Captain, so she's making sure her new Totem Pokémon is up to snuff." Sun explained to his mother.

"Does Professor Kukui know?" Laura asked Sun.

"He's going to have a meeting with Olivia tomorrow, after a test run of the Trial and some other stuff going on. I think…" Sun trailed off, unsure of the specifics. Why would the Captain and Kahuna confide in him, after all? He wasn't even entirely sure Lana had explained all the details of what she had been doing. "I've already offered to be the first person to test the Water Trial and be the first person to battle the new Totem Pokémon."

"Sun, after what happened to Demi, maybe you should wait until the new Totem Pokémon is settled in. If you got hurt…" Laura trailed off, but Sun chuckled into the phone.

"If I get hurt, then the Kahuna will step in herself. But I'm not going to let this scare me away from beating the Island Challenge. And if I do beat this thing, then I can be the first to say I overcame the newest Totem Pokémon and Lana gets to stay a Captain because the Trial went well. It's win-win." Sun said to his mother, confidence in his voice. Laura sighed into the phone.

"I swear, I can't tell who you take after sometimes."

"In a good way or bad way?"

"I'm undecided. Right now, you're definitely taking after me. I'm so proud of you, you know that right?"

"Yep!" Sun said with a wide grin, making his mother laugh into the phone. The mother and son talked for a short while longer before they ended their call, with Sun feeling a bit lighter about everything that had happened. Sun hopped out of bed and decided to find Hau. Last time he had talked to his friend, he hadn't been doing well. Sun recalled his Pokémon and went downstairs, and was surprised to find Hau slumped over on the floor next to a TV, watching the news regarding the situation in Kanto.

Sun watched as well, learning that Team Rocket had regained a firm foothold in the region thanks to their alliance with Cipher. The Executives within the syndicate had issued demands from the Pokémon League, who were flat-out refusing to even listen to the criminals. Sun grit his teeth and ignored the broadcast, instead walking over to his friend and looking down at him.

"No luck?" Sun asked Hau.

"Nope. Not answering her phone either." Hau said quietly, an uncharacteristic frown on his face. The boy closed his eyes and Sun sat down next to him, frowning as well.

"As much crap as I give you about Lillie, it looks like I'm just as bad with girls, huh?" Hau said with a heavy sigh. Sun remembered his decision the other day to talk with Hau about their mutual friend in white, and decided that now would be as good a time as any to ask Hau about this. The situation with Demi had put the boy in a serious mood, so maybe he'd be of some help.

"No…I'm still worse than you. Speaking of, Hau…Why do you think I have a crush on Lillie?" Sun asked Hau, who opened an eye at him.

"Dude, it's obvious to anyone who looks at you two. You both are so close after just a few months of knowing each other. You're shy around each other and flustered and awkward but supporting one another no matter what and being amazing friends. Honestly I'm jealous of what you two have, man. It's what I've wanted from Lillie ever since I met her." Hau admitted as he sat up.

"I know I like her, myself. A lot. She's pretty and kind and amazing in so many ways. But right now I'm just her friend. Her rock. The one who helped her when she was struggling to figure out her new home on Melemele Island. And man, she struggled a _lot_. I helped her get out of that shell a little and…And I'm proud of that. I'm proud to be her very first real friend. And if I never get to be more than that, if I just stay her friend, then I'm also okay with that because I care about Lillie. With _you_ , however, things are a bit different. The bond you and Lillie share runs a bit deeper, buddy. So truth is...I might be fighting an uphill battle. But I'll keep fighting." Hau explained to Sun, who just stared at his friend in surprise.

"How can you be okay with that?" Sun asked Hau, who smiled weakly at him in response.

"ʻO ka poʻe maikaʻi loa i ke ola ka waiwai. The best people in life are worth it, Sunshine." Hau replied as he laid back down on the ground.

"I guess so…Hau I…I think you're right." Sun said heavily, crossing his arms as heat suffused his face. Hau looked at him with confusion, and Sun elaborated.

"I think I might have a crush on Lillie." Sun admitted, making Hau's eyes widen in shock. "I think I like her the same way you do. Maybe more. I just feel so many odd emotions when I'm around her. She makes me happy. I know I'm, well… _attracted_ to her. She's the prettiest girl I know. Heck, I even admitted that to her once and she got so flustered. It was adorable, heh. I feel like the day is just a bit brighter with her around me, you know? She's got her problems, but she has so many positives that I'm okay with that. She has a beautiful soul." Sun explained as Hau listened intently, a little smile on his face. While Hau had always had his eyes set on Lillie, it was nice seeing his friend realize his own feelings for their white-wearing friend.

"I told you so. She's beautiful in general though, too." Hau added with a chuckle.

"Yeah…So is that what I'm feeling? Do I…'like like' her? I'm so confused about this, man. I feel kind of bad for even feeling like this in the first place. She's my friend, after all. Is this okay? I just…don't know!" Sun burst out, flopping down on the floor with a heavy sigh. Hau chuckled beside him, putting his hands behind his head.

"The heart's a crazy thing, buddy. Much like with me and Demi, you can't help who you're attracted to. Sometimes it's your best friend. Sometimes it's a total stranger. It's just part of being human. And to answer your question, Sun, yes. You _definitely_ like her. Sadly we're at an age where we don't know what's going on with us. You're going to be confused as all hell. Trust me. I'm still confused on a lot of stuff…But you'll get through it. The trick is figuring out if she feels the same way and if so…Where to go from there?" Hau said to Sun, as serious as he could be. Sun looked away from Hau, deep in thought.

" _I like Lillie…But where do we go from here? Does she like me back? Do…I'll talk with her about this. She's my friend. I just have to gather the nerve to do it."_ Sun decided with an inward sigh. Just the thought of doing that made him nervous.

"What if I tell her how I feel and she pushes me away? What if she doesn't want to be my friend anymore?" Sun asked Hau.

"That's the risk of being open about your feelings, Sun. It carries risk. But the best things in life are worth a bit of risk. Tell me, would you do anything for Lillie if she asked you right now?" Hau asked Sun, who smiled a little.

"Yeah. I've done that a few times already, actually."

"Hehehehe. The lady has us both wrapped around her finger and she has no idea."

"Yeah…Totally worth it though."

"Yep. Lillie's worth it. Guess that makes us rivals for her affection as well as Island Challenge rivals too, huh?" Hau asked Sun, who grinned at his friend.

"At least it's you." Sun said to Hau, extending a hand to his friend. Hau shook it, grinning like his old self again.

"So, now that we've got that sorted out…What's going to happen with you and Demi?" Sun asked Hau, who frowned again. Sun winced at how badly he set that up. Maybe he should have waited to bring that up.

"I'll wait for her to get in touch. I like her too, but…I'm having second thoughts now after this. We'll see what happens." Hau admitted with a small shrug before a loud beeping startled the two boys. Sun dug out his phone and saw that an unknown number had texted him. Sun opened his phone and read the message, eyes widening in surprise.

"Well…speak of the devil." Sun remarked softly, scanning over the message he just received.

 _Hey Sun. Hope you're doing well. Don't worry about me, I'm fine. Physically_ _, anyway. Call off the search parties or whatever is going on. I'm with some friends right now. I kind of accidentally smashed my phone, so don't bother calling me for a while. Spread the word, would you?_

 _Tell Hau and Lana that they both deserve better. In regards to friends and…other stuff. You know? I plan on apologizing to Lana later, in person, but I can't face any of you right now. Please understand that I just need time to figure myself out. I'm a mess right now, but I'll bounce back. Good luck on the Island Challenge._

 _Please be safe, because that Totem is nasty._

 _Thanks for being my friend. :D_

 _-Demi._

Sun showed the text to Hau. The boy's eyes widened, but he sighed again.

"She's okay. That's what matters…Man, girls are a trip." Hau chuckled wryly as he flopped back down on the carpet. Sun nodded, though truthfully, he was still worried about his friend. The Kanto-native's gaze traveled to his backpack on the ground, and his thoughts returned to his Egg. He reached over and unzipped the back of the pack and took out the Eevee Egg, setting it on the ground. Hau's eyes widened in surprise as Sun stared at the Egg.

"I'm sorry…But I just can't." Sun murmured to the little Egg as he put a hand on top of the incubator.

"Where'd you get that?" Hau said quietly with awe, as if he was scared of waking up the little Pokémon within.

"Day Care Center. They found it and just gave it to me. And it's tearing me apart, Hau." Sun said softly as he shut his eyes, shivering as his mind threatened to drag him back to despair. Sun felt a hand on his shoulder and opened his eyes to see Hau watching him with worry in his eyes.

"Hey…You okay?" Hau asked. Sun shook his head slowly, returning his gaze to the Egg.

"Hau…This Egg. I can't even look at it without my very being just twisting apart. I can feel my mind going haywire just seeing it. Knowing that inside is an innocent Pokémon that has never hurt anyone, so vulnerable and pure and…Hau, I can't have that on my conscious again. I can't let another baby die because of me." Sun whispered, feeling his eyes burn with tears.

"Whoa, whoa! Sun, what's…your scaring me, man. What happened?" Hau asked Sun, who shook his head.

"I can't say, Hau. I can't even think about what he did. What...This Egg is reminding me of the worst day of my life. And it's tearing me apart. I want to tell someone, anyone, about what happened. But I can't. I want to get rid of this stupid darkness that won't go away in my heart and my mind but I just…can't!" Sun hissed as a tear rolled down his face. Sun was surprised when an arm wrapped around his shoulder.

"Sun…Buddy. Your like, my best friend. You and Lillie. And with that in mind, think about everything you've learned in Alola. We treat each other like family for the most part. You think Kukui calls people 'cousin' for no reason? We look after one another here, man. You're practically a _brother_ to me, you know? And because of that, I promise you this. No matter how much crap you're going through, I'll be right there by your side. So if you need to keep this bottled up for a bit longer, I'm here for you. If you want to vent and get this thing off your back, I'll be right there to listen. Alright?" Hau said seriously to Sun, who wordlessly nodded. Hau grinned and pulled Sun into a hug, and the two friends embraced for several moments.

Sun and Hau separated, with Sun nodding gratefully to his friend. Hau turned back around to face the Egg, scooting closer to it and peering at it with interest. An idea came to Sun's mind, and after a few moments of thought he realized that the idea was worth mentioning to Hau.

"Hey, Hau?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you…do me a huge favor?"

"Sure. What's up?"

"I want you to have that Egg."

"What!?" Hau stood up in shock, looking at Sun as everyone in the Pokémon Center looked in Hau's direction. The boy disregarded them, instead looking at Sun. The boy looked up at him with a sad little smile on his face.

"You c-can't be serious. This is a Pokémon Egg. It's a new teammate! There's so much potential here…How can you just give it away?" Hau asked hoarsely, with Sun softly laughing at his friend's reaction.

"Because I know I can't take care of what's inside of it as best as possible. I have trouble even looking at the Egg, Hau. I know what's inside of it and it's tearing me apart. Please, help me out here. Take this Egg and give it a future. Make sure it's happy and taken care of." Sun said to his friend, who slowly shook his head.

"I…Sun, I don't know…" Hau looked over at the Egg. As someone who watched and learned from the Kahuna, his grandfather, he had seen many Pokémon hatched from Eggs. He knew how special they were. What it meant to care for another life. To witness something be brought into the world and nurture it so that it could grow up strong.

"Hau. This Egg has a very special Pokémon inside of it. A Pokémon I know that would be great for your team. And a Pokémon I know would be in really good hands with you watching over it. Please." Sun said, a note of pleading in his voice. Hau looked back and forth between his friend and the Pokémon Egg on the floor.

Hau sagged his shoulders and sat down on the floor, looking down. He finally looked up at Sun, a little smirk on his face.

"If it helps out a friend…How can I say no?" Hau said quietly. Sun smiled at his friend and picked up the incubator, handing it to Hau. The boy admired the Pokémon Egg for a few moments before looking back at Sun.

"Thanks, man. I'll take care of it." Hau said to Sun, his smile widening a bit.

"I know you will." Sun said to his friend before Sun saw the Egg twitch ever so slightly in the incubator. Hau let out a shrill shriek of surprise, once again earning a look from everyone nearby.

"By the way, Eggs move when they're about to hatch. Looks like it won't be much longer." Sun said to Hau, who picked up the incubator and looked at the Egg inside with reverence. Hau's smile of simple joy told Sun that he had made the right choice. While he was losing out on the chance to raise an Egg, it was a reminder of something he'd be happier to forget. This would also help Hau get his mind off of the fiasco with Demi and help him expand his team. It would work out for everyone.

A distant rumble of thunder snapped Sun out of his musing. Sun looked out the window and saw rain pouring down outside, illuminated by the moon peeking through the clouds before the light was extinguished by the pitch-black storm.

"A storm…Lana's still out at the Trial site with Kahuna Olivia, isn't she?" Hau asked quietly, watching the raging rain as it slapped against the doors of the Pokémon Center. Both Sun and Hau remained sitting on the floor as Hau clutched the Pokémon Egg in his hands, hoping the Captain and Kahuna were safe.

* * *

Lana stood at the shore, eyeing the roiling water with apprehension. The Captain drew out a Poké Ball and released a massive spider that landed on the ground with a small chatter. Lana smiled at her Pokémon before getting atop the spider, looking out at the water. Despite the fear in her heart and how tired she was after the events of today, she knew it was her duty to see this through to the end.

"Alright, Charlotte. We have work to do out there." Lana said to the Araquanid, who shot forward across the rough waters with a gleam in her massive eyes. She had nothing to fear from the monster that lived within Brooklet Hill, as the Araquanid owned by Lana had already proven it was stronger than its larger brother. Lana took a shuddering breath as she tried to calm her nerves. Failing to do that, she instead bellowed out her decree as the storm picked up strength.

"Rise, Totem Araquanid! I challenge you!" Lana shouted as the storm above Brooklet Hill raged and swirled overhead. Lana was drenched to the bone as she rode atop her own smaller spider, her teeth gritted as she maintained her balance on the raging waters.

After a few moments, a massive shadow emerged from beneath the dark depths and a monstrous spider erupted from the water. An Araquanid quite like her own, but nearly twice as large. It unleashed a horrific scream of fury as it walked across the water effortlessly, spitting and hissing as its fiery orange aura suddenly flared to life, allowing it to become stronger as Z-Power coursed through its body.

Lana gasped as the Totem Pokémon suddenly hunched over with a whine of pain, shutting its eyes tight as the orange aura around it suddenly began to turn dark red. The Totem Pokémon let out a roar of agony as it thrashed its head back and forth before turning to Lana, its eyes narrowed in pain-filled rage as its limbs twitched from the uncontrollable power surging through its veins.

Olivia's eyes narrowed at the display from the safety of the shore, a crimson wolf standing beside her with an annoyed expression on its face. The Kahuna patted her grumpy Lycanroc on the head as she muttered, "Just as suspected. The Z-Power that the Totem Pokémon can wield has overwhelmed the Totem Pokémon of Brooklet Hill. Why is this? Why can some Pokémon handle the burden of Z-Power but others cannot?"

Back on the water, Lana stared down her Totem Pokémon with a firm frown on her face. Lana wasn't scared now that she saw how much the Pokémon was suffering before her. Her mind flashed back to the incident with Demi earlier that day and Lana shook her head fiercely to jar herself back to reality. Only she could save the Pokémon from itself.

"Very well…I'll save you from your fate. There is another I've prepared for this day. Another who shares your gift, trained by me!" Lana cried as she grabbed a Poké Ball from her belt and released the Pokémon within. A grey, blue, and white-colored fish landed in the water and swam back up to the surface, eyeing Lana with concern. It then turned to Totem Araquanid and its eyes narrowed.

"Lana…" The Captain started as Charlotte spoke to her. A testament to the bond she shared with her Araquanid. "Be quick. My brother here is most agitated. He'll attack soon."

"Very well." Lana breathed, standing tall as she held out her hand, her eyes shining with determination. The small fish beside her glared down the massive monster across the water.

"Show your true strength, my friend! Become the protector you were meant to be and unleash your true potential! Wishiwashi, let's go!" Lana called out as her Z-Ring gleamed in the lightning's flash overhead. The small fish before her let out a cry as its eyes gleamed yellow, its cry somehow echoing outward and making the monster before them take a single step back in surprise.

Below the water, dozens upon dozens of Wishiwashi were rushing forth to join with their champion, forming into a massive fish-like monster of water and Pokémon that shuddered and writhed as it eyed its opponent. As one, the monster let out an ethereal bellow of fury as a fiery aura of orange energy exploded outwards, making Lana grin.

"Rise, Totem Wishiwashi!" Lana yelled out as the storm above crackled with lightning, setting the scene between the battle of goliaths. Olivia smirked as she watched Lana from across the water, pride filling her heart as she crossed her arms.

"For such a meek girl…You really do have a strong heart. So long as you watch over Brooklet Hill and command this Totem, this place will remain safe. Now show them you mean business, Captain Lana!" Olivia whispered to herself as the two massive beasts glared each other down.

Totem Araquanid snarled and shot forward, firing a stream of bubbles at Wishiwashi. Without a command, the fish dove into the water and darted towards Araquanid, erupting from the water beneath it and throwing the spider high into the air. Totem Araquanid flipped in midair but righted itself with a hiss, firing a Spider Web at Wishiwashi and making the beast snarl in annoyance before firing off a Water Gun to knock Araquanid away. The collective Wishiwashi that made up the new Totem Pokémon made quick work of the web surrounding them, freeing their champion as it surged forward and snarled with anger at the insolent spider that dared attack the Captain earlier that day.

"Well done, Wishiwashi! Now, let's show them the strength of our bond! Ice Beam!" Lana shouted, throwing out a hand. Wishiwashi let out a roar and fired a wicked beam of icy energy, which slammed into Totem Araquanid and made it screech in pain as the water it was standing on froze solid. If the monster hadn't been frozen already, it would have slipped and fell. Araquanid snarled and shivered before it released a stream of bubbles at Wishiwashi, who growled as the bubbles exploded against it.

"Wishiwashi, dive below the water and hit it with Waterfall!" Lana yelled out, with the beast grunting in response and darting below the water, becoming an ominous shadow underneath the roiling tide before exploding out from beneath the ice, sending Araquanid flying.

"Excellent-" Lana began to say before she saw Araquanid suddenly right itself in midair and lunge downwards, its pincers forming a gleaming X-shape before it slammed down on the head of Wishiwashi, making the fish scream in pain.

"No! Wishiwashi!" Lana cried out as the beast retreated backwards, growling as Araquanid landed on the water. The spider screeched as the red aura around it flared again, with the Pokémon releasing an Ice Beam of its own that exploded against the skin of Wishiwashi, making the Pokémon thrash in pain as ice encased it. With a lash of its tail, the ice shattered, leaving a very angry Wishiwashi glaring down the spider.

"I wasn't expecting you to go down easy. Very well. Use Water Gun!" Lana commanded the new Totem Pokémon, who bobbed its head before firing a rocket-like burst of water. Even after so long together, Lana was still amazed at the sheer power of Wishiwashi. What was supposed to be a standard Water Gun resembled a Hydro Pump as the multitude of fish surrounding their champion worked together. The end result was a blast that sent Totem Araquanid reeling backwards with a snarl, making the spider dive into the water. Lana gasped as the ominous figure slithered in the water, emerging close to where she was and firing an Ice Beam at Wishiwashi.

"Dodge and use Aqua Ring!" Lana shouted out to her Totem. Wishiwashi rolled in the water, making the waves thrash beneath it before it let out a roar. The rain around the Small Fry Pokémon froze in place before slowly forming five large rings around it. The rings began to rotate, slowly healing the monster's injuries.

Araquanid hissed and fired another Ice Beam at Wishiwashi, who countered with one of his own. The two icy blasts collided in the center of the lake, slowly creating ice below as the attacks struggled for dominance. Eventually both attacks exploded in the center, sending a wave of cold across the water that made Lana shiver intensely.

The Totem Pokémon that burned red snarled with hate and slammed glowing sharp legs into the ice, creating an opening for it to dive under the water. Wishiwashi did the same, smashing through the ice with its head and diving below with a groan. Lana watched the water below, but could only see shadows.

"What do you think?" Lana asked Charlotte, her Araquanid.

"I believe the contest will be close. You trained Washua well, and he has spirit. But the maddened one is furious at having been unable to kill the other girl and you earlier. My fellow Araquanid will try however it can to defeat you this time. However-" Charlotte was cut off as the Totem Araquanid burst out of the ice and water, skittering on the water's surface for a moment before turning to face Lana.

"I'm so sorry…Truly, I am." Lana whispered to the Totem Pokémon. The beast roared in response, the cry sending a shockwave of force across the lake that made Olivia flinch on the shore. Totem Araquanid lunged at Lana with two glowing pincers. Lana's eyes widened and Charlotte prepared herself to attack, but a massive explosion of water erupted from underneath Araquanid, stopping its attack.

Wishiwashi rose from the depths, grabbing two of Totem Araquanid's legs in its mouth as it slowly rose into the air. As gravity finally caught up to the beast and halted its ascent, the Totem slowly rotated around and hurled the spider into the nearby clump of rocks, creating a small explosion of dust and pebbles and creating a furious screech from the maddened spider.

Wishiwashi landed back in the water and eyed Araquanid as it scuttled out of the rubble and dove into the depths of the sea. Within moments the beast was breaking free from the water, spewing bubbles at Wishiwashi and darting around it, trying to wear down the massive beast with small attacks and using its superior speed to weaken the other Totem.

Eventually Totem Araquanid snarled and lunged at Wishiwashi with X-Scissor, but Wishiwashi bashed the spider into the depths of the water with his tail, sending the monster retreating within the water below. Wishiwashi watched the waters for a moment before grunting, seemingly content to let the spider return on its own.

"This battle is a bit closer than I-" Lana began to say before she was suddenly thrown into the water as a result of something slamming into her and Charlotte. Lana choked under the waves as water threatened to fill her lungs and the Captain shot to the surface, sputtering and coughing as she forced the water out of her body. She looked up to see her beloved Araquanid being thrown across the water by the Totem Araquanid, a savage look in its eyes and snarled furiously at her, eyeing the blue-haired Captain with primal hate. The beast shot a stream of bubbles at the Captain, who submerged herself under the water and swam as hard as she could, shuddering inwardly as she felt the powerful attack explode within the water nearby.

Lana burst out of the water a short distance away, panting and struggling to stay afloat. "Wishiwashi! Use Waterfall!" Lana shouted as she floated above the raging waters. She was glad that was an expert swimmer, otherwise she would likely be in serious trouble. As it was, she figured she'd be able to manage a few minutes in the rough waters before she would need assistance.

Wishwashi lunged at Totem Araquanid and slammed into it, sending the beast into the water where the two of them thrashed. Araquanid drove its sharp pincers into the Small Fry Pokémon, even as Wishiwashi blasted Araquanid with water and slammed its massive tail into the spider. Lana watched the two Totem's battle with a horrified sense of awe. To Lana's horror, however, Wishiwashi was hit with another X-Scissor and crashed into the water with a snarl, its body exploding apart and leaving a single exhausted Wishiwashi in its place.

"No…" Lana whispered, horrified as the massive spider clicked furiously as it approached the weakened fish.

"Wishiwashi! Don't give up! I know you can do it!" Lana screamed to her friend, who quickly dove under the water as Araquanid lunged forward, missing with another X-Scissor attack. The spider hissed furiously and dove under the water. The small shadow of Wishiwashi led the massive spider around the lake, a furious game of cat and mouse except with far deadlier stakes. Lana suddenly broke out into a smile as a bright light shined under the water, illuminating a lone figure as a multitude of shapes swirled around it, forming a massive fish.

" _That clever little…He led Totem Araquanid around the lake so he could recover his strength from Aqua Ring to regain his School Form."_ Lana thought with pride as several loud booms thudded underwater, proof of the power struggle going on within the depths.

"Lana!" the Captain turned around and saw her Araquanid floating over to her, looking worried. Lana smiled as her the spider bent down low so Lana could climb onto her, with the girl sighing with relief at being free from the water and that her Pokémon was okay.

"Thank you, friend." Lana whispered as she sat down on her own spider. As the Captain spoke, both Wishiwashi and Totem Araquanid burst free from the water, with Araquanid flying onto the air and slamming down on a large rock with a squeal of pain. Wishiwashi shuddered and shook his head, but was otherwise still alright. Totem Araquanid hissed and lunged at Wishiwashi, crossing its front legs and charging up X-Scissor again.

"That idiot is going to pay. Washua better beat my brother senseless." Charlotte chittered back at Lana as they observed the two behemoths readying themselves for another clash. The Captain smiled as Wishiwashi slammed its tail into Araquanid once again just before the beast struck him, sending the spider hurtling across the lake and smashing into the water, sending up a tremendous spray.

"I believe that Totem Wishiwashi is just about done here. I think I have an idea of what move I wish to end this with." Lana said with a small smile as Wishiwashi swam back over to her. The massive Pokémon groaned, its tone questioning.

"I'm alright. I wasn't expecting Totem Araquanid to attack me and Charlotte, though." Lana replied to Wishiwashi, who returned its glowing gaze to the wounded Totem ahead of it. Lana wordlessly pointed forward and Wishiwashi rushed ahead, a snarl escaping from the beast as it charged ahead with Waterfall, slamming into Araquanid once again before shooting the airborne spider with Water Gun, sending it spiraling through the air before smashing back down onto the water with an implosion of water.

"Come by here, my friend. Let's finish this together!" Lana called to her Totem Pokémon. The massive fish rushed forward, drawing close to Lana's position. The Water Trial Captain leapt from her Araquanid and landed atop the massive Wishiwashi as it swam by, a wild grin on her face as she faced forward and raced along the deadly waters. Totem Araquanid shuddered as it recovered its senses, resurfacing with a hiss. The beast clicked its pincers angrily, eyeing Lana and the Small Fry Pokémon with loathing in its glare.

"Let's wrap this up with one final move! Everything we've got, okay!?" Lana shouted above the thunder's roar. Wishiwashi responded by increasing its speed, racing towards Totem Araquanid with narrowed eyes and forcing every ounce of energy it had into one final attack.

"Return!" Lana shouted, throwing out a hand as Wishiwashi began to glow bright white, the Pokémon's mind flashing back to happier times with the brave girl riding atop its back…

* * *

" _It'll be okay…You must have been washed ashore from the storm, weren't you?"_

 _Wishiwashi opened its eyes weakly, struggling to breathe as the sun above roasted it. The injuries it had sustained had from those damned Fearow had left it unable to move, and the previous night's storm had moved its weak body ashore. While it could survive for a time outside of the water, that time had long since passed and its life force was running out. The Small Fry Pokémon was surprised when two arms gently wrapped around it, careful not to aggravate its wounds._

" _It's okay. We're nearly there!" the voice said soothingly. It came as a shock to the weakened fish as fresh cold water suddenly engulfed it, making its entire body sing with relief before the Pokémon winced at its injuries. A hand patted the Pokémon on the head under the water, making it look up and resurface. A smiling girl with blue hair was sitting down at the water's edge next to him, looking relieved. A fishing pole and an Araquanid lay next to her, the latter watching him with quiet interest._

" _Better?" Lana asked the Wishiwashi, who nodded. "I'm glad. You're still hurt, though. If you've been gone from the lake all night, I bet your friends are worried."_

 _Wishiwashi nodded, wincing again. Lana frowned at that and quickly grabbed some medical supplies from her bag. She took her time, treating Wishiwashi's wounds. The Pokémon had seen the Captain here and there, but it was the first time he had encountered Lana in person._

 _Lana had been the first human Wishiwashi had met. That was the luckiest day of the fish's life, he reflected. Lana visited Wishiwashi every day for a week after they had met, checking on his injuries daily and playing in the water with her new friend._

 _Soon afterwards, Wishiwashi consented to be caught and trained by the Captain, wishing to spend more time with her. He would spend many happy months training with Lana, learning what it was like to protect others and become powerful. Under her care, it had become a hero to his friends and a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield._

 _All because of the girl who had taught him the meaning of strength and kindness._

* * *

Totem Araquanid quivered as it struggled to remain standing, even as Wishiwashi rushed towards it with a burning white aura. Lana rode atop the beast with a wide smile on her face, her heart racing as their bond manifested in the raging aura around them. The Small Fry Pokémon collided with Araquanid with a thunderous roar, sending the other Totem into the rocks with a squeal and a great crash.

As the dust cleared, Lana could see blood gently dripping from the spider Pokémon's body as it fainted with a twitch. One Totem had fallen, and another would rise to take its place. As was tradition in Alola.

"We…we did it." Lana said with an exhausted but happy sigh as she hopped off of Wishiwashi and was caught by her own Araquanid, who allowed her to climb back onto her back. Wishiwashi roared in triumph, diving below the water and returning to Lana's side with a pleased look on the monster's face.

"You were amazing. You'll be a wonderful Totem Pokémon, my dear friend." Lana whispered, patting the school of Pokémon on their collective heads before they dispersed, leaving just one larger Wishiwashi in their place. Lana hugged the fish to her chest, a tear running down her face.

"I'm…I'm so proud of you. Even if I'm not Captain anymore after tomorrow, I want you to keep this place safe, okay? And make sure no Trainers get hurt." Lana said to the small fish, who nodded as he shut his eyes. Lana let go of the fish as he dove under the water, taking his rightful place as the protector of Brooklet Hill.

Lana reached down to her Araquanid and patted her side. Without a word, the two floated over to the fallen Totem Pokémon, who was weakly stirring. Lana leapt from her faithful Pokémon's back and landed on the rocks, gasping in pain as her leg twinged. Lana walked over to the massive Araquanid, who hissed at her.

"You lost control…You became a mindless, hateful Pokémon driven by the power that you can't handle anymore. I was not the Captain who proved themselves against you. That was another. But I still would like to think that we had a connection. I'm sorry that I can't help you get through this. Please forgive me." Lana whispered as she pulled out a Luxury Ball from her bag and tossed it at the Totem Pokémon. The beast screeched as it was sucked into the ball. Lana sighed as the ball shook three times before clicking, signifying that it was captured. Lana retrieved the ball and returned to her own Araquanid, who was watching her with worry.

"I'll be okay…Thank you for being here with me through all of this." Lana whispered, reaching into the water bubble of her strongest Pokémon and patting her lovingly on the head as they returned to the Kahuna waiting for them. Lana walked onto the shore as they made landfall, with Olivia giving her a wide smile.

"That was very well done. An unorthodox choice of Totem Pokémon, but a powerful one nevertheless. It's always difficult to control a Totem that you yourself have not trained personally. That Araquanid belonged to a Captain who was more headstrong and wild, like the ocean during a storm, oddly enough. You have an opposite approach to life, Lana. You are serenity and calm, like the lake on a cloudless morning." Olivia said before wincing. "Ugh, I sound like Professor Oak and his awful haiku's. Anyway, your choice in Totem Pokémon reflects your personality, I think. You'll do fine tomorrow, and prove that you still deserve to be the Captain of Brooklet Hill." Olivia said to Lana, who nodded tiredly. A faint cry caught their attention, and Lana and Olivia saw the newly crowned Totem Wishiwashi watching them from the shallows nearby.

"I think he wants to spend a bit of time with you. I'll be back at the Pokémon Center. Spend some time with him and go over what will happen tomorrow, but please make sure to get some rest. Okay?" the Kahuna instructed Lana. The Captain nodded slowly before walking over to her former Pokémon and sitting down in the water. Olivia smiled at the young teen before walking down the path, leaving Lana and the Totem Pokémon alone.

The Kahuna returned to the Pokémon Center and requested a room before ordering a Tapu Cocoa. There was no point in returning home when she needed to be here bright and early tomorrow. Besides, she had damage control to do. Having a Heahea City Council member's daughter get attacked during a Trial and suddenly go missing wasn't exactly good publicity. Olivia had smoothed over some feathers and had agreed to an interview the following day with Adrian Battlestorm. This would hopefully be a chance to earn back some faith from the City Council but also showcase that Lana did have everything under control as Captain of the Water Trial.

Olivia sat down on a couch and sighed, rubbing her temples as the minutes ticked by. She knew Lana wasn't going to be much longer and was just ensuring everything went well tomorrow. Apparently she already had a volunteer for the first Trial with the new Totem. Olivia would be there to supervise and to make the evaluation process official, despite her own faith in the Captain. While the Island Challenge was far more dangerous than many believed, she would still do her best to minimize problems and appease the public.

The Kahuna looked up and saw two familiar boys approaching her. Hau sat down on the floor, holding a Pokémon Egg in his arms, while Sun flopped down on the cushion beside her, looking exhausted.

"Long day, huh boys?" Olivia asked with a quirk of the mouth.

"Something like that…" Sun groaned as he closed his eyes. Olivia chuckled and the trio waited silently as they relaxed, with Lana arriving half an hour later utterly drenched but smiling softly. Lana looked over at them and nodded before heading to Nurse Joy, handing over her Poké Balls and receiving a blue and white Pokémon Egg in return. Lana walked over to them and sat down.

"Everything is in order." Lana said as she looked over at Sun. "Please meet me at the entrance to Brooklet Hill at 8 A.M. tomorrow morning. And be prepared for a challenge."

"I'm always ready." Sun said as he opened a single eye, smirking at Lana. He then sat up in surprise at seeing the Captain with a Pokémon Egg of her own. Lana giggled at Sun's surprise.

"You seem surprised to see me with my Egg. This was a gift from my parents when I received the title of Captain a few months ago. It's very close to hatching, so I've had Nurse Joy help keep an eye on it while I've been busy with the Trials. I can't wait to see what Pokémon comes out of it!" Lana said quietly as she gently hugged her Egg, which visibly twitched in her embrace. As if on cue, the Eevee Egg in Hau's arms twitched as well.

"Oh my! Your Egg seems to be about ready to hatch as well, Hau." Lana said with quiet surprise.

"Yeah…Holy crap, I'm going to be a dad." Hau said in a stunned voice. Sun and Lana burst out into giggles at the boy's tone while Olivia just shook her head, a bemused smile on her face.

"So neither of you have any idea of what's in your Eggs?" Olivia asked Hau and Lana.

"No idea. My parents just told me it cost a lot of money and that I would love it." Lana said sheepishly, scratching the back of her head.

"I'm clueless. Sun knows, since this was his Egg originally, but he won't tell me. I'm flying blind here." Hau admitted, earning a surprised look from Olivia.

"You gave Hau your Pokémon Egg? Whatever for?" Olivia asked, baffled. Sun shrugged, which confused the Kahuna even more.

"I don't have a good history with Pokémon Eggs. I decided that the Egg needed to go to someone who would take care of it. Hau's one of the nicest guys I know. If I can't trust him to take care of the baby Pokémon in that Egg, then I don't know who I could trust." Sun said to the Kahuna, making Hau actually blush a bit at the declaration of trust. Olivia's expression turned to one of understanding while Lana just smiled.

"Speaking of…Thank you. Both of you. You supported me even when you shouldn't have. Instead of chasing your friend down, you consoled me and helped me, despite barely even knowing me. If there's anything I can do to-" Lana was cut off by a shake of the head from Hau.

"Don't mention it. It was the right thing to do." Hau said with a small smile, not feeling his usual cheer at the thought of their missing friend.

"Well…be that as it may, I'm in your debt." Lana said softly as she looked down at her Pokémon Egg, trying to push away the worry and dread in her heart. Lana shut her eyes tight and took a calming breath.

Everything would be okay. She had to believe that. Believe in herself. And believe in the Pokémon she had entrusted to protect the Brooklet Hill.

* * *

Hau laid awake, even as Duke and Cassy slumbered beside him. Hau sighed softly, thinking back on what happened with Demi and cursing himself for hurting her. He'd give her as much time as she needed…But he also realized that this may very well as have killed their chance at a relationship.

Hau had wanted it. Wanted her. She was a soul much like his, one that burned with passion and cheer and a desire to make others happy. Demi had a wonderful fire to her, she radiated an energy that just meshed so well with his own. She was beautiful, too, on top of all of her other positives. But…

Maybe birds of a feather didn't always flock together. He'd have to wait and see.

So instead, Hau reached over and pulled Cassy closer to him. The Brionne looked up at Hau, confused as it was jostled awake, but Hau hugged his starter closer to him. He'd never take his first Pokémon for granted again. She was his first Pokémon friend. He had chosen her, and she had chosen him, just like Oliver and Sun.

" _I'll make sure to cherish her and my Pokémon even more so…It's the least I can do for you, Demi."_ Hau thought to himself with a small smile before he finally succumbed to sleep's sweet embrace.

* * *

The Following Morning…

* * *

Sun entered the area walking side-by-side with the Kahuna, feeling self-conscious. As much as he wanted everything to go well here, he couldn't help but worry about messing this up. What if the Totem Pokémon beat him? What if he beat it…wrong, somehow and made Lana lose her position as Captain? What if-

"You'll do fine."

Sun's head snapped to his right in surprise as Olivia walked forward, all confidence and grace as she cast a glance to the young Trainer beside her.

"Lana is a very able and compassionate Captain. You seem to be a capable Trainer, and a brave one at that for challenging the new Totem after the incident yesterday. I commend you for that."

"What's…going to happen to the old Totem Pokémon?" Sun asked Olivia.

"I plan on discussing the fate of Totem Araquanid with Professor Kukui and Professor Burnet soon, now that Lana has captured it and ensured it will no longer hurt anyone else. The new Totem Pokémon that Lana tamed yesterday should be more than capable of being a challenge to upcoming Trainers, but be able to be reined in should something like what happened the other day occur. You and Lana will be fine. I believe in you both." Olivia said to the Kanto-native, smiling at him. Sun smiled at the remark, feeling a bit better now that he knew the Kahuna believed in him.

Finally, the sight of a small pond with a waterfall pouring into it came into view, as well as a very nervous Lana standing alone on a wooden bridge on the water. Lana closed her eyes, preparing herself for the task ahead.

"Let's start this off right…" Lana took a breath, exhaling softly and drawing upon her strength. She looked up and looked at Sun with a neutral expression on her face, the two young Trainers ignoring Olivia as the Kahuna watched them both from a short distance away, having fallen back to observe them. Neither of them saw the hopeful smile on her face.

"Hello. I'm Lana. I serve as the Captain of Brooklet Hill."

* * *

 _Howdy folks. FygonNick here with a quick post-chapter note. I hope you enjoyed the latest update. I definitely had fun writing it._

 _I'll be heading home for the holidays this Christmas, and while I'll be able to update twice more before the end of the year, I'll likely be taking a break from writing in general so that I can spend time with family and unwind after a very rough 2017. Long story short, I'll be taking a short break during the holidays but continue to update._

 _However this means that when I return to work in the new year, I'll be taking a two week break from updating the story so I can buckle back down and get back ahead on chapters. Apologies_ _in advance_ _for the small delay, but it's that time of year and this will be one of the last times I get to see my family for a very long time._

 _On a happier note, though, I'm excited to say that I'll be getting a PS4 this Christmas and I'll definitely be playing a lot of my XBox One. So, if any of you feel like adding me as a friend on either one of these consoles, feel free to shoot me a message with your PSN/Gamertag and I'll add you when I arrive home next week._

 _Take care and stay awesome. Next update will be on the one-year anniversary of the story and covers the Water Trial. Needless to say, I'm hyped._

 _Until next time, FlygonNick out!_


	44. Water Trial! Making a Splash!

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _One year..._

 _So much has happened since then._

 _Within the one year span since this story's beginning, I've realized one of my life's goals and joined the United States Air Force. I've become a much stronger person, both mentally and physically. And despite that, I'm still able to enjoy writing and being a total nerd._

 _I've been able to work on one of the best and fulfilling stories I've ever done, and with that I've been able to use characters and ideas that I honestly thought I'd never be able to showcase in any capacity. This is a story I know I'll be able to look back on in a few years and feel pride in. A story that I don't have to force myself to get through, a story that inspires me more and more with each chapter, to write more about some of the best characters in the entire_ _Pokémon series._

 _Here we are, at the one-year anniversary of_ _Pokémon Radiant Sun. In that time this story has acquired an obscene number of views, reviews, favorites and follows...rivaling even my most popular story in just a single year. It's ridiculous! This story is going to take at least another 3 years to finish up properly, and who knows where it could go in that time!_

 _I'm just...Looking back, I wouldn't have ever dreamed of the amazing support this story gets. Whether it be from the wonderful souls that review each and every chapter, or those who silently read on and support the story just by being a part of the journey, you all help make this story what it is. Every view, every favorite, every follow, and especially every review gives this story more steam, and damn it this train is going to barrel into 2018 like nothing else._

 _So thank you. To those who supported me since the beginning. To those who wished me well before I left for Basic Training. To those who stuck with the story and welcomed me back with open arms after so much time away. And for those just joining us, ready for the latest chapter in a story they found just last week._

 _From the bottom of my heart...Thank you so much._

 _Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes Madame Rodoshe, GeekyGamer314, Sai Og Sus, Angelfir3, Cottonmouth25, a new guest reviewer known as Cowboysfan187, Lord-Azrael3, TheHero'sSpirit, BraviaryScout, Gokan123, a Guest reviewer, and a new reviewer known as TheOneWhoSaysMeep. Thank you all for the support!_

 _So, on that note...Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of you._

 _Here's to many more years of action, fluff, excitement, and more fun under the Alolan sun!_

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 _Chapter 44: Water Trial! Making a Splash!_

* * *

Professor Kukui wasn't a fan of hospitals, much like Hau. Too clean, too calm, and just…they creeped him out a little.

Still, as the Regional Professor of Alola, he had a job to do.

Lillie trailed behind him, alert for those who would be a danger to her. They had met with Doctor Colress, who had been called to assist in an emergency surgery at the hospital. Kukui was astounded that, even though he wasn't a certified doctor, that Colress could work such miracles with medicine. The power of science was indeed incredible, and Kukui wished that the man had dedicated himself to the betterment of humans and Pokémon sooner. The future seemed bright now that Colress was on the side of good.

Colress had assured them that he would return to the Pokémon Lab and assist in the efforts to study Shadow Celebi and Nebby, and after dropping off some files to the man, the duo of the Professor and his assistant departed.

"So, where to next Lillie?" Kukui asked cheerfully, the girl beside him humming in response.

"Lunch? We did skip breakfast, after all." Lillie commented as Nebby squirmed within her bag, letting out a cry. Lillie gasped and clutched the bag, calming Nebby after a few moments.

"True, true. We can swing by that swanky new pizza shop and grab some chow for everyone at the lab." Kukui said with a laugh.

"Pizza sounds good." Lillie replied, though she paused and added, "Just don't forget to have one of them to be cheese. I don't eat meat."

"Of course. Burnet is picky too, so it's no problem!" Kukui laughed, putting his hands behind his hand with a cheerful grin. Lillie was very strongly reminded of Hau, which sent a pang of worry through her. She worried about her friend and worried about how he would be taking the recent incident with Demi. She hoped Sun would find a way to help them both. Lillie was snapped out of her musing at the sound of yelling and scuffling in the hallway ahead.

Professor Kukui slowed down, holding out an arm to stop Lillie's movement. Which was just as well, since a large man was suddenly thrown into their hallway by two burly security guards, who glared the man down. Lillie gasped in surprise, taking in the large scarred man clad in leather and metal, his body shaking with effort. He was bald with two bloodshot hazel eyes that seared with anguish and anger. Lillie recognized the man after a moment, recalling their last encounter.

* * *

" _You best watch your step, little girl. There's lots of dangerous people on this island. You know that,_ _right_ _?"_

* * *

Lillie watched Jack, the man she had literally run into just last week, as he was grabbed by security and writhed in their grasp as they tried to shove him further down the hall. They were clearly having some trouble, as the man was fighting their efforts with everything he had, rushing forward and throwing the guards back with a savage snarl.

"You promised me you would save her! Your bastards promised me!" Jack screamed as he thrashed against the resistance of the security forces that lunged at him, forcing him back down the hallway. The massive man bellowed incoherently with agonized fury, tears streaming down his face as he writhed in the grip of the men in black.

His furious gaze landed on Professor Kukui and Lillie, the latter of whom had taken a step back in fear. Jack seemed to recognize the two of them, his fury lessening for the smallest of moments, before he suddenly slammed his fist into the face of the nearest man, shattering the guard's nose.

"You're not going to take me out of here! Clara! I'll save you! Get out of my way!" Jack howled as he threw the other man into a wall. The security team began releasing their Pokémon, using them to effectively subdue the wild man and drag him down the hallway, where his grief-filled screams slowly faded.

"Professor, I met that man before I left with Sun and Aria." Lillie said quietly, putting her hands over her heart.

"Really now? That's surprising. You probably don't know who he is, do you?" Kukui asked Lillie in a soft voice.

"No. But…What happened to him?" Lillie asked Professor Kukui. The man sighed deeply, placing a hand on Lillie's shoulder.

"It's not my place to say. But right now, I'd say he's the unhappiest man on earth. After all…What do you do when you've lost _everything_? I can't even answer that myself." Kukui trailed off, his voice becoming rather somber.

"What do you mean, Professor?"

"I am so blessed, Lillie. Blessed for being with Professor Burnet, my soulmate. Blessed for my job. My health. My Pokémon. My friends. Even you incredible children…I am so lucky and blessed. Never take life for granted, Lillie. Take the time to appreciate the things you love, because one day, you may not have them anymore." Kukui said sagely, reflecting on his life and how good he had it. He was surprised when Lillie suddenly hugged him fiercely. The Professor chuckled and returned the embrace, knowing that this was the little girl's way of showing how thankful she was for him.

* * *

"Nice to meet you…again, Captain Lana. I'm Sun, but you already knew that." Sun said with a smirk to Lana, who nodded slowly, her own mouth threatening to quirk into a smile.

"Yes…Well, you look like an able-bodied Trainer. Could I ask for your help with something?" Lana asked politely, making Sun cross his arms.

"Sure?" Sun said uncertainly, confused as to what was going on. Was he helping Lana with the Trial or was this unrelated?

"Then follow me. This way, please." Lana said before she turned around departed across the bridge, vanishing from sight as she went down a nearby path.

" _Let's follow Lana and see what'zz ahead! I hope it'zz something good!"_ Rotom Dex said as it popped out of Sun's backpack. The device landed on Sun's shoulder, making him give it a small smile.

"Let's do this." Sun said, turning back forward and stepping across the wooden plank bridge to join the Captain. He spotted a man with a fishing pole struggling to reel in something and Sun walked over to the man, curious. As he approached, the man suddenly whirled around, grinning madly at him.

"I'll teach you some tricks that guarantee hooking some Pokémon!" the man proclaimed as Sun stepped back, startled.

" _Yikezz! Stranger danger! Just say no, Sun!"_ Rotom yelped as he hid behind Sun as the man readied a Poké Ball to battle the Kanto-native.

"But I'm in the middle of a Trial! I don't want to waste time battling you!" Sun yelped as the man suddenly threw out a Poké Ball and released a Barboach. Sun sighed and released Penny, already prepared to apologize to Lana for holding the Trial up.

Olivia just watched on with an amused smirk.

Sun beat the Fisherman and continued forward, stepping through some tall grass and not encountering any wild Pokémon. He made his way out of the grass and walked along the path, which opened up to another body of water, where Lana was waiting for him. Lana sighed with relief upon seeing him.

"Thank goodness…What happened?" Lana asked Sun, confused as to why it had taken him so long to get to this spot.

"Stupid Fisherman stopped me for a battle…" Sun grumbled as Lana nodded slowly in understanding.

"Ah. Yes, I usually avoid him. Well, look out across the water." The Captain instructed Sun, who did as the girl asked. "See? Do you see that there?"

Sun peered out over the water and saw what the girl was talking about. Quite a distance across the lake was a section of the lake that was being disrupted by something thrashing under the water. Lana seemed pleased by this, a small smile on her face.

"Look at that vigorous splashing! I wouldn't be surprised to find a fearsome Pokémon is the one causing it all…" Lana mused, her eyes glinting mischievously. Sun could see a little bit of confidence in her blue eyes and smiled inwardly, glad that the girl had stopped dwelling on her previous failure for the moment.

"See, brave trial-goer, I would like to ask you to investigate that splashing there to find out what exactly is causing it." Lana said to Sun, who raised an eyebrow at this.

"I'm not that good of a swimmer, Lana." Sun admitted, which surprised the Captain. The girl recovered quickly, offering Sun a small smile.

"I won't ask you to swim out there, of course. I have a lovely gift for you instead." Lana said as she reached out her hand. "If I could borrow your Ride Pager for a brief moment…"

Sun handed the device over to Lana and after she fiddled with it for a moment, Sun was handed back his device with a new Ride Pokémon option known as the Lapras Ride.

"Okay, that's pretty awesome. I've always wanted to ride a Lapras!" Sun gushed with a wide grin on his face. Lana grinned back at Sun, glad that he appreciated what she had done. Both Trainers were surprised when a loud cry rang out from nearby, with a massive blue head emerging from the water next to the shore. The Pokémon emerged completely after a moment, revealing the massive shell on its back that had a large red chair attached to it.

"Hehe…If you climb atop Lapras there, you will be able to travel over bodies of water." Lana explained as Sun stepped forward, reaching out a hand to pet the Transport Pokémon. The Lapras reached her head out and cooed happily as Sun patted the gentle Pokémon on the head.

" _Zzzt! Rotom Dex here to help out!"_ Rotom cried out, floating off of Sun's shoulder.

" _Lapras. The Transport Pokémon._ _These Pokémon were once near extinction due to poaching. Following protective regulations, there is now an overabundance of them. Its high intelligence enables it to comprehend human speech. When it's in a good mood, it sings in its beautiful voice."_ Rotom explained as the Pokémon cooed softly, eyeing the two Trainers before her with interest.

"Hi there. Would you like to help me with my Trial?" Sun asked the Pokémon as Lana approached the Water/Ice-type from the side, stroking the creature's head and receiving a happy cry.

"We're friends." Lana explained with a small laugh. "Anyway, that's correct, Sun. Lapras will be assisting you in your Trial, today. Lapras are strong and hardy swimmers, capable of enduring even the roughest of waters. You'll even be able to reach those splashes and see what is going on there."

"Well, it better be worth it. Good thing the weather is perfect for a day on the water." Sun remarked, looking up at the cloudless sky with the sun bearing down on them. He still wasn't used to the heat, but it was still a nice day out (as were most days in Alola). It was one of the many things he appreciated about his new home.

"It is a lovely day. Now, you should get going. I simply can't suppress the curiosity welling up within me…" Lana remarked, a teasing smile on her face. She knew exactly what Sun would be facing, and couldn't help the playful side of her coming out. "That's why I would appreciate it if you would investigate those splashes in the water."

"Sure…" Sun looked around for a moment before sighing deeply. The boy set his backpack on the ground and unzipped it with an annoyed expression.

"What's wrong?" Lana asked, her smile slipping a bit. Lana's smile vanished completely as Sun suddenly took off his shirt and set it on the ground. A fierce blush appeared on the Captain's face as she stared at the boy's exposed chest.

"This place is completely open, meaning there's nowhere decent to change into my Ride Gear. I hate doing this in public. I feel like a weirdo." Sun grumbled as Olivia chuckled from the side.

"It's completely legal out in the wilds, of course. Trainers tend to lose their modesty and shyness over the course of their adventures. You'll likely become more okay with it in time." Olivia giggled as Sun shrugged on a life preserver that came with the item capsule set that he had just for the Ride Pager Ilima had given him back on Melemele Island.

"I don't care of its legal, it's embarrassing. And would the two of you turn around, please? You're making this more awkward." Sun said pointedly to the two young women. Olivia chuckled as she shut her eyes and turned away while Lana turned around completely, almost trembling at the thought of a boy undressing right next to her.

* * *

"I sense a disturbance." Lillie whispered, her voice filled with horror.

The girl had suddenly stood up, dropping the book she had been reading to the ground. Professor Kukui looked up from his newspaper with a tired smirk, raising an eyebrow at Lillie's odd behavior. With a small shrug, he returned to reading.

Nebby watched his caretaker from the cushion he had been napping on after their lunch. Lillie stared at the wall, a tremor running through her before the girl crossed her arms.

"I'm going to hug him so hard when I see him again." Lillie said in a deathly quiet voice. Kukui chuckled, knowing exactly who his assistant was talking about. Nebby floated up to the girl, but was grabbed and set back down on the couch with a small pat on the head.

"Pew?"

"Not now Nebby…I need to break something."

"Pew, pew!"

"Professor, do you still have that metal bat?"

"In the kitchen, Lillie. Just keep the damages minimal. My insurance says that they won't pay for anything that isn't provably damaged by Pokémon anymore."

"I promise _nothing_."

* * *

"Aw, did you like seeing the adorable Trainer getting undressed, Lana? Maybe you should chance a peek?" Lana stiffened in horror as Olivia stepped up beside her, wearing a massive grin as Lana flushed dark red, still watching the water so that Sun could change in relative privacy.

"N-nope! I have no comment to make about this situation whatsoever, Miss Olivia!" Lana yelped, hoping that her blushing wasn't obvious. She knew that it was though.

"Please, Lana. You're a young woman. It's okay to admire boys at your age…Hmm. You've never had a boyfriend yourself, have you?" Olivia asked the girl, who sighed deeply.

"N-no ma'am." Lana muttered, feeling a bit down on herself at that fact. Olivia thought about that for a second. An adorable and polite girl like Lana, who was a Captain no less, should have been fending prospective boyfriends off with a stick.

Olivia then remarked, "…Unless you're into girls, of course."

"N-no ma'am…I just get…shy…" Lana mumbled, feeling even more embarrassed about her situation. She was fine when she was comfortable, but when she when it came to boys and romance she was utterly clueless as to what to do.

"Hmm. Might need to talk to Mallow about this. She'd probably know of a few guys you can get to know and… _well_." Olivia giggled as Lana's blush intensified and the girl began stammering incoherently, ready to pass out from the sheer embarrassment of the conversation she was having with the Kahuna of Akala Island. Lana also knew that Mallow should not be involved in her love life at all because she'd only make things way worse.

"All done." Sun said, satisfied as he looked down at his gear. He wore yellow and black swim trunks, as well as a green life jacket and a green and red helmet. Olivia and Lana turned around, with Olivia giving Sun an appreciative thumbs up. Lana just took a moment to calm herself down, her face still pink as she admired Sun in his outfit.

" _So…what izz causing those splashes?"_ Rotom Dex wondered aloud as Sun stepped onto Lapras' back and tried to get the conversation that he had just heard out of his head. The poor Captain he was helping was even shyer than Lillie was, which was saying something. He wished Demi were around. She would've been more than happy to help Lana with her confidence problems.

Sun wobbled for a moment on the water Pokémon's back but found his balance after a few moments. He sat down and grabbed the two small grey grips that were attached to the seat, keeping him in place and allowing him to steer Lapras when they began moving.

"You're cool with hanging out here for a bit, then? This is the Water Trial, you know." Sun asked the device, who buzzed happily.

" _Absolutely! Can't leave my buddy hanging out to dry, now could I? Just…uh…Don't drop me in the water. I'm not waterproof, zzt!"_ Rotom explained before it landed in Sun's lap. Sun shook his head in bemusement before he began to steer Lapras towards the water that was being disrupted ahead of them. Sun was surprised at how smoothly Lapras rode across the water, the trio simply gliding across the water with no effort. Sun wondered how the Lapras that were in the Ride Pokémon programs were selected and trained. The boy then noticed they were nearing they destination, and prepared himself for whatever was to come next.

As Lapras slowed down to the writhing water, Sun gasped as the water exploded outward. Several small shapes darted out from the splashing source and raced downstream, heading further down the water. Sun started as a strange fish Pokémon leapt from the raging white water, crying out at him.

"Penny, come on out!" Sun called as he released his Trumbeak, who landed on Lapras' head.

" _No worriezz, Sun! I've got this handled!"_ Rotom said as it quickly looked over the white, grey and blue fish as it floated above the water.

" _Wishiwashi. The Small Fry Pokémon. Solo Form._ _It's awfully weak and notably tasty, so everyone is always out to get it. As it happens, anyone trying to bully it receives a painful lesson. When it's in trouble, its eyes moisten and begin to shine. The shining light attracts its comrades, and they stand together against their enemies."_ Rotom explained as Sun stared down the small fish, which glared at him.

"Solo Form? That sounds…ominous. Penny, let's knock it out quick. Use Pluck!" Sun called to his faithful bird, who shot into the air and dove at the fish Pokémon. Wishiwashi screeched in horror as Penny slammed into it, knocking it senseless through the air and back into the water. Sun waited for a few moments before he saw the Pokémon that had been knocked out flee downstream. Penny watched the retreating fish sadly. It would have made for a lovely snack…

"Oh my…" Lana said, her surprised voice barely audible from the shore. "So it was Wishiwashi kicking up all that water? Even a little Wishiwashi can make such big waves…"

Lana stopped speaking as the sound of splashing filled the area. All of them turned towards the small lake a short distance away, where the sound of splashing could be heard.

"What is that?" Lana wondered as Sun stepped up on his chair to peer at the other lake. "I can hear wild splashing from over there…It sounds even larger than what we just saw. Is it a Pokémon? Is it a person?"

"I doubt that, Lana." Sun replied with a grin as he urged Lapras forward. The boy hopped off the Pokémon, thanking her for her help, before turning around and eyeing the other body of water with interest. He then spotted a small bug Pokémon he had never seen before walking across the rocky shore. The Pokémon spotted him and waved happily before continuing to scuttle along.

Sun smiled at the little bug Pokémon walking on the shore and decided to fire up Rotom Dex's camera mode, the Poké Finder. Sun carefully took a picture of the Pokémon and uploading it to the account that he had set up last month.

"I really should use this more." Sun remarked as he scanned the comments that were pouring on the picture he had uploaded online. He was given the option to link the picture to his Festival Plaza account, but since Sun had no idea what that was, he skipped it.

After admiring the sights of the lake for a moment Sun hopped back aboard Lapras and continued down a side path, waving farewell to Lapras, who dove back into the water. Sun arrived at the water's edge of another massive lake before stopping at the water's edge next to Lana.

" _Heeeey Sun! Look up!"_ Rotom suddenly called out. The boy looked up, as did Lana, and was surprised to see that the sky was now grey. The faint rumble of thunder echoed in the distance.

"The sky was perfect just a few minutes ago…" Sun murmured, eyeing the storm clouds with wonder. Lana smiled as she looked away, a soft hum coming from the Captain. The blue-haired girl then spotted a familiar splashing up ahead and pointed it out to Sun.

"Look! There it is…Now, look over there. Do you see that?" Lana asked Sun, who nodded as he eyed the splashing just ahead of them. "Whatever is kicking up those lovely splashes must be rather big…"

Lana looked upwards, a smile on her face. "A strapping young Swimmer, perhaps? Or an amazing Pokémon specimen?

"I know which one you would prefer, Captain Lana." Sun said to the girl jokingly, making her squeak with embarrassment and flush bright pink. Sun heard a coughing sound behind him and knew that he had just made Olivia laugh.

"That is…ahem! Beside the point. Please go check it out."

"Aye aye, Captain." Sun said with a small salute, making the girl laugh despite herself. Sun called for another Lapras, but was happy to find out the Lapras from before had just followed them downstream herself. Sun hopped aboard the Transport Pokémon and raced towards the splashing, ready to confront whatever Pokémon was there. Like before, the splashing intensified before a series of shadows raced away from under the water, vanishing downstream. A single Wishiwashi darted out of the water, glaring Sun down.

"Penny, here's round two! Pluck!" Sun called forth his Trumbeak, who raced forward and slammed into the Wishiwashi, knocking it back and sending falling onto the surface of the water. This fish didn't go down as easy as its brethren, as it glared at Penny and shot a Water Gun at her. The Trumbeak easily dodged it with a flap of her wings, but this allowed the Wishiwashi to call forth another one to help fight Penny.

"Two-on-one, huh? Alright. Penny, knock out the first one with Brick Break!" Sun commanded the bird, who charged forward with a glowing orange beak and slammed into the first Wishiwashi, knocking it out. Penny let out a loud cry as the other Wishiwashi shrank back, obviously worried now that it was on its own.

" _Zzzt! Hey Sun, looks like Penny just learned Roost!"_ Rotom said to Sun, who grinned as Penny chirped at him. While this was happening, the Wishiwashi summoned an Aqua Ring to heal itself slightly, but Sun was more concerned with Penny's new move than he was with what the small fish was doing.

"That restores a Pokémon's health, doesn't it?" Sun mused as he looked at Penny, who seemed rather battered from their battle with the insane Fisherman from earlier. "Penny, use Roost."

Penny landed on Lapras's head and closed her eyes. The bird began to glow white, her injuries vanishing before their very eyes. After a few moments, Penny rose and flared her wings, looking pristine once again.

"Alright. Now use Pluck!" Sun commanded as the bird took off, diving towards Wishiwashi. The Pokémon attempted to use Brine, shooting a torrent of water at Penny, but the Trumbeak dodged to the side at a command from Sun and slammed into the fish Pokémon. Wishiwashi was sent reeling back, no pun intended, and screeched as it hit the water. With a Brick Break to follow-up, Penny defeated the other fish.

"Nice work, Penny." Sun said to his bird as she swooped by him, landing beside him on Lapras's back. Sun then started as a series of droplets began to pelt him from above. Sun, Penny, and Rotom all looked up and saw that the sky had darkened and was now beginning to rain on them all. Within moments a light drizzle had turned into a powerful downpour.

" _Zzzzt! This is where I exit stage left!"_ Rotom declared as it ducked into Sun's backpack, zipping it up. Sun returned Penny, grinning at the rain hitting him. While it was normally annoying, it wasn't this time because he was already geared up to get wet, so he welcomed the rain.

" _And it means that falling into the water won't be that bad, even if I'm a bad swimmer."_ Sun thought to himself.

"Oh my." Sun turned around and saw Lana standing at the water's edge on the opposite shore, smiling at him. Despite the rain, she didn't seem bothered by it. Sun decided not to comment that he could see clearly through the girl's white shirt now. She probably already knew and had taken some kind of precaution anyway. "So it was another Wishiwashi that was kicking up all that water? Hmm. How unfortunate. It wasn't a strapping young Swimmer after all…"

"I choose to believe that you're saying that because I don't identify as any class of Trainer, and that you were specifically looking for a Swimmer." Sun said as he landed on the shore. Lana was cut off from replying back the sound of furious splashing nearby.

"Oh my word!" Lana yelped, genuinely surprised as she looked towards an even larger section of water further downstream. "Now what is that? Even more furious splashing? It sounds as big as a Wailord. It might just be another Pokémon, but…"

Lana flushed, closing her eyes and muttering, "Maybe, just maybe, we'll be lucky enough to find a spry young Swimmer floundering in the water in need of saving! Let's go investigate it, Sun!"

"Are you sure you don't want Sun to investigate you, instead?" Olivia asked, smirking as she slipped on a poncho and grinned at them both. Lana blushed furiously but didn't reply while Sun just chuckled.

"Lana, you should seriously consider getting a boyfriend if you voice aloud your innermost desires to people you barely know." Sun advised the girl, who sighed deeply.

"I-I know that, Sun! Don't judge me for my fantasies, okay!?"

"Considering I just realized I have a crush on my best friend, I can't judge you for anything." Sun admitted with a shrug. Lana blushed even more, gaping at Sun.

"So you and Hau…oh my goodness!" Lana stammered, making Sun give her a horrified look.

"No! Not me and Hau! It's…ahem, me and…Lillie." Sun mumbled, his own face becoming rather red. Olivia burst out into laughter as Lana blinked before coughing, trying to find a way to recover from the rather embarrassing assumption she had made.

* * *

"Huh…And just like that, my smoldering anger is gone." Lillie stated as she lowered her bat, eyeing the destroyed room with a wince. "It's going to take a while to clean this…oh well."

* * *

"Which means that you and Hau are both single." Olivia remarked pointedly as Sun crossed his arms.

"I am, but I'm currently too busy and awkward for anything like that. I kind of want to sort things out with Lillie and see where we both stand. And as far as Hau goes, I imagine he's game for whatever, but considering Demi and him were on the verge of dating and then suddenly aren't talking at the moment…that one's more complicated." Sun explained to the two women. Olivia nodded understandingly while Lana didn't reply, instead looking skyward.

"I don't know what I want. It's so hard to be myself around others…I like having fun. Teasing people. Being excited and joking around. My own shyness is hard to get around. But I'm trying…Maybe someday I'll find someone who loves me despite my problems." Lana said softly, sighing once again. The girl jumped as a hand clamped down on both of her shoulders. Lana looked behind her and saw Sun and Olivia standing behind her, supportive smiles on their faces. The Captain smiled back at them and nodded slightly, and with that the two Trainers released the Captain, who walked forward with Sun once more.

"Brooklet Hill…Within it lies the Legendary Pokémon said to be the embodiment of the sea itself…The mighty Kyogre." Lana whispered as she and Sun walked the drenched path together.

"Really?" Sun asked skeptically, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh dear…" Lana sighed with mock distress, a small smile on her face. "You won't be tricked easily, Sun."

"I try not to be. I'd imagine Hau would be a much better sport about this, though." Sun said to the girl, who hummed thoughtfully.

"That said, we are near the sea. If that splashing sound is coming from the sea…then I wonder what is causing it." Lana said aloud, putting a hand to her chin. "And now it is raining as well. The rain will boost the power of any Water-type moves by half again…Could those splashes be caused by some Pokémon whose moves are now growing ever stronger in the falling rain?"

"How would I know? I just got here, Captain."

"…Sun, would it be okay if we became friends?"

"I'd be happy to, Lana." Sun said with a chuckle as Lana gave him a sincere smile, and two Trainers silently walked down the path with Olivia still shadowing them. The Kahuna was smiling at the young Captain and the bright Trainer beside her. The duo walked past two colorful poles as they neared the shore of a massive body of water beside the sea, with Olivia keeping a watchful eye on their surroundings. Not that she wasn't confident in Lana, but she didn't want anyone else getting hurt. Especially not on her watch.

"Sun…You've come all this way with me…" Lana smiled as she turned around, her smile becoming a grin. As if on cue, Rotom began playing a rock version of what sounded like the Kahuna's battle theme, but Sun decided he liked the song nevertheless. Sun crossed his arms, expecting the twist.

"That's right. Didn't you notice? You passed through the Captain's gate by my side. Which means you will undergo my Trial!" Lana proclaimed, with Sun giving the Captain a grin of his own in response.

"To clear my Trial, you must defeat the great Totem Pokémon known as the lord of the ocean!" Lana declared before pointing out towards the massive expanse of water enclosed almost entirely by stone on all sides, save for a point to the west where water flowed into the ocean.

A single point in the center of the water, surrounded by a several stones, seemed to have something thrashing beneath the water just like Sun had seen twice before now. Sun felt a shiver roll through him as he looked at it…he knew that was where his true opponent was lying in wait for him.

"That spray of water you can see there! That is where you will probably find the Totem. And perhaps…" Lana trailed off, looking away from Sun as she said quietly, "Those Wishiwashi you battled against will also want their revenge…"

Lana turned back to Sun, regarding her new friend with a smile. "Defeat whatever comes at you and prove your strength to me! And remember that you cannot catch any Pokémon here unless you complete my Trial. So let the Trial begin!"

Sun nodded and released all three of his Pokémon. Brago twitched as the rain quickly drenched him, and Sun turned to his Fire-type.

"Sorry Brago, but you'll have to sit out on this one. After what happened with Feya, I don't want to risk you getting hurt. I know we trained a lot to get you stronger, but this isn't a battle I can afford to take chances on. Okay?" Sun said to the canine, who sighed at the words of his Trainer but nodded. Nearby, Lapras emerged from the water again and greeted them with a cry. Sun smiled at the Transport Pokémon before turning to his two birds.

"Penny, I'm using you first. You're going to help me figure out just what this Totem Pokémon can do. I'm hoping I can finish this with just you, but if not, Oliver will definitely be able to do this, since he has the type-advantage. I'm counting on you both, okay?" Sun said to Oliver and Penny, earning nods from the two of them.

"Then let's do this." Sun said breathlessly, excitement pounding through him.

"Do not let your guard down. The Totem Pokémon is not to be trifled with. This may be its first true Totem Battle, but it will not be easy." Lana warned Sun as he returned his team. The boy nodded before he ran forward and leapt onto the back of Lapras once again and sped towards the writhing water, prepared to take down the new Totem Pokémon and claim his next Z-Crystal.

Overhead the thunder rolled…


	45. Totem Battle! As the Storm Rages On!

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _What a way to end the year._

 _This one was a fun one to do. Way more action-packed than the last Totem Battle, mainly because this is definitely one of my favorites._

 _Though, I would like to make some notes on some things._

 _The Trial and Totem Battle chapters. In this story, I have a lot of chapters to cover. And since both the Trials and the Totem Battles themselves are incredibly important in their own rights, they each get separate chapters. It's just going to be a thing. However, also keep in mind, they're not very long._

 _Seriously, take a moment and consider how long it takes to beat each of the trials in the game. It shouldn't take more than five minutes for any of them. Those chapters are going to be a bit short compared to the other chapters I do, because there's not a whole lot to cover aside from the Trial itself. So if last chapter seemed unusually short, it's because Trial and Totem chapters just aren't going to be jam-packed. Sorry. Imagine how the Dragon and Electric Trials are going to be. That's going to take some creativity right there, to get around how short those Trials are._

 _ **Besides, these chapters are supposed to be only 3,000-5,000 words for a weekly update. That is how I designed this story to be, with a weekly upload schedule. So far, I've been doing a 6,000-13,000 word update every week. Last week's update was 6,244 words, for the record.**_

 _Throw me a bone here, is all I'm saying. There's a reason I had to take a break over the holidays, and even then I did some writing despite myself._

 _Anyways, I'm heading back to my base tomorrow. Hoorah. Meaning that after this, I'll be taking a two week hiatus to get caught back up on chapters because I've had basically no time at all while at home to write._

 _I'll be back on track on January 14_ _th_ _, with Chapter 46 of Pokémon Radiant Sun, "Until the Last Ember Fades"._

 _Yes, it's a Silver Resistance reference. And yes, it's an awesome story._

 _Also, apparently Lillie's love interest senses tingling was the highlight of last chapter. Don't read a whole lot into it, though. Sometimes stories don't have to make sense, per say. This is a video game world after all. I am glad you all enjoyed that scene though, as I had fun writing it._

 _Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes Madame Rodoshe, LordAzrael1, Cottonmouth25, Angelfir3, BouncingFish, The Hero'sSpirit, Sai Og Sus,TheOneWhoSaysMeep,BraviaryScout, GeekyGamer314, Rare Joe Star, a new guest reviewer known as Annimo,Gokan123, DarkestShade73, as well as four new reviewers known as SonicIKE (Have you reviewed before? Because your name looks familiar),_ hafizsyaraf5, and TheMillenniumWriter. Thanks for the support and feedback, as always.

 _Have a very Happy New Year, and…_

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 _Chapter 45: Totem Battle! As the Storm Rages On!_

* * *

Demi buried Feya underneath a tree by the coast on Route 8 that morning.

The Fire-type specialist mourned alone. Team Skull having been understanding enough to give the girl space to grieve. They went off to train against some of the local Pokémon a mile or so away, but would return for her in a few hours. This would allow Demi time to say her final goodbyes.

Gladion elected to stay behind and keep an eye on things, to Demi's surprise. The teen sat against a tree with Type: Null a respectable distance away, while Demi just stared at upturned dirt was the only indicator that a fallen bird was now buried there. A somber-looking Quilava and a stoic Litwick remained close to the girl, her only true company in her vigil.

The fierce teen in black shuddered as he beheld someone who openly showed how much the loss of their Pokémon effected them. Demi's entire body heaved with raw agony on her face as she wept for her fallen friend, half-rambling half crying as she spoke aloud to Feya as if she could still hear her. Gladion couldn't make most of it out, but what he did make out made him feel absolutely horrible for the other Trainer.

" _Is this what losing a Pokémon does to you…I'll protect you with everything I have, Null. All of my Pokémon. I can't let what happened to her, to Demi, happen to anyone else. Another reason to get stronger."_ Gladion thought as he rubbed the back of his partner. Type: Null hummed in response, twisting its neck slightly to look at Gladion. The beast's intelligent eyes gleamed from within the helmet, considering him for a moment before turning forward again. The two watched Demi in silence, with Gladion's thoughts tiredly wandering. Without realizing it was happening, his eyes slowly drooped and he fell asleep.

Demi began to pray for her fallen Pokémon after a time. While the girl had never been particularly religious, she knew that her starter would have appreciated the gesture, and so she prayed. It brought her some manner of comfort as she talked aloud to the sky and those who watched over them. Demi prayed for the Great Father, Arceus, to watch over the spirit of her best friend and help her on the journey to the next life.

She kneeled there for about an hour, just speaking aloud, half in prayer and half talking to Feya, thanking her for everything she did for Demi. Being her best friend, her most avid supporter, and listening to her hopes and fears and worries and dreams. Her starter was patient and loving and everything Demi could have hoped for in a starter…

But now she was gone. And Demi would have to continue on her journey, whatever it was now, without her.

By the time Demi had finished, her body was stiff and her eyes stung but could no longer release any more tears. Demi rose to her feet, her body swaying for a moment before she inhaled and exhaled, calming her breathing.

"Goodbye. I'll…I'll always love you, Feya. Moe i ka maluhia." Demi whispered before she turned around and walked away, her heart heavy. Demi walked through the trees, looking up into the beautiful Alolan sky and thinking that Feya would have loved to fly on a day like this. She had always appreciated the ocean, despite her typing. Demi looked down at the ground with a sigh, internally telling herself to try and focus on something else for now. The girl looked up and was surprised at the sight she saw just through the trees ahead.

Gladion was quietly sleeping against the tree, his exhaustion finally winning out. Demi couldn't help a miserable smile at the sight of the intense teen finally relaxing a little, even if it was when he was out cold. The girl walked over to the Trainer and Type: Null and sat down beside them, with Demi petting Type: Null on the back. The simple act helped the girl calm her emotions, thankfully bringing her back to the reality around her. That was right. Feya wouldn't have wanted her to be sad on her account. Keep going. That was what she had to do. Demi felt rather than heard Type: Null hum as it was stroked, allowing its pleasure to be known much like it had with Gladion earlier. Demi was surprised when Gladion didn't stir at the not-quiet noise the beast was making.

"Heavy sleeper, huh?" Demi softly asked Null. The beast nodded in response. Demi observed the teen in black for a time, unable to help the fact that he sort of reminded her of someone. She couldn't place her finger on who though. Another thought popped into her head, making her smile a little more despite herself.

" _He's…actually kind of handsome."_ Demi thought as she crossed her legs and watched Gladion alongside Type: Null. It was odd how he was supposed to be keeping an eye on her, but the tables had turned. Demi just sat and observed the teen for a time, taking in the small details of the intense teen's appearance. The tears in his clothing, caused by what looked like some kind of animal. His fair bangs covering his other eye, his expression one of tranquility. As if he was finally able to escape his sorrows while adrift in slumber.

" _I hope you find peace, Gladion."_ Demi thought to herself, her smile fading away. Demi shook her head fiercely, jarring herself out of her thoughts. What was she doing? Getting distracted by cute boys was _not_ going to help her current predicament.

" _So the question remains…What to do now? Do I even want to be a Trainer anymore? I couldn't give a damn about the Island Challenge after what it did to me. But there's nothing else for me here. I'm too young for anything else besides being a Trainer…it's the only thing I'm good at. Or am I…I don't know anymore. I don't even deserve the Pokémon I have right now…they'd be better off with someone else."_ Demi thought before she sighed and closed her eyes, feeling the sadness and despair set in. Maybe Gladion had the right idea. A nap sounded wonderful right now. It'd be nice not to think about anything for a while.

Demi shuffled her position until she was sitting on the other side of the tree Gladion was sleeping on. The girl spread out her dress and pulled her hat down low, closing her eyes and relaxing. Torch curled up beside her while Aou just stared out into space, watching them before turning away. Type: Null groaned softly beside Gladion as Demi yawned.

"Wake us up if anything happens, okay?" Demi said sleepily to the beast, but she was asleep before she could hear the monster's reply. Demi and Gladion slept underneath the trees the shaded them from the Alolan Sun, with Type: Null on guard. The beast maintained an unceasing vigilance as the two children slumbered, with the monster prepared to attack at any given moment. Despite being created as a weapon…

It was more than happy to protect the dreams of the two kind-hearted teenagers beside it. At least for a little while.

* * *

Sun approached the spot where the splashing was occurring, and was surprised to find that the splashing stopped as soon as he approached. Sun spotted a figure dart below the water before vanishing into the inky depths.

The Kanto-native winced as the storm intensified, with the rain coming down as a torrential downpour. Lightning crackled overhead as thunder boomed around the boy, who suddenly felt very vulnerable in the middle of the water. Sun could feel Lapras trembling beneath him, the Transport Pokémon letting out a small whine of fear. Sun reached out and patted the Pokémon on the head, smiling weakly at his companion on the water.

"Hey, don't worry girl. We'll be fine. Let's just track down this Totem Pokémon, okay?" Sun said to Lapras, who suddenly stiffened in horror as she looked down. Sun did as well and barely managed to stop himself from screaming. What didn't help was Rotom playing incredibly eerie music.

A massive shadow was swirling beneath them, with dozens of small shadows darting into the larger one and making it grow larger and larger, forming into some sort of massive _thing_. Suddenly, the massive shadow twisted and writhed underwater before shooting towards the surface and breaking free, rising high into the air. Sun's eyes widened in horror at the massive beast that jumped from the depths below, a multitude of fish and water forming into one massive, shifting and undulating beast that was heading right towards him.

Sun screamed as the Totem Pokémon smashed into the water right beside Lapras, making the Transport Pokémon yell out in horror and throw Sun clear off of it and into the water. The boy tumbled into the rough waves, his breath leaving him as the blinding dark water engulfed him. The rough waters immediately slammed into him from all sides, leaving Sun floundering under the water and unable to tell which way was up. Sun panicked and tried to fight his way out of the water, but he found he didn't need too. The boy was almost immediately tossed back onto Lapras by something below the water.

The Trainer shook his head as he grabbed onto Lapras again, and looked over at the Totem Pokémon as it rose from the depths a short distance away, floating above the water as it eyed its first challenger.

"Gyoooooh!" the beast bellowed, swinging its tail at the water and sending up a massive deluge from the sea. The Totem Pokémon then shuddered as a familiar fiery orange aura burst into existence around the beast, who let out another roar. Rotom began playing a familiar intense music from within Sun's backpack, but that didn't distract Sun from the matter at hand.

"What is that thing!?" Sun screamed as Lapras rocked back and forth, eyeing the massive monster with fear and wariness. Sun felt as scared as Lapras looked, as he hadn't seen something that fearsome in anything he read or seen before. Not even the strange monster that he had encountered the other day, Type: Null, could compare to the horrifying goliath of a Pokémon before him. Rotom's voice snapped Sun out of his horror, explain just what Sun was seeing.

" _Zzzt! Wishiwashi. The Small Fry Pokémon. School Form._ _Weak Wishiwashi school together to concentrate their power. Their united force makes them the demon of the sea, feared near and far. At their appearance, even Gyarados will flee. When they team up to use Water Gun, its power exceeds that of Hydro Pump."_ Rotom explained to Sun, who eyed the monster ahead with open awe.

"They all joined together. Those weak fish became _that_ …That's…not good." Sun said nervously as the beast before him let out a powerful roar that shook the air around them, making Sun flinch and Lapras whimper in fear.

" _It'zz strength iz multiplied by more than threefold! And with that Z-Power boost itzz got, its defense just skyrocketed!"_ Rotom cried out from within Sun's backpack. Sun could feel the warmth of the fish's Z-Power burning like an inferno even from how far away he was from it.

And then another question struck Sun.

"You can tell what's going on out here from inside that backpack?" Sun asked Rotom, visibly trying to calm himself down as the behemoth ahead of him undulated and shuddered, preparing itself to strike. Sun hoped that the massive collection of fish didn't hold it against him too much that he beat down two of their friends. Sun thought he could see three Wishiwashi in the collective that were giving him very nasty looks.

" _Yes, now hurry up and beat that thing so we can get somewhere dry!"_ Rotom Dex said to Sun, who smiled despite himself as he drew out a Poké Ball.

"This thing is scary…But we've been through a lot worse than this. Alright…deep breaths. We've got this!" Sun said aloud, pumping himself up and trying to regain his earlier excitement. To his surprise, it helped a little, even if he was still scared of the monster before him.

"Penny, let's go!" Sun yelled out as a released his Trumbeak, who released a cry as she swooped down over the water. The bird eyed her opponent with a glare, ready to do battle with the monster before her. She could feel her Trainer's fear, but she could also feel how strong his desire to prevail over their opponent was. She'd led him her courage for this fight.

"Let's start this off right. Pluck!" Sun commanded as he punched the air. Penny nodded and fearlessly flew at the massive monster, who dove under the water and easily dodged the attack.

"Alright…I should've expected that." Sun mused nervously as Penny soared higher into the air. The bird let out a shriek as a cannon-like blast of water shot towards her from straight below, nearly knocking her out of the air. Sun's jaw dropped as the massive beast suddenly erupted from the water, opening its mouth wide to swallow Penny whole from below.

"Penny, use Supersonic!" Sun screamed in terror as Penny looked down, eyes widening in surprise. The bird responded with a blast of sound that hit Totem Wishiwashi directly, making the beast falter at the last moment and come just short of Penny in the air. Gravity made the massive Totem Pokémon fall back towards the sea, landing on the water with a tremendous crash and sending waves smashing into Sun and Lapras. Sun gasped as the Transport Pokémon cried out, with water lashing over the two of them as lightning crackled overhead.

Totem Wishiwashi rose from the water, shaking its head blearily through its confusion. The beast fired a Water Gun into the air, but it missed Penny by a large margin. However, both Sun and the bird saw the blast hit a faraway rock, obliterating it with little effort.

"Penny, do _not_ get hit by that!" Sun called to Penny, who gave her Trainer a dull look in response. "Okay, stupid comment. Sorry. Use Pluck!"

Penny nodded and dived downwards at the massive monster, slamming into it with her glowing beak and spearing the fish into the side, making it snarl in pain. Penny shot out of the fish with a muffled chirp, holding a Sitrus Berry within her beak. Totem Wishiwashi let out a furious growl as Penny gobbled the berry whole, lowering her attack as she soared away. Wishiwashi then smashed the water with his tail, letting out a bellow of some sort that echoed across the water.

Sun couldn't help the sigh of annoyance as a second Wishiwashi shot out of the water to stand by its stronger brethren, eyeing Sun and Penny with apprehension.

"Alright. Two-on-one...Well, that doesn't really work since it's a whole bunch of them there, but the point remains. We've got this! Penny, use Hidden Power on the smaller Wishiwashi!" Sun called out as Penny chirped an affirmative, a glow infusing her body before being released in a pulse that washed over the smaller Wishiwashi and sent it flying back into the water. To Sun's dismay, the Wishiwashi shot back out of the water with a tired cry.

" _Alright, I'm done using Hidden Power. It sucks!"_ Sun thought as Penny dodged a Water Gun from the massive Totem Pokémon, ducking low and swooping over the raging water. Beside the massive Totem, the smaller Wishiwashi swam in circles around the Totem Pokémon, glowing white. Sun's eyes widened as several rings of water suddenly formed around the massive fish.

"Aqua Ring? The Pokémon helping that thing need to go...Uh, Penny, use Brick Break!" Sun called out to his Trumbeak. Penny darted towards the smaller fish with a savage cry, her beak burning an orange color as she swung it downwards, smacking the smaller Wishiwashi across the waves and sending it down into the water. After several seconds, Sun broke out into a grin upon realizing that the ally Pokémon of Wishiwashi had been defeated.

"Now, let's focus on the-" Sun began to say before he saw a bright blue glow of light. Sun turned in time to see Wishiwashi firing a wicked beam of bright blue energy at Penny, hitting her in midair. Penny screeched in pain as the Ice Beam froze her left leg and torso, sending her plummeting towards the water. Sun let out a scream as the bird smashed into the water with a massive splash.

"No…No, no, no! Penny!" Sun yelled out as he pulled out a Poké Ball, preparing to return the bird as he saw a great deal of frantic splashing from where the bird had landed. Thankfully the water exploded outwards, with Penny shooting into the air with a loud screech. The bird flared her wings in midair, panting heavily from the powerful attack that she had just been hit with. Sun realized with a pang that this battle had just become much harder.

He was essentially down one Pokémon and the Totem could use a move that could spell disaster for his remaining two Pokémon. Ice Beam was powerful enough to knock out Penny and Oliver with relative ease, as just seen with Sun's Trumbeak. Penny looked like she was about to fall out of the air from just that one attack…

"You still want to fight, Penny?" Sun called to the bird. He knew she was strong and very driven, but he still worried about her. The Trumbeak let out a fearsome screech, a defiant challenge to the Totem that she faced. Even if she was having trouble flying and she knew that getting hit by any attack would likely knock her out, she wouldn't give up on Sun.

To Sun's surprise, one of his Poké Balls suddenly erupted with white light and Brago was released from his ball, appearing beside him on Lapras' back. The dog winced at the rain, but barked out to Penny over the water. The Trumbeak looked back at her teammate with surprise.

"Look at that, Penny! Brago's right here to cheer you on! We're both behind you all the way!" Sun called to Penny, who nodded sharply as she faced forward and stared down the terrifying monster that loomed ahead. Sun couldn't help the proud smile on his face as he threw out an arm and called out his next move.

"Let's hit this thing hard then! Pluck!" Sun called to Penny as the bird willed herself forward, flapping her wings as hard as she could with her beak glowing bright white. Totem Wishiwashi roared as the bird drew near and fired off a Water Gun, the blast of water racing towards Penny.

Sun felt his heart race in worry as the water drew near, but broke out into a wide grin as Penny veered off to the left to dodge the blast before shooting towards Totem Wishiwashi, slamming into the massive beast and receiving a pain-filled snarl in response. Penny soared high into the air with a triumphant cry.

"Keep at it, Penny! Use-" Sun was cut off as Totem Wishiwashi dove into the water a second time before leaping high into the air. Penny released a blast of Echoed Voice without a command, hitting the massive beast directly, but this didn't stop the Water Gun that slammed into the Trumbeak and sent her smashing into the water next to Sun. The boy watched with a pang of sadness as Penny floated to the top of the water, clearly knocked out.

"You were fantastic, Penny. Thanks for giving it everything you had." Sun said as he returned his faithful bird, clipping her ball to his belt. Brago barked in agreement as Sun pulled out another Poké Ball and released Oliver, who hooted loudly as the rain continued to fall.

"Alright, Oliver! Let's beat this Totem and get out of this rain before I catch a cold!" Sun said to his starter, who rotated his head around to Sun and hooted at his Trainer before turning back around to face Totem Wishiwashi. Brago barked something to Oliver, who flipped his feathers into a thumbs up before letting out a chirp in reply.

"Razor Leaf!" Sun commanded his starter. Oliver let out a high screech and released his wave of leaves, which slammed into Wishiwashi and made the monster bellow in pain at the super-effective hit. Wishiwashi let out a growl of fury at Oliver, who flinched at the move and soared past Sun, eyeing the Totem with predatory eyes.

"Hit it hard and fast with Peck! Don't let that thing get you!" Sun yelled out to Oliver. The Dartrix nodded and shot forward with a savage screech, his sharp beak piercing the side of Wishiwashi and making the monster howl in agony. Wishiwashi retaliated with a Water Gun that Oliver barely managed to dodge, dropping several feet in a dive and flaring his wings. Oliver narrowed his eyes as he stared down the Totem. Wishiwashi bellowed at Oliver, slamming its tail down into the water. Oliver responded with a piercing screech of his own as the lightning crackled overhead. Sun yelped at the deafening boom of thunder, but held strong as Brago nudged his side and barked at him with a fierce grin. Sun wrapped an arm around the dog, grateful for his support, and focused back on the fight.

"Oliver, use Razor Leaf!" Sun called out as Lapras shuddered as the two Pokémon lunged at each other. Oliver released the attack and swerved downwards, avoiding an Ice Beam that went wide and froze a solid portion of the water as it swept across the area.

"This thing is fierce." Sun muttered before he saw the Totem Pokémon suddenly release an echoing roar. A few moments later, a large pink fish Pokémon rose from the waters, floating beside Totem Wishiwashi.

"Rotom, there's a big pink fish-like Pokémon helping Totem Wishiwashi. Any idea what it is?" Sun asked the device hiding with his backpack.

" _How big izz it?"_

"Kinda big, I guess."

" _Searching…Match found. Alomomola. The Caring Pokémon._ _They float upon the open sea. Many water Pokémon gather in the area around Alomomola. It uses its special mucus to close the wounds of injured Pokémon. The reason for this behavior remains unknown."_ Rotom explained as the pink Pokémon floated beside Totem Wishiwashi, who smashed the water with his tail and opened his mouth wide, a massive torrent of water erupting towards Oliver.

"Protect!" Sun barked as Oliver flared his wings. The massive deluge rushed into Oliver, parting around his shield a second after it fully appeared around the owl. It did however send a massive crack down the front of it, a testament to the sheer power of Totem Wishiwashi. Oliver swept his wings aside, dispelling the shield just in time to catch a series of Doubleslaps to the face courtesy of Alomomola, who had dove and emerged from the water and surprised Oliver with a sneak attack.

"You just going to take that, Oliver?" Sun asked the owl as he faltered slightly in the air. Oliver's response was a fearsome screech that made the Totem Pokémon of Brooklet Hill and its ally shrink back in surprise as Oliver shot towards them with something resembling _bloodlust_ in his eyes. Oliver released a flurry of leaves at the two of them, making Alomomola screech in pain as Wishiwashi tried to fend off the incensed Dartrix with an Ice Beam. Oliver dodged the attack, however, and slammed into the top of the massive fish with a Tackle, dazing it long enough for Oliver to fly back to Sun. Sun smirked as Oliver landed on top of Lapras, panting as he attempted to rein in his fury. The bird even attempted to preen himself, despite the rain.

"I thought so." Sun told the Dartrix, who just shot him an annoyed look.

"Dar dartriiiix."

"Yeah…You kind of deserved it though."

"…Dar."

"Don't be like that. You totally do."

" _Bzzzt! You can understand him?"_

"Not really."

Oliver suddenly started as the water exploded and a massive fish beast rose from the depths, landing on the water. Oliver screeched as Totem Wishiwashi roared at back at him, with Sun yelling out the command for Peck on Alomomola. The bird managed to hit the ally Pokémon, but not before getting hit with a Water Gun from Alomomola and a strange blue glowing water attack from the Totem Pokémon. Sun was confused when Oliver had almost no reaction to the attack. It did, however, make the bird glow blue for several moments before Oliver visibly shuddered in midair and was forced to land on Lapras again.

"What was that move? I haven't ever heard of a Water-type attack that does nothing." Sun said as Oliver shook his head furiously and Brago barked to the owl. Rotom suddenly beeped from Sun's backpack, making the boy glance behind him.

" _Sun, what did the move look like?"_ Rotom asked.

"Totem Wishiwashi just shot out some kind of glowing blue water. Didn't do any damage to Oliver from what I can tell, though." Sun said to Rotom, who buzzed from within Sun's bag.

" _It might've been Soak. It's a move that turnzz a Pokémon into a Water-type for a short time. Wishiwahsi is able to learn such a move, so it'zz possible."_

"What good does changing a Pokémon into a Water-type do?"

" _Pokémon generally do more damage with attackzz of their typing. Meaning that Oliver'zz grass and flying attackzz should do more damage than say, Tackle or Astonish. But if it'zz type izz now water…"_ Rotom trailed off, but Sun understood what it was saying.

"Then Oliver just lost out on a big advantage. Lana trained Wishiwashi really well. I bet she made sure to have Wishiwashi use that move on any Pokémon it has a disadvantage against. That's…I'm really excited now, heh. Thanks for the help, Rotom!" Sun grinned as Oliver landed on the head of Lapras, shaking his feathers.

"Don't worry about it, Oliver. It's only temporary. Now let's take down this thing! Razor Leaf!" Sun barked as Oliver sharply nodded, kicking off of Lapras and darting high into the air. Wishiwashi released an Ice Beam at Oliver, but the Dartrix twirled in midair and dodged the attack, releasing a Razor Leaf and making the massive fish below retreat backwards as the attack slashed at the fish collective and its partner, Alomomola. Sun could tell that the attack, while super-effective, didn't pack nearly as much punch as it did before.

Oliver let out a screech as Wishiwashi burst out of the water with a guttural roar of fury, launching itself towards the Dartrix. At Sun's command, the bird shot to the side and released a barrage of Razor Leaf at the monster, making it wince in pain and miss Oliver with its mouth. It didn't stop Totem Wishiwashi from hitting Oliver with a Water Gun as Alomomola released a blue surge of electricity-like energy to the massive beast. The attack hit Oliver with the force of a truck, knocking the bird out of the air and into the water below.

"Oliver!" Sun called out to the owl, who flung itself out of the water with great effort and narrowed his eyes at Totem Wishiwashi as it slammed back down into the water. The Dartrix let out another screech at the monster, who bellowed right back at Oliver.

"Don't let that fish show you up! Razor Leaf on them both!" Sun barked as Oliver nodded sharply flapping his wings and releasing the leaf barrage once again. Alomomola shrieked in pain as Wishiwashi rushed forward, tanking the attack and charging forth with a raging fountain beneath the beast as it slammed into Oliver with Waterfall. Oliver toppled through the air with a squawk of pain. Sun called out to Oliver, who flared his wings moments to avoid hitting the water again.

"Dar…Dartrix!" Oliver hooted at the Totem as the beast landed in the water once again. Alomomola shot a burst of water at Oliver, who released a Leafage at Sun's command to neutralize the attack.

"Use Peck on Totem Wishiwashi!" Sun called to Oliver as the bird shot forward as fast he could. Oliver's eyes widened in horror as Totem Wishiwashi opened its maw and charged up an Ice Beam, quickly firing the icy blast at Oliver, who was going too quickly to dodge in time. Brago snarled out loud as raw terror made Sun's body go cold.

"Oliver, Protect!" Sun screamed out desperately as the attack arced towards Oliver. The bird managed to stop its Peck attack and it's held out his wings in front of him with a sudden smug look on its face, with a bright blue shield appearing around the bird.

To Sun's horror, the beam slammed into Oliver and quickly began to freeze the shield around the bird solid. Sun felt relief fill him that the bird had managed to avoid being knocked out by Ice Beam, but was confused as to why the Dartrix hadn't ended Protect as he continued to soar towards Totem Wishiwashi in a massive ball of ice. Sun received his answer when said ball of ice collided with the skull of the Totem Pokémon with immense force, shattering upon its head and making the Totem howl in pain as Oliver shot into the air with a cackle-like chirp of glee.

"Did…Did you just use Protect to hurt Totem Wishiwashi?" Sun asked Oliver, who gave Sun a thumbs up with his feathers as he landed on Lapras again. Meanwhile Brago was laughing with amusement at the situation. "Just checking. Oliver, only you could turn a move that it literally _just used for defense_ …and turn it into something to hurt others."

"Daar!"

"You're something else…but you're awesome. You know that, right?" Sun asked his starter. Oliver nodded and shot off into the air, with Sun shouting out a command for Razor Leaf. The barrage of spinning leaves raced towards the two Water-types, with Totem Wishiwashi diving below the water to dodge. Alomomola was slower to react, taking the hit with a cry of pain. Alomomola fired off a Water Gun at Oliver, who winced in pain as the attack hit him in the side as he flew by.

"Now, while the Totem isn't here! Use Peck and then Leafage on Alomomola! Just like when you did with Lillie!" Sun yelled out to Oliver, who nodded and flapped his wings hard, releasing a whirlwind of leaves towards the ally of the Totem Pokémon. Oliver then shot forward, beak shining, and dove into the cluster of leaves, becoming one with the attack and creating a powerful twister in midair that snaked towards Alomomola. The Pokémon let out a shriek of horror before Oliver slammed into it, knocking it clear out of the water with the Grass/Flying-combination attack and onto the rocks nearby, where it fainted with a groan.

"Alright! One down, one to go!" Sun cheered as Oliver let out a piercing cry of triumph before turning his gaze below, searching for the Totem that had seemingly vanished. Sun caught sight of a massive spider emerging from the lake and floating over to the knocked out Alomomola, gently rousing it before carrying it over to the water where it swam away. Sun returned his focus to the battle, making a note to ask Lana about that later. Totem Wishiwashi rose from the depths and fired a Water Gun at Oliver, who took a glancing hit from the attack as he soared through the air.

"Use Razor Leaf!" Sun shouted as the massive fish growled at Oliver, who flinched at the attack but released his leaves anyway. Wishiwashi responded with a massive Water Gun that blasted away each of the leaves with ease.

"That thing needs to go down…Oliver, use Peck!" Sun called to the owl. Oliver hooted as he dodged the Water Gun and shot towards Totem Wishiwashi. The Totem Pokémon roared at Oliver as he slammed into the front of the beast with his glowing beak before being batted aside by the Totem's massive tail. Oliver landed harshly on a nearby rock and was slow to get up, his entire body glowing dark green as his ability Overgrow kicked in. Sun gritted his teeth, knowing that the powerful Totem was pushing Oliver to his limit.

" _Not only did it take away Oliver's type-advantage, but it has moves that could take out any Grass-type it wants to…But that's not going to stop us!"_ Sun thought as Oliver shot into the air again.

"Oliver, Razor Leaf!" Sun yelled to the Dartrix. Oliver flapped his wings hard to avoid another wicked Ice Beam, which narrowly missed the Dartrix once again and struck a nearby clump of rocks, freezing them solid.

"Leafage and Peck again!" Sun commanded as Oliver swooped down to Totem Wishiwashi. The beast leapt towards Oliver using Waterfall and the two Pokémon collided, creating a shiver in the air as both Pokémon struggled for dominance. Totem Wishiwashi let out a roar of fury and shoved Oliver back somewhat in the air, but Oliver's response of a screech of fury was much louder. With a great heave of effort, Oliver forced away the massive fish beast and slammed into its belly with its combination attack, causing the monster to suddenly burst apart into a shower of water and Wishiwashi. All of the fish fell into the water and swam away, save for one Wishiwashi that was immersed in a fierce orange aura and was much larger than any of the other Wishiwashi. He floated above the water, looking exhausted.

"It reverted to Solo Form…" Sun said softly, surprised at this sudden event.

" _That'zz what happenzz when Wishiwashi izz really weak. Sun, you've got it on the ropezz! Finish it off!"_ Rotom yelled to Sun, who nodded and pointed at the fish.

"Now, Oliver! Tackle!" Sun yelled to his owl as Wishiwashi shook his head, trying to recover his senses. Oliver dove at the Totem Pokémon like a bullet and slammed into him with hellacious force, knocking the fish backwards until it landed in the water. Sun and Oliver waited…and waited…

And then Wishiwashi rose once again…completely knocked out.

"We…Yeah! Oliver, we did it!" Sun cheered as Oliver fluttered over to his Trainer. The exhausted Dartrix sighed with relief as he landed and leaned against Sun, shutting his eyes and releasing a pleased sigh. Brago barked happily, his tail swishing back and forth in excitement.

 _"Zzzt! Lookzz like Oliver just learned Pluck, too!"_ Rotom piped up from Sun's backpack. Sun ruffled the feathers on the head of Oliver, receiving a glare in response before the bird began to frantically preen himself.

Totem Wishiwashi suddenly twitched and regained its awareness, looking over at Sun and Oliver for a moment before nodding once. If Sun didn't know any better, he would have said that the Pokémon looked happy. Sun broke out into a wide smile as the Totem Pokémon departed, venturing back into the depths of the sea from whence it came. Lapras let out a joyful cry as Sun sat down, laughing softly to himself.

"Thanks, Lapras. Awesome job, everyone. We beat another Trial, even if it gave us a good bit of trouble. And I think it proved Lana is still good as a Captain, too." Sun said as he let Penny back out so that she could be healed with a Revive and a Super Potion. Sun treated Oliver's injuries as well as the storm overhead faded into nothingness, revealing a cloudless sky just a few minutes later with the Alolan sunshine heating Sun's drenched body…

Or rather, it would have if Oliver didn't suddenly knock Sun into the water.

The boy frantically swam back up to the surface, eyeing the Dartrix with annoyance as he laughed at Sun. Penny and Brago gave Oliver deadpan looks of annoyance as their Trainer climbed back onto the Lapras, but not before splashing Oliver in the face with water, making the bird shriek and fly off.

"Your teammate is a jerk. You know that, right?" Sun said to Penny and Brago, who nodded in reply. Lana and Olivia were laughing from the shore at the antics between the boy and his starter.

"Very well done, Sun! Please come back this way!" Lana called to Sun, waving at him from the shore with an amused grin on her face. Sun returned to the shore and landed on the ground with a grunt, turning back around to Lapras and petting the Pokémon on the head.

"Thanks for your help today. I couldn't have done it without you." Sun said to the Transport Pokémon, who happily cried out and nuzzled Sun's hand. After a few moments Lapras swam back out to deeper waters, diving down below.

"I…I must say that I find myself at an impasse here." Lana said quietly, her hands behind her back. "All of the Wishiwashi that I had so diligently trained up were defeated, and that is very frustrating…My champion of them all fell to you, despite my efforts. But of course, I cannot let your completion of my Trial go uncelebrated, Sun."

"You were amazing, Sun. Truly impressive. Please take this." Lana reached into her pocket and pulled out a gleaming blue crystal with a happy smile on her face. Lana handed the Z-Crystal to Sun, who grinned as the crystal suddenly let off a flare of energy. Sun bent down low and struck his pose, extending the Z-Crystal high into the air as energy burned off of it.

"You do know what this is, don't you?" Lana asked Sun.

"A really, really shiny piece of candy?"

"…"

"Sorry, I think it's all the salt water in my ears. It's a Waterium Z, right?" Sun said to Lana, who smirked before nodding to him.

"Watch. This is how you use Waterium Z." Lana said before she began to strike the poses necessary to call upon the power of the Z-Move. Sun repeated the moves until he was sure to have memorized them.

"And that's not all I can offer you." Lana said as she backed away from Sun, walking over to a nearby box that had been stashed near one of the Trial gates. Lana retrieved something from within the box and brought it over to Sun.

"Here. This is a Lana original. One of my own homemade fishing rods." Lana said as she revealed a collapsible fishing rod from behind her back, sleek and finely crafted. Lana gave Sun a quick tutorial on how to fish, which helped because Sun had never gone fishing before. Lana was horrified upon learning this, and promised Sun that he would go fishing with her someday so that she could show him how a pro did it on the water. Sun agreed, and that was that.

"Well, I think that just about wraps up our time here today. Why don't why all head on back to the Pokémon Center?" Olivia said to the two children before she turned around and began walking away. Lana watched her leave for a moment before she shuddered.

"I wonder what she thought…" Lana said quietly. Sun put a hand on the girl's shoulder and gave her an encouraging smile.

"No worries. You were awesome out there, and I'll be surprised if you didn't ace the evaluation." Sun said to the Captain, who smiled back at the Trainer.

"Thank you, Sun. Shall we return together?"

"Sure." Sun said with a shrug, eyeing the beautiful sky overhead and enjoying the heat enveloping him. It wouldn't take that long for the sun to dry him off. And with that, the two set off after Sun returned his Pokémon. The two chatted idly about the Trial itself and how the battle against Totem Wishiwashi had gone. Eventually, as they crossed the wooden plank bridge, Lana asked Sun a question.

"By the way…Did you know I once reeled in a red Gyarados?" Lana said with a totally neutral expression on her face. Sun genuinely couldn't tell if she was kidding again or if she was telling the truth. She was comfortable enough with fishing for it to seem plausible…

"Did you really?" Sun asked cautiously, deciding to guess that Lana was kidding. Lana burst into giggles, looking away from Sun.

"Well, what do you think?" Lana asked as she calmed herself down. Sun chuckled, shaking his head at the Captain as they made their way through the path.

"You did a fine job today. Washua was very happy after that battle. He really enjoyed himself out there." Lana said happily to Sun, who was confused by the name.

"Washua?"

"My Wishiwashi. The Totem Pokémon."

"Ah…Wait, Washua? What kind of name is…Oh, I get it. Washua…like, Joshua and Wishiwashi…That's clever."

"I thought so too."

The two Trainers kept up the chatter until they reached the exit to the area, where they found Kahuna Olivia waiting for them, along with a familiar TV news reporter/anchor/owner, Adrian Battlestorm. The man grinned at the sight of Sun and Lana and quickly muttered something into his earpiece before turning back to them.

"You three ready for a quick little interview? I know you're busy, but the word's got to get out soon about what's happened today." Adrian said to the trio, with Olivia giving him the nod to go ahead with the story. The man nodded to the woman holding the camera and with a thumbs up, they were rolling.

"This is Adrian Battlestorm live from Brooklet Hill, where we have Kahuna Olivia and Captain Lana emerging from the Trial site with a Trial-goer backing them up!" Adrian said enthusiastically, striding over to them. Lana took a breath to calm herself, and smiled placidly at the camera shoved into her face.

"After an incident regarding Councilmember Palena's daughter being attacked by the Totem Pokémon just yesterday, we have received word that not only is the Trial of Brooklet Hill up and running once more, but that a new Totem Pokémon has been chosen to protect the site. Captain Lana, what do you have to say about the incident and do you believe that the steps you've taken for a new Totem will help keep Trainers safe?" Adrian asked the meek girl.

Lana nodded in response. "Of course. Rest assured that what happened yesterday will never repeat itself. The Totem Pokémon that currently protects the site is one I would trust with my life. As shown in his battle with Sun just a few minutes ago, he is able to control the power that was gifted to him and not only handle it with grace, but perform well in combat as well. Despite Sun having a Pokémon with a type-advantage against it, my Totem pushed Sun's team to their limits."

"Oh? Sun, what do you have to say that?" Adrian asked the Trainer. Sun grinned at the camera, with Oliver and Penny fluttering into the air beside him. Brago let out a bark, making Olivia chuckle behind them.

"The Trial is in safe hands with Captain Lana and the new Totem Pokémon. It definitely gave me a run for my money, and it'll be able to protect Brooklet Hill with no problems. And Lana did a really good job of training it too, so there's no chance of anyone else getting hurt." Sun said to the media icon of Alola, who smirked at Sun.

"Bold words from one of Alola's rising stars! Captain Lana is back is business, folks, after a hiccup and the removal of a rogue Totem Pokémon. Now we've got a determined new start and a fresh-faced Totem ready to roll! We've received confirmation that the Water Trial will be back underway on Saturday, two days from now, so I hope upcoming Trainers are prepared to go all out against Alola's newest protector." Adrian said with a wide grin, stuffing a hand in his pocket. "Back to Jamie with the weather!"

"And we're clear." The Camerawoman said as she stopped recording, sighing slightly.

"Wonderful work as always, Kelly." Adrian said to the blonde-haired woman as she gave him a deadpan look.

"You're the one who _does_ everything, sir." Kelly said as she adjusted her glasses.

"Nonsense! You think I know how to operate a camera that well anymore? I'd be nothing without my supportive staff." Adrian grinned at his camerawoman, who sighed in response, though she did break into a small smile. Sun could tell the woman appreciated that her boss took the time to let them know that he valued their hard work.

Adrian turned around to face the Trainer trio behind him and said, "That said, I'm glad you got this mess sorted out. Councilmember Palena is definitely going to be heading out here to have a word with you, Captain Lana. Even if you managed to get a new Totem and have the Trial running smoothly again, you'll still need to ease the rage of an upset parent. He still hasn't found his daughter."

Lana nodded slowly, but didn't reply verbally. Adrian snapped his fingers and said, "Fantastic stuff, though, you three. With a bit more media coverage and some interviews with Trainers beating the newly-improved Water Trial, we can smooth over the rest of the feathers here on Akala. Sadly this is where I have to head off. I've got breaking news out of Malie City and I need to be there. Take care!" Adrian said as Kelly released an Venomoth. With a wave, the trio vanished the spot with a Teleport, leaving Olivia, Sun, and Lana standing on the path. Lana suddenly collapsed to her knees, sighing with relief.

"Thank goodness that's over. It's so hard to keep calm when the thought that millions of people are watching you across the region won't stop pounding against your head." Lana said as Sun helped her to her feet. At that moment, Hau burst out of the Pokémon Center with a wide grin.

"So, how'd it go?" Hau asked Sun, practically bouncing up and down in excitement. Sun pulled out his Waterium Z and showed it to Hau, who let out a low whistle. Hau turned to Lana, his smile widening as the girl blushed pink and looked away.

"Captain, you've got to let me do the Trial!" Hau said as he jumped in front of Lana, who let out a yelp and stumbled backwards in surprise at the boy suddenly in her face. Sun chuckled while Olivia just shook her head.

"You kids…Anyways, Lana, just in case you were wondering, you passed your evaluation with flying colors." Olivia said to the blue-haired girl, whose mouth dropped at the sudden revelation. "Your safety precautions were on point, which was my biggest concern. Your Araquanid keeping watch in the water below was clever and something I approve of."

Sun suddenly realized that was what had saved him from the water and helped Alomomola back into the water when it was knocked out.

"The Totem provided a fighting challenge while not going overboard with its abilities or showing any signs of unwarranted aggression. Your demeanor during the Trial, while humorous, reflected your personality and allowed Sun to be comfortable with the challenge set forth. Small touches here and there that I really liked such as the fishing and using only Wishiwashi to test Sun before the real battle are two that stick out. And most importantly, I could see how much fun Sun was having and you even made a friend out of the experience. You have proved that you're a worthy Captain and deserve your position." Olivia said to Lana, who seemed unable to say anything.

"I think you broke her, ma'am." Sun chuckled as he waved a hand in front of Lana. The girl started and suddenly flung herself forward hugged Olivia.

"Thank you so much, Miss Olivia! I promise, I won't let you down again! I swear!" Lana promised the Kahuna, who returned the hug with a small laugh.

"Lana, you never let me down in the first place. Accidents happen, regrettable as it is. We'll clean up this mess together and get everything back on track." Olivia said to the girl as they separated, with Lana rubbing her eyes as tears of relief threatened to fall.

"Feel free to take the rest of today and tomorrow off, like we discussed. You deserve a bit of time to relax before getting back into the swing of things. I know you barely slept last night." Olivia said to the Captain, who nodded in response. Lana then turned to a grinning Sun.

"Looks like you've still got your position as Captain." Sun said to the girl, who smiled softly at Sun.

"Thanks to you, Sun. Like I said before, I won't ever forget the kindness you and Hau have showed me. If I'm ever able to help you both in any way, please let me know, and I'll be there." Lana said to the Kanto-native, giving Hau a small nod as well.

"It was nothing, Captain Lana! We've all got to look out for each other, you know? We're all 'ohana in Alola, just like I was telling Sun yesterday." Hau said as he shut his eyes, beaming at Lana. The Captain couldn't help a small laugh at the boy's contagious cheer.

"So, here's the million dollar question…" Hau said as he opened his eyes and put his hands behind his head. "When is the earliest Trial appointment for Brooklet Hill? I've been itching to battle this thing forever!"

"I actually had most of those who scheduled appointments for the Totem cancel on me once word got out about what happened to Demi, and the earliest Trial attempt I'm going to be officially scheduling for is Saturday morning." Demi said with Hau, who snapped his fingers in disappointment. Lana smiled mischievously, crossing her arms. "However, I _do_ owe you one. Perhaps I might be willing to let you attempt the Trial in an hour or two from now…if you ask me _nicely_ that is."

"Aww yes! Lana, you're the best!" Hau cheered, bounding forward and bear-hugging the blue-haired girl. Olivia giggled with amusement while Sun stifled his laughter with his hands at Lana's horrified expression as Hau swung her around and around with an excited and joyous grin on his face, unaware of Lana's quickly brightening red face.

It was just a few moments later that Lana fainted in Hau's arms, having been unable to deal with the super-effective Hug Attack from the wild Hau.


	46. Until the Last Ember Fades

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen and whoever else is reading this story. Privately hoping that lobster people are reading this at the bottom of the ocean._ _Wouldn't that be awesome? Seriously, just take a second and think of it…_

 _Anyways, howdy. Alolan fun times are inbound, after a short break so I could catch back up after the holidays. After the excitement of the Water Trial, we'll be getting back into the thick of things as our heroes get back onto the road! In this chapter we'll see new faces, old faces, and maybe get some questions answered!_

 _Also, this story has hit 200 follows! Like, that's insane. Seriously, thank you all so much!_

 ** _(A serious note before final upload. My computer has suddenly decided to start giving me some serious issues, and I'll likely have to get a new one this week. If there's a bit more flubs in this chapter than usual, it's because I was in a hurry to get this up before my computer crapped out on me again like its done twice now. So there is a possibility for the next chapter to be delayed, at least until I can get chance to swing by somewhere a get a new computer. We'll see. Hoping that things work out for me, but I'm letting you all know in advance in case worst comes to worst.)_**

 _Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes_ _hafizsyaraf5, Madame Rodoshe, Sai Og Sus, Cottonmouth25, DarkestShade73, Angelfir3, AncientHero2000, BraviaryScout, Lord-Azrael3, Gokan123, SonicIKE, Annimo, as well as three new reviewers known as Codyrod26, Whispersofadragon, and RC-DA. Thanks for all of the feedback and support folks. Here's to an awesome year of excitement and awesome!_

 _This is my longest chapter in a while. Let's get back to it!_

Enjoy.

* * *

 _Chapter 46: Until the Last Ember Fades_

* * *

"Gooooood morning, Uncle!"

"Uooggh…Why are you doing this again?"

"Because you've been letting your duties slip again, hehe! No worries though! I've got you covered. I've decided to give you a wake-up call every single morning from now on so that you _have_ to get stuff done! It's foolproof!"

"Except for the part where you're annoying me…"

"We all have to make sacrifices. Now, first thing on your agenda is heading to the Heahea City jail and bailing out that friend of yours. Bring him up to speed and all that. Then you need to do a lecture at Malie City's retirement home before staring into the sky trying to find meaning in your life for about two hours at the pier. And then we do lunch!"

"Is it too late in the morning to just throw myself under a goddamn bus instead?"

"Yep! Much too late! And since I'm an early riser, you'll never have the chance to do such an awful thing because you sleep in all the time! Muahahaha!"

"…You're an evil little hellion. You know that, right?"

"Uh-huh! And that's why you love me!"

"You're delusional."

"Well, I hope you have a wonderful day! You're special and appreciated, okay Uncle? You mean the world to me and a bunch of people, and I want you to always remember that! See you in a few hours!"

"Yeah…whatever."

"Bye bye!"

"Hmph."

 _Click._

* * *

"So, Doctor, what's your conclusion?"

"I…genuinely don't know."

Lillie watched silently as she pet Nebby from the nearby couch, watching Colress and Professor Kukui as they observed Shadow Celebi in its container. The Time Travel Pokémon twitched in the fluid that immersed it, its shadowy aura flickering every few seconds. Lillie felt her heart wrench at the sight of the Pokémon of purity and time reduced to such a state. Nebby was unusually quiet, watching the Time Travel Pokémon with reverence it didn't even understand. Meanwhile, Hugh was curled up with Aria on another couch, listening intently while the other girl slept. According to Hugh, she wasn't doing too well at the moment.

"How so?" Kukui asked Colress, who adjusted his glasses. The man pulled out his tablet and tapped it a few times, causing several screens in the room to suddenly boot up and display lines of data and figures that Lillie could make no sense of.

"Celebi is a Pokémon that has two very special abilities. Time travel and the power of purification. It is able to travel through the time stream and is known as a harbinger of a peaceful future. However, it is prevented from acting too much on the world around it, thankfully." Colress explained to the others, though Lillie piped up.

"Wait…If Celebi can travel through time, why can it not do things in the past or future?" Lillie asked Colress.

"From what I understand, Legendary Pokémon usually answer to beings above it in the food chain, so to speak. It is commonly believed that Latios and Latias, two Legendary dragons from Hoenn, answer to Rayquaza. Celebi are usually those who serve under Dialga, the Pokémon who controls time from his domain. They act on Dialga's will, serving to help stabilize the timeline and help keep order in the world. According to some ancient edict, Celebi cannot directly interfere with the past or future unless they're told to by Dialga, or have no other choice."

"I'd imagine that having this Celebi get captured and corrupted made Dialga quite angry. Especially since it's indirectly messed up quite a few things in the timeline by attacking people and throwing people through time." Kukui noted, with Colress nodding.

"We should be glad that the Creation Trio are not able to act on the outside world, easily at least. Their rage would be so great that none of us would survive." Colress noted dryly, a small smirk flashing across his face.

" _If Cipher did not capture Celebi to tamper with time and alter events to their liking…then why did they capture it?"_ came a timid voice from nearby. Kukui cast a surprised glance to the Absol peering up at them from the floor nearby, curiosity on her face. The shy Pokémon seemed to realize what she had done and looked away, though Kukui smiled in response.

"Curiosity isn't a sin, Dusk. And to answer your question, Cipher didn't capture a Celebi to mess with time. They've tried to alter past and future events, but even Shadow Celebi must adhere to Dialga's rules, from what I understand. They did what they did because this Celebi was the one who powered the Relic Stone that purified Pokémon back in Oore. They took away a vital resource in the battle going on between them and Wes, who was forced to rely on the Pokémon HQ Lab and their Purify Chamber instead to purify Shadow Pokémon…And we can't exactly go to them for help with Shadow Celebi anymore." Kukui explained to everyone. Lillie cocked her head in confusion.

"Why not?" Lillie asked the Professor, who's expression darkened.

"Amber Fontaine went to the lab in Oore and burned it to the ground, slaughtering every person there. Even worse, she killed Michael Evens, the boy responsible for bringing down Cipher's second attempt in dominating the region. There's nothing left of their work that could help us, and there's not a single person alive who knows about the Purify Chamber well enough to help us." Colress explained to Lillie, who shrank back in her chair in horror. She vividly remembered the terrifying and powerful assassin and their last encounter. Lillie hadn't considered that her reign of destruction hadn't just started with Unova or Kanto. She'd be at this for a long while.

"Doc, you created a cannon and system that can channel the power of a Legendary dragon and helped Ghetsis with his plan to recreate a fusion form of Kyurem, which was only spoken about in legends. How is this _harder_ for you than that?" Kukui asked in confusion. One of Colress' eyes twitched at the comment.

"Professor Kukui…I'm a _scientist_. Not a miracle worker. And I'd rather not be reminded of what I did for Ghetsis. I regret not killing him myself every single day that passes." Colress said with a hint of irritation in his voice as his fists clenched. It was actually the angriest Lillie had ever seen the scientist, and was astonished to see even this much anger out of him. He must have been incredibly frustrated that the intricacies of this were eluding him.

"My apologies, Doctor."

"I'm not a doctor either. At least not a qualified one. I'm just smarter than most of them."

"If your genius wasn't responsible for ensuring that I survived being stabbed by an assassin, I'd be terrified right now." Kukui admitted while Lillie and Hugh laughed. Colress' expression lightened, a smirk on his face.

"But if we could find a way to purify Celebi, then we could have the means to purify any Shadow Pokémon we encounter. Celebi would no doubt want to assist us, in an attempt to save face and help others. It'd be an invaluable ally against Cipher." Colress said with a small smile before shaking his head.

"Celebi will be okay..." rasped a voice, making everyone look towards Aria with surprise. She looked exhausted, but was alert. "We will get Celebi purified…he's here in Alola. He can help us. Do _not_ trust him though." Aria said firmly as her eyes began to flicker green. The woman began to shake, but Hugh embraced the woman and held her steady. Lillie watched the entire scene with mild horror in her eyes before she blinked and looked down, as if in deep thought.

There was a solution to this…Lillie knew someone who could help. But did she dare involve _them_ in this, knowing what they could do? What they had done…

"And when we do purify Celebi, I'm strangling it for giving me this stupid future sight crap!" Aria hissed as she buried her face in Hugh's shirt. Hugh rubbed the woman's back, murmuring something they didn't hear. Aria hugged Hugh back, a muffled sob barely audible now. Kukui turned to Colress, his expression troubled.

"I wish your visions were more...direct with answers." Hugh said to Aria, who pulled away from her friend and scowled.

"His face was blurry and I've never seen this person before! How the hell am I supposed to know who this is?" Aria growled at Hugh, who kissed Aria on the lips to silence her. Aria shut her eyes for several seconds before she broke the kiss and collapsed on top of Hugh, sighing deeply.

"Yes, well…That doesn't solve our current problem. We have no idea how to purify Shadow Celebi and it's too dangerous to have conscious for any period of time. And those who would know how to handle such a Pokémon are dead or missing." Kukui said to Colress, his eyes traveling to Lillie, Aria, and Hugh. Lillie chimed in, surprisingly.

"I…I know someone who may be able to help Celebi." Lillie said softly, shutting her eyes.

"What? S-seriously? Lillie, why didn't you say anything before?" Kukui asked, absolutely baffled that his assistant knew a solution to their conundrum. Lillie opened her eyes, and Kukui saw fear in her gaze.

"Because I'm hiding from them. But they can help. They know stuff like this. They have a lot of information when it comes to helping Pokémon. And I remember a long time ago…that one of them helped with a machine that healed Pokémon who were broken. Pokémon who were suffering. Just like Celebi is right now." Lillie said in a whisper. Colress and Kukui both realized who Lillie was referring to, and the doctor spoke up.

"Are you referring to the Purify Chamber? Lillie, who on earth would you know from the Aether Foundation that worked on…Ah, wait. _Of course_ …He's nearly as well-traveled as me. I nearly forgot the man was operating out of Alola now. I wouldn't be all that surprised if he had been involved with the Purify Chamber at some stage." Colress said with a small smile before he frowned, looking over to Lillie.

"Who's the Aether Foundation?" Hugh asked.

"I'll explain later. This matter is between me, Kukui, Burnet, and Lillie." Colress explained firmly, and Hugh nodded in response, respecting the scientist's wishes.

"Lillie, you do realize that if we ask their assistance, that this may place _you_ in danger? Besides, after what you have told us about them, I'm unsure whether or not I would allow them to come so close to such an important Pokémon like Celebi. They may attempt to procure it for their own experiments." Colress said to the girl, who sighed and hugged Nebby close to her.

"Then maybe you could keep an eye on them. You're a famous scientist, Doctor Colress, and strong enough to stand against them if you must. They'd be honored to have you involved in their work, especially due to your own talent and intellect." Lillie said to the scientist, who shrugged.

"I could fight them, but I'd rather not. Working together would do so much more good…But you're correct. If necessary, I can keep tabs on them all. Admittedly I have been doing so already, though that was more in regards to the Ultra Space than anything else. If anyone would have collaborated with the Pokémon HQ Lab in Oore, it would be the Aether Foundation. Lillie, are you sure that you want us to involve them in this? It'd draw attention to the Dimensional Research Lab." Colress asked Lillie, who nodded.

"I want to help however I can. If it means getting their help, then so be it. I trust you all to help keep me and Nebby safe." Lillie said with a resolute nod. Kukui smiled with pride at the girl's bravery, and clapped his hands together.

"I'll make some calls then. You're going to have to disappear for a little while, though. Is that okay?" Kukui asked Lillie, who nodded. "I may or may not be heading on a little trip myself soon. Maybe I can drop you off to your two favorite Trainers. I know a certain boy from Kanto would love to see you again."

Lillie flushed at the insinuation and opened her mouth to reply, but the front doors opened and each of them turned to see who walked in. Lillie blinked in surprise while Kukui said, "Hello there. Can I help you two?"

"Um…I…" a woman with flowing black hair spoke, seeming nervous. Lillie recognized her, and was surprised to see Vivian the violinist looking so nervous when she was usually so confident. Noah stood behind her, a small smile on his face as he put a hand on her shoulder.

"Come on, you've got this." Noah said encouragingly to his girlfriend. Vivian sighed and stood up a little straighter, but faltered when Aria got up from off of the couch and made her way over to Vivian, her eyes flashing with emotion as she stared down her friend.

"Hello Vivian…Nice to see you again." Aria said softly as her eyes flickered green, an eerie glow creeping them before reverting to their normal blue color. The violinist gulped nervously but stepped forward, her body trembling in what Lillie realize was fear. She was actually _scared_ of Aria.

"I…I had heard you came back." Vivian said softly, sounding as if she couldn't believe her eyes. "We hoped, but…Aria, I'm so sorry. I messed everything up. If it wasn't for me, Wes would still be here. Cipher would probably be gone and-"

Vivian stopped speaking as Aria took another step towards the other woman, making Vivian flinch. Noah remained silent, watching them with a guarded expression. Hugh and Lillie watched on in silence, until Lillie asked Hugh a question.

"Why is she so scared of Aria? They're friends, aren't they?" Lillie asked Hugh, who shrugged.

"Maybe. But Vivian has a lot to answer for. She ran away before our final fight with Cipher in Unova, taking our one shot at taking down Shadow Kyurem with her. She decided to bail on us, accidentally taking the Master Ball we worked so hard to get with her. Because of her, Wes wasn't able to snag Shadow Kyurem. Because of her, Cipher was able to dominate Unova and unleash hell on Kanto. Aria has every right to be pissed. And Vivian knows Aria can beat her in a battle if it comes down to it…And an actual fight. But I don't think it'd come to that." Hugh explained softly as the two women stared each other down.

"I'm…I'm sorry. Everything that's happened…It's all because of me. I let you down. I let Wes down. I'm a terrible friend, aren't I?" Vivian murmured, crossing her arms. Aria wordlessly shook her head, clenching her fists.

"You're an idiot." Aria said bluntly, making Vivian wince at her harsh tone. Vivian was even more surprised when Aria stepped forward and hugged her friend tightly.

"…Why?" came a whisper from Vivian. "How can you just… _forgive_ me like that?"

"Because life is too short to hold grudges. My trip through time made me appreciate what I have a lot more than I did before. Besides, Wes was equally wrong in that stupid argument you two had. You had no idea you had the Master Ball on you when you ran away. You were scared. And not everyone can stand up to danger like that, Vivian...But I want to know, will you still stand by us? We're still looking for a surefire way to get back at them. To make things right and save everyone. We've got Celebi, we're working on Zygarde, and we're getting stronger. There's still hope, Vivian. Are you with us?" Aria asked the other woman, who bit her lip. Vivian looked down at the ground before she finally returned the hug from the new Snagger, hugging her tightly as a single tear trailed down her cheek.

"Until the end, Little Miss Heroine." Vivian whispered as she separated from Aria, smirking at her friend. Noah chuckled at the two, shaking his head with mirth while Professor Kukui walked up to the pair.

"I love resolutions. On that happy note, let's get to work folks. They'll be here in a few days and we need to be ready for whoever they send to assist us with Celebi." Kukui said with an excited grin, clapping both women on the shoulders. Lillie couldn't help the small smile that appeared on her face as Nebby squirmed in her arms, happily flailing its arms with a cry.

* * *

Hau ended up defeating Totem Wishiwashi just two hours after Sun did. Sun actually got to watch Hau battle the beast from the shore along with Lana, which the boy enjoyed. Hau had a much easier time of things than Sun did, due to having seen a Wishiwashi before and knowing about its special ability. After the Trial ended, the trio fished out on the water and enjoyed the wonderful weather.

Sun was surprised by how quickly Lana became their friend after she got used to being around them. And by them, I mean Hau. The cheerful boy had to be careful not to hug Lana too often or too enthusiastically, but aside from that she was a quirky and soft-spoken but overall fun person to hang out with. Another friend made in the wonderful region of Alola. Two days passed with the new friends spending time with each other and helping Lana make sure that she would have no further problems with her Trial.

However, on the day of the Trial officially opening to everyone again, the two boys decided that they needed to head to their next Trial. Lana was a bit sad to see them go, but happily walked them down the path past the Pokémon Center with her Pokémon Egg in hand. Apparently, in order to get to the next Trial, they would have to venture through several routes and pass through Royal Avenue, an area of Alola known for tournaments and exhibitions of strength and skill. Lana explained this all to Sun and Hau as they walked.

"I hear that there's going to be some kind of showcase at Royal Avenue this week. Mallow and Kiawe are going to go, and have been trying to get me to attend as well." Lana said to Hau and Sun, who looked at the girl.

"Showcase?" Hau asked, cocking his head in confusion. Lana giggled at Hau's expression and elaborated.

"Foreign Trainers compete with Alolan ones to show off and stuff. Pokémon Coordinators, Pokémon Performers, and all sorts of other interesting things. I hear there's going to be a renowned Water-type expert there." Lana said with an excited smile.

"Sounds wicked." Hau said excitedly, grinning widely.

"I bet Kukui knows something about this…" Sun mused before nodding. "We'll check it out."

"I'll try and go there myself in a few days. It'd be nice to meet up with you all there, but it may be difficult. My schedule is full with challengers and I have to make up for the lost time." Lana explained to the two boys, who nodded understandingly.

"So, goodbye for now." Lana said almost reluctantly as she set her Pokémon Egg on the ground. Sun stepped forward and hugged his friend, who happily returned the gesture. Lana did the same with Hau, though she was blushing a bit after the two separated. Lana picked her Egg back up, smiling at her new friends that had helped her through one of the worst times in her life. She would never forget their kindness.

"Next is Kiawe's Trial. It will take place at Wela Volcano Park. Oh…" Lana snapped her fingers. "That reminds me. Did you see any Sudowoodo by Paniola Ranch?"

"No. Hau, did you?" Sun asked his friend, who nodded.

"Yeah. They were blocking the path to the south. Me and Demi didn't need to go that way, but it was a bit odd to see." Hau noted, receiving a nod from Lana.

"They were causing some trouble for people, so I gave them a little dose of Z-Power using my Waterium Z. Just a little lesson for them. They came back though. Hmm…" Lana's smile became mischievous and, admittedly in Sun's opinion, fairly adorable. "I wonder how they will react now that they see that you have Waterium Z, too?"

"Probably not well." Sun replied, smirking now. Lana chuckled softly while Hau fist-pumped with excitement.

"Aww man! I'm getting hyped now, Sunshine! Let's get this show on the road. Lana, thanks for being so awesome." Hau said to the girl, who blushed bright pink but nodded in reply with a happy smile on her face. Sun waved at Lana with an 'Alola', and began walking down the road. Hau put a hand to his chin, looking thoughtful, remaining still.

"Um…Is everything okay, Hau?" Lana asked the boy, who grinned widely in response.

"Yep." Hau set his bag down on the ground and opened it up, tearing through the insides to try and find something. Sun turned around and watched his friend with amusement, wondering what he was up to. He found out when Hau pulled out a notebook, grabbed a pen, scrawled something down on a piece of paper, and then tore out the paper and handed it to Lana.

"Keep in touch. You're an awesome Captain and an awesome person. Keep your head held high, alright?" Hau said to Lana, tapping her lightly on the nose. Lana accepted the piece of paper, bewildered at Hau's antics. She then opened the paper with one hand and suddenly blushed crimson as she read what was on it. Hau took that moment to wave his arms in farewell and say, "Alola!"

"Alola…" Lana squeaked out, her hands trembling as Hau turned around and jogged after his friend. Sun gave his friend a look of surprise before looking back at Lana, who was staring down at a piece of paper while blushing deeply.

"Dude, you broke her. Nice going. Did you give her your phone number?" Sun said with a chuckle as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. Hau pouted, crossing his arms, but he nodded an affirmative.

"Yep. And hey, I thought she could use the compliment! I had a lot of fun with her the past few days. Once she gets comfortable, she's really funny and interesting!" Hau said defensively, but Sun grinned at his friend.

"Oh I know. Lana's really cool. I'm just surprised you gave her your number. What was that about?" Sun asked Hau, who chuckled.

"I dunno. Like I said, she's a friend and I'd like to be able to see how she's doing. You can never have too many friends, you know?" Hau protested as they walked down the path, leaving the stunned Lana behind.

"A boy just gave me his number...I…I don't even…" Lana sputtered, still holding the piece of paper with Hau's number on it tightly in her hands. The Captain's blush faded as a wide smile appeared on her face. She quickly put her new friend's number into her phone and returned to the Pokémon Center, practically skipping with joy.

* * *

Hau and Sun continued down the path to Route 4 and entered Paniola Ranch with few problems. Sun battled with Brago against some wild Pokémon, to make up for not using him during the Trial itself. Hau just kept up a chatter with his friend about recent events.

Eventually the sun set and the duo made camp outside of Paniola Ranch. Oliver dosed while Penny and Brago hunted, bringing back food for those who wanted to eat it. Sun practiced on his flute while Hau listened and offered his feedback on the songs. It turned out that after having spent so much time with Lillie, Hau knew a thing or two about music. He couldn't play an instrument, sadly, but that just meant Sun had a unique perspective to judge his music. Hau was a silly, but helpful, critic and Sun appreciated that in his friend.

As the two friends were getting ready to turn in for the night, Hau had the idea to call Lillie and give her an update on them. It'd be nice to check in with her as well. Sun called her number and put the phone on speaker, and after two rings, she picked up.

"Hello?"

"Alola, Lillie!" Sun and Hau said to their friend, receiving a soft laugh from the other side of the phone. Even though things hadn't changed at all between them, Sun was nervous about talking with Lillie…After all, he knew how he felt around her. And it was admittedly a bit daunting to the boy to know these feelings, but he was glad he knew how he felt. Now came the hard part of doing something with these feelings, and sorting out what he wanted from them.

"Alola Sun! Alola Hau! How have you boys been doing?" Lillie said happily from the other end of the phone.

"Pretty good. Your two favorite Trainers just scored themselves a Waterium Z each, got to hang out with a Captain for a few days, and now we're heading to Royal Avenue. Looks like some cool stuff is happening there, so we're going to see what kind of trouble we can get into." Hau said with a laugh, making Sun shake his head. Like he needed any help getting in trouble.

"That sounds interesting. I can't help but wonder what sort of events are going on there. Maybe I can ask Professor Burnet. Professor Kukui is out at the moment with Doctor Colress at a remote lab on the other side of the island with Kahuna Olivia." Lillie explained to Sun, who was curious but decided that if he needed to know, someone would have told him. Hau had no such reservations.

"Any idea what's up?" Hau asked.

"I think it may be to study the Totem that attacked Demi. The Araquanid, remember?" Lillie said in response, making Sun shudder. He was very glad that he hadn't needed to face that monster. That said, Wishiwashi was pretty brutal...

"I'll keep you both updated if I find out more, but I doubt I will. I'm only Professor Kukui's assistant...So, nothing of note happened besides the Trial itself and the incident with Demi?" Lillie asked the two boys.

Hau explained a run-in with Team Skull and how Demi had defeated a group of them all on her own. Sun explained how he taught Penny Hidden Power, which he had vowed to never use again because it was a terrible move in his opinion. Hau then chimed in with another aside that Sun had almost forgotten had happened to them.

"Remember the Edgy dude? Gladywhatever?" Hau said to Sun, who nodded.

"Yep. We did run into this weird guy named Gladion. He had a strange monster Pokémon on his team and…uh, let's just say Gladion and Hau didn't exactly see eye-to-eye. Him and Hau are just about polar opposites. The guy gave me one of the best battles I've had in a while though." Sun explained to Lillie, who remained quiet for several long moments.

"Guy was a real piece of work. I don't think he ever had a day of fun in his life." Hau remarked with a chuckle, smirking at Sun.

"…Gladion?" came a whisper from the other end of the phone. Sun and Hau exchanged a look of concern. Lillie's voice was a mixture of shock and wonder.

"Uh, yeah. Do you…know him?" Hau asked Lillie, who remained silent.

"…N-no. Sorry, I just…No. I don't know him. I was thinking about someone else. Sorry." Lillie apologized, making Hau shrug in response. Sun wasn't entirely convinced. He could hear how surprised Lillie was at hearing the name of the serious boy that had bested Hau, but didn't want to press the issue. He knew how Lillie was about people digging for information about her. Sun and Hau continued to chat with their friend, and Lillie in turn filled them in on what had happened since she had returned to the Dimensional Research Lab.

Apparently, Colress and Kukui had made little headway with Shadow Celebi. While they could study the Pokémon until they were blue in the face, simply observing it while the beast was unconscious wasn't enough to sort out a way to purify the creature. However, they were going to enlist the help of an associate of Colress' that may be able to assist them. Lillie also told them of other matters, like Vivian and Aria making up and Lillie going shopping with Professor Burnet and spending time with everyone. Sun couldn't help a smile at how happy his friend sounded.

"I do miss you both though. You said you're a day or so from Royal Avenue?" Lillie asked.

"Yeah. It shouldn't be too much longer. I think we'll be there by tomorrow night." Hau explained to their friend, who remained silent for a few moments.

"Sorry, Aria was checking on something in the room. Well, I won't keep you both up much longer. I know Hau wakes up early and Sun isn't a morning person, so you need to get as much sleep as possible." Lillie said to the two boys, laughing softly. Hau smirked while Sun crossed his arms in annoyance.

"Gee, thanks Mom." Sun said as Lillie giggled on the other end of the line.

"I'll make sure our favorite ray of Sunshine gets all the sleep he needs." Hau said cheekily, patting Sun on the head. Sun surprised his friend by flicking him on the nose, making him yelp in pain. Lillie just laughed at the boy's antics, despite not being able to see what they were doing. The boys bid their friend goodnight and slipped into their sleeping bags. Sun was able to fall asleep with little difficulty, but Hau remained awake for a time in thought.

" _Looks like everyone's life is getting complicated these days. Lillie's got her past to deal with. Sun can't shake off what his Dad's crap did to him. Poor Demi lost Feya…And now with me, I'm more confused than ever about what I want."_ Hau sighed before smiling a little.

" _Nah, I'll sort it out. Tutu says it's all part of growing up. All I know for sure is that I'm going to keep having fun, get better as a Trainer, and make as many people happy as I can. That's my path."_ Hau decided as he closed his eyes, allowing himself to slip into the warm embrace of sleep a few minutes later.

That next morning, Hau and Sun encountered the Sudowoodo that Lana had mentioned. A small boy standing next to the two rock tree creatures explained that the duo of Rock-type Pokémon had been regular nuisances and blocked the path frequently for no good reason. However, when Sun and Hau flashed their Waterium Z's at the Sudowoodo, both of them suddenly let out an oddly shrill scream and sprinted off in the opposite direction, waving their arms about.

"Ha ha! The Sudowoodo were off like a flash once they were reminded of that Z-Power!" the boy laughed, pointing at the fake tree Pokémon sprinting down the road. "Thanks, you two! Now everyone can use the road again. Here's a little something in return for the two of you!"

The boy handed both Hau and Sun a small pendant shaped like a droplet of water. Sun would later to explain to Hau that this was a Mystic Water, a Held Item that was designed to increase the strength of Water-type moves. The boy looked thoughtful as he looked skyward.

"I wonder if maybe those Sudowoodo ran off to the Battle Royal Dome to try and get stronger. It's about a days walk down the road." The boy said aloud before catching Sun's confused look. "You know about the Battle Royal Dome, right? That's the place where you enter Battle Royals! And they have all sorts of other cool stuff happening there too!"

"Lana and Professor Kukui both said we need to head that way for some fun times." Sun said with a small smile, crossing his arms.

"Let's get going then, Sunshine!" Hau said with a grin, pulling his Pokémon Egg out of his bag and walking ahead. Sun bid farewell to the boy and followed his friend. Sun called out his three Pokémon, intent on doing some training. He followed his friend, glancing at the Alolan sun as it burned brightly overhead.

* * *

After five days with Team Skull, Demi decided she was officially confused. Not by her dilemma or by her misery or by anything like that. She knew what was going there, and knew that she'd eventually get over what had happened to her.

No…

What confused her was that she was beginning to actually like the group she had found herself traveling with.

The crew of Team Skull that had saved her life were surprisingly friendly once you got to know them. She used to think of Team Skull as a collective group of thugs that just wanted to cause trouble. And while that last part was true, Demi realized that every single member of Team Skull was still a person at the end of the day. They had hopes, dreams, fears, and were still very much human. The group that had helped fend off Night Slash were proof of this, and Demi couldn't help but learn about her new companions as they trekked around Akala Island. They even seemed _eager_ to talk about themselves to Demi.

Kayla was relatively unkind in general, having come from a rough upbringing that showed her little kindness. The Island Challenge that she was forced to compete in despite her wishes only made her even angrier at the people of Alola. Despite that, however, she was fiercely loyal to her brothers and sisters in Team Skull, and was the leader of this particular squad of Team Skull Grunts.

Axen was the jokester of the group, enjoying making snarky remarks and suggestions and always trying to keep things lively. He didn't care who his jabs were at, so long as he got a laugh. Tragically, he had lost most of his team to Totem Araquanid just a few years ago. But the Captain before Lana had been able to cover up the incident and had Axen charged with assault for his troubles when the young man had lashed out in his grief, much like Demi had. Axen fled into the wilds and was eventually picked up by someone named Plumeria, who had helped him to join Team Skull.

Kevin was a bit of a softie when it came down to it. While not particularly smart or talented, he had a good heart. Kevin had started and ended his Island Challenge early, having been unable to defeat Totem Gumshoos at Verdant Cavern. He had tried and failed a grand total of nine times at the first Trial. The failure eventually led to Kevin giving up hope as a Trainer and led him down a depressed road to nowhere. He turned to crime to keep himself alive in the wilds, having been unable to face his family or be good enough to win battles for money as a Trainer. Team Skull eventually crossed paths with him and they became his new family.

Demi admittedly knew next to nothing about Tim. She just knew the guy had family problems and hated the Island Challenge like the rest of Team Skull. The others didn't know much about him either, since he was fairly quiet in general. Due to the damage his mind had been subjected to as a result of Night Slash's Gothitelle, he couldn't speak properly and Demi had a feeling she wouldn't be finding out more about him.

And Gladion…She hadn't figured out yet. She _wanted_ too, though. She liked mysteries, and the aloof boy was a conundrum she was determined to solve. Or at least learn more about. After all…He was the one who had stepped in to save her life, and he was interesting. Him and the monstrous Type: Null who walked alongside him.

Demi walked at the back of the group, smiling as Kayla chatted with Tim while Gladion just ignored everything that was going on. He seemed lost in thought today, which was fine with Demi because she still had to figure out a path forward…

Did she really want to though?

"You seem troubled." Demi started at the soft voice of Gladion. The teen didn't make eye contact with her, instead watching the sun as it slowly descended behind the clouds overhead, but was keeping pace with her. Kayla was looking back at them with amusement before turning her head forward.

"Is it that obvious?" Demi asked with a faint laugh that she didn't really feel. Gladion shrugged in response while Type: Null groaned from beside his Trainer.

"So…what now? Have you made any progress?" Gladion asked Demi, his voice low. The girl shook her head, looking skyward. She truthfully didn't have an answer. Her heart was broken, her mind was still a mess, and she had a decision to make about her future. Honestly, what she really wanted was to go to her room and sleep for a week, alternating between sobbing and eating ice cream. But that wasn't an option for her. She wished she had an option to just throw it all to the side and just…be done with it all.

"I don't want to do anything. But I need to figure something out. Is that okay?" Demi said quietly, sighing softly. To her surprise Gladion nodded understandingly, looking over at her.

"It's only been a few days. Deciding on a path to go from here after such a loss isn't one to take lightly. Take all the time you need. They've developed a liking to you, so they won't rush you. If anything, they're likely going to…Actually, forget I said that. I won't spoil it. I want to see what choice you make." Gladion said as he looked forward, his mouth threatening to curl into a smirk.

"They like me?" Demi asked, surprised as she looked over at the group of Team Skull ahead of them, chatting about their plans.

"Yep. You were hurt by the Island Challenge, like they've been. And you proved yourself in battle as well. I'll admit to having been impressed by you myself. Not many Trainers would have the guts to get back up and fight after losing a starter and getting thrown around by a bandit's Psychic-type." Gladion said as his eyes glanced at Demi, who he was surprised to see was smiling at him. Gladion quickly averted his eyes as Demi chuckled softly, the first time she had laughed and felt mirth since Feya died.

"Well…It's nice to know _someone_ appreciates me. Sucks my family doesn't seem too." Demi muttered, her smile vanishing just like that. Gladion sighed sympathetically at her words.

"Sometimes all you have to rely on when it comes down to it is just yourself and your Pokémon. It's what I do. I may be with Team Skull, but the road I walk is for me and Null alone." Gladion said softly, making Demi give him a sad look.

"Is that why you're so unhappy, Gladion?" Demi asked the teen, whose expression hardened, his gaze becoming sharp.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Gladion growled in response Demi shook her head, suddenly feeling tired. She just…wanted this journey to end. Demi then blinked, looking away from Gladion and staring into space as she began to think of something...

Suddenly Demi knew exactly what she could do to ensure she never went through this again. She stopped in her tracks, making Gladion do the same a few moments later. The teen looked at the girl in concern, but Demi ignored him.

"Hey, can we hold up a sec?" Demi asked Tim and Kayla, who were deep in conversation ahead of them. Axen and Kevin had split away from the group to take care of something at Royal Avenue just yesterday, so their group was down to four now. Kayla and Tim stopped, surprised at the request.

"What's up?" Kayla asked.

"I've made a decision on something." Demi announced to the group of Trainers. Team Skull looked at her expectantly, as Demi grabbed both of the Poké Balls at her waist and held them out. She pressed the button on the front of them, holding them down for several seconds before both balls released the Pokémon within in a blue jet of light instead of the usual white. A bewildered Quilava and a bored Litwick looked around their surroundings before looking back at their Trainer. Demi watched them with a somber smile as she knelt down to them, with everyone else watching her with surprise on their faces.

Demi had just released both Torch and Aou.

"This is it, you two…I'm done with this." Demi said to her Quilava and Litwick, who just stared back at the girl with open confusion on their faces. Gladion and the rest of Team Skull stared at Demi in abject shock.

* * *

Sun and Hau continued along their path, battling a few Trainers and ensuring their teams got a bit stronger. They did take a side trip to a small path that connected to Paniola Town, where Sun found the TM88, which was for Sleep Talk. A neat, if useless find.

Brago learned the move Reversal, a Fighting-type move that inflicted more damage on the opponent in proportion to how much strength the Pokémon using it had left to battle. This was a much more useful move, in Sun's opinion.

They made their way down the road and eventually by the time they got to a crossroads, it was late in the afternoon. However when they did arrive, a scene was already unfolding before the two boys.

"Whoa." Hau stated, eyeing the group ahead of them with some surprise. A massive horse-like Pokémon snorted in fury as it glanced towards them, neighing loudly. A young woman shorter than the two of them with long black hair tied into two massive, bushy ponytails stood beside the beast. She was dressed in a khaki outfit stained with dirt with a purple bonnet covering her head. She also wore purple gloves and black boots, which were also caked with dirt. Her eyes were the color of steel, powerful and unyielding as she observed the two children for a moment.

"You there, Trainer. Can you come to my aid?" the woman asked, looking at Sun. Sun blinked at the noticeable accent in her voice that seemed much thicker than the regular people in Alola had. Maybe she was from another island? "Over here."

The woman turned around and Sun and Hau saw the two Team Skull Grunts standing behind her, looking angry. Sun stepped forward, with Hau observing, ready to step in if need be. Sun figured the reason he was chosen by the woman instead of Hau was because the other boy was holding a Pokémon Egg in his hands. After a moment of observing the two Team Skull Grunts, Sun recognized them as the two guys who interfered with his Trial back on Melemele Island, Axen and Kevin. A scared Drifloon floated near the woman, eyeing Team Skull with fear in her eyes.

"Yo, yo, yo! Don't go turning your backside on us!" Kevin barked at the woman, stomping down his feet in anger.

"I mean, it's not even nice to begin with! If it was Olivia, that'd be another story…" Axen mused before Kevin looked at him with a bewildered expression.

"Bro, now's not the time." Kevin said quietly, nudging his friend in the arm. Axen seemed to realize that after a moment as well.

"Shit. Sorry, man." Axen muttered before he looked up at Sun and seemed to recognize him, because his fists clenched. "And YOU! You're that numbskull Trainer from Melemele, yo!"

"These scoundrels are Pokémon thieves. And you're on familiar terms with them?" the woman asked Sun, her gaze flicking over to him.

"Well, yeah, I know them…" Sun admitted.

"Yeah, that's right, you do!" Axen yelled over to Sun, who smirked at the Grunt.

"But that's only because they keep trying to mess with me during my Island Trials. And because I keep beating them."

"Well screw you too, asshole." Axen shot back, with Hau snickering behind the Kanto-native. The woman standing opposite of Team Skull regarded the two children behind her for a moment before she smiled slightly.

"I am Hapu." The woman said after a moment, introducing herself to them.

"I'm Sun and this is Hau. And the two guys harassing you are Axen and Kevin, if I remember right." Sun said to the woman, who nodded.

"Damn straight you remember us. We strike fear into the hearts of the weak, yo." Axen remarked, clearly pleased that Sun had remembered his name.

"Be real though. Who could ever forget this handsome face?" Kevin remarked, chuckling softly to himself.

"You all look the freaking same, man. I have no idea what you're talking about." Hau remarked, earning two middle-finger salutes from Team Skull.

"No one asked you, yo!"

"Yeah, we didn't need your opinion! After we kick these two to the curb, we're nabbing that Egg and making an omelet!" Axen yelled at Hau, lifting a fist in his direction. Hau frowned, but shrugged a moment later.

"You guys aren't even worth the effort." Hau remarked, smirking at the two teens as they glared down the grandson of the Kahuna from Melemele Island. Sun wondered that if being related to the famous man made Hau a target for Team Skull, in a way. Hapu speaking snapped Sun out of his reverie.

"Life in the big city sure is something else. Pokémon thieves roam about brazenly…" Hapu mused darkly, eyeing the two thieves with thinly veiled disgust. She turned to Sun, her expression as hard as stone.

"Hmm. I leave that one to you." Hapu said to Sun. Sun wondered why he needed to get involved at all. Axen and Kevin weren't exactly strong Trainers, and whatever the Pokémon was that was standing beside the woman, it looked like something even Sun didn't want to fight.

"We're not thieves, yo! It's a legitimate business!" Kevin protested as he crossed his arms.

"We got straight messed up in Melemele…got exiled to Akala…but we ain't goin' out like that!" Axen barked, drawing a single Poké Ball and releasing his Drowzee as Kevin released his Zubat.

"Brago, let's go!" Sun said, calling out his Growlithe. Brago crouched and glared down the Drowzee, lowering the Pokémon's attack as Axen grit his teeth.

"Flame Wheel!" Sun commanded the canine. The dog barked before leaping high into the air and rolling forward, becoming a raging ball of flames. Axen yelled at Drowzee to dodge, but Brago moved too quickly and slammed into the Psychic-type, knocking it to the ground.

"Come on, man! Show this fool we mean business!" Axen yelled to his partner, who pushed itself to their feet, glaring at Brago.

"Confusion!" Axen yelled out, with Drowzee's eyes glowing a harsh blue. Brago snarled in pain as he was smashed onto the ground several times before Drowzee released the attack, panting slightly.

"Looks like he's nearly done. Brago, use Bite!" Sun yelled out. Brago nodded and lunged forward, his teeth glowing white as he chomped down on the arm of Drowzee and suddenly swung upwards, launching the Psychic-type into the air. Axen watched in horror as his partner crashed onto the ground senseless. He returned his Pokémon with a wince.

"Fight back already!"

Axen and Sun turned and saw that Kevin and Hapu's battle was going rather oddly. Kevin's Zubat was repeatedly attacking Hapu's massive horse Pokémon, but they weren't fighting back. That said, it was obvious that none of the Zubat's attacks were doing much of anything to the huge Pokémon. Whatever it was, the Pokémon was something quite strong indeed.

"Is this it? Surely you can do better than this, for all of your bravado." Hapu said, sounding almost disappointed in the fierce fight Kevin and Zubat were putting up.

"S-shut up! Zubat, Wing Attack! Full power!" Kevin yelled to his partner, who slammed his wings into the face of the horse Pokémon with a loud screech, receiving an annoyed snort in response.

"Mudsdale…use Heavy Slam." Hapu said softly, crossing her arms. The massive Pokémon at the woman's command snorted in response, neighing loudly before glowing a harsh yellow color. Zubat could do nothing but screech in horror as the horse leapt into the air and crashed into it. Sun and Hau both winced at the sheer force used in the move, sending Zubat crashing onto the ground with a faint hiss and kicking up fierce gust of wind that rushed through the clearing.

"No! Zubat!" Kevin yelled out, worry in his voice. The teen sprinted over to his Zubat, dropping to his knees with a horrified look on his face. Sun could see that the Pokémon was injured as well as knocked out, with one of its wings badly broken.

"You shouldn't pick fights…Especially when you have no clue as to who you're competing against. And your Pokémon has paid the price because of your actions. I'd recommend getting the poor thing to a Pokémon Center as soon as possible, and maybe consider whether such a Pokémon deserves to be used as a tool for a petty thug." Hapu said almost coldly, her words making Kevin flinch at her harshness.

"Back the hell off, bitch! It's bad enough you wrecked us, but don't go insulting us too, yo!" Axen barked at the woman before turning to Sun, gritting his teeth.

"Bone-dry!" Axen growled as he suddenly reached into his pocket and threw down a hefty bit of money. Kevin returned his Zubat with a small sigh as he got back to his feet, raising an eyebrow at Axen.

"Dude, that's way more money than you should have given him for losing." Kevin said to Axen, who sighed.

"I know man. But something's making me want to give him more of my money because I lost. I have no idea what that is." Axen admitted, shrugging his shoulders. Sun decided that he would never tell anyone about the evils of the Amulet Coin, but he had to admit using it on Team Skull was hilarious.

"Man, our life sucks. At times like this, it's hard to give a-"

"Damn?"

"Nah, I was going to say Sawsbuck. But that works too." Kevin lamented, crossing his arms before turning to Sun, who was trying not to laugh. They may have been idiots trying to rob people, but they were funny idiots. "Agh, with all these loses, we're gonna anger our bosses! These tears taste like salt, yo! It's all your fault, yo!"

The Drifloon let out a cry as it floated behind Hapu. Mudsdale neighed angrily, pawing the ground as his eyes narrowed. "Mudsdale, shall we stomp these scoundrels?" Hapu said as she stepped forward, strength burning in her steely glare. "It'll be a mess to clean up afterward, but I am willing if you are."

"Time for us to break out, yo! Gotta tell y'all peace out, yo!" Axen yelped, taking a few steps back from the powerful horse.

"I'm not gonna keep telling you this…except when I keep telling you this! You better listen to what my homie says and drill it into that thick skull of yours! Seriously, you'd better not forget, numbskull!" Kevin barked at Sun, pointing a finger at him before the two Trainers sprinted away.

Hapu turned to the Drifloon. "You'll be fine getting home?"

Drifloon let out a happy cry, and Hapu gently patted the Pokémon on the head. Without further ado, the Pokémon floated off towards the nearby city that was about a ten minute walk from where they were at now.

"Glad to see that one will get home on her own." Hapu said warmly, watching the Pokémon depart. She turned to Sun, a grateful smile on her face. "I've got you to thank for that. Give me your name again, Trainer."

"Sun. Nice to meet you." Sun said to the woman, extending his hand to her. Hapu shook Sun's hand, and Sun winced at the strength in her grip.

"You really did show them up good, Sunny boy. And Hapu…jeez, talk about overkill. You're really tough!" Hau gushed excitedly, bounding forward with a grin.

"Thank you...Hau, was it? I'm glad that me and Mudsdale put a bit of fire in your eyes with that little show." Hapu said happily, nodding to the Kahuna's grandson. She then turned to Sun. "Sun, eh? That's a fine name. I like the way you handled yourself in battle." Hapu remarked, a smirk on her face. As if sizing him up to see how he would fare in a showdown against her.

"We're both on our Island Challenge." Hau explained to the woman as he stepped over to Sun. Hapu nodded, her smile widening slightly.

"A worthy quest. As for me…Well, Mudsdale and I are always wandering all about Alola to try and achieve our goals, so perhaps we'll meet again someday. I am indebted to you for your aid, after all." Hapu said with a soft laugh, patting her Mudsdale on the side. The massive horse neighed in response, stepping forward and nuzzling Sun for a moment before doing the same to Hau.

"Pokémon are able to inherently sense the strength within Trainers. You both are young, much like myself, but with time you both will become mighty Trainers. At least, that's what Mudsdale thinks." Hapu said to them, glancing to her Pokémon before regarding the two children thoughtfully. The horse nickered softly, and Hapu nodded.

"Ah yes…You may wish to try your hand at a Battle Royal or two, Sun and Hau. Mudsdale here thinks you'd be well suited to it, given how strong you are. Maybe it'll help you along your journey in some way. Regardless, I wish you both the best of luck." Hapu said before she turned around, quickly hopping onto Mudsdale's back and into the creature's saddle.

"Take care, Miss Hapu! Alola!" Hau said to the woman, beaming up at her.

"Safe travels, ma'am. Alola!" Sun called to the woman as she looked down at them from her saddle, the boy waving at the woman. Hapu waved at them as well and with a flick of the reins, Mudsdale was slowly galloping down the road, kicking up a trail of dust behind them.

"Man…We really do run into some characters, don't we?" Hau asked Sun. The Kanto-native nodded in agreement before he returned Brago. With that, the duo made their way to Royal Avenue proper.

The city itself seemed to be a fairly new-looking place, with none of the buildings showing any sign of the wear that time would show upon them. Signs gleamed in the descending sunlight while flowers bloomed in the city square. Shops and restaurants chattered with activity, while the massive stadium that the city was famous for loomed in the distance, a colorful and glistening monolith that made Sun's heart race with excitement.

But that was for another day.

Sun and Hau headed straight to the Pokémon Center to get a room for the night. They'd see if they could check out the sights in the city and participate in whatever events were going on in the Stadium nearby tomorrow. As the two children were about to enter the Pokémon Center, a familiar figure exited the building. Sun and Hau both stopped in their tracks, completely thrown off by-

"Professor Kukui?" Sun stated, eyeing the man with surprise.

"Heh. Alola, cousins!" Kukui said happily, greeting them both before he blinked and snapped his fingers.

"Sorry boys. I wish I could chat, but I've got to meet Burnet at a place and…Anyways, I already booked your room, so no worries. I've got a surprise for you waiting upstairs anyway. Goodnight!" Kukui said cheerily, quickly walking away from them with a wave.

"Wait, what? Surprise?" Sun asked, but the Professor was quickly out of sight. Sun and Hau exchanged a look before they entered the building, sighing with relief as the air conditioning washed over them. A quick check with Nurse Joy confirmed that Kukui had booked a room for them for the entire week on his behalf. Sun decided to head upstairs to the room while Hau would remain downstairs, since he wanted a checkup on his Egg. Sun left his Pokémon with Nurse Joy for a checkup of their own and found his room, opening the door with the key given to him.

However, when he opened the door, he wasn't expecting what was behind it. And what he saw made him smile widely.

"I thought you two would _never_ get here." Lillie said quietly, grinning at Sun as she set her book down from the bed she was sitting on. Nebby happily waved to him from on top of her head.

* * *

"I'm releasing you. You're free to go wherever you want. I'm not your Trainer anymore." Demi said quietly, her voice strained. Torch suddenly looked alarmed, crying out in protest and shaking his head furiously. Aou simply blinked in silence, watching Demi with a bewildered expression.

"You're just giving up? After all that?" Kayla asked after a long pause.

"What is the point in continuing with this? I don't want to be a Trainer anymore. The Island Challenge can rot for all I care. And I'm not going to risk more of my Pokémon to whatever fresh hell Alola wants to unleash on me next." Demi shot back at Kayla, turning around. "If I'm going down, I'm not taking them with me. For all I know the police are trying to hunt me down for attacking Lana-"

"Talk about a bunch of BS!"

Demi started as Axen and Kevin suddenly burst out onto the road, glaring angrily at them. The two approached and Demi was almost grateful for the interruption.

"Stupid Sun kid wrecked us again! We can't catch a break!" Axen huffed, crossing his arms.

"Sun? That's the kid I battled the other day." Gladion said quietly, eyeing Axen with interest.

"You fought Sun?" Demi asked Gladion, Axen, and Kevin.

"Don't dodge the question. How could you just release your Pokémon!?" Kayla demanded, looking as angry as Gladion had ever seen her.

"Because after what happened with Feya, do I even _deserve_ Pokémon? I'm a Fire-type specialist...and I went up against a powerful Water-type Totem, and got my starter killed. And so _done_ with this. The heartache, the pain, and feeling like this is just one big bother. So I'm releasing what Pokémon I have left. They deserve better than a washed up little girl who couldn't beat a stupid spider." Demi hissed back at the Team Skull Grunt, who glared back at her with equal fury in her eyes.

"That's bullshit. An easy out. You're quitting on them, yo. After everything your Pokémon did for you, you're releasing them?" Kayla breathed, her eyes fiery with anger.

"You have no idea what this is like for me. Feya was my best friend, and she's gone. I'm not going to risk something like that happening to Aou and Torch. It's the right thing to do." Demi shot back, with Kayla taking a step back. The Grunt's expression turned to surprise and then sadness, with Kayla then wordlessly pointing behind Demi, who turned around.

Aou was floating away from them all. Demi's former Litwick's flame was burning cheerily as he departed without a backwards glance. Demi felt her hand go to her heart, wincing as her beloved Litwick left her behind. It was better this way. Aou had never been much of a fighter. Had never enjoyed being a part of her team, like Torch and Feya did. Now he didn't have to worry about getting hurt or being stuck with his useless Trainer anymore.

"See…He wanted to go. It's better this way." Demi said as she turned around to face Team Skull. Tim shook his head, clenching his fists.

"Is it really better this way?" Kayla asked darkly, glaring at Demi. "No matter how bad it got, I never released my Pokémon. They stuck by me through all the crap I went through. I may only have my Spearow now, but I never threw away my Pokémon in a fit of grief."

"Shut up! You don't get it!" Demi barked at Kayla, who stood her ground. The other teen laughed at Demi, gesturing to everyone around her.

"You're delusional and you know it. Team Skull knows your pain, Demi Palena. We were created from the ashes of those who were left behind. Those who have suffered because of the ancient traditions of these stupid islands. Forsaken, but not forgotten. We know your pain well, yo…And I think this is a pretty dumb choice. Right boys?" Kayla said, glancing at the others. Tim nodded silently, but the others spoke up.

"Damn, girl. You're in a world of pain, but there's better ways to do it than this." Axen said, sounding angry himself. Kevin interjected, however, stepping forward.

"Do you all seriously blame her? Yo, I've been there. I have been at rock bottom and it's a miserable time. But releasing your Pokémon like that just does nothing but cause trouble. Trust me on this, because I've done it. Do you really want to give up on being a Trainer?" Kevin asked Demi, who nodded firmly.

"I'm done with the Island Challenge. It can burn for all I care. I'm done with being a Trainer too…Clearly I'm not good enough to be one if I can't keep my Pokémon safe." Demi said in reply, walking forward.

"You're not even going to give your Pokémon a choice? That's not fair to them." Kevin said to Demi, who looked back at him.

"Life isn't fair…I wanted nothing more than be an incredible Trainer. Beat the Island Challenge so my family would finally leave me alone about it! But I failed them…I failed Feya. I failed Torch. I failed Aou. I failed everyone. So I'm done. I'm done with all of it. I don't want to hurt them or myself anymore." Demi said to all of them, fighting back the tears now. Why did any of this have to happen?

Demi whirled around and continued down the road, and was surprised when a teen in black suddenly cut her off, his green eyes gleaming in the setting sun. Demi and Gladion stared each other down, with the fierce teen's expression hard as the silence between them stretched on.

"What do you think, Gladion?" Demi asked, her voice sounding weary. Gladion sighed, crossing his arms.

"You're better than this, Demi. You're letting an awful experience and your grief cloud your judgement. And while Aou seems to be gone for good, I think you should look behind you." Gladion said to Demi, who did just that. She was surprised to see Torch still sitting there, staring at her with a pleading expression on his face.

"Looks to me like he doesn't want to go, yo." Axen remarked, chuckling softly under his breath.

"Torch, you're free. Go. Find a place far away from me and be happy, okay?" Demi said to the Quilava, who shook his head.

"Damn it, Torch…Just go. Please. Go…" Demi said quietly, taking a step back from the Quilava. Torch barked out in response, his flames burning bright. Demi clenched her fists, a spike of anger coursing through her.

"Don't you get it?! I released you! Get out of here, you stupid…Agh, Torchy, just go! I don't want this anymore!" Demi shouted at her Quilava, whirling around and running down the road, trying not to let the tears show. They dripped down her face regardless as Demi tried to run from her sorrows, the pain that she was forcing herself through because she deserved it. She deserved this for letting Feya fall. She didn't deserve any of her Pokémon, and-

"LAVA!"

A burst of flames crashed into the road in front of her, making Demi stumble to a halt. Demi fell to the ground and stared at Torch, who was staring her down with anger in his eyes as flames whirled around him. The anger faded as the Quilava calmed himself, staring into Demi's eyes.

"Why…I'm not worth it, Torch." Demi said quietly as the Quilava stepped towards her, the flames dying away. Torch sighed in response before nuzzling Demi's face.

"Quil…La la." Torch replied by way of answer, sitting down on the ground beside Demi. The two former partners stared at each other for a few moments before the sound of clapping jarred Demi out of her reverie.

"Your final flame doesn't seem to want to go out. That's loyalty for you, right there. I can respect that." Kevin said with a chuckle as he and the rest of Team Skull approached them.

"Would you really send him away now? He clearly still loves you, despite everything you say. You're not a failure and not a hazard to your Pokémon." Kayla said firmly, pulling a Great Ball out of the backpack slung over her shoulder and tossing it to Demi, who stared at it. Gladion spoke up, snapping Demi out of her trance.

"Catch him, Demi. A Pokémon like him doesn't care where the road takes him, so long as he walks it with you." Gladion said as he walked forward, reaching down and patting Torch on the head. The Quilava glanced at the teen for a moment before returning his gaze to his former Trainer. The only Trainer he would ever have. Torch wouldn't give up on Demi like she had given up on herself.

"I don't…I don't deserve any of this. Why…" Demi mumbled, looking at all of them. From Torch, who refused to leave her side even when she had released him. To Team Skull, who were trying to talk her out of a seemingly hasty decision.

"Because life's a bitch. If it was a whore, it'd be easy." Axen remarked with a chuckle, earning an elbow to the ribs from Tim.

"Life sucks and then you die, yo. Best way to deal with it is get back up and show life that you're not going to let the bullshit get you down. That's what the people who fight the bad guys do. _We're_ the bad guys, so that means we have to be even surer not to give up than them. Make sense?" Kayla replied, crossing her arms. Demi looked down at the Great Ball in her hands before looking down at Torch. Her final flame. The last smoldering ember of the wonderful blaze that had been her team just a week ago. An ember that refused to burn out.

"You're with me then…Until the end?" Demi whispered to Torch. The Quilava nodded happily, barking in reply. The girl sighed deeply, closing her eyes, before wrapping the Quilava in a fierce embrace.

"Alright…Damned if I do, damned if I don't. For better or worse, we're in this together, Torchy." Demi said as she pressed the Great Ball against the forehead of her final Pokémon. Torch cried out in joy as he was sucked into the Great Ball, which clicked right away to show that no resistance was shown by the Quilava. Demi was helped up by Tim, and Demi looked at the criminals around her.

"I don't deserve any of this…But thank you. Again." Demi said softly, a weak smile on her face as she clipped Torch's Great Ball to her waist.

"Now that we've got this soap opera done with, let's bounce, yo. We'll walk a bit in the moonlight before we crash for the night!" Axen said with a laugh, punching the air as he sauntered down the road. Tim and Kevin followed, with Demi and Gladion following them.

"Guys…wait."

All of the Trainers looked to Kayla, who was looking down at the ground deep in thought and hadn't moved from the spot she had been standing at before. She snapped her fingers and gestured to her Team Skull compatriots, who walked over to her with confusion in their eyes. The group quickly discussed something with animated gestures, with each of them nodding several times before splitting up. Axen shoved Gladion aside and the Team Skull Grunts formed a circle of sorts around Demi, who tensed.

"What is this?" Demi asked the group nervously. Kevin and Axen laughed at her response.

"It's nothing serious, no worries." Axen remarked, crossing his arms.

"Just hear us out, yo." Kevin added a moment later, smiling underneath his bandanna.

"We'd like to formally extend an offer to you." Kayla said as she reached into a pocket and pulled out a gleaming chain with the Team Skull emblem on the front. "An offer to become a member of Team Skull, Demi Pelana, and join our dysfunctional little family."

"…What?" Demi muttered, taking a step back as Kayla grabbed her bandanna and lowered it, revealing a smile of amusement. Kevin, Axen, and Tim did the same, lowering their bandannas and smiling at her.

"Just so you know, if a member if Team Skull reveals their face to someone not associated with the group, it's a gesture of trust." Gladion said softly to Demi, who dimly acknowledged the information as the members of Team Skull smiled at her.

"You heard me. We want you to join us. The Island Challenge is nothing but a toxic blight that's become cancerous to these islands. You and I both know that. You're just like us, Demi. And you…You don't have much left because of the Island Challenge. Your friends are hurt because you lashed out at them when you were upset. Your family turned their back on you. And now all you have left is a Quilava and a grieving heart."

"Let Team Skull lend you a hand. And together we can show Alola what happens when they leave their sons and daughters in the dust. We can be your new family." Kayla said as she walked forward, a genuine smile on her face as she extended a hand to Demi, the pendant of metal dangling from her hand. The stunned teen stared down at the hand in shock, unsure of what to make of the situation.

"No pressure. We understand if you don't want in. Team Skull is voluntary. You can join if you want. You can leave if you feel like it. Not much more to it than that." Axen explained as Demi's eyes flicked to him. Tim nodded in response.

"Like Kayla said, you really can't get any worse off. The Island Challenge needs to go away. It's a disease rotting Alola from the inside out. We can be that change! Join up with us and we can help you." Kevin said quietly, his expression almost pleading. Kayla looked to Tim, Axen, and Kevin, and then to Gladion. Demi followed the girl's gaze, but Gladion's expression became unreadable.

"Don't look at me. This is your choice." Gladion said to Demi, who looked back at the proffered chain dangling from her hand. The offer that was being made. A chance to be with those who understood the struggle she had dealt with since the day she was born. She would be surrounded by those who had suffered at the hands of the Island Challenge. And perhaps…A chance to make a difference in Alola. To make things change for the better, against a stagnant tradition that had done nothing but hurt her and her family.

"Tick tock, Demi. Now's the time to choose. Do you want to continue suffering at the hands of Alola's stupidest tradition? Or are you ready to stand up against it and show everyone what you're made of?" Kayla asked Demi, who stared at the shining necklace in the girl's grip. Demi closed her eyes, considering every facet of the situation…she could feel the cool breeze blow through the clearing, the gentle clinking of the chain in Kayla's hand the only sound around them as the minutes ticked by. Kayla's smile never wavered, while the others watched with anticipation.

Demi then opened her eyes, her decision finally made.

The black-haired girl reached forward and clasped Kayla's hand, gripping the necklace tightly. Kayla grinned and embraced Demi like a sister while Gladion sighed and shut his eyes, having seen this outcome coming since the beginning. He felt a small shiver creep down his spine as Kayla separated from Demi. Kayla beamed at their newest member as she said one simple thing to the girl that seemed to resonate with each of them there.

"Welcome to Team Skull."


	47. Royaling Some Battles

_Pokemon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _Alrighty...We're back. Seriously. I mean it this time._

 _And what a way to do that on. Just barely past a year and we're at over five hundred reviews. That's incredible. We're not even a fourth of the way through the story and we're already well on the way to a thousand reviews._

 _Thank you._

 _So yeah, this past week has been...rough. Losing my computer, having a very challenging week in class, and then coming down with a terrible case of food poisoning that left me bedridden for almost 24 hours (I wish I was kidding). Thankfully this current week has been loads better, and I'm still rolling into 2018 with high spirits since I passed two important tests this week and I'm super excited about this chapter._

 _Shoutout to the glorious people who reviewed since the last proper update, which includes TheOneWhoSaysMeep, hafizsyaraf5 , Madame Rodoshe, Cottonmouth25, Angelfir3, a Guest reviewer, BouncingFish, BraviaryScout, DarkestShade73, SonicIKE, GeekyGamer314, Sai Og Sus, Gokan123, AncientHero200, and a new reviewer known as TheWhiteKnight2K16. Thank you all so much for the love and support. It seriously helps me with improving the story and brightening my day. Thanks for being so patient with me while I sorted out all of this computer stuff. Even if I'm only two days late, I apologize for the nonsense that's happened. Hopefully we'll be good from here on in, but I'll be sure to let you all know if anything else comes up._

 _I'd like to give an addtional shoutout to the fantastic BraviaryScout, who was the 500th reviewer for this story. Thanks for the continued feedback and support, bud, it's definitely appreciated._

 _So much so, I'm gonna plug your story._

 _Yeah, so there's this awesome fic by BraviaryScout called "A Hui Hou Kakou", which is a novelization of_ _Pokémon Moon. It follows the travels of Elio (Sun) through the Island Challenge and the bonds he makes along the way, especially with a certain blond-haired heroine through the lens of Lillie's own thoughts. It's a fantastic ride that showcases the colorful culture of Alola with a twist that certainly goes above and beyond what I've seen in Sun and Moon stories so far. And that's including the fun and unique cast and great narrative going on as well. Anyone who enjoys RS should absolutely check out this one._

 _Also, I realized that I couldn't just include everything I wanted in the Battle Royal section of this story into one chapter, meaning I'm moving the cameo I had planned to next chapter, as well as some other stuff. Apologies, but it just works better that way in terms of keeping everything coherent. And because there was way more focus on Lillie and Gladion than I intended in this chapter._

 _Also, apologies for the absolutely terrible chapter title name, but just calling this chapter "Battle Royal" made me die a little inside. So I made something way worse._

 ** _I also had to upload the chapter twice because I forgot to delete the update I posted about my computer problems. So I uploaded the chapter, deleted both it and the update notice, and then re-uploaded this chapter. My bad for the confusion._**

 _Now, let's get 2018 rolling properly with my longest chapter yet._

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 _Chapter 47: Royaling Some Battles_

* * *

Lillie couldn't help her wide smile as Sun sat down next to her and Nebby happily cried out, flying around the room. Sun reached his hands out and Nebby flew into his arms, cooing a greeting to Sun as the boy hugged the Cosmog.

"Hey, little guy! Long time no see!" Sun said to Nebby, petting the odd Pokémon as it wriggled in his hands. "Have you been good for Lillie?"

"Surprisingly so, actually. He may very well be learning to behave himself after all this time with me. Now if he'd just stay in the bag…" Lillie muttered as Sun released Nebby and the Cosmog bounced around the room, overjoyed at having two of his favorite people in the same room.

Sun was surprised when Lillie scooted over to him and after a moment's hesitation, hugged him tightly around the chest. Sun felt warm spread through him and felt his face burn as Lillie hummed, her hair tickling his neck and her body pressing against his. Sun's mind went blank for a moment before he did the intelligent thing and returned his friend's embrace, hugging Lillie back.

"Like I said. You have the best hugs." Lillie said happily as they broke apart before she frowned, looking at Sun's flushed face. "Are you alright?"

"Fine. Just um...Kinda tired. It's been a long day. Traveling, dealing with Team Skull. Spending a bit of time here sounds good, to be honest." Sun admitted, hoping to deflect Lillie's concern. To his relief, it worked, with Lillie scooting up to the wall and nodding in agreement.

"I can imagine. Do you just want to sit and relax a bit? It's been a little while since we've read together." Lillie asked Sun, smiling at him. The Kanto boy nodded and reached into his backpack, pulling out a storybook he had grabbed from home and with that, the two children were happily reading in a comfortable silence.

Lillie wasn't exactly sure how much time had passed before she decided to stop for the night. She didn't want to put down her book, though, because it could possibly make Sun stop reading, and she didn't want him to move quite yet. She liked where he was, very close to her, and wasn't in a hurry to make him get up. So instead, she just daydreamed, thinking about the next few days. Sun and Hau would probably spend a good bit of time here, and with her, and that would be fun. She wondered what it would be like to travel like they did. She...had to admit the idea appealed to her, to an extent. And that surprised her. Maybe her friends were rubbing off on her. Lillie shook herself out of her thoughts and began to hum softly to herself. Crimson Dawn, her favorite band, had released another song just last week and it had gottenq stuck in her head.

Sun was just about to finish up the chapter he was on when he heard a soft whisper from beside him. He realized that, oddly enough, it was singing. And that Lillie was the one doing it. If that wasn't strange enough, Lillie was singing in another language, and what he was hearing was absolutely beautiful, even if he didn't understand a word. Sun glanced over at Lillie in shock and saw the girl had her eyes closed, fingers softly tapping out a beat to a song while she sang quietly to herself. Sun watched the girl, mesmerized, and forgot he needed to breathe. It was...spellbinding. Almost magical, in a way.

Lillie eventually ended her song and opened her eyes, and noticed that Sun had been listening to her. She was surprised that she wasn't embarrassed by this, like she figured she might have been. If there was any person she felt comfortable singing around, showing that part of herself to...It was the brave boy from Kanto that she cared so much about.

"You sing?" Sun asked after a few moments , surprised at this sudden revelation. Lillie nodded slowly, gazing away from him and looking thoughtful. Her shining green eyes took on a faraway quality, and Sun knew she was thinking back on her life before Sun. Before Hau. Before Nebby. The life she had run away from, much like he had fled from his own.

"Back home, I'd sing all the time. My...my mother taught me how to sing. She was overjoyed with how well I took to it. Better than I took to playing the flute. Her beautiful, singing princess. I'd sometimes spend entire mornings just singing with my mother while she worked in her office on paperwork and listened to the radio..." Lillie's voice ached with pain, her loss clear as day. Sun moved closer to the girl and wrapped an arm around her waist, giving her a gentle squeeze. To his surprise, she rested his head on his shoulder. Lillie may have been lost in her memories, but Sun wasn't. His heart was racing, and he and Lillie were close enough that he could feel Lillie's own heart beat beside him. He felt his chest bloom with warmth as Lillie sighed next to him, taking comfort in Sun's company as she struggled under the weight of her own pain.

"I wish I could see them all again...I miss them so, so much Sun." Lillie whispered, unable to help the tears forming in her eyes.

"Yeah...Life sucks like that, Lillie. I mean, despite everything he did, I miss my Dad sometimes...I miss him a lot, actually." Sun said quietly, surprising even himself to admit it. "He's a bad person, but he was still my Dad. He raised me. Taught me how to think. He didn't just teach me about running a business Lillie...he and Mom taught me how to be a good person. He's part of the reason I am who I am."

"Really?" came Lillie's voice, curious. Sun pressed on, eager to keep her from dwelling on painful thoughts of the past. Even if it meant that Sun would be dwelling on his own instead.

"Yeah. One of the things that sticks out the most is that he taught me that you should always treat your Pokémon like your family. Show them respect and kindness, and they'll show you the same in return. That's where their true strength comes from. That's why my Dad was such a good Trainer. He was powerful because of his love. I...Try to treat my Pokémon like that. Even when Oliver is being difficult, I treat him like I would a friend or family member, you know? Me and Oliver don't act all that different than Dad and Damien, really."

"Damien?"

"He's my Dad's starter." Sun explained, earning an understanding nod from the girl. Lillie remained quiet for a moment, thinking about Sun's remark. How he still had trouble figuring out his feelings about his father. There was still love there, Lillie could tell. Sun's father had been his child's world until a short time ago. Ashton had been Sun's hero. His idol. His inspiration. Then those dreams turned to dust and Sun's father's darker side was revealed, a villain lurking behind a smile and lies that he told to those who trusted him the most. Sun's home of Celadon City had paid the price because of this, and Sun would never forgive his father for what he had done to not just the innocents who had been consumed in the fires of Cipher...but to himself and his mother as well.

"He sounds...I honestly don't know what to make of your father, Sun. I mean, he was such a big part of your life and you're such a good person. But he did all those terrible things, and he abused you and I just...No one is _that_ good of an actor, Sun. He sounds like a good person turned bad. Maybe he just made a bad decision?" Lillie said to Sun, who just sighed.

"I don't know Lillie...Can we change the subject, please? I don't want to think about him anymore." Lillie nodded, happy to do so. She didn't want to upset Sun, after all.

"I like that idea though. Treating Pokémon like equals. Friends. It's a good way to handle a team. I wonder...no…" Lillie trailed off, biting her lip. She shouldn't even entertain the idea, but it was one that oddly appealed to her. Especially if it meant that she had the chance to spend more time with Sun...

"What's up?"

"I can't help but wonder...what it'd be like if I had my own team. My own Pokémon."

"Lillie, it'd be so awesome if you had your own Pokémon team! We could have a battle and travel around and it'd be-" Sun cut himself off as Lillie began giggling softly, and the boy blushed in embarrassment. Maybe he had gotten a little carried away.

"Sun, you're more excited about this than I am. It was just a thought." Lillie admonished Sun, trying to stop herself from laughing. She was happy to see that he was already coming out of the dark mood that discussing Cipher or his father usually brought to him. She loved seeing him like this. Happy.

"Heh...Well, Princess, maybe the idea of traveling around with you sounds like fun!" Sun said as he crossed his arms. Nebby cried out an affirmative...or at least that's what Sun hoped it was. Sun enjoyed spending time with Lillie, but the idea of going on an adventure with her sounded amazing. Maybe along the way he could tell her how he felt…

He could do it right now. Sun could just tell her that he had a crush on her. That he thought she was a brilliant and wonderful person who meant so much to him. But...the thought was shoved back where it came from. He didn't want to ruin their latest reunion with something like that.

Lillie pulled away from Sun, smiling widely at him. "Well, Professor Kukui says that I can travel with you and Hau for a little while. He's working with Professor Burnet on the business with that rogue Totem Pokémon and Shadow Celebi, which he doesn't need me for. So that lets me travel with you and Hau for a little while!"

Lillie of course knew the real reason she was supposed to be traveling with Sun and Hau. She didn't need to be anywhere near the Aether Foundation and whoever they would send when Colress contacted them. It would be better for her and Nebby if she was in the capable hands of Sun and Hau. Despite their youth, both were shaping up to be adept Trainers and were more than able of protecting her should they need to. Besides...She loved spending time with her two closest friends. And she knew the feeling was mutual because of the massive smile Sun gave her before hugging her tightly.

"Seriously!? That's awesome! We're heading to Wela Volcano next! You can watch me and Hau do our Trial! This is going to be great!" Sun gushed excitedly, beaming at her. Lillie found it absolutely adorable, and couldn't help a giggle.

"Well, I'm glad you approve. I hope it isn't too much of a bother to have me tag along. Me and Nebby can't do much on our own and-" Lillie was cut off by Sun shaking his head.

"Nope. Don't wanna hear it." Sun said as he hugged Lillie again, laughing as Lillie squirmed in his grasp, laughing despite herself. Lillie eventually just gave up and settled into the hug, happy to be wrapped up in her crush's warm embrace again as she rested her chin on his shoulders.

"I missed you, you know." Lillie remarked quietly, with Sun laughing softly into her ear. The girl shivered slightly as Sun replied.

"We saw each other only a few days ago. Maybe a week?"

"Doesn't matter. I still missed you...That's okay, right?" Lillie asked, uncertain. Maybe she was being a bit clingy? Could she even be that way with someone she wasn't romantically involved with? She had no right to be. But she couldn't help the fact that without Sun around, she felt a pang of loneliness in her heart. His presence just made her heart beat a little faster and she felt a lightness in her step. She felt more brave with her shining knight standing beside her, urging her onwards. Telling her that no matter what she thought of herself, he knew that she was better than she thought she was. That she was strong.

Lillie and Sun were snapped out of their thoughts when the door was suddenly kicked in and a booming voice yelled, "Holy Arceus, I am one sleepy...Uh...That's about what I should have expected."

Lillie and Sun both jolted apart and looked at the boy in the doorway, who had his hands on his hips while a Pikachu and a Brionne laughed from beside him. Hau's face showed amusement and some other emotion that neither child could recognize.

"Should I leave you two alone?" Hau asked with a knowing grin. Lillie and Sun exchanged a look, blushed crimson, and then looked away from each other after scooting to opposite ends of the bed.

" _Well, I just died a little inside."_ Hau thought to himself. Despite this, he grinned and said, "I've gotta say, Princess, it's great to see you again. Can I have some hugs for myself though? I mean, I thought we were friends too!"

Lillie hopped out of the bed and hugged Hau fiercely, and the boy admittedly felt a little bad at his choice of wording. He knew that Lillie would feel bad about showering Sun with all of this attention and ignoring him, but on the other hand, he couldn't help feeling a bit jealous. It really wasn't fair to him. But then again, life wasn't fair. So he had to just roll with it, as he always did, and enjoyed the fact that such an incredible girl was hugging him.

"I missed you too, you know." Lillie muttered to Hau, making him feel a little worse. Hau returned the hug with a chuckle, sticking his tongue out at Sun. The boy returned the gesture, grinning at his friend.

"I know. I just like messing with you." Hau remarked as he and Lillie separated and Hau walked over to his bed. The boy set up his Egg incubator on the nightstand and flopped down on his bed.

"Hau, you really should clean up before doing that." Lillie recommended to Hau, who just waved a hand dismissively.

"They clean these rooms every day. It's fine for one night." Hau replied carelessly, putting a pillow over his face. "Huh. This pillow smells like farts. Why?"

"Sun, any idea how to make him see sense?" Lillie asked Sun, who grinned as he pulled out a Poké Ball and released Oliver. Lillie smiled mischievously and gestured for Oliver to come closer to them.

"Go tell Hau hi, Oliver." Lillie said to the owl, who silently rotated his head to the boy lying down on his bed. Oliver then looked down at the Pikachu and Brionne nearby, who both backed away from the horrifying owl and shook their heads pleadingly. Oliver naturally ignored their concerns and flew over to Hau's bed before landing on the pillow resting over the boy's face, pressing his weight down on it and effectively smothering the boy. Hau frantically flailed about while Oliver hooted happily, with Lillie and Sun rushing to their friend's rescue. Lillie couldn't help the smile she wore the entire time…

She was back with her dearest friends, and couldn't be happier.

* * *

Lillie and Hau dragged Sun out of bed and forced him to go downstairs for breakfast that next morning. Feeding everyone's Pokemon became an interesting affair, considering Oliver kept giving Hau supremely smug looks while the other boy glared back at the owl. It was only when a familiar Trainer with crimson eyes sitting down next to them that this odd moment was broken up. Penny smacked Oliver upside the head and eventually the owl continued to eat.

"Hugh? What are you doing here?" Sun asked the older Trainer, who shot the children a grin.

"Training, of course. Aria's out with Noah and Vivian catching up and I had some free time. I figured I should check out the Battle Royals they have out here. Apparently they let just anyone sign up for the ones earlier in the day, but the ones at night are reserved for big name Trainers and those who have defeated at least three of the Kahunas in battle." Hugh explained as he crossed his arms, smiling at the excited expressions of Sun and Hau.

"Sounds like something both rookies and seasoned Pokémon Trainers can enjoy." Lillie noted before taking a sip of Moomoo Milk.

"Exactly. Usually it's tourists and those on the Island Challenge passing through who do the early stuff, while those wanting prize money or to show off do the later shows. I was planning on doing one myself sometime this week." Hugh admitted with a grin, showing how much the idea appealed to him.

"I think there's a big tournament coming up in two months or so." Lillie replied, thinking back. "It may very well be held here at Royal Avenue. It's definitely a good place for it, aside from the stadium back at Hau'oli City."

"Sounds like fun. I know Aria would want to get in on that. She had so much fun at the PWT with Wes back when it was around in Unova." Hugh said with a fond smile, making Lillie smile at the sight. She had seen quite a bit of the crew from Unova over the past few days, and it was heartwarming to see Hugh reunite with his long-lost love. It made her hope for her own prince to come along and…

Lillie realized where her train of thought was going and fought to keep herself from blushing. Or look at the boy from Kanto sitting beside her who absolutely fit that description like a lock to a key.

"Hehe, now I'm getting hyped. I wonder what kind of people we'd get to battle in a huge showdown like that?" Hau pondered with an excited grin on his face. Sun nodded, his own smile becoming eager for the upcoming tournament.

"And in a place like Alola, it'd bring in all sorts of people from all over the world." Sun remarked, adding a moment later. "Lana said that there was a Water-type specialist hanging out in the area."

"Really? Hmm...There's a lot of people who could fit that description. Probably a foreign Gym Leader. Only one way to find out, right?" Hugh said with a smirk, crossing his arms. At that moment Hugh's eyes drifted to the TV to their left and his expression turned from excitement to confusion.

"What the hell…" Hugh muttered as the three children turned around. Shown on the screen was a collection of people standing in a gladiator-style stadium, surrounded by a roaring crowd. The MC seemed to be a man in a bright pink suit carrying a massive inflatable bat while a Machamp stood beside him. Of course, a colossal wheel stood in the center of this odd scene, jet black and metallic and looking incredibly out of place. What made Hugh make the comment he did, however, was the fact that the MC had suddenly kicked the nearest contestant in the stomach.

"Oh hey, Wheel of Calamity is back on TV. I was wondering how that lawsuit thing worked out." Hau said with a chuckle, earning two horrified looks from Sun and Lillie.

"Lawsuit?" Lillie asked Hau, receiving a nod in response.

"Oh yeah. People kept complaining about the injuries and some eventually sued. The folks in charge of the show managed to talk their way out of it." Hau said as he watched a horrified man in a suit spin the huge wheel, eyeing the Machamp with fear.

"Is this one of those shows that humiliates and injures the contestants for laughs?" Hugh asked Hau as the wheel landed on some odd symbol that made the man let out a yell of anguish to the roar of the crowd.

"Oh yeah. Wheel of Calamity was super popular in Hoenn, and then they brought it to Alola. I'm just familiar with it, though. I don't watch much TV. I'm too busy being outside and having fun." Hau chuckled as Lillie and Sun laughed. Hau didn't seem like the kind of boy to sit inside and watch non-stop TV.

"Makes sense. Still, if this is what passes for quality TV in Alola, I'll have to say no." Hugh stated with a shrug, earning a playful glare from Hau.

"Hey, is the programming back in Unova any better?" Hau shot back at Hugh. The young man opened his mouth to speak, and then thought about his answer for a moment before he sighed and nodded, conceding that Hau had a point.

Hugh watched as the contestant in a suit was grabbed by the Machamp and hurled towards a rotating target several hundred yards away. The man slammed into the target which exploded into a cloud of confetti, leaving a dazed man covered in glitter and somehow, whipped cream, on a pile of mattresses. The crimson-eyed Trainer scoffed and asked, "What kind of sadistic retard watches this crap?"

* * *

"Guzma, Wheel of Calamity is on!"

"Damn it! I'm still making the popcorn. Plumes, record that shit pronto. I'm not going to miss the Nut Shot Challenge, you hear me?"

"Yeah, yeah...I'm recording it."

* * *

"We really should start heading over to the Battle Royal Dome. Mallow and Captain Kiawe are getting there early, and we shouldn't keep them waiting for too long." Lillie piped up, earning a nod from her male companions. With that, the group departed the Pokémon Center, stepping out into the blazing Alolan heat.

Conversation was kept light as the quartet of heroes made their way to the massive gleaming dome in the distance. When Sun asked if the people here were local or tourists, Lillie supplied him with information about his query.

For the most part, it was generally half and half. Locals were plentiful in the area, with many selling trinkets and merchandise that Sun had come to recognize after having lived on the islands for several months now. Trainers would spend time in the area and hone their skills or watch the battles that would go on in the hope to learn something from their peers. The path of the Island Challenge took Trial-goers through the city regardless, and that resulted in many local Trainers hanging around as well, taking in this welcome rush of civilization from the rough wilds they were used to.

On the other hand, many tourists came through the area, tending to keep away from the Routes and the paths that were generally taken on the Island Challenge. Only those approved by a Kahuna could undergo the Island Challenge in the first place, so it wasn't something often done by tourists. So the incoming people would flock to places like Hau'oli City and Royal Avenue for a good show and a colorful atmosphere.

Sun could see why people would enjoy this place. He could practically feel the excitement in the air, the roars of the crowd in the distance. Despite the blazing Alolan Sun overhead, multicolored lights blared in the distance as the monolith of a stadium rose above them. Sun was jerked out of his almost trance-like state when he felt Hugh tap him on the shoulder.

"Any chance I can chat with you for a sec?" Hugh asked Sun. The boy nodded and turned to Hau and Lillie.

"We'll get seats. Don't take too long, though. We don't want to miss any of the action! Come on, Lillie!" Hau said excitedly, charging forward. Lillie took a step after Hau, glanced back at Sun for a moment before she turned around and ran after her friend.

"That guy never slows down, even for a minute." Sun said with a small smile, shaking his head.

"It could be worse. He could just collide into you every other time you walk into a town or city and then fine you a bunch of money for the inconvenience. Or he could be a total prick. Or maybe even a collection of one-dimensional losers who do almost nothing for the plot of an otherwise fantastic game."

" _Zzzt...Man, FlygonNick really doesn't like the X and Y rivals, does he?"_

"But that's besides the point. I figured since you asked about it, I could give you an update on what's going on with Shadow Celebi." Hugh said to Sun, receiving a nod in response. He had almost forgotten about the battle he, Sina, Dexio, and Aria had against the corrupted Legendary. Sun had wanted to be kept in the loop regarding any information regarding it due to obvious reasons. As far as Hugh knew, it was because of Sun's vendetta against Cipher for attacking his home in Kanto. The real reason was something Sun wasn't sure if he was comfortable letting the Unovan heroes know about...how would they react to learning his father was one of the bad guys?

"Anyway, I won't beat around the bush. It isn't going very well. Colress and Professor Kukui aren't having any luck purifying Shadow Celebi. It's too dangerous to have awake, and that isn't getting us anywhere. Doesn't help that anyone who's involved with helping heal Shadow Pokémon are either missing or dead because of Cipher, and this Celebi in particular was the one who helped do this the old-fashioned way. So we're stuck." Hugh explained to Sun, who sighed angrily. "But, we've got a new lead that may help us out. The Aether Foundation."

"The Aether Foundation? Who are they?" Sun asked.

"I'm honestly not too informed about them myself. I just know they're big here in Alola and have influence all over the world. Apparently, they're good guys who help protect and rehabilitate Pokémon. Colress is going to try and get them to help us out and keep an eye on them while they do so. In the meantime, we need you and Hau to watch over Lillie since she can't be around the lab while these people are around." Hugh explained to Sun, whose expression of interest turned to confusion.

"Wait, why?" Sun asked, earning a shrug from Hugh.

"It's not my business. I respect that, so I don't ask questions. I wouldn't recommend bugging Lillie about it. From what I can tell, the girl doesn't like talking about her secrets that much. I think the only reason Colress knows what's going on is because Professor Burnet promised Lillie that the man could help her and Nebby. I think there's trouble brewing, but I have no idea what." Hugh said to Sun as he crossed his arms. "I'd say just focus on making sure Lillie has fun with you guys. We'll handle Shadow Celebi. Alright?"

"Sure thing. It's fun having Lillie hang out with us." Sun said to the young man, who gave him a grin in response.

"Oh really? And why is that?" Hugh asked with a chuckle, making Sun blush at the insinuation. Sun turned on his heel and walked away, leaving Hugh to jog after the younger Trainer while he laughed at the boy's embarrassment.

* * *

"Hmph...Why do I do this..."

Gladion eyed the rising stadium directly in front of him, scowling as yet another slack-jawed tourist carelessly bumped into him. He couldn't help but feel the excitement bubbling within him at the cheers of the crowds and the thought of battling stronger Trainers. It would definitely help him and Null on their journey...Perhaps that was why he was drawn here, despite the crushing despair that seemed a bit heavier than usual today.

"Every time something brings me down, I end up coming right back here again…" Gladion murmured, reaching down and placing a hand on the helmet of Type: Null. The beast itself was eyeing the crowd with unease, a soft growl coming from the strange Pokémon. Whether or not Gladion's hand on the creature's head was for his own comfort or for his partner's was something only he would admit.

He had been on his own ever since Demi had departed with Team Skull the previous night. Joining Team Skull wasn't exactly an easy affair, though Gladion didn't know the details himself, so it'd be a while before he'd see any of the Grunts that usually tagged along with him.

Gladion was a little disappointed at her decision, but wasn't shocked that Demi had decided to join the group. Considering her heartbroken and distressed state of mind at the time, finding solace in a group who knew her pain and offered her kindness and sympathy was understandable. She was a good person who had been given a bad hand in life, much like a good deal of Team Skull.

Though he was surprised to find that he missed the girl's company.

Having someone around who didn't feel the need to constantly belittle him was actually nice. Demi was pleasant and had been very civil to him despite how obvious it was that the rest of Team Skull hated him. Null had even liked her, surprisingly enough, and Null just about hated anyone who wasn't him. That said, it was probably better that she wasn't around him. This was his mission. He'd see it out alone. Anyone else getting involved would just be a distraction. And Demi had been quite distracting in just the short time he had known her...

Gladion had never been a people person. Much like his sister, he was comfortable around those he trusted and was sociable then, when he was younger. He had been safe on the island within the Paradise. He had been safe under the loving eye of his parents as they worked together to make the world a better place for both humans and Pokémon. He had been safe playing music alongside his little sister as the hallways of their home rung with the echoes of their joy.

And then his world fell apart.

Now he was alone, save for an experiment and his own determination. He would save them. He'd return home and make them see sense. He would bring his family back together. He had no other choice but to become stronger so he could face _her_ down and end the insanity. Nothing else mattered.

Not even his own happiness.

"Come on, Null. Let's bury our sorrow in the crowd." Gladion said with a growl as he pulled out Null's Poké Ball and returned the creature, allowing Gladion to easily part through the crowd and enter the building proper, his shoulders slumped as he descended into his own lonely despair.

* * *

Sun saw Gladion slipping through the crowd, and Sun wondered just what sort of trouble the teen was up to. If he was lurking around, Team Skull wouldn't be too far behind. And with Lillie around...Sun knew he'd have to be extra careful. Hugh seemed to pick up on the strange teen's presence as well, watching him as he walked out of sight.

"That guy sticks out...Hmm." Hugh remarked lightly, receiving a nod from Sun.

"I met him the other day. He's with Team Skull, but I don't think he's...bad, necessarily." Sun said to Hugh, who nodded. The young man had met similar types before. Colress had given him the same vibe, truthfully. Not bad, but also not someone to be trifled with.

The duo made their way into the stadium and Sun was blown away by the shine and splendor on display in just the main lobby. Several massive monitors hung overhead, showing live footage from bouts earlier this particular week. A peculiar emblem of four fists (red, blue, yellow, and green) punching outward was decorating the floor and many colorful flags hung around the area, alongside the national flags of Alola and Akala Island respectively.

Sun had seen the Alolan national flag many times in his travels, but never bothered to ask about its significance. It was decorated in the colors of the sunrise, a beautiful mix of orange, blue, pink, with green embroidery around the edges and a single yellow flower in the middle. Akala Island's flag was pink with several flowers in it, intricate symbols flowing down the side of each of the flower petals.

Sun was snapped out of his gaze as he caught sight of Gladion leaning against a wall, glaring at his phone. He cursed under his breath and shoved it back into his pocket before he saw Sun watching him from nearby.

"Oh great. If you're here, then that cheerful annoyance of a friend of yours is lurking nearby as well. Just when my day couldn't get worse." Gladion sighed as he closed his eyes, not seeing the expression of anger on Sun's face. Sun glanced to his side and saw that Hugh was oddly gone, but that just meant that Sun could settle this one-on-one with Gladion…

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't talk about my friend like that." Sun said firmly to Gladion, who scoffed.

"Hmph. Some friend. He doesn't have an ounce of self-respect for himself or anything that he does. A light-hearted idiot like him couldn't be serious even if someone's life depended on it." Gladion replied, though he stopped when he caught sight of Sun's glare.

"Just because Hau lets himself enjoy life, unlike your miserable butt, doesn't mean you get to talk about him like he's trash. He's my friend, and last time I checked I beat you handily. So I'll ask again. Stop talking that way about Hau." Sun said to the teen, stepping closer to him. Gladion glared down at the younger Trainer, his green eyes matching Sun's intense gray stare. After a moment Gladion shut his eyes and stepped away, shrugging.

"If it means that much to you, I'll lay off. Don't see why it does, but whatever." Gladion muttered as he returned to his spot on the wall.

"You don't have many friends, do you?" Sun asked the serious teen, who shook his head in response.

"I don't need friends. I don't need anyone. I have a mission and I have to become stronger in order to see it through to the end. Everything else is a distraction." Gladion growled aloud, though it seemed more to himself than anything else. Sun frowned at the teen's words, because...that was so sad.

Sun had been like that himself, to an extent, though not entirely from his choice. He had been so absorbed in his father's world that he had neglected himself as a person because of that. It was only when he was brought to Alola that he had understood what he was missing out on. Friendship. It was what spurred him on. Comforted him. Helped him grow. To see someone isolate himself willingly from such an important part of life in the pursuit of strength was really sad to hear.

"It really isn't. You'd be amazed at what good a few friends can do." Sun said with a small smile to Gladion, who scowled at Sun in response and stepped forward.

"I can't afford that luxury. Someone like you and that Hau brat wouldn't understand what real suffering is like." Gladion growled at Sun, closing his eyes as he leaned back against the wall.

"Oh really? Wanna bet?"

Gladion's eyes snapped open as anger burst into his heart, his mouth opening to retort, but his words died on his lips as he saw the expression Sun was giving him. Sun's storm-gray eyes now showed a deep sorrow to them that Gladion knew very well, a sorrow that was hidden from sight behind a facade of happiness. It was the same sort of gaze that Gladion saw looking back at him whenever he looked into a mirror. Somehow, this little punk knew exactly the kind of hell that Gladion had been through. The suffering of watching someone you loved become a monster and ruin everything you once held dear. Gladion's expression softened and he shoved his hands into his pockets, watching Sun thoughtfully. He closed his eyes, swearing under his breath. Finally he opened his eyes and addressed Sun.

"You understand." Gladion said quietly, and Sun couldn't quite tell what all was in those words. Relief? Sadness? Anger? Pity? Contentment? "I...Right. Maybe I shouldn't have assumed."

"I'll take that as an apology, and it's fine. You didn't know. But...seriously, man. Think about what I said." Sun said to Gladion, who shut his eyes in response.

"Glad you could make it!" a familiar voice boomed from above, startling Gladion and Sun and making both Trainers look up in surprise. Grinning down at them from above was a tan-skinned man wearing a pair of black pants with white knee-high boots, a colorful belt of Poké Balls around his waist. His mask was blue, green, yellow and red and showed nothing but the man's mouth and excited black eyes.

The man walked down the stairs, hands on his hips, and joined them on the ground floor. He turned to the two Trainers and said, "I'm here today, yeah, to spread word about the Battle Royal! Oh yeaaaah!"

The man jerked a thumb to himself, his smile widening to an almost frightening degree. "They call me...the Masked Royal! Woooo!

"Professor Kukui?" Sun asked, surprised to see the Professor in such an odd outfit. Okay, maybe not surprised. More like mildly confused and wondering whether or not he could exit the stadium without coming off as rude.

The man shook his head in response, his smile fading and becoming a bit more serious. "The Masked Royal! I'm here to teach you, oh yeah, about the ancient and fierce battle format passed down in Alola for generations. The Pokémon Battle Royal, woo!" Royal said as he approached the two Trainers, regarding them with excitement.

"Sir, can we get to the part where you abandon me defenseless in the middle of nowhere again?" Sun asked the man, this time earning a twitch of the eye from the Masked Royal. Gladion looked at Sun in surprise before looking at Kukui.

"Wait, he did what?" Gladion asked Sun.

"My first day here in Alola, he left me to fend for myself on Route 1 while he sprinted off ahead. Thank Arceus the path had no wild Pokémon, but the fact remains this guy has a really bad track record when it comes to keeping an eye on children." Sun explained to Gladion, who shook his head in disgust. He was certainly glad that no close family members of his were under the direct supervision and care of this masked weirdo-

Oh wait.

"You know, interrupting people is rude, yeah?" Royal said in a deadpan tone, eyeing Gladion and Sun with an expression that implied bad things would happen if they continued giving him grief. So Sun and Gladion decided that being silent may be good for their health.

"'But Royal, what's the Battle Royal?' You may ask." Masked Royal said, smiling slightly. "Well, that's an easy one."

"Four Trainers!" Royal was grinning again, his excitement in just speaking about a battle almost palpable. "Four Trainers pick three Pokémon for one big Pokémon Battle, oh yeah! When one Trainer's team can't battle anymore, yeah, the Battle Royal ends. Whichever Trainer has taken out the most Pokémon and has the most Pokémon left on their team will emerge the winner, woooo!"

"That sounds really fun. Is that all there is to it?" Sun asked, smiling a little.

"Of course not. Here at the Battle Royal Dome, you can switch up the battle to include all kinds of rules to make every showdown a challenge. Different arena styles, weather condition simulators, the works. This is a state-of-the-art arena, cousin, so be prepared for a wild ride. First thing's first, though. You've got to take the step and give it a shot! Pick a Pokémon and let's do this!"

"I'm in!" Sun said with an excited grin.

"About time you got here, Slowpoke!" Sun looked up to see Hau grinning at him from above. "I left our favorite girl with Mallow and Kiawe so I could come find you! Whatcha doing hanging out with that stick in the mud?"

"Bite me."

"Dude, I wouldn't let my Pokémon bite you. I'm scared they might catch whatever nastiness crawled up your ass." Hau shot back, surprising Sun and even Royal with the vulgarity in his language. Hau then caught sight of the Masked Royal and his jaw dropped, an excited gleam coming to his eyes as he leaned up against the railing and grinned.

"Dude, is that the Masked Royal?" Hau asked.

"No, it's Professor Kukui." Sun replied, making Hau blink in response.

Gladion stepped away from Masked Royal, who was silently fuming in anger. Maybe it would be a good idea to stop antagonizing a man who could break their limbs with ease. Sun seemed to catch onto this as well, and said to Hau, "No man, I'm kidding. You should join us, though!"

That seemed to placate the Masked Royal, because he smiled slightly and looked over at Gladion. "You there! Come join in on the fun!"

The man then pointed at himself, chuckling softly. "Of course, I'll be in the mix too. So now we have our foursome! Woo!"

Hau let out an excited squeal of joy and hopped up and down on his feet. Sun grinned at the excitement of the upcoming bout. Gladion just sighed, wondering if it was still too late to just leave.

"Discovery! New experiences! Adventure! It's all yours if you want it! It's time for a Pokémon Battle Royal! Reeeeeady...Fight!" Masked Royal proclaimed as he ran ahead of them into the main tunnel. Sun jogged after the man while Gladion followed at a more sedate pace. Hau of course sprinted down the stairs, fell down the last three, and then ran after them while laughing the entire time.

* * *

"You enjoying yourself, Lillie?" Mallow asked as she passed the girl in question her nachos. Snacks were a must when it came to events like these. And when you were rolling with Mallow, they were even more essential. Somehow.

"I like the atmosphere. It's different, but nice." Lillie replied with a smile and a nod. Lillie looked over at the dark-skinned Captain wearing red pants sitting on Mallow's other side and asked, "You're familiar with these events, aren't you Kiawe?"

The Captain responded with a nod. "Of course. I'm a regular here. It's a good way to represent Alola to the tourists coming through as well as scout out talented Trainers."

"Speaking of, when's Lana coming by? She's late!" Mallow grumbled, looking around for the blue-haired Captain.

"She's a busy girl. She'll come, though. She hasn't let us down yet." Kiawe said firmly before he gestured to the battlefield ahead of them. "Instead, we should focus on the battle."

The MC in charge of the Battle Royal today had already explained the rules and such to the audience. Today's showdown would have the following rules. Each Trainer would be using one Pokémon each and the battle wouldn't end until there was just one team remaining. Last Pokémon Standing, was what the MC had called it.

"Now here come the contenders for our latest Battle Royal!" the MC boomed, with the crowd roaring in excitement.

"Coming in first is a Trainer hailing from the far-off region of Kanto. Taking the Island Challenge by storm in his new home, this boy is becoming another one of Alola's shining stars! Give it up for Sun!"

The boy waved to the crowd from the Green Scyther Corner, with Brago standing in front of him. The dog was eyeing the other Pokémon on the field with a cool expression, ready to show them the power of himself and the boy he called his Alpha.

"Next off, we've got another equally bright Trainer who greets life with energy and joy! Give it up for Melemele Island's pride and joy, Hau Pakelaai!"

Hau laughed as Cassy bounced up into the air beside him, with the boy and his Pokémon exchanging a hi-five as the crowd cheered for the Alolan-born boy in the Yellow Haxorus Corner with much more intensity than they had Sun.

"We've got a celebrity gracing the minor leagues this morning, folks, with a man who's battling spirit is only rivaled by his even more incredible midriff! The Masked Royal!"

The man struck a pose with a wide grin, letting out a battle cry as his Rockruff happily barked to the crowd, who exploded with excitement and adoration for the Alolan celebrity standing in the Red Charizard Corner. Lillie couldn't help but smile as she saw the happy look on the man's face. It was clear that while he loved his job, he loved being a hero for Alola even more. The Masked Royal was gaining more and more popularity with every passing week, making a name for Alola in the world.

" _It's nice to know that even a man as strong as him can still chase his dreams…"_ Lillie thought happily before she turned her eyes to the final contestant and-

Lillie's eyes widened in absolute shock, her body going rigid as the next contestant stepped into the Blue Gyarados Corner. He had grown taller since the last time she had seen him, his clothes were ragged and his hair had grown out to an alarming degree...But it was still _him_.

"And finally, we have the mysterious Trainer who commands an even more mysterious Pokémon. This fierce young man looks like he means business, folks! Give it up for Gladion!"

Gladion crossed his arms as the Pokémon beside him let out a feral roar that made the audience cheer in response, eager at seeing such an impressive and intimidating beast ready to battle.

Lillie gripped her knees tightly, her knuckles going white as hot tears streamed down her cheeks, with Kiawe and Mallow looking on worriedly. But she didn't care about them. The only thought that was going through her head was that _her big brother was safe_.

" _He's okay...thank Arceus he's okay."_ Lillie thought as she hugged herself tightly, a sob escaping her with a broken smile on her face as watched Gladion glare down the other opponents. She was unable to hold back the overwhelming sense of relief. She had thought that the name Sun and Hau had mentioned just the other night was a coincidence. But it wasn't. He was here. He was okay. He was safe.

But why did he look so unhappy? And why did he have one of those strange monsters from the Paradise with him? Was that what he had stolen? No wonder mother had been so angry...

"I'm so sorry I'm late!"

Lillie barely registered Lana's arrival, which was met with a hug from Mallow and a smile from Kiawe. Lana sat down beside Lillie and cocked her head as the girl slowly wiped her eyes, a sad smile on her face.

"So what was that about?" Mallow asked Lillie, leaning forward as the girl in white grabbed a nearby bottle of water and took a sip, attempting to calm herself.

"It's...it's a long story." Lillie said quietly, folding her hands in her lap and preparing herself to watch the showdown below.

"The Battle Royal starts...Now!"

"I'll start this one off, boys. Rockruff, use Rock Throw on Growlithe!" Royal yelled, going into a stance more fit to wrestle someone than to battle. The dog barked in reply and released a barrage of rocks that went hurtling towards Sun's corner.

"Brago, dodge and hit him back with Ember!" Sun ordered Brago as the dog bared his teeth at the attack coming his way and raced towards it, dodging and weaving and managing to avoid every single rock before releasing a burst of fire that slammed into Rockruff, dazing the Pokémon but not doing much damage.

"Null, get in there! Tackle!" Gladion barked as he clutched his arm, wincing in pain as his expression darkened. Type: Null bellowed in response, lunging forward and slamming into Rockruff, knocking the dog aside. The rock hound flipped in midair and without a command releasing a barrage of rocks at the monster, who took the attack head-on.

"Brago, use Bite on Type: Null!" Sun called to Brago, who rushed forward and clamped down onto the beast's hide leg, swinging him down to the ground with a massive heave of effort to the roar of the crowd. Brago growled as Type: Null swiped at him with its claws, rushing forward and hitting the Growlithe with a powerful Tackle.

"Aqua Jet, Cassy!" came a shout from Hau, and Sun grinned as a Brionne smashed into Type: Null from above, knocking the beast sideways before flipping through the air and landing gracefully onto the ground.

"I ain't letting you have all the fun. Cassy, Water Gun on Rockruff!" Hau called out to his starter, who shot a burst of pressurized water at the nearby canine, receiving a yelp of pain from the dog.

"Psh. We're not wet behind the ears, Hau. Why'd ya have to do that?" Royal joked before he snapped his fingers. "Stone Edge!"

Rockruff landed on his feet with a growl and howled, creating a series of glowing spires of rocks that shot towards the Brionne and knocked her high into the air.

"Null, get that Brionne! Use Aerial Ace!" Gladion barked, throwing his hand out. Type: Null crouched low before charging forward, a white glow surrounding it before the beast shot into the air faster than anything Sun had ever seen, smashing into Cassy and sending her crashing onto the ground with authority.

"Brago, hit that thing with Flame Wheel!" Sun called to Brago, who nodded and called forth his flames, rolling towards Type: Null and hitting it from the side. Brago landed on the ground with his teeth barred, only to get bitten by Rockruff and thrown into a nearby pillar of rock from earlier.

"Use Reversal on Rockruff!" Sun called to Brago, who nodded and rushed towards the other canine. Meanwhile, Hau was just trying to take in the scene of absolute mayhem about them, with Cassy watching the fight carefully, waiting for a command as she panted slightly from the beating she had taken.

"Man, this is like, organized chaos...And it's awesome!" Hau boomed, laughing gleefully as he bounced on his feet. He punched his fist outwards, his Z-Ring flashing in the lights. Cassy back-flipped through the air and landed beside her Trainer, beaming happily as Brago dropped to the ground, panting and struggling to get back up and Rockruff and Type: Null clawed and bit at each other.

Hau began striking a series of poses in perfect sync with his Brionne, waving his arms in a swaying motion before he let out a yell, the energy flowing between them and uniting their souls for one powerful attack.

"Cassy, channel Aqua Jet... _and use Hydro Vorte_ x!" Hau bellowed, his bright grin never wavering as his Brionne shot into the air with a joyful cry, water flowing around her and as a massive twister roared to life around the Pop Star Pokémon.

"I wasn't expecting that!" Sun yelped as Brago growled at the swirling water as it loomed above. The roar of the crowd begged to differ, however, as they were absolutely loving the Z-Move on display.

"I call a momentary truce. We survive that Z-Move!" Gladion called to Royal and Sun. Sun scoffed at that. He'd rather Hau win than either one of the other Trainers. Royal seemed to have no such reservations, because he gave the fierce teen a thumbs up.

"Haha, not so fast Hau! Stone Edge!" Royal called out, punching outwards as Rockruff howled loudly. Brago and Type: Null crouched low as Rockruff created blue pillars of stone to protect them from the water rushing towards them.

"Full-power, Cassy! Let's wash out these dorks!" Hau cheered as Cassy collided with the blockade of rocks, smashing through them with ease and washing past all three of the other Pokémon. Brago had enough sense to run in the other direction while Type: Null and Rockruff braced themselves for the hit, allowing Cassy to deal direct damage to both of them. Type: Null crashed onto the ground with a howl but forced itself upright with a great heave of effort. Rockruff was knocked out completely, leaving the competitors down to three.

"What an upset! Hau has defeated the Masked Royal!" the announcer boomed as Hau giggled to himself, crossing his arms.

"What was that about me being second-rate?" Hau asked Gladion as the teen watched Royal return his Rockruff in shock. The fierce boy snapped out of his gaze and turned to Hau, scowling.

"I never said you weren't good. You're still a sorry excuse of a Trainer. Null, Tackle!" Gladion barked as he threw a hand out. The monster roared in response and lunged forward, quickly making his way towards Cassy, who had landed on the ground and was panting slightly. The Brionne's eyes widened before the beast slammed into her, knocking the Pop Star Pokémon skyward.

Type: Null leapt into the air with a great burst of speed, hitting Cassy with Aerial Ace before slamming down onto the ground, walking over to the Brionne and pinning her to the ground. The monster took a Water Gun to the face, but it just applied pressure to the Pokémon's chest.

"Come on, Cassy! Shove that thing off!" Hau yelled to his starter, who squirmed as Type: Null growled at the Brionne. Then, all of the fighters were surprised when a raging ball of flames suddenly smashed into the side of Type: Null, sending the Pokémon toppling to the ground.

Brago landed onto the ground next to Cassy, giving the Brionne a friendly bark in greeting. Cassy slowly rose up, giving the Growlithe a grateful look in response before both turned forward, preparing themselves as Type: Null rose to its feet with a groan.

"Thanks for the assist, buddy." Hau said to Sun, laughing as he bounced on his heels.

"What else are friends for?" Sun said to Hau, giving him a thumbs up. Gladion grit his teeth at the blatant double-team going on threw out an arm.

"Fine! Me and Null will take you both out! Null, use Aerial Ace on Growlithe and Thunder Wave on Brionne!" Gladion barked out, with the monster roaring in response and charging forward with a great burst of speed.

"Brago, withstand the hit and use Reversal! Dig in deep!" Sun yelled to his Growlithe, who took a deep breath and braced himself. The strange Pokémon hit the canine with the force of a speeding car, sending the canine skidding backwards across the arena. Brago lowered his head, falling to the ground for a moment before catching himself, throwing his head up and revealing two crimson glowing eyes.

"That's so wicked...Now return the favor! Reversal!" Sun shouted. Brago charged forward and let out a snarl, his body flaring red and white, and slammed into Type: Null. The beast howled in agony as the super-effective attack, which had only hit harder because of how weakened Brago was at this moment. Type: Null tumbled to the ground but rolled to its feet awkwardly, panting slightly.

"Water Gun, Cassy!" Hau shouted.

"Null, dodge and use Aerial Ace on Growlithe!" Gladion yelled to his beast, who charged forward with a great burst of speed, easily dodging the gush of water sent its way. Brago was sent crashing senseless to the ground before Sun or Brago could react, and that was enough to end his run.

"Ouch, and with a display of speed and power, Gladion has eliminated Sun from the contest! Now we're down to a one-on-one match!"

"Looks like we've got a rematch." Hau breathed excitedly, his smile not wavering. Gladion didn't reply, instead just gripping his arm, his expression pained.

"Null, get in close! Full-power Tackle!" Gladion snarled, with Type: Null doing the same as it charged forward. Cassy and Hau remained still, allowing the monster to get closer. Sun and Royal watched the pair, wondering what they were waiting for.

Hau grinned, snapping his fingers. As if following a cue, Cassy slammed her tail into the ground and flung herself high into the air, twisting like a ballerina as the lights shined down from above.

"I've been itching to try this out! Cassy, use Toxic!" Hau shouted to his Brionne as she flipped in midair, having dodged Type: Null's attack with ease.

"What!?" Gladion shouted as Cassy's mouth opened and a purple gush of liquid erupted forth, coating Type: Null below from head to toe. The beast snarled in response, its body glowing faintly as the foul substance began to seep into its body.

"I like to switch things up a little sometimes. No one would ever suspect a Fairy-type to have a Poison-type move, huh, Edgy?" Hau teased the boy with a wide grin as Cassy landed on the ground. Gladion hissed in fury as Type: Null groaned, shaking its head slowly as if to clear it.

"Null, hang in there. Use Thunder Wave and follow up with Aerial Ace!" Gladion called out to the beast, who responded by releasing a loud roar and releasing a shockwave at the Brionne, who couldn't dodge the move in time and was hit directly by the attack. Cassy winced as the paralysis kicked in, but cried out as Type: Null slammed into the Pop Star Pokémon and sent her flying across the stage.

"I didn't expect you to go down without a fight. Man, this is fun…" Hau breathed, feeling his heart pumping like crazy. This was the kind of thing he lived for. But man…

Did he really want to put this jerk in his place.

"Cassy, how're you holding up?" Hau asked his Brionne, who responded with a happy cry, even as her body began to glow a harsh blue color. This showed Hau that not only was show pretty low on strength, but that her ability, Torrent, had activated.

"Let's wrap this up. That big dumb freak of his is on its last legs." Hau said perhaps a bit too loudly, because Gladion gave him a nasty look.

"Don't you dare call Null a freak!" Gladion bellowed, stepping forward with a look of absolute hate on his face. Type: Null growled weakly, twitching as the poison flowed further and further into its body.

"Gotcha. I'll just wrap this up instead. Cassy, use Aqua Jet!" Hau yelled to his starter. The Brionne inhaled deeply, struggling against the paralysis that had set into its body. Water then flowed around the Pop Star Pokémon, propelling it forward through the air.

"Intercept with Aerial Ace!" Gladion roared as Type: Null took a shuddering breath and dashed forward, leaping into the air to meet Cassy. The two collided and a shiver of force reverberated through the arena as the two Pokémon struggled for dominance. Gladion and Hau watched on, silently hoping for the victory that proved them right in this battle of wills. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the power shifted.

Type: Null let out a groan as its body twitched in pain from the toxic fluid running through its veins, giving its opponent the opening she needed. With a cry, Type: Null was shoved backwards, with Cassy smashing into its stomach and sending the beast toppling through the air and crashing down onto the ground. Gladion yelled out to the beast, worry on his face, but it was clear that the monster was out cold. Cassy landed on the ground with an exhausted yet happy smile on her face, with Hau whooping from his position in the Yellow Haxorus Corner.

"And with a magnificent clash, we have our winner! Hau Pakelaai, ladies and gentlemen!" the MC yelled to the roaring crowd as they cheered for Hau. Royal and Sun clapped enthusiastically for the boy as he ran forward and hugged his Brionne, holding her up and waving to the crowd as they shouted his name.

"Why…" Gladion said softly to himself, returning his Pokémon. "Why is it never enough...What's wrong with me? It can't be Null. It tries so hard. I've given up so much. What else much I sacrifice to get the strength I need?"

* * *

"Ooh...Gladion." Lillie muttered, seeing the shocked and upset look on her brother's face. He had always been a bit of a sore loser. She hoped he wouldn't take the loss too personally. It was just a bit of fun.

"That was incredible! Mallow, did you see Hau pull off that Z-Move! He did it perfectly!" Lana gushed excitedly as she stood up. "I haven't seen a Battle Royal like that in months!"

"They were definitely something. I look forward to seeing that same burning passion during my own Trial." Kiawe said with a chuckle, rising to his feet as well. Mallow threw her arms around her three friends and said, "Kiawe, why don't you go down to greet them? Give them your whole deal. Me and these two adorkable gals have some boy teasing _stuff_ to take care of."

"B-boy teasing stuff? What for?" Lana asked, sounding terrified. Lillie was scared as well, because Mallow could be relentless when it came to her jokes. Especially when it came to boys.

"Yeah, there's no chance in hell I'm staying behind for this. Lillie, it was nice to see you again. Lana, I want a text when your Egg hatches. I know you'll do just fine with it." Kiawe said as Lana hopped up and hugged her friend, who returned the favor. Kiawe flicked Mallow on the nose, earning a yelp in response, shook Lillie's hand and wished her luck before he walked off.

"Ow...meanie. Anyways, speaking of…" Mallow's face turned into a horrifying grin, and right now the two younger girls wished they were anywhere but within her grasp right just then.

* * *

The quartet of Trainers emerged from the tunnel and walked into the lobby, with Sun exchanging a fist bump with Hau and laughing.

"When did you teach Cassy Toxic?" Sun asked his friend, who giggled.

"Honestly, I got the idea from Demi. She said that after watching Oliver kick my butt, that I needed a good counter to him. So she loaned me a TM or two and here we are." Hau explained, earning a surprised look from Gladion.

"So... _You're_ her friends then. I guess I was right. Small world." Gladion muttered, an odd look coming to his face. Hau caught this and glared at the boy.

"Yeah, dude. Friends. I know its a foreign concept, but its a thing." Hau said dryly to the boy, making Gladion step up to Hau with a snarl escaping his lips.

"Kid, I'll drop your ass right here. I don't even need a Pokémon to do it." Gladion hissed before Royal and Sun pushed the two boys apart.

"Hey, calm down there you two. We had fun out there, right?" Royal said with a laugh, trying to downplay the situation. Sun and Hau both nodded while Gladion stepped away, still scowling at Hau. "See, it's easy to have a fun time with Battle Royal. Woo! You even have a shot at beating real tough opponents this way, yeah? The three of you were outstanding out there. Real Island Challenge Champions in the making, I think."

"You were on fire during that battle."

All four Trainers turned to see a red-haired Trainer with dark-skin watching them with a passive look on his face, though a small smile was visible. He wore red and black sandals and a pair of red shorts, leaving his muscular chest bare. An ornate necklace was wrapped around his neck.

"I hope you bring that fire with you and burn up my Trial. It'd be disappointing to see anything less after a showdown like that." The young man spoke, his calm voice clearly showing the power and respect this Trainer commanded despite his youth. Sun had a feeling who this man was, but just waited for the introduction to come. As expected, the young man walked over to them and said, "By the way, the name's Kiawe. I'm the Fire Captain."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Sun. This is Hau and Gladion. And the Masked Royal." Sun introduced the rest of their group.

Kiawe nodded and said, "You can get to Wela Volcano Park through Route 7. I'll be waiting at the peak for your Trial. If you plan to see your Island Trial through to the end, then climb to the top with your strongest team!"

"We can handle the heat. You and your Totem better be ready for us, Kiawe!" Sun shot back to the Trainer, who chuckled at the retort. With a wave, the Captain departed. The group watched the young man leave, but before he had even exited their line of sight Masked Royal swung around with a wide grin.

"Man, what a great day! I'll be doing these battles all day long, so to start the day with such a great match makes me pumped!" Royal boomed, laughing loudly. This was met with a chorus of cheers from fans in the lobby, who Royal waved to.

"I'll be signing autographs outside in twenty minutes!" Royal called to the fans. This too, was met with more cheers. The masked man turned to the young Trainers next to him and said, 'So, Sun. Hau. How are your Trials going? I hope you and your Pokémon have been working hard and having a blast!"

"But Mr. Masked Royal...How did you know that we were doing our Island Challenge right now?" Hau asked, cocking his head in confusion. He then blinked and grinned, "Oh! I know! It's because you saw our amulets, right?"

"Absolutely." Royal remarked, grinning back at the boy.

Hau laughed, putting his hands behind his head. "Well, I'm having a blast! But…" Hau's expression of happiness faded and he crossed his arms, looking over at Gladion. "Why are you even here? Why would you even wanna do a Battle Royal?"

The fierce teen walked away, seemingly brushing off Hau's question. However, he stopped a few feet away and moved his bangs aside with his hand, staring off ahead as he sighed deeply.

"Because...Null and I have to make it on our own. And I don't want to forget that." Gladion said quietly, turning around to face them. "Strength is all that matters. This is the path we have to follow. We didn't have a choice. We didn't have a say. But...this is our life."

Gladion turned around and took another step forward, but had one last thing to add.

"By the way, Team Skull is getting more active in the city around here. There's even some of the nastier people from their group hanging around. The Bone Brothers in particular have been targeting people all week in violent attacks. You three are strong, but...Stay away from them. They're not to be trifled with." Gladion warned them, glancing back at them and showing them with his eyes that this was a sincere warning.

He walked away without another word.

"Wow...You're just a ray of sunshine, eh? I bet you'd have a lot more fun if you just let yourself have a good time like everyone else." Hau muttered, a small smirk on his face. Hau's attention was diverted by the arrival of Lillie, who was bolting down the stairs with a manic look on her face. She ran over to them, her eyes darting all over the place.

"Where... _No_...I missed him?" Lillie sagged her shoulders, sighing unhappily. Sun and Hau exchanged a look as the Masked Royal hummed behind them and slipped away, thinking about the exchange he had just seen. He'd be asking a few questions around town.

"Missed who?" Hau asked, curious.

"No one…" Lillie muttered, straightening up and shaking her head. She gave her friends a smile, though, and said, "You two were wonderful. Hau definitely stole the show, though. Teaching Cassy Toxic? Ingenious!"

"Demi gave me the idea. I've gotta say, it's something I definitely plan on working into some strategies. Sun's got a few cool tricks up his sleeves too, from what I heard from Lana. Something about Oliver defying the laws of reality and using Protect as an attack?" Hau asked the boy with a skeptical look on his face.

"Hau, I still don't get it either. It's Oliver, okay? This crap just happens." Sun replied, earning a roll of the eyes from Hau and a laugh from Lillie. Sun caught sight of Lana and Mallow walking down the stairs and waved them over to join them.

"You two were hot stuff out there!" Mallow said, greeting both boys with a hug. Lana did the same, blushing slightly as she broke away from Hau.

"You two were holding out on me and Washua! And Hau, you mastered my Z-Move perfectly! It was incredible!" Lana praised the tan-skinned boy, who chuckled softly.

"I mean, it was Cassy who did the work. I just did the dance thingy. But I'm glad you liked it." Hau said to the girl, who nodded. "So, here's my question. Who wants lunch?" Hau asked the group. Sun declined, not really feeling like eating. Lillie and Mallow had eaten snacks during the battle, so they both politely said no. Lana, who had gone straight to the Battle Royal Dome from her duties as Captain, accepted as she hadn't eaten since breakfast. Hau and Lana bid the group farewell, with the two of them walking off in quiet conversation.

"I absolutely ship those two." Mallow said happily, a goofy grin on her face.

"Hau and Lana? Really?" Lillie asked, raising an eyebrow. "I mean, you mentioned it earlier, but I don't see it."

"Lana hasn't shut up since she got Hau's phone number and Hau was a sweetheart to her when she was dealing with the whole Totem crap. I'm going to do everything in my power as Lana's bestie to help her win Hau's heart and get her first boyfriend!" Mallow declared loudly before Sun interjected.

"Or just let it happen naturally and leave them alone? I mean, Hau's a good guy. Maybe he'd just learn to like her on his own." Sun pointed out, with Mallow crossing her arms with a pout.

"Damn logic...So what are you two going to do now?" Mallow asked her friends. Sun had no ideas, and Lillie suggested shopping, which was an idea Mallow was all over.

And that's how Sun got dragged into going on a shopping spree with two adorable girls.

* * *

Lillie was about three hours into their shopping spree before she had to take a breather.

Though she felt a bit bad for leaving Sun alone with a frenzied Mallow, who had been making Sun carry all of their purchases, the white-wearing girl needed a bit of time away. She liked to look and see what places had to sell, but rarely did she indulge and buy things for herself. Mallow, however, wouldn't have any of it. Thanks to the Captain, Lillie had bought several scarfs, a pair of sunglasses, and a new swimsuit despite the fact that she had just bought one a short while ago. Lillie also got a few new books and more sheet music so she could practice her flute with Sun. And of course, she got Nebby's favorite Pokémon food and a few snacks for her favorite little ball of joy.

Lillie walked down the sidewalk, taking in the day. Cloudless sky, blazing sun, and a cheerful atmosphere. She walked down the path, humming to herself with a smile on her face. She was having a wonderful day so far. She had spent the entire day with her friends. She had gotten to watch an admittedly exciting show and learned that her brother was okay after all this time. And best of all, she got to go traveling with Sun again!

So as passerby saw the girl walk down the sidewalk, they saw her beaming with happiness as she ordered a smoothie from a nearby vendor and sat down in a chair outside a store, enjoying the shade of the umbrella she was underneath. With a cry, Nebby wriggled his way out of Lillie's bag and hopped into the girl's lap. Normally Lillie would be annoyed, but Lillie was in too far good a mood to be cross at the Cosmog. Instead, Lillie offered the Pokémon a taste of her drink. Nebby happily accepted, but made a face when he tasted the drink.

"Huh. Not a fan of Banana Splash? I learn more about you every day." Lillie giggled as she hugged Nebby close to her, not seeing that a Murkrow was eyeing her and Nebby with greedy eyes overhead. The bird flapped away, leaving the them alone.

It wasn't much longer before Lillie threw her empty cup away and began her trek back to Sun and Mallow, feeling refreshed and ready for more shopping. She felt a little guilty for not getting them smoothies as well, but they would have been pure liquid by the time she reached her friends and that wouldn't have been good for anyone. She'd just buy them a snack later, she decided, as she began to make her way down the sidewalk back to the main shopping district of the city.

However, Lillie forgot one very important thing.

She was a magnet for trouble.

"Back into the bag you go, mister. We've got to get back to Mallow and Sun. I can't leave him with her all day...He's my hero, not hers." Lillie said with a soft laugh to Nebby, poking the Cosmog on the head from within her bag. Nebby cooed in agreement as Lillie zipped up her bag. However, as she passed an alleyway, a foot stuck out and tripped her, sending the girl toppling to the ground. Nebby's bag hit the ground, making the Pokémon cry out in distress. Lillie yelped as she hit the ground but looked up, alarmed at Nebby's plight. The girl got to her feet with a wince of pain and took a step towards her bag, but three figures suddenly cut her off. Lillie looked up at them and gasped, taking a horrified step back.

It was obvious that whoever these jerks were. They were part of Team Skull. They wore the ensemble that the group wore, and had the skull symbols and everything, but what was unusual were the tattoos inked on their arms and the fact that they wore long-sleeve shirts with broken and mutilated bones displayed. Each of the Team Skull members were much taller than her, and with a start Lillie realized that unlike most of Team Skull, this identical trio was comprised of adults. One of whom scooped up Lillie's bag containing Nebby, chuckling softly as he did so.

"Gotta say, bros, picking off the losers from that last Battle Royal was a great idea. Some easy Pokémon, whatever nice stuff they had on them. Good stuff. Now we can add whatever's in this bag to our loot from today." Grunt A remarked, shaking the bag his partner was carrying. He was surprised when Nebby cried out from within the bag, making the three brothers laugh in delight.

"Never heard a Pokémon like that. Boys, I think we may have made bank." Grunt C laughed as he checked his watch. "And we still have an hour before we meet Axen's crew with the new girl and head back to Po Town with that Teleport."

"I hope the Boss taped Wheel of Calamity. I love that show!" Grunt B said excitedly, earning two nods of agreements from his brothers. With that, the trio of thugs turned to Lillie.

"Heh, we'll thank you kindly for your bag, girly." Grunt C said with a chuckle, slinging the bag around his shoulder. Lillie lunged for her bag desperately, but was pushed backwards onto the ground harshly by the man in question.

"Seriously? Like, you think your pre-teen ass can handle the Bone Brothers? We're the backbone of Team Skull, little girl. The hardest, roughest of the group next to the Boss himself. So do yourself a favor. _Run_. And maybe we won't have to hurt you." The Grunt growled, bending down and making a very rude gesture in Lillie's face with his middle finger before he stood to his full height and turned away. The three men ran down the road, with Lillie watching them in mute horror for a moment before she hopped to her feet and gave chase.

"Come back!" Lillie called to the Team Skull Grunts, who laughed as the hurried down the sidewalk. Lillie forced herself to run faster than she ever had in her life, even as her legs burned and her lungs gasped for air as she sprinted after the criminals. She had to save Nebby. She had to stop them from taking her precious Cosmog. If Nebby was hurt because of her, she'd never be able to forgive herself. To Lillie's surprise, she actually managed to catch up to the trio as they slowed down to take stock of where they were.

"Weren't we supposed to meet here?" Grunt A asked his brothers.

"Hell if I know, yo."

"Damn, this is-" Grunt C yelled out as a girl suddenly threw herself at the bag dangling from his shoulder, trying to snatch it back from him.

"This girl's got spunk!" Grunt A remarked as Lillie and Grunt C had a tug-of-war of sorts with her bag. This ended when the Team Skull Grunt ripped the bag from Lillie's grip and laughed in her face as Lillie tumbled forward.

"Please, give me my bag back! It's important to me!" Lillie yelled as she got to her feet, her expression pleading. The Grunts laughed in her face, with Grunt C putting a hand over the strap of Lillie's bag to ensure it wasn't ripped from his grasp again, with Nebby crying out in distress.

"You know...I don't appreciate little kids who don't know their place." Grunt A said lightly, though the glare he was giving the girl standing opposite of them told her that his intentions were anything but.

"Whatcha thinking, yo?" Grunt C asked his cohort, earning a soft laugh in response.

"Let's teach this brat a lesson in respect, boys." Grunt A said as he cracked his knuckles. The man's brothers nodded in reply and advanced towards the girl, who was quickly shoved to the ground as the trio laughed at her. Lillie shut her eyes, and-

"Don't you idiots have better things to do than threaten a little girl?"

Lillie opened her eyes slightly before they widened in surprise. Standing between Lillie and the thugs was the man that Lillie had encountered twice now. He was a massive monster of a man, clad in a torn leather jacket and worn clothes with barely healed scars all over his body, but he seemed in control of himself this time. It didn't make Lillie any less scared of her current situation, however.

The three Team Skull Grunts eyed Jack with thinly veiled surprise and what Lillie realized was _fear_. One of them even took a step back, letting out a small groan of annoyance.

"Not good…" Bone Brother B muttered, crossing his arms.

"Shit...Nah, who're we kidding? We've got this!" Bone Brother A breathed with a cocky gleam in his eyes, drawing three Poké Balls from his belt. His two brothers turned to him with a horrified expression.

"Yo, are you serious? That's the goddamn Commander! You think we can take him on?" Bone Brother C asked, sounding nervous. Lillie just listened on, her mind racing at the scene playing out before her.

"Absolutely. Don't forget all the extra training we've done, guys. Guzma would be so proud of us if we picked off Commander Jack." Bone Brother A shot back, giving Jack a cruel grin. The man himself eyed Team Skull with a bored expression, before he glanced back at Lillie. Jack regarded Lillie for a moment, recognizing her now as his haunted eyes widened slightly.

"You were with the Professor the other day. Hmm...You. Girl. Did they steal that bag from you?" Jack asked Lillie slowly, carefully, as if he was still considering what to do. Lillie managed to nod in reply, and Jack looked back at the three Team Skull Grunts.

"Didn't I warn you that there were dangerous people on this island, girl? I told you to watch your step. Kids these days never listen, even when you go out of your way to give them advice. Team Skull loves easy targets just like you." Jack muttered, sticking a hand into his pocket and sighing deeply before addressing the Team Skull Bone Brothers.

"I can't very well let you morons walk away like this. Hand the girl back her bag and be on your way. I've got an old friend to meet in a few minutes and I'd rather not be late." Jack said to the trio of Grunts, who stood their ground. Jack shook his head with a small sigh. "I warned you."

Jack strode right up to the three men without a moment's hesitation, reaching out and ripping the bag from the Team Skull Grunt's shoulders. The thug let out a yelp and tried to grab the bag back, but a swift kick to the chest sent the man to the ground, a crack sounding out.

"Agh...m-my chest...shit!" Grunt C hissed, quickly getting helped to his feet by his brothers. Lillie wasn't an expert, but she was almost certain that the Grunt was sporting some cracked ribs. She wondered if she asked Jack nicely, he'd kick the Team Skull Grunt again so he'd break a few more...

"Last warning. Get out of here." Jack said to the surprised gangsters before he turned to Lillie, offering her the bag with Nebby inside. "Here. Take your bag and get to a safe place. Preferably one full of people so these clowns won't try anything bold."

Lillie accepted the bag and let out a sigh of relief. She unzipped it slightly and saw Nebby looking up at her in confusion and fear, but a pat on the head from Lillie comforted the small Pokémon and showed him all was well. Lillie looked up in surprise as the three Grunts drew closer, anger flashing in their eyes.

"Hell no! We stole that fair and square!" Bone Brother B growled, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small switchblade. Lillie felt cold fear creep into her at the sight of the weapon. Jack seemed unphased, however.

"Maybe. I stole it right back. Now leave. Or else." Jack said simply, eyeing the three men with a tired expression. Lillie wondered what was going through the man's mind right now. After seeing him so angry and upset the last time they had met, it was odd seeing the man helping her against Team Skull, and so calmly too.

"Yeah right, old man! There's no way you're in any state to battle the backbone of Team Skull! Drapion, Trumbeak, Magneton! Let's show this broken dog who really owns Alola!" Bone Brother A barked, releasing three Pokémon at once. All three of the thug's Pokémon took up attack positions. The man's other two brothers exchanged a glance before they stood beside their brother and released their teams. Bone Brother B had a Scyther, Torracat, and a Golbat while Bone Brother C had a Gumshoos, a Bagon, and a Tentacruel while a Murkrow landed on his shoulder. The Pokémon all prepared themselves to attack the seemingly defenseless man, who eyed the Pokémon with dull interest.

"It's true...Right now, the last thing I should be doing is battling. I'm in a pretty bad place, I'll admit. But I've never been good at doing stuff that's good for me." Jack shrugged in reply, sighing deeply and looking down at the ground.

"Girl. You should really get out of here. This may get a little rough." Jack breathed as he looked back up at the Bone Brothers, a wicked grin coming to his face that sent shivers down everyone's spine as he put his hands into his pockets, making no move to defend himself from the gangsters. Lillie took a step behind the man who had saved Nebby from the clutches of Team Skull, unable to tear herself away from whatever was about to happen. Jack laughed softly, glancing back at Lillie with a flicker of amusement in his eyes.

"Another laugh out of me. Not bad, little girl. Don't you worry none. This battered dog still has some bite left in him." Jack said to the girl before he turned forward, his smile widening deviously. The man's shadow beneath him suddenly twisted and distorted as it began to expand outwards from him, forming a sinister face with a single glowing red eye narrowed evilly at the criminals standing in its way.


	48. Jackal

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _Howdy folks. Time for another chapter._

 _I'd apologize for the slight tardiness of this chapter, but this weekend was my birthday and I went out with friends and enjoyed it, so I wasn't able to work on this chapter as much as I wanted too, plus I had a bit less time than I usually do since the last chapter updated on Tuesday._

 _On top of that, my schedule may continue to be screwed up since I'm likely going to lose access to my internet for the remainder of my time in Tech School, which is the only way I can use Google Docs, which is...You know, the only way I can do chapters right now. I'll see if I can work around it somehow, maybe download Microsoft Word again and just go elsewhere to upload, or maybe I'll keep my internet and...I don't know._

 _I'll do what I can and keep you all posted. Thank you for continuing to bear with me while I try and deal with the insanity. Keep in mind my classes are becoming more and more difficult, and...Heh, let's just say my birthday wasn't the best. But I'm going to try and stay positive as we roll into this next chapter._

 _I'd just like to state for the record that I do in fact backup all of my files on USB. I just haven't done it with very recent things, like my outline for the story or my RS chapters since they're backed up on this site. Everything else is backed up. I planned for something happening to my laptop, but I didn't expect it to be messed up with so little warning, going from operational to totally ruined in a day or two. The only real setback is that my schedule is jacked up and that last chapter was a few days late and that this is going up on Wednesday instead of Sunday, which I don't think anyone really cares about since the update schedule for this story is still pretty good and no one has really complained about my many setbacks due to the glorious insanity that is military life._

 _Enough complaining. Onto story stuff._

 _Weirdly enough, I ended up having two cameos this chapter. Like, I didn't intend for it to happen, it just...did. So hey, more excitement and awesome from some fan favorites. Huzzah!_

 _After this, we'll officially be on the road to the Fire Trial, with a few twists along the way. I've got some big things in store for the next few chapters, as we continue on through the Island Challenge!_

 _Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes Cottonmouth25, Angelfir3, hafizsyaraf5, Madame Rodoshe, GeekyGamer314, skyguys, Sai Og Sus, SonicIKE, DarkestShade73, a Guest reviewer, BraviaryScout, Gokan123, Ways, TheOneWhoSaysMeep, and another Guest reviewer, as well as a new reviewer known as_ _Champion of the Divine Sun._ _Thanks for the feedback, patience, and support. It's amazing and I appreciate you all supporting this story._

 _Also, I have decided at the end of the this chapter to...Do something different. This story has gone through many changes and the final result you see now isn't what was intended at first. In another story, another universe, things may have played out very differently for all involved in the story. I thought it'd be fun to occasionally explore those routes when they become relevant, like they do in this chapter. It'll become clear at the end, and I'd love to hear your thoughts on it._

 _So..._

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 _Chapter 48: Jackal_

* * *

"Attack!"

The horde of Pokémon rushed at Jack, who just smiled as his shadow extended outwards, a eerie laugh echoing out and making every single one of the Pokémon slow their approach, wary of what was coming. Lillie shivered as the sinister guffaws grew louder and louder, filling the street with the laughter of the damned.

"Ignore the shadow! It's Jack we want!" Bone Brother B yelled, throwing out an arm as some of the Pokémon decided to chance it and attack.

"Gretel...get 'em." Jack commanded calmly, and with a horrifying cackle a massive ghost Pokémon that Lillie didn't recognize rose from Jack's shadow. The sinister Pokémon snatched a lunging Torracat and a Bagon out of the air with a giggle, slamming both of them into the sidewalk with a sickening crunch. The massive ghost rose to its massive full height, giving the Bone Brother's pause.

"If you know who I am, then understand that Gretel is far less forgiving than me. Back off." Jack said to Team Skull, still smiling as Gretel hovered protectively in front of Jack and Lillie, the Dusknoir flexing her hands with a sinister laugh.

"He's just got the one Pokémon. Take him down!" Bone Brother A yelled, issuing a series of commands. The other two brothers nodded and instructed their horde forward while Jack just sighed.

"Poor old man's going to be so annoyed. But it's for a good cause. Gretel, Dark Pulse. Shadow Punch on anything that gets close." Jack instructed the Dusknoir, who whirled around to give the man a salute before spinning back around and firing off a Dark Pulse from the mouth on her stomach, enveloping the Gumshoos and Tentacruel in the blast and sending them both flying backwards with roars of pain.

"I warned all of you." Jack said as Gretel rushed forward, her fists glowing jet-black as a Golbat lunged from above at her. The Dusknoir giggled as she delivered a wicked uppercut to the massive bat, knocking it skyward with a hiss. However, this allowed a speedy Scyther to dart pass her guard and deliver an X-Scissor, knocking the ghost back a few feet with a groan.

"Stand strong. Fire Punch!" Jack said to the ghost, who snapped her fingers with both hands and ignited them in a burning flame. The Scyther growled and rushed forward, slashing the ghost again, but received a punch to the face that left an awful burn on the Mantis Pokémon's right cheek and sent it crashing to the ground.

"Damn it. Get him, you lot!" Bone Brother C bellowed as his Bagon slowly rose to its feet, panting from the pain it was in. The Murkrow perched on the man's shoulder launched itself into the air and fired a Dark Pulse at Jack, only for a Shadow Ball to slam into the blast and neutralize it.

"How pathetic...If you think I'd allow you to hurt the Commander or the child behind him, you three are deluded." Gretel said as she held out both of her hands, charging up a Shadow Ball within each and firing them at the Scyther as it shot forward again. The Mantis Pokémon screamed as an explosion enveloped it, sending it senseless to the ground.

"Magneton, Shock Wave! Trumbeak, use Aerial Ace! Drapion, use Venoshock!" Bone Brother A snarled as all three of his Pokémon rushed forward.

"Psychic! Dodge what you can!" Jack yelled out. Gretel threw out her hands as her red eye glowed blue, with her hands following a few moments later. The Trumbeak stopped in its tracks with a screech, getting thrown into the path of the Magneton as it released Shock Wave. The bird cried out in agony as the attack surged through it, though this left the Drapion free to hit the Dusknoir with Venoshock, due to its immunity to the move. Gretel hissed in pain as the liquid washed over her, and Lillie winced in sympathy as an acrid smell filled the air.

"Night Slash!" Bone Brother A yelled out as the Drapion growled angrily, crouching low before lunging forward.

"Duck, follow up with Fire Punch. Psychic!" Gretel rushed at the Ogre Scorpion and met it head-on, diving under its attack and delivering a Fire Punch to its face before spinning around and hitting hit with a massive blast of energy, courtesy of the Bagon snarling at her. Gretel shook off the Dragon Rage attack and allowed the psychic energy to flow through her, erupting outwards and rushing into the Bagon, who flew into the air and slammed down into the concrete hard enough to leave a massive crack.

Gretel seized up as a blast of electricity struck her, followed by a blast of fire and a surge of water from the Torracat and Tentacruel respectively. The Dusknoir whirled around and hurled two Shadow Balls at the Pokémon, hitting the Tentacruel and nearly hitting the Torracat as it bounded out of danger. Gretel prepared to send another Shadow Ball its way, but felt searing pain tear through her back and knock her to the ground.

"That's it! Let's find out if Ghost Pokémon can die today, Drapion and Magneton!" Bone Brother A laughed as his two Pokémon charged at the Dusknoir.

"Put down that Magneton. Draw it in with Psychic and use Fire Punch. Then get the Drapion. It's definitely the strongest one out here." Jack said to Gretel, just receiving a nod in response. Lillie marveled at the level of teamwork on display, and wondered how long Gretel and Jack had been together. The Dusknoir used Psychic to pull the Magneton close to her, where she knocked it out with a brutal double Fire Punch. She then flew at the Drapion, who fired off another Venoshock at the ghost. Gretel dodged the attack and engaged the massive Poison/Dark-type.

"Foolish little ingrate...I was old before you were born!" Gretel hissed as she floated back, dodging two Night Slashes from the Ogre Scorpion Pokémon before soaring forward and delivering a series of Fire Punches to her opponent's chest that made the Drapion stumble backwards with a snarl.

"This isn't going well." Bone Brother B grumbled as he watched his Golbat and Torracat rise to their feet, panting from the pain they were in. "Flame Charge and Air Cutter, let's go!"

Both Pokémon charged forward to attack the Dusknoir. Gretel laughed as Jack commanded her to use Shadow Ball on the two of them, only for the Drapion to step in front of the two of them to block the attack, kicking up a fierce blast of smoke.

"Get the Commander!" Bone Brother B roared over the mayhem. Lillie's eyes widened as the Golbat suddenly burst out from the smoke and slammed into Jack, knocking him to the pavement with a yell of pain.

"Mister Jack!" Lillie yelled out as Nebby let out a cry of distress from within his bag. The massive bat hissed, its teeth glowing bright purple, but was surprised when Jack suddenly stabbed the Golbat with a massive serrated knife he had pulled from his jacket. The bat fluttered into the air, spilling crimson on the ground as it tried to retreat.

"Sir, behind you!" Lillie called out, seeing the Torracat burst out of the smoke cloaked in fire. The Commander flipped the knife in his grip and hurled it at the Torracat as it rushed towards him, catching the Pokémon in the side and sending it crumpling to the ground with a massive gash in its side, the Pokémon's flames dying away.

"Commander, are you okay?" Gretel asked, her voice filled with concern. Jack got to his feet with a wince, but his eyes widened in horror.

"Gretel, dodge!" Jack yelled out. The Dusknoir whirled around in surprise, but was too late to do much else than that. Three Dark Pulses slammed into the Dusknoir at once, making the ghost scream as an explosion ripped outwards, knocking Lillie off of her feet from the force of the blast. Jack scowled as he took a step back from the explosion, eyeing the smoke with concern. The Bone Brothers ran forward, digging out healing items and quickly healing their Pokémon with an air of urgency.

"Gretel, status report! You okay?" Jack asked his partner, receiving a soft laugh in response. The smoke cleared, revealing Gretel standing tall. However the Dusknoir was holding her chest and her tone was much less jovial than it was before, a noticeable shiver of pain running down the ghost.

"This is fun. They'll wear me down eventually though. Guzma trained them well and I'm woefully out of practice. That last attack really hurt." Gretel replied as she rushed forward, throwing a Shadow Punch at the injured Torracat as it leapt through the air, cloaked in flames. The cat slammed into the chest of the ghost, but received a shadowy fist to the face in return. This sent it hurtling through the air and into a streetlight, leaving a massive dent in the side of it as the Pokémon fell to the ground senseless. The Dusknoir then screamed as another Dark Pulse slammed into her from behind as the Murkrow swooped down from above, shrieking with laughter.

"Stupid birds. Gretel, Thunder Punch!" Jack barked as the Dusknoir snapped her head up. With a laugh the ghost suddenly flickered into the air in front of the bird Pokémon, surprising it. The Murkrow was further surprised when Gretel's fists exploded in a cloak of lightning and smashed into it, leaving the bird plummeting towards the ground. Gretel dropped to the ground in time for a Dragon Rage to slam into her from the side, making her snarl in pain and send a Shadow Ball towards the Bagon, knocking it across the street and rendering it unconscious.

"Get up! All of you, get the hell up damn it!" Bone Brother B bellowed to the Pokémon, who were trying and failing to get to their feet. The Drapion snarled and lunged forward, slamming into Gretel with Night Slash and making the ghost scream in agony, darting into her shadow and putting distance between her and the Ogre Scorpion Pokémon.

"Come on...where are...Ah, there we go." Jack breathed as the sounds of police sirens filled the air. Lillie watched as several cop cars sped down the street towards their position. The Bone Brothers eyed the approaching law enforcement with horror in their eyes.

"This place is getting a bit hectic. I think we should bail now while they're distracted." Jack said to Gretel, who tiredly nodded and soared over to Jack, grabbing his hand. The Dusknoir offered her hand to Lillie, who hesitated, but grabbed the ghost's hand as well. Without another word, Lillie and Jack were both pulled into the shadows and whisked away as the police swarmed the street.

"Damn it! Commander Jack duped us. He was waiting for the police to show up!" Bone Brother C yelled out, returning his battered Pokémon and beginning to run down the road, his brothers doing the same. However, the police were able to quickly surround the criminals and the officers got out of their cars, releasing a few of their Pokémon and preparing to apprehend the trio that had been wreaking havoc in Royal Avenue.

Suddenly a cluster of Team Skulls Grunts flickered into appearance with a girl wearing a bright yellow sundress standing beside them, looking wary. A Team Skull necklace was draped around her neck and a Quilava was crouched next to her, ready to fight.

"Seriously, you just had to pick a fight, guys?" Kayla asked the Bone Brothers, who all gave her a dirty look.

"Shut it, runt. Let's bail." Bone Brother B growled, putting a hand on Kevin's shoulder.

"Can't believe you guys teleported me right into a standoff. Not what I had in mind." The girl in the dress grumbled, keeping her hand on Axen's shoulder. Kevin and Kayla laughed while Tim just rolled his eyes.

"I guess this is the new girl?" Bone Brother A asked, eyeing the girl in the dress with a skeptical look. Demi looked up into the man's face, scowling at him. The Bone Brother chuckled, patting the girl on the shoulder. "Oh yeah. She's got fire. She'll fit in for sure."

"Not sure if I want too, if this is how casual you guys are about a squad of cops closing in to arrest us." Demi hissed at them, a pit of nervousness bubbling away frantically in her stomach.

"No worries, Demi. Watch this." Axen laughed softly before he flipped off the cops around them. "Alola, you losers! Thanks for swinging by, but we've gotta bounce. Today and tomorrow belongs to Team Skull!" Axen laughed before his Drowzee's eyes glowed and the air shimmered…

And with a flash they were gone, leaving the furious authorities with nothing but a scene to clean up.

* * *

Lillie wasn't sure if she could ever accurately describe what it felt like to travel through the shadows, pulled along by the Dusknoir of Commander Jack. It was cold and Lillie could see nothing around her, the world rushing past her infinitely-

And then they were back in the bright daylight, with Lillie gasping as the light blinded her. The girl stumbled forward, falling to the ground disoriented, but a strong hand grabbed her arm to steady her.

"Careful. It always take a few moments to readjust to traveling via Shadow Sneak. Sit down. Open your eyes after a few moments. Catch your breath." Jack instructed from beside Lillie, helping the girl to sit down on the sidewalk. Lillie did as the man instructed, and opened her eyes to see that they were back near the Battle Royal Dome, though it was in a side park area with a few benches nearby. Gretel hovered nearby, peering at Lillie with interest, while Jack looked down the road with his eyes darting around like a dog on guard.

"She looks a lot like Sonya, sir." Gretel murmured, earning a look from Jack as he turned around. His face looked pained, and the man stepped forward and put a hand on the ghost's shoulder.

"I know." Jack replied shortly, looking over his partner and her injuries. "Now, how bad are you hurt? You took a lot of hits, but sometimes it's hard to tell."

"It hurts, but I'll be fine. I wouldn't say no to some treatment though. I hate battling through injuries. So annoying." Gretel replied cheerily, her eyes narrowing as she chortled. Lillie piped up, catching both of their attention.

"I've got plenty of healing supplies in my bag. I can help heal you, if you want." Lillie offered to the Dusknoir, who patted the girl on her head.

"Well thank you, dear. I'd like that very much." Gretel said happily to Lillie, who dropped her bag onto the ground and unzipped it. Nebby leapt free from the bag, flying into Lillie's arms and shaking in terror. Lillie hugged the Cosmog close and whispered to him, consoling the upset Pokémon.

"Well, that's a Pokémon I've never seen before." Jack noted, raising an eyebrow at Nebby. The Cosmog finally calmed down and was now sitting on Lillie's head, eyeing Jack and Gretel with curiosity as Lillie dug through her bag and pulled out a Hyper Potion and a Burn Heal.

"This is Nebby. And I have to ask that you keep his existence a secret. Bad people want to hurt Nebby and it's my job to protect him." Lillie said as she approached Gretel and began applying Burn Heal to the Gripper Pokémon. Lillie made quick work of healing Gretel, restoring her to pristine health in a mere two minutes.

"Much better! Thank you, Miss…?"

"Lillie."

"Miss Lillie." Gretel finished, turning to Jack. "I'll return to the shadows. We should move, in case there's more of them."

"Noted. Lillie, do you have family or friends in Royal Avenue?" Jack asked Lillie, who nodded. "Then take us to them. Me and Gretel will keep lookout."

"Of course, and thank you again Mister Jack." Lillie said to the man, whose expression lightened somewhat as he crossed his arms.

"Might be best if I officially introduce myself. The name's Caleb Jackson, Retired Police Commander of the Alolan Regional Police Department and former member of the International Police. Codename: Jackal." Jack said to Lillie, offering the girl a small lopsided smile. Lillie's eyes widened in surprise, taking a step back. That was...not at all what she was expecting!

"But...you don't look like-" Lillie began, receiving a bark-like laugh from Jack.

"Yeah, I don't look like a police veteran, do I? Well, you shouldn't judge a book by their cover. I served Alola for over 21 years, but looking at me now you'd never be able to tell." Jack remarked, looking amused at Lillie's surprise.

"And...the International Police?" Lillie asked, almost as surprised to find one of the elusive members of the group standing before her as she was learning that the dangerous-looking man that had saved her was basically a hero.

The International Police were a secretive group dedicated to keeping the peace in all of the regions. Lillie knew little about them save for that and the fact that each of their members were sworn to secrecy about all they did. They were also very powerful Trainers.

"Yeah. I'm retired, though. Been that way for a while...Anyways, that's the old me. The ruined old hound you've got in front of you has had a very, very rough time of things lately, so I'll apologize for scaring you back in Heahea City. That particular day was…" Jack trailed off, seemingly at a loss for words. Lillie watched in surprise as the man coughed and wiped furiously at his eyes, sighing as he looked away. Gretel looked down, a laugh escaping her that held none of the cheer from before, almost like a wail than anything else.

"Damn it. Shouldn't dwell…" Jack muttered as Gretel slipped into his shadow.

"It never does help, does it?"

Lillie screamed and jumped back as a man suddenly erupted from the shadow of a nearby tree, hands in his pockets and eyeing Jack and Lillie as an Alolan Persian slunk around beneath his legs. Lillie hid behind Jack, but then she began to recognize the man.

"Nanu. I'm surprised you came to track me down. I don't like you straining yourself on my account. Remember what Acey said, you're old and feeble and your brain is turning to mush." Jack said to the gray-haired man with a rough cough that seemed to be a laugh of some kind. Nanu simply shrugged at him, brushing aside the jab. The older man had crimson eyes that radiated an air of supreme boredom, and he was wearing a black police jacket with a red shirt with black slacks. He wore black and red sandals on his feet and a Z-Ring on his wrist.

"As much as the idea of waiting for you and doing nothing appeals to me, I am technically in charge of making sure you're not getting into trouble. Bailing you out of jail wasn't cheap." Nanu replied dryly, earning a shrug from Jack.

"Ran into some trouble on my way there. Couldn't leave this girl to the Bone Brothers, now could I?" Jack replied, earning a scoff from Nanu. Lillie just gaped, looking back and forth between the two men.

Lillie looked at Nanu and said in a very small voice, "This...You're the…"

"Don't remind me. It's way too early in the day for this, and that includes being reminded that the gods hate me." Nanu responded dully, not even giving Lillie a glance. The girl's reverence for the highly-respected man diminished somewhat at his very rude attitude.

"I was just surprised is all. I don't run into a Kahuna every day!" Lillie replied hotly to the man, who just rolled his eyes.

"Well, at least you're underwhelmed, which means I haven't lost my touch. Jack, when you're done playing babysitter, find me at Crown Peak. We have a lot to discuss, and Acerola won't ever let me hear the end of it if I skip dinner again. So some hustle would be appreciated." Nanu said to Jack, who nodded in reply. Nanu looked back to Lillie, giving her a calculating look.

"You better sort out whatever you have to with that Pokémon. Team Skull wants it and Guzma is stupid and determined enough to keep at this forever. I'd wish you luck...but I don't feel like it." Nanu remarked as slipped his hands into his pockets.

With that, Nanu suddenly fell into his own shadow, making Lillie yell out in surprise.

"Yeah, he does that a lot. Lazy old man gets a kick out of terrifying people with it. One of the few things that can make him smile anymore. I do the same with Gretel, though, so I can't judge." Jack remarked, crossing his arms. "Let's get moving."

Lillie nodded and put Nebby back in his bag before zipping it up and slinging it over her shoulders. Jack and Lillie made their way out of the small park and began walking down the road.

"So...You know Kahuna Nanu?" Lillie asked Jack, receiving a nod. Lillie had only heard about the man and seen a picture of him once in the newspaper, which failed to mention how rude and blunt the man was.

"We used to be each other's boss, actually. He was my supervisor in the International Police, and I was above him on the actual police force here in Alola. He still serves, but I had to retire after...Well, that whole song and dance." Jack said vaguely, waving his hand through the air. Lillie had the distinct feeling Jack didn't want to talk about why he had to retire, so she decided not to press the issue.

"He bailed you out of jail, though?"

"Yeah, after that scene in the hospital you saw the other week, I got thrown in jail. Nanu bailed me out yesterday and is keeping tabs on me now. He's worried I'll do something drastic since everything's gone so bad, but...as much as I _want_ to die, I'm not going down yet." Jack remarked lightly, receiving a horrified look from Lillie.

"H-how...How can you just be so casual about something like that? That's terrible!" Lillie said to the man, who stopped walking and looked down at her with a familiar expression that she had seen on Sun. The look of someone who had no idea what to do with themself, so great was their despair. Jack too, had been through unimaginable pain. Recently too. Just like Sun. Except his seemed bad enough for it to completely break the formidable man.

"When I met you on that sidewalk in Heahea City...I had been in a car crash just two hours prior. A drunk driver blew through a red light and hit our car head-on. My daughter, Sonya, died at the scene. She was about your age…" Jack said very quietly, walking ahead of Lillie. The girl just stared at the man, transfixed in horror at the man's revelation. Lillie ran after the Commander, walking alongside him with her mind racing as she remembered the state Jack was in when they had first met. The man had been covered in fresh, bleeding injuries and had been limping badly...a wild look of anger and pain in his eyes…

Lillie and Sun had met Jack just hours after he had lost his daughter...

" _Oh my god…"_ Lillie thought, a hand going to her heart as she tried to imagine the pain Jack must have been going through, The veteran wasn't done yet, though.

"And my wife...Well, she was put in a coma after the wreck. She didn't wake up, though...They pulled the plug on her a few days ago and she passed too. I lost both of my girls in just a matter of days." Jack continued on, the anger and sadness and self-loathing pulsing through his gritted teeth. Lillie could feel the man's crippling fury and pain, and Lillie remembered the scene she had witnessed back at the hospital.

* * *

 _"You promised me you would save her! You bastards promised me!"_

* * *

"The doctor's promised me they could help my Clara. They failed. They pulled the plug on her and let her die. I didn't even get a chance to say goodbye." Jack hissed, clenching his fists in righteous fury.

* * *

 _"You're not going to take me out of here! Clara! I'll save you!"_

* * *

"So here I am. Trying to find a way to keep going. I've lost my career. Most of my friends. And now my beautiful angels...All that's left is a broken dog who just wants to be put out his misery." Jack growled as he shoved his hands into his pockets, uncaring that Lillie was having to jog to keep up with him and that boiling hot tears were running down his face.

"But...sir, there's always something to live for. Always. That...just isn't the answer, no matter how bad things get." Lillie said to the man, who let out an empty laugh.

"Yeah, that's what they say, until you're at that point yourself. But I'm not allowed to die yet. No...Nanu's counting on me to help him. Bad things are happening, Lillie. Bad people are around these islands that want to hurt others for their own ends." Jack said to Lillie, stopping in his tracks and looking at her.

"I know that, sir...I'm trying to fight them too, in my own way. I won't let them win." Lillie said to Jack, who raised an eyebrow, his anger calming due to surprise at the girl's words.

" _You_? Fight them?" Jack said skeptically, a trace of grim amusement in his eyes.

"Y-yes...I may be weak. I may not be a Trainer or be strong in any way. But...Nebby is counting on me. And even if I may falter, I have friends supporting me all the way with their strength. I have to keep fighting because they believe in me. I have to be brave, even if I am scared. I won't give up!" Lillie said to the man, who leaned to one side with surprise on his face. Jack looked down at Lillie for a long while, taking in the determined look on the little girl's face. She was young, scared, and weak...But she would still keep fighting against people like Team Skull no matter what.

"Kids...They really are treasures, huh? I almost lost sight of that, in my misery. I won't forget it again." Jack said as a sad little smile flashed across his face. The man turned around, beckoning Lillie to follow. The two walked at a more sedate pace, with Jack keeping a lookout.

"I'm...sorry, sir."

"About?"

"Just...everything. What you've lost. And for assuming that just because you're big and scary, that you're a bad person. But you're not. You're a very good person going through something no one should suffer through. You saved me and Nebby from those men, and I'll always be thankful for rescuing us." Lillie said to the man with a grateful smile on her face.

"You never know what people are going through. You don't know their story...So don't assume. Stay kind, Lillie. It's what makes people believe that maybe there's something to fight for in this world." Jack said before he caught sight of two young Trainers running towards them. Lillie smiled upon seeing them, sighing softly.

"Those are my friends." Lillie said to Jack as the man stepped in front of her. Jack nodded and stepped aside, though he kept a watchful eye on her regardless.

"Lillie! There you are!" Mallow cried out. Sun sprinted past her and tackled Lillie in a fierce hug that the girl returned after a moment of surprise, blushing furiously at the sudden and very public gesture of affection from her friend.

"I was so worried…" Sun muttered, separating from his friend and looking at her with a relieved expression. Sun regarded the massive man behind her, his eyes going wide as he recognized them from their first encounter.

"And this is where I leave you." Jack said to Lillie, who turned around to face the man who had saved her and Nebby. Lillie bowed to the Commander, smiling up at him. Jack almost winced at the happy expression on the girl's face, reminding him of another precious girl who he hadn't been able to save.

" _No...Not now. Wait until you're with Nanu. Hold it together."_ Jack thought to himself as Sun and Mallow looked at the wild man warily.

"Lillie, is this guy giving you trouble again?" Sun asked, stepping forward to stand by Lillie. The girl shook her head in response.

"No. This man saved me and Nebby from Team Skull. He's a hero, Sun." Lillie said to Sun, who blinked in surprise. Lillie turned around to face the Commander and said, "Thank you so much for everything, sir. I can't thank you enough for helping me!"

Jack waved dismissively, brushing aside the thanks. "I'd hate for something bad to happen to a brave little girl like you. Those idiots should be behind bars by now, so something good came out of it. Anyways, I'm off to meet old Nanu, so you take care now. And...be good, alright?" Jack said to the girl, receiving a nod in reply. Jack stepped backwards as Gretel rose from the shadows.

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Miss Lillie." Gretel said, shaking the girl's hands enthusiastically. Lillie laughed as the ghost sank back into Jack's shadow. The Commander gave the group a two-finger salute in farewell and walked off down the street. His heart felt just a little bit lighter than it had in quite some time, which wasn't saying much considering recent events, but it mattered to him. Jack didn't have to wait long for Gretel to speak again. He knew his partner would have something to say before they met back with Nanu.

"Sir?"

"Yeah?"

"That girl...I saw her future. With, you know, Future Sight?"

"Did you now? And what did you see?"

"That is a very special girl. And she and her little pet must be protected at all costs. Miss Lillie and the boy at her side...They will undergo the most painful of times, but rise from the ashes as something greater. Together they will usher in a golden age for Alola. A strength that burns hotter than the sun and shines more brilliantly than the moon." Gretel replied softly as she rose from Jack's shadow, swaying as her eyes glowed a harsh red. Jack regarded his partner thoughtfully before looking back at the departing girl he had rescued earlier.

"Hmph...Maybe Nanu was right after all. I suppose even after all these years, my oath to protect Alola still stands." Jack said quietly, smiling as Lillie and her friends vanished from his sight. "That girl...If my fate is to be a guardian for the weak so that they may grow to become stronger, than be it. I may not have anything to live for anymore. But maybe I can still protect those who do deserve to live."

"Not quite what I had in mind when I said I wanted you to think of less depressing thoughts, but I'll take it!" Gretel laughed as she grabbed Jack and dove with him into his shadow, vanishing from the street.

* * *

Lillie quickly gave her friends a rundown of the events that had occurred with Jack, including her discussion with the man and his story. Mallow was deeply interested in the story, considering that Jack's wife was one of the most well-known singers in recent history. Clara Ho'omaha had been in the news as of late due to her sudden and tragic passing, with several tribute programs playing on TV to pay respect for the fallen singer. Sun even remembered back on Route 5 when he heard the news about Commander Jack and Clara, and how he wondered how someone got through such a massive loss.

"Well, I guess what he said is true. You really can't judge a book by their cover." Sun remarked, earning a nod of agreement from Mallow and Lillie.

Lana and Hau entered the Pokémon Center, laughing as they brought in a box of donuts for everyone to eat. The two Trainers were caught up to speed, and were equally surprised and horrified, though Hau was just glad Lillie was okay.

"So, you two were gone for a while. Did the date go okay?" Mallow asked teasingly, earning a confused look from Hau and a massive blush from Lana.

"Shutupshutupshutup!"Lana stammered, burying her face in her hands with embarrassment while Sun and Lillie giggled.

"But...we just went to get snacks and played with some Pokémon out in the park." Hau stated, cocking his head.

"I know that, Hau, but they think we went out on a date." Lana said with her face muffled in her hands. Hau shrugged and snagged a donut.

"I mean, what's so bad about that? Sun was basically a coat rack for Lillie and Mallow all day. Can we discuss how absolutely whipped Sunshine here is?" Hau said with a smirk, earning a snicker from Mallow as she wheeled around to face an embarrassed Sun. Thanks to the suggestion, Sun was quickly reduced to a red-faced and pouting boy because of how submissive and easily manipulated he had been earlier.

Unseen by the others, Lana gave Hau a grateful smile at the misdirection. Hau gave the girl a thumbs up, and with that the group continued to laugh and enjoy their time together before their night came to a close.

* * *

The rest of the week played out in this fashion. Battle Royals in the morning, exploring and training by afternoon with Hugh, and hanging out with Mallow and Lana come nightfall. Lillie was always kept within eyesight, lest she fall victim to Team Skull yet again. Sun and Hau ended up having to battle a few of them within the city to save a few kids who were getting mugged by the thugs.

On their final planned day for being at Royal Avenue, Hugh finally got his chance to try out the Battle Royal's more serious showdowns. Naturally, everyone came along to show their support for the crimson-eyed young man, who managed to win the event with a fierce showing from his Simisage and Flygon, battling a massive man with a strange blue mask and two other Trainers that were unmemorable. Hugh shook the hand of the masked man, who let out a booming laugh Sun could hear all the way up in his seat. The group rushed to the lobby to congratulate Hugh, but found him shaking the hand of the masked man he had just defeated.

"Wahaha! That battling spirit is roaring like a big wave, kid! What's your name?" the masked man asked Hugh, who grinned back at the man.

"Hugh Iustitia. You're Crasher Wake, right? One of the Sinnoh Gym Leaders?" Hugh asked Wake, who cackled with delight.

"Ah, my reputation precedes me! Yes, my boy, I'm the Gym Leader of Pastoria City. Water-type expert and twelve-time Sinnoh Heavyweight Champion, as well as runner-up in the Amateur Regional Karaoke Showdown!" the foreign Gym Leader proclaimed, putting his hands on his waist.

"You're a Water-type expert? So you're the one I heard about!" Lana said with an excited smile. Crasher Wake chuckled at the remark.

"You betcha, little lady. I recognize the two of you. You're two of the Captains from this island, right? Pleased to meet you!" Wake boomed happily, extending a hand out to them. Mallow giggled as she shook the Gym Leader's hand, and Lana did the same, though she looked up at Wake with a reverent smile.

"Sir, I specialize in Water Pokémon as well!" Lana piped up, earning a hearty laugh from Wake.

"Is that so? Mind showing me some of the special ones found only here in Alola? I've only been here for a week and haven't had a chance to look around all that much." Wake admitted with a chuckle. Lana nodded and grabbed a Poké Ball from her waist, releasing her Araquanid.

"This is my Araquanid, Charlotte. She evolves from Dewpider, which is…" Lana grabbed another two Poké Balls from her belt and called out two small spider-like Pokémon that Sun recognized from his Water Trial. Wake eyed the Pokémon with excitement, bending down to see them better.

 _"Zzzt! This looks like a job for Rotom Dex!"_ Sun yelped as Rotom frantically burst out of his backpack, zooming around through the air.

"Wow, excited much?" Sun asked the device, who spun around to face him.

 _"Hey, I haven't had much time to shine! Time for me to do what I do best!"_ Rotom proclaimed before he swooped down to where the small bug Pokémon were standing.

" _Dewpider. The Water Bubble Pokémon. It crawls onto the land in search of food. Its water bubble allows it to breathe and protects its soft head. When it comes across enemies or potential prey, this Pokémon smashes its water-bubble-covered head into them."_ Rotom Dex explained as Wake looked over at it before returning his attention to the two Dewpiders.

"I'm helping these two get a bit stronger in my spare time. They really belong to my two little sisters, but they're not old enough to be serious Trainers and I have Charlotte so…" Lana shrugged with a small smile.

" _Another job for Rotom Dex!"_ the device yelled out happily as it floated by Charlotte, loading up its data.

" _Araquanid. The Water Bubble Pokémon. Despite what its appearance suggests, it cares for others. If it finds vulnerable, weak Pokémon, it protectively brings them into its water bubble. It delivers headbutts with the water bubble on its head. Small Pokémon get sucked into the bubble, where they drown."_

"So...does that imply that it murders small Pokémon in its attempt to help them or…"

"Incredible! Is this a Bug and Water-type? Not many of those, is there?" Wake asked, grinning widely.

"There's actually another line of Pokémon here in Alola who have that typing as well, sir." Mallow remarked as Wake picked up one of the Dewpider. The small Pokémon happy let out a cry as the wrestler held it.

"Seriously, are we just ignoring that Pokédex entry about the whole killing innocent Pokémon thing or...?"

"Hau, stop interrupting. It's rude."

"That little one is very feisty. I'm surprised she's as calm as she is in your hands, sir." Lana said to the man, who laughed in response.

"Pokémon can sense strength, even in little ones like these. And they respect it, too. It's why Pokémon listen to their Trainers better after acquiring Gym Badges. You think it's just Pokémon that get stronger on journeys? No. Trainers become stronger, in both body and heart, along the way as well. This little one can sense my strength and knows I won't her hurt. So that's why she's happy." Wake explained as he set down the Dewpider and patted her on the head, though he also pet the other one so she wouldn't feel left out. Wake stood back up and laughed again.

"Ahh, I'm so pumped! I'm glad I took Kukui up on his offer to come here!" Wake barked, grinning widely.

"You know Professor Kukui?" Lillie asked, surprised. Crasher Wake laughed yet again, pounding a fist to his chest.

"Ha! You're kidding, right? He's a dear friend of mine! We go back way back! He invited me here so I can take part in the Akala Island Grand Championship Tournament! Besides, I have way too many vacation days and kinda need to use them up...So here I am!" Wake finished with another laugh.

"How've you been liking Alola so far?" Hugh asked the man.

"I love it! The whole Island Challenge thingy looks like loads of fun. Kukui even fixed things up so I could give it a run myself. I'll be training up a few rookies to strengthen them up a bit along the way for some extra fun." Wake explained as he crossed his arms.

"Speaking of, I need to find the Professor. He said he needed my advice on something important. You wouldn't happen to know where he is, do you?" Wake asked the children.

"He hasn't been around much this week, but I think he's in the Battle Royal Dome somewhere." Lillie piped up, receiving a nod of thanks from the Gym Leader.

"Then that's where my journey shall begin! I hope you all have a fantastic day and make sure to look on the bright side of life!" Wake boomed with another laugh as he departed, in search of an even more eccentric man.

"Why do I have the feeling that even if he didn't find the Professor, he'd have a great time just in the adventure of looking for him?" Sun asked the others.

"I mean, I liked him!" Hau said cheerfully, putting his hands behind his head. Lana bent down to pat the two Dewpiders on the head before returning them. The Araquanid was returned next, and Lana looked over at Wake as he walked out of sight as she reached into her bag and pulled out her Pokémon Egg.

"I bet there's a lot I can learn from someone like him. I'll definitely try and talk to him if he does come around for the Water Trial." Lana said with an excited smile.

"You should go for it. I'd love to talk to a Grass-type Gym Leader sometime. With all the tourists we get, I'm amazed more of them don't make themselves known." Mallow complained, sighing as she shrugged.

"I'm sure they do come around, but don't advertise their presence. Sometimes people just want to enjoy their time in the sun. I actually met another Gym Leader a little while ago, but I wouldn't have known it if they hadn't accidentally let it slip." Hugh admitted with a grin, earning two glares from the Captains.

"Which Gym Leader?" Mallow asked.

"Old man Ramos, from Kalos."

"He's a Grass-type specialist! Hugh, how could you do this to me!?"

"How on earth would I have gotten in contact with you, even if he did want to be bothered by random teenagers?"

"I...Uh...hmm...Crap. Kinda got me there."

"Exactly."

"Ugh, all this arguing. Unproductive. We should focus on more important things, like going out for Malasadas. Who's down for a snack...okay, more like lunch." Hau admitted after a moment, grinning widely.

"Hau, we've went to that store every single day this week. I think it's time we address the fact that you're addicted to those things." Mallow said to Hau, who looked at her with a scandalized expression, as if she suggested something horrible.

"I...I can't even come up with a response to that. Do you all think this?" Hau asked his friends, who all nodded. Admittedly, they were all tired of the things by now since Hau insisted on going to eat at the Royal Avenue Malasada Shop every single day they had been there.

"I thought you were all my friends. Like…" Hau trailed off, almost seeming like he was about to cry. He then straightened up, pumping his fist outwards.

"Fine, if you all won't go with me, I'll find someone who will!" Hau proclaimed, turning to Sun.

"Not a chance." Sun replied flatly, making Hau's smile falter.

"Alright, then I'll go with Plan B. Lana, you want to come with? I'll buy!" Hau asked the girl, who shrugged in reply.

"I wouldn't mind having just one Malasada, if its a sour one that is." Lana replied, earning a massive grin from Hau.

"Ha! Suck it, nerds! At least someone here can appreciate good food! Let's roll, Captain!" Hau declared as he speed-walked off. Lana rolled her eyes and ran as fast as she dared with her Egg in her hands. Lana caught up with Hau, who thankfully slowed down for her, and the two set off towards the Malasada shop. At Lana's suggestion, Hau grabbed his Egg from his bag and walked with it in his hands like Lana was now.

"Just so you know, the only reason I agreed is because I'm smart and haven't been eating those things as much as they have. When you've been friends with a food wizard like Mallow as long as I have, you learn not to burn yourself out on good foods by overindulging." Lana explained to Hau, who just grinned at her.

"Makes sense to me! I could never get tired of them!" Hau proclaimed as he looked skyward, eyeing beautiful sky with a fond smile.

"So, are you having fun in Royal Avenue? We've been quite active this week." Lana asked her friend, who nodded happily.

"You bet. The Battle Royals are awesome, I get to hang with my friends, and best of all I'm getting to have all these awesome experiences." Hau replied as he looked up towards the sky. "That's what my journey is all about. Having fun and enjoying life with my Pokémon. And right now I'd like to say this journey has been a huge success so far.

"That's good. I'm glad to hear you're enjoying yourself."

"Yeah...How about you, Lana? You've been spending a lot of time with us. Have you been having fun?" Hau asked the Water-type specialist.

"I have. It's nice to get to spend time with you all. I usually don't end up being friends with the Trial-goers I meet every day, but...You and Sun were special. And I'm very thankful to be your friends." Lana said quietly, offering Hau a grateful smile. Hau grinned back at the Captain as they neared a large fountain on Royal Square, which was essentially a park surrounded by flowers of all kinds.

"Hey, the pleasure is ours. You can't ever have enough friends, you know?" Hau replied before he suddenly looked down at his Egg, which had just twitched in his hands.

"This little thing is so close to hatching! I can't wait to see what's inside." Hau said as he rubbed the top of the Egg, his smile widening. Lana couldn't help a giggle, thinking it was adorable how excited Hau was about his Egg hatching…

And then Lana's Egg began to glow.

"Lana! Your Egg!" Hau yelped, staring at Lana's Egg as she looked down, admiring the glowing object with surprised awe. Hau quickly moved the girl over to the nearby fountain. She sat down and watched the Egg with an excited gleam in her eyes as it continued to flash white again and again before it trembled and a small crack appeared at the top.

Lana and Hau both let out cries of surprise as the Egg began to glow a brilliant shade of light blue before a multitude of cracks ran down the surface. And then, the Pokémon Egg exploded in a shower of fragments, revealing a small blue seal Pokémon with two flippers and a pink nose. The small Pokémon shuddered for a moment before it opened its eyes, seeing the blue-haired girl staring down at it with an awed expression.

"Brawrk?" the Pokémon cried out, smiling happily at Lana as it threw apart its arms. Lana let out a gasp and embraced her new Pokémon, hugging it to her chest.

"Oh my goodness! It's a Popplio!" Lana said tearfully as the baby Pokémon nuzzled the Trainer that it knew was its mother. Hau couldn't help the massive smile on his face as he saw Lana happily holding the infant.

"Congrats, Lana! You're a mom now!" Hau said to the Captain, receiving a happy grin in response as a tear rolled down her face. Lana held out her Popplio as it happily barked a greeting to his mother, who laughed softly.

"Hello there, little one. I'm Lana, and it's very nice to meet you." Lana whispered, pressing her nose against her Popplio's nose. Hau could see the sheer joy in her eyes and knew that this newborn Popplio was in good hands. Lana had a good heart and would make sure it was well taken care of. Lana held the baby Pokémon in her arms and let the infant curl up happily within them, barking out again.

"I bet the little guy might like something to eat." Hau said with a chuckle. Lana pondered that for a moment before she nodded.

"I read that it newborn Pokémon should eat within the first hour of hatching, if possible. Thankfully, I prepared for something like this." Lana said as she hopped to her feet.

"You brought food for the little guy?" Hau asked Lana, who grinned at him.

"Of course. Any Trainer who is expecting a newborn Pokémon should prepare accordingly...um...You did the same, right?" Lana asked Hau, who laughed nervously. Lana sighed and would have face-palmed, but she was holding a baby Popplio.

"Looks like we're going shopping after this. I'll text Mallow and have her meet us at the Thrifty Megamart. You all were planning on leaving Royal Avenue today, correct?" Lana asked Hau as the two of them began walking again.

"Yeah. We've got to get going, you know?" Hau answered with a shrug.

"I understand. It's been nice though...We should definitely hang out again sometime." Lana said quietly, smiling and looking away so that Hau couldn't see the blush on her face. The Popplio in Lana's arms squirmed and barked out occasionally, eyeing everything around it with an infantile sense of wonder.

With that, the two Trainers made good time to the Malasada Shop. Hau ordered a plate of the desserts for himself while Lana just got a large Sour Malasada for herself, along with a cup of Tapu Cocoa. The baby Popplio was the center of attention for the store, though, happily burbling in joy as Lana smiled down proudly at her newborn Popplio.

"You're practically glowing, Lana. Are you really that happy?" Hau asked his friend as he began to scarf down his first Malasada. Lana nodded as she pulled a small bottle out of her bag and began to fill it with Pokémon baby formula.

"Of course I am. I...This is the first Egg I have ever gotten a chance to watch over and see hatch. I...Can't explain it, Hau. But I'm so happy right now to have this little one hatch happy and healthy." Lana said as she held her Popplio in her arms and began to bottle-feed the newborn. Popplio took a moment to understand what was going on, but soon the baby was silently eating its first meal.

"Your Malasada is getting cold." Hau noted as he downed his third treat. Lana stuck her tongue out at her friend, who just smirked.

"It'll just have to wait. You keep on enjoying yours, though. I know how much you like them." Lana laughed quietly as she continued to care for her baby Pokémon.

"Fair enough. I have to say though, this whole scene is super cute. You're totally prepared to be a mom to your new Pokémon, and that's awesome." Hau praised his friend, who smiled inwardly as Lana blushed bright pink at the praise. Hau may not have been exactly a genius when it came to women, but he knew everyone liked getting compliments and that Lana was very happy to get them from him.

"T-thank you, Hau, but I...I…" Lana trailed off, her eyes widening in surprise. Hau had the same reaction as he eyed the Pokémon Egg on the table that belonged to him, that had suddenly began to twitch and glow like the Popplio Egg had done before…

"It's hatching!" Hau whispered as he suddenly hopped to his feet. The entire shop caught sight of the glowing Egg and watched with bated breath as Hau carefully removed the lid to the incubator, his hands shaking as he watched his Egg slowly began to crack apart. Lana and her Popplio watched in awe as well, amazed to see the spectacle before them.

And then, the Egg exploded in a shower of glowing fragments and a glowing Pokémon was left in its place. After a few moments the glow died, revealing a small and furry brown and creme-colored Pokémon. The baby Pokémon yipped happily as it looked at Hau, who seemed absolutely speechless.

"Eeeeeveeee!" the Pokémon greeted Hau, taking a slow step before tumbling forward. Hau moved quicker than he had moved in his life to catch the baby before it fell onto the table, sweeping it up in his arms with a massive smile on his face.

"An Eevee! Wow, Hau, that's incredible!" Lana breathed as her Popplio watched on with a bemused expression on its face.

"Hi there...I'm Hau. Welcome to the world." Hau whispered as he held the Pokémon up to his face. The Eevee yipped happily as Hau rubbed his face against the face of the infant, giggling to himself.

 _"Oh my god, he is so adorable right now."_ Lana thought as she hugged her Popplio, watching Hau completely ignore his Malasadas and shower the newborn Pokémon with affection, which the Eevee was more than happy to receive. Hau pulled out his standard-issue Pokédex and scanned his Eevee, an automated female voice reading the entry on the Pokémon aloud for them.

" _Eevee. The Evolution Pokémon. Possessing an unbalanced and unstable genetic makeup, it conceals many possible evolutions. Current studies show that it can evolve into an incredible eight different species of Pokémon. This Eevee is male with the ability Adaptability."_

"Can I borrow that for a moment?" Lana asked as she finished feeding her Popplio. She stuffed the bottle away as the small seal barked happily, nuzzling Lana's neck affectionately as she quickly prepared another bottle. She handed it to Hau, who blinked before taking it. Lana checked the data on her new Popplio as Hau tried to figure out how to feed his baby Eevee. It took about three minutes or so, but eventually he and the Eevee sorted out the problem and Hau was feeding his newest Pokémon.

"This little one is male as well. We'll need to get them both checked out by Nurse Joy. I'm so excited to see what Popplio can do once it gets older. But...I don't think I'll battle with him for a while." Lana said as she finally reached for her Malasada, taking a big bite of the desert. Popplio curled up in her arms, deciding now would be a nice time for a nap. Hau just continued to pet his Eevee, beaming with joy.

"Your face looks like it's going to break, Hau." Lana laughed softly, to which Hau replied by sticking his tongue out.

"Psh, yeah right. I'm always in a great mood. Except now, I'm in an amazing mood because I've got an awesome new Pokémon and I'm technically a dad now!" Hau said happily as he hugged the Eevee close to his face. Hau's smile faltered as he shut his eyes tight, making a silent promise to himself and the newborn in his arms.

 _"I swear to you, little buddy...I'll be a better Dad to you than mine was to me."_

* * *

Hau and Lana both departed from the Malasada Shop after being congratulated on their Eggs hatching by several patrons of the store. Both Trainers got their respective baby Pokémon checked out by Nurse Joy, who gave both newborns a clean bill of health. As the duo made their way towards the other end of the city and the Thrifty Megamart with their baby Pokémon held in their arms, Lana spoke up.

"So...I suppose we should come up with names for them, huh?" Lana said quietly as the two of them walked down the sidewalk. Hau hummed happily in response, scratching his baby Eevee behind the ears, receiving a happy purr from the small Pokémon in his arms.

"Yep. Umm...Jeez, that's hard. Eevee can evolve into all sorts of things. And I don't really know much about this little guy yet, so...Hmm…" Hau thought hard but couldn't come up with anything.

"Well, I settled on a name already." Lana said happily as she hugged her Popplio close to her chest, making the infant happily bark out as he threw his arms around his mother. "I'm naming this little guy Bubbles."

"Bubbles?"

"The Popplio line is well-known for them. Don't tell me you don't know that, Hau. You have a Brionne!"

"I mean, I did know that, it's just not something I think about regularly. I don't have a haunted Pokédex chilling in my backpack."

"Fair point. So...Names for your Eevee?"

Hau groaned in frustration, throwing his head up. "This is hard! Bubbles is a good name, too...Man…"

"Well, it all depends on your train of thought. Maybe you could name him after a potential evolved form? Or something that speaks to you as a person. Maybe your battling style? You could name him after someone important to you. A word in another language, maybe?" Lana suggested to a surprised Hau, who seemed to not expect the outpouring of suggestions.

"Well, I have no idea what he'll evolve into. It depends on him. And...Well, I got him from Sun. Maybe…" Hau's frown slowly quirked into a smile as he turned the baby Eevee around and held him up.

"How about...Kaha?" Hau asked the Eevee, who happily yipped in response. Lana smirked in response to hearing the name. Kaha meant "sunny" in Alolan, and was actually quite fitting. Hau's baby Eevee would have a good name no matter what it evolved into and it was pretty adorable too.

Lana smiled as she watched Hau happily play with his newborn Pokémon with fondness. She really had taken a great liking to the boy, as much as she tried to brush off Mallow's teasing about it. While Sun had likewise been kind to her and was handsome in his own regard, she appreciated Hau's love for life and just general cheer. The boy remained positive and strong no matter what was thrown his way, and was a friend to anyone. Hau had every reason to hate her, after being the cause of him having a falling out with Demi, who had been a much prettier girl that admitted to Lana that they were close to becoming something more.

But Hau didn't care about any of that. He became Lana's friend instead. Hau thought she was a lot better than she thought she was, and made her smile a lot more than Lana usually did. And while she wasn't very good around cute boys, she was willing to risk being awkward just so she could spend time with him. Lana knew that anything more than friendship was a very long shot, but she also didn't mind if it didn't go further than that. A Trainer like Hau didn't come along every day. She was happy to be his friend.

The two Trainers fell into a surprisingly comfortable silence, with Bubbles and Kaha occupying their parent's attention. It wasn't long before they arrived in a massive parking lot on the edge of the city, where their friends were waiting for them.

"Oh my god...Babies!" Mallow yelled as she sprinted over to Lana and Hau, eyeing the newborn Pokémon with eyes that practically glowed. However, it seemed both infants didn't take too kindly to the loud noises the Captain was making, and the both of them burst into tears.

"Nice going, Mallow." Lana said with an annoyed look on her face.

"B-but...Agh, fudge. Sorry guys. I'll tone it down a bit, even if those babies are super adorable." Mallow admitted as both infants were calmed down by a calm Lana and a frantic Hau, who was making shushing sounds to placate the upset Eevee.

"It's okay...the loud noises stopped. See?" Hau asked the Pokémon as it tearfully looked up. Kaha nuzzled Hau's chest with a small shudder, mewing softly.

"Oh, come on man...This little guy is just about going to break me with how cute he is." Hau sighed as he hugged the Eevee. Lillie giggled softly while Sun just took a step back, slowly inhaling and exhaling.

" _It's okay...Just breathe. This is about Hau. This is Hau's Eevee. This is a different one. He's not here now...That baby is safe. It's safe."_ Sun told himself, frantically struggling to remain calm. He hoped Hau evolved the Eevee soon. Maybe then he wouldn't constantly be reminded of things he desperately wanted to repress.

"So, can we get down to the shopping part? I was hoping to get this little guy some stuff for the road. Lana had some food and a spare bottle, but I mean…" Hau shrugged as best as he could as his Eevee watched the others with interest as Hau stroked its back. Bubbles happily barked from Lana's arms, greeting the others now that it was calm again. Mallow went over to Lana and, with her permission, pet the newborn Popplio with a wide smile. Lillie did the same with Kaha and Bubbles, smiling widely at the adorable newborns. Sun pet the Popplio with no problems, but it took a great deal of willpower to gently pet the Eevee and remain calm. Hau smiled sadly at Sun and mouthed 'thank you' to his friend. Sun didn't reply with anything save for a nod.

"And now the moment we've all been waiting for…" Mallow said breathlessly, her smile growing widely as she gestured towards the store a few hundred yards away. "Now...we can commence with the _shopping_!" Mallow bellowed manically, her hair billowing in the wind as a thunderclap echoed in the distance, despite it being a cloudless and sunny day.

Hau cowered behind Lana while Lillie and Sun exchanged a look of bemusement.

"Is she always this terrifying when it comes to shopping?" Hau asked Lana in a hushed whisper. Lana giggled in response, not answering Hau's question. The boy sighed as Kaha yipped happily in Hau's arms.

The group made their way to the store, with Hau and Lana explaining how their Eggs finally hatched. Sun burst into laughter upon finding out that Hau's Egg hatched in a Malasada Shop of all places. It didn't take long for everyone else to join in the laughter, with Hau laughing the loudest.

However, Sun did have a small surprise pop up during their trek to the store. A familiar tremble went through his backpack and the boy pulled out the Zygarde Cube, walking over to a nearby truck and extracting the Cell that was lying in the shade. The group made their way towards the large building in the distance. To their surprise, they saw Kiawe standing outside with a sign and wearing a bright red T-shirt, chatting with customers.

"Kiawe works here part-time on top of his Captain duties. He's...Trying hard, but it's not easy balancing the two." Lana explained in a hushed voice as a large woman walked towards the wrong door as it opened, with Kiawe standing next to it.

"Good afternoon, ma'am, and welcome to the Thrifty Megamart! We're having a massive sale to close out the- Ma'am, I'm sorry but you can't come in this way aaaaand...thank you for your cooperation." Kiawe hissed as the customer walked away from him, having entered the store from the exit door.

Mallow snickered as Kiawe turned around, giving her a very dirty look before pointing away from him. Since it was obvious that the Captain was having a bad day, the group decided to make themselves scarce and instead enjoy the deals inside, going through the correct door.

Upon entry, another employee greeted them with a smile. "Welcome to the Thrifty Megamart, where the sales are explosive!"

"How's it going, Greg?" Mallow asked the young man, who laughed sheepishly.

"Nearly done with my shift. It's been brutal today, but...eh." Greg shrugged before he grinned at them again. "We're doing a super-sale today and handing out these special discount coupons. One-time only and only for this store."

Greg handed each of the Trainers plus Lillie a coupon before explaining, "Just show that discount coupon to the check-out staff when you're ringing up at the register. Our store pursues value over all else! Discount coupons are right up our alley, but this week is our biggest sale of the year, so make sure to shop 'til you drop...Or run out of savings."

"Noted. Stay sane, dude." Mallow said to the young man, who bid them farewell.

Hau and Lana quickly went off to the Pokémon Care Aisle, where they went to get supplies for their newborns. Mallow and Lillie helped Sun with choosing items for himself and his Pokémon. Sun even called out his Pokémon for help choosing certain Pokémon foods, which thankfully allowed for free samples.

Sun learned that Brago liked peanut butter and had much enjoyment watching the dog attempt to get the substance out of his mouth. Oliver had to be dragged away from the Slowpoke Tail Sandwiches after attempting to sneak one while Sun wasn't looking. Penny wasn't much better, having to be returned after getting into a fight with a fat Pidgey over a free sample of Oran Berries from Hoenn.

"Red-Hot Tamato Chips, huh?" Sun muttered as Lillie grabbed a bag of the chips that promised a 'sizzling sensation with every bite'.

"Oh yes, they're very spicy. I imagine Mallow's bought a ton of them." Lillie said as she looked over at Mallow, who had a shopping cart with several large bags of the chips. The girl stuck her tongue out at them and kept shopping as Lillie laughed softly. The girl in white spotted Lana discreetly adding Lava Cookies to her shopping cart when Hau wasn't looking and couldn't help another laugh.

Sun decided to splurge and get plenty of supplies for the road. He also picked up a travel cookbook for the road, hoping to improve his range of cookable foods to something past soup and occasional game that had some random spices thrown on it. On top of that, Sun bought plenty of healing items and medicine. Lillie did the same, getting extra for Hau since he had to buy special food and items for Kaha.

When it came time to check out, Sun had all but forgotten about his coupon, and when his purchases were finally rang up, he was amazed at the savings. His bill, which would have essentially cleaned him out, was cut in half thanks to the coupon. Sun and company departed the store, where they met Kiawe again.

"You all seem prepared. Did you enjoy your time here?" Kiawe asked them all with his 'customer-service face', meaning he was dying on the inside and his smile was plastered on his face.

"Just give us a few days to make it to your Trial. We'll show you how prepared we are then." Hau said to the Captain, receiving a genuine smile that time.

"I look forward to it. On behalf of the Thrifty Megamart, I hope you all have a great day. Please come back anytime." Kiawe said to the group as they departed the store.

"I hope I never have to get a real job." Hau said in a deadpan tone, shuddering. Lana and Mallow laughed at the remark, though they both eyed the sun as it descended overhead.

"Only a few hours of light left. You three heading out now?" Mallow asked them, receiving a nod from Sun.

"We already checked out of our rooms at the Pokémon Center. We'll keep in touch though, alright?" Sun said to the girls. Mallow beamed and threw herself at Lillie and Sun, hugging them both before very gently hugging Hau to avoid upsetting his Eevee again. Lana did the same thing, though she was surprised when Hau wrapped an arm around her and gave her a one-armed hug in return.

"Thank you for bearing with my madness." Hau said as Kaha cried out in response, happily waving his tail.

"It was my pleasure." Lana said with a giggle as the others watched the exchange with smiles. It was with this that the two groups split up, with Lillie, Sun, and Hau leaving the two Captains behind as they ventured towards Wela Volcano Park, where the Fire Trial awaited them. Mallow and Lana watched them for a time before they turned around and walked down the sidewalk.

"So, Lana...What now?"

"Home for me. It's been a little bit since I've gotten to just enjoy being with my family. How about you?"

"No idea. Might see if I can train a bit at the Battle Royal Dome. You think those boys can handle Kiawe's Trial and the Totem?"

"Of course. Trainers like those guys aren't to be trifled with. Fantasized about on a lonely Saturday night while home alone in the bathtub? Definitely. But not underestimated."

"Lana, there may be hope for you yet. I'm so proud."

"If you tell Hau, I'll make sure they never find your body, Mallow."

Mallow just winked at her friend and skipped off, leaving Lana behind for a brief moment before the blue-haired girl jogged after her friend. Lana wore a small smile on her face as she chased the other Captain down the street with Bubbles happily barking in her arms.

* * *

Fragments…In another time. Another universe...

Sun would have hatched the Eevee and proudly raised it as his own. His father, Ashton, would not have been a permanent shadow over his head, and would instead have died shortly after Sun's birth. From this incident, many things would have changed and not been as they were now.

The Eevee would have hatched at the same time as it did for Hau. It would have been female and been named Mimi, after a suggestion from Lillie.

Mimi would become the heart of the team, a bright and happy child who loved everyone she met, especially the Trainer that was her father. This love and affection would manifest into power for her and she would evolve into a Sylveon, allowing her to save Oliver's life after a brutal attack from the Bone Brothers as Sun and Hau journeyed to meet Faba and travel to the Aether Foundation. The Sylveon would blow away Team Skull and take her place amongst Sun's team as a joyful but powerful force to be reckoned with.

But that was one story...and this is another.


	49. Why Do You Fight?

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _Alright, so it took longer than I would have liked, but I'm back on schedule with a weekend update. I studied like crazy this past weekend and it paid off, so I can't complain, but not meeting my schedule is annoying._

 _However, this upcoming week is my final week of training. Which means that I'll have some time to decompress and relax come next weekend, meaning I should be able to get ahead on chapters again. Which is good, because the next few chapters are going to be very interesting indeed._

 _But all my chapters are interesting. So that's a moot point! Muahahaha!_

 _However, THIS weekend I'll have to study like crazy again so that I can finish my last tests and become an Airman in full. So I'll keep on kicking ass and make you all proud!_

 _That said, I'm happy about the reactions I got from last chapter. Jack's an OC I've been eager to properly reveal for a while. I came up with him while I was at Basic Training, so having him finally debut as who he really is makes me pretty happy. On top of that, I'm glad people seemed to like the decisions I made regarding Lana and Hau's Eggs, regarding the names and the species of Lana's infant Pokémon. I kinda felt like nothing except a Popplio would work for her. And besides, it's freaking adorable. And you'll be seeing a bit more of Crasher Wake and Nanu down the road._

 _And as for my little side-thing from last chapter, it actually got the reaction and feedback I was hoping for. Yes, that little snippet was from what would have been a novelization of RS with no Cipher involvement and if Sun's team was altered._

 _I've decided to, occasionally, explore alternate paths the story would have taken if things had played out differently. As I've said before, I am constantly changing plans and altering events to fit with whatever I believe will work best for the story. Just from the feedback last chapter, I'm debating changing a major story event that greatly affects some of the main characters._

 _So, every once in a while, I'll reveal some of the paths the story could have taken. Whether that be a change in choice, a different Pokémon on Sun's team, or even something major like a character death. I've scrapped a lot of plans, which includes Mimi._

 _Believe me, I wanted to have an Eeveelution as one of Sun's Pokémon. I adore all of them and had an entire thing planned out with Mimi being Sun's little baby for a good while in the story, but decided against it because it would have lessened the importance of the relationship Sun has with Nebby, which is ultimately more critical to the story. Besides, I came up with a better solution, and it's much more fun. Hau gets his Eevee, and it provides a bit of intrigue._

 _Anyways, I do have to answer a question, though, about whether or not RS will delve into the post-game at all. I'll answer with a firm yes. Maybe not in-depth due to how far off the ending to this story is, but the beginning of the UB Missions and the battle with Guzma at the beach will be covered. Anything else is up in the air. And depending on some...things, I may extend the adventure for something special…_

 _But I'll explain more in, say, fifty one chapters. Besides, I actually have something special lined up for the next update, and by that I mean I'm going to try something with this story that I seriously should have done a while ago. I'm hoping that it becomes an effective way of dealing with a problem I've been having and will make quite a few people happy and maybe clear up some things._

 _Anyways, shoutout to the lovelies who reviewed since the last update, which includes Angelfir3, GeekyGamer314, SonicIKE, hafizsyaraf5, Madame Rodoshe, Cottonmouth25, BraviaryScout, BouncingFish, Sai Og Sus, DarkestShade73, Ways, and Gokan123. Thanks for the feedback, support, and the birthday wishes! You all are fantastic, as always._

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 _Chapter 49: Why Do You Fight?_

* * *

Sun walked through the hallways of the massive building, bored out of his mind. His father walked alongside him, smiling slightly as he ran a hand through his spiked jet-black hair, his silver eyes shining with triumph.

"Everything's going exactly as planned, Sun. Thanks to that little bit of sweet-talking, it's opened the doors for the Telethought Project to officially begin." Ashton said to his son, who raised an eyebrow and snapped out of his daze.

"Dad, I'm not going to lie. That name sucks, and I stopped paying attention part-way through. It's just...Mrs. Nonsa is _really_ boring and her voice puts me to sleep." Sun admitted while his father chuckled at the remark. Damien snorted with amusement as Sun's comment, receiving a pat on the head from the boy as they walked through the hallway.

"Admittedly, she's pretty tough to listen to. But her funding and support are vital to the project's success. Soon enough, a Trainer will be able to communicate with their Pokémon with a mere flick of their thoughts. It was mainly designed for use by handicapped Trainers, but I can think of a market for something like this. It can help a lot of people." Ashton explained as they turned a corner.

"It sounds pretty cool. Being able to talk to a Pokémon with just your mind. Man…"

"You think that's cool? Heh. I really shouldn't show you, but since you're showing a aptitude for this whole thing and you're my kid...I'll show you some of the cooler stuff my company has been working on."

"Really?" Sun asked, grinning now. Ashton grinned back at his child, snatching off his hat and ruffling Sun's hair with a laugh.

"Why not? So, what'll it be? Tech? Weapons? Hybrid berries? I mean...We've got our hands in just about everything, so take your pick." Ashton said to his child, who seemed surprised as Ashton placed Sun's hat back on his head.

"You make weapons?" Sun asked his father, who nodded.

"As well as armor and other things. Not just weapons, but they're definitely something we've managed to improve upon and add our own flavor too. When I started this business, I wanted to innovate as much as I could. I brought together some of the brightest young minds I knew of and began to invest and improve things. Now I stand as the owner of one of the world's most powerful companies. I can give back to the world and take humanity and Pokémon to the next level. We've helped pioneer new medical treatments. Made leaps and bounds when it comes to unlocking the mysteries behind Legendary Pokémon known as little more than myths. And...Well, so much more. Plus, we do make some pretty cool weapons. I'm not a gun nut by any means, but I can't help but admire what they can do." Ashton admitted with a chuckle as Sun grinned up at him.

"I guess we can check out the weapons, then." Sun said to his father, who nodded and lead his Sun down the never-ending hallways and to an elevator. Soon enough, they were inside of a massive lab that doubled as a shooting range of sorts. It was entirely empty, though.

"They're out at lunch, right now. I think it was someone's birthday...Hmm." Ashton pressed a button on his watch, and a sharp voice spoke from it as a small hologram appeared before him, revealing a burly man wearing a neat suit of grey. He was rather plain, but had a fantastic and bushy mustache.

 _"Yes sir, what do you need?"_

"Kennedy, can you check who's birthday from the Kanto Weapon R & D Team is today? I want to say Matt, but I'm drawing a blank." Ashton asked the man speaking from his watch. Sun knew the man was his father's primary secretary, working tirelessly to keep up with the ambitious man Sun called his father.

 _"It was Matt. He's 32 today. Did you want to do something for him, sir?"_ Kennedy asked.

"Company fruit basket and drop a bonus off his way. The usual." Ashton replied as he leaned against the wall. Kennedy nodded and faded away as Ashton walked forward, snatching up a silver-colored piece of body armor.

"This is the result of two years of research. Thanks to our efforts, we've created some of the strongest body armor in the world. We're hoping to partner with local police and emergency responders to give them a bit of extra protection out in the field, but it's a work in progress." Ashton explained as Damien padded over to his Trainer. Sun was grinning in excitement. He knew his dad was the mastermind behind some awesome stuff, but seeing some of the secret things he was helping fund and develop was just too cool.

"Complete with neural links and...well, a lot of other things, this armor is some of the best protection money can develop. It adapts to protect the wearer and to help them live through life-threatening injuries should something get through the armor. Even an unprotected blow to the head that can kill you would be reduced in lethality thanks to the armor. It's not completely finished, but when it is…" Ashton trailed off, a little smile on his face as he saw Sun hanging onto his every word.

"Sounds pretty awesome!"

Ashton stiffened in surprise and Damien growled as a man stepped out from behind one of the pillars in the room, grinning at them. He was a handsome man with bright blonde hair and twinkling green eyes dressed in a silky blue pair of dress pants, with a black cloak covering his upper body. He wore a black fedora that was crooked slightly, though from the smarmy look on the man's face it was likely done on purpose.

"Who...are you?" Ashton asked, his voice low as he stepped forward, putting a hand on Sun's shoulder. The man opposite of them chuckled, tipping his hat to the trio ahead of him.

"Not a warm welcome, but...eh. I'll roll with it! The name's Dawson. The Dashing Rogue of Hoenn, at your service!" the strange man proclaimed as he bowed low to Sun and his father. Sun felt the grip on his shoulder tighten slightly, and Sun saw exactly why. A strange-looking pistol was attached to the Dawson's waist in a holster.

"Right. And why are you here?" Ashton asked the odd man, receiving a shrug in response.

"Well, I was supposed to chat with this Borlath guy about joining his crew, but apparently he's busy. So I'm just wandering around." Dawson replied as he flapped his cloak behind him.

"Well, this room is off-limits. How on earth did you get in here?" Ashton asked as Damien crouched low on the ground, ready to pounce given the command.

"Snagged a key-card off of a woman walking by with an absolutely lovely pair of tits. I could play the song of my people on them." Dawson remarked with a laugh as Ashton scoffed at the man's attitude.

"Well, he's certainly not down here. Now get the hell out of here before I call security, and give me back that key-card." Ashton commanded, receiving a shrug as the man flung the key-card at Ashton, who caught it in his hands with little effort.

"Fair enough. I'll be back sometime soon, then. Later folks." Dawson said as he sauntered out of the room, leaving a bewildered Sun and his father behind, with Damien still growling after the man.

"Sometimes...I truly do wonder how some people haven't been smacked upside the head more than they do in life." Ashton sighed as he crossed his arms, scowling now.

"Yeah, that guy was...Kind of a weirdo." Sun agreed with his father, thrown off by the odd man that had randomly shown up and had just as randomly wandered away.

"Agreed."

"So, who's Borlath?" Sun asked his father, who just laughed softly as he removed his child's hat and ruffled his son's hair again. Sun ducked away and snatched his hat away from his father, who grinned at him.

"A business partner of mine, but you'll likely never meet him. He's pretty busy himself nowadays. Now, let's grab some lunch with Laura and drop you off to her. I'll be in meetings for the rest of the day, and you're going to be really bored with them. Old man Verich's getting cranky and I'm not going to subject you to his tirades." Ashton said to Sun, who sighed but accepted this. If his father was telling him that this meeting would be boring for Sun, then it was going to be a boring one for his father as well. With that, the father and son walked down the halls and eventually out of the building, into the shining sunlight.

* * *

Sun, Hau and Lillie continued their trek to Wela Volcano Park, but had to stop on Route 7 due to how late in the day they had started moving. Thankfully, making camp was an easy matter of just finding a spot that wasn't in the main path. And thanks to their preparations at the Thrifty Megamart, dinner was a delicious and lively affair, with Hau being the center of attention thanks to his newborn Eevee.

Kaha was a bit shy at first, but warmed up to everyone easily enough. Sun kept his distance, but that didn't stop him from petting the little Eevee whenever it wondered near him. Baby steps, after all. He wasn't going to let what happened affect him forever.

After it's initial shyness, the Eevee became a constant source of entertainment for the trio of children, scampering around their legs and happily mewing as Hau pointed out things to the small Pokémon that usually was carried in Hau's arms. The trio of children were all smiles as they woke up the next morning, ready to confront the next of the Island Trials on their way. It took until about mid-afternoon before they reached the entrance to Wela Volcano Park, eyeing the beautiful ocean nearby that twinkled in the shining Alolan sun.

"We should do another beach day when we get the chance." Hau remarked as they watched the ocean from the path. Sun and Lillie nodded in agreement, the shimmering water looking very inviting as the heat of the afternoon smothered them.

Onwards our heroes marched...

* * *

"~Ooooh! We're halfway there! Ooooh! Eevee in my hair!~" Hau sang as Lillie and Sun burst into giggles. Kaha yipped happily from atop his father's head, wagging his tail happily as Duke and Cassy laughed from Hau's shoulders. Rotom happily popped out of Sun's backpack as they entered an area filled with dry grass and rocky terrain, the temperature noticeably going up as they walked past a sign telling them that they had entered the Wela Volcano Park.

"Man...Just when I thought I was kind of getting used to this heat, it somehow gets hotter." Sun muttered as he took his hat off, fanning himself. Nebby popped out of the bag with a cry and hopped into Lillie's arms, apparently just as much of a fan of the heat as Sun was. Lillie pulled out a bottle of water from her bag and gave Nebby a drink, her expression thoughtful.

"I'm glad I decided on one of my lighter dresses today. Still, maybe we should make our way straight to the top to meet with Kiawe." Lillie advised her friends, though Hau frowned at that.

"And pass up the chance to train with some of the Fire-types in the area? Not a chance. Sun, you're with me, right?" Hau asked his friend, who thought about it. While getting out of his heat would be nice, training up his team a bit more sounded even better. After all, the Island Trials were nothing to scoff at. They were tough, and Sun needed as much preparation as possible.

"It'll probably be late afternoon by the time we get to the top. Let's train a bit as we go. I'm sure there's Pokémon all over the place we can battle with. Maybe even a few Trainers." Sun said as he called out Oliver, Penny, and Brago. Lillie sighed in mock dismay, though she smiled regardless.

"Alright, team...So we're here at the Trial Site. Time for some last minute training." Sun said to his crew of Pokémon, receiving three eager cries. Hau rolled his eyes while Lillie giggled as Oliver hooted and launched himself into the air, darting towards the nearby tall grass.

"Razor Leaf! Draw some Pokémon out!" Sun commanded Oliver, who responded with a barrage of leaves that sliced through the grass. Several cries of anger rang out, and several bursts of fire shot out of the dry grass in response to Oliver's 'friendly greeting'. Four red Pokémon with long snouts emerged from the grass, eyeing Oliver with anger.

 _"Zzzt! Even if the attack wasn't very effective, it sure did rile them up. New Pokémon detected!"_ Rotom cried out as he floated ahead of Sun.

" _Magby. The Live Coal Pokémon. Many of these Pokémon can be seen in areas with volcanic activity. Feeding can get them so excited, they exhale flames of 1,100 degrees F. A famous potter lives with a Magby. Apparently its soft flames produce fine work."_ Rotom Dex explained as the furious quartet glared at Oliver before they unleashed a volley of Embers into the air at Oliver.

"Use Protect, Oliver! Brago, use Bite! Penny, hit them with Pluck!" Sun called to his Pokémon. Oliver created a shield to protect himself from the blasts of flame that were racing towards him, allowing Brago and Penny to make relatively short work of the Magby.

"Nice job you three. I wonder what else is in the area." Sun mused before he saw a strange black, grey and red-colored lizard emerge from the grass, looking at the trio of Sun's hungrily. Rotom spoke up again, facing the creature before turning to Sun.

" _Salandit. The Toxic Lizard Pokémon_. _Volcanoes or dry, craggy places are its home. It emanates a sweet-smelling poisonous gas that attracts bug Pokémon, then attacks them. It burns its bodily fluids to create a poisonous gas. When its enemies become disoriented from inhaling the gas, it attacks them."_ Rotom explained as the Salandit licked its lips before lunging at Penny. Oliver dove forward and slammed into the lizard without a command, knocking it back with a hiss. Penny charged forward and delivered a Pluck to the Salandit's chest, knocking it out.

"I've read about Salandit. They have a very interesting background. Apparently because of the pheromones the females can produce, Salandit can control male Pokémon and even people. However, I've also read that because of this and how the male Salandit are effected by this, male Salandit cannot evolve because they're usually weak and malnourished due to them giving all of their food to the female Salandits." Lillie explained as the Salandit rose to its feet, weakly crawling back into the grass.

"That's weird...But it sounds like a cool Pokémon. Definitely one to watch out for." Hau noted as he stroked Kaha's head, receiving a happy purring sound from the little Pokémon.

Sun continued to use his Pokémon to battle the local Pokémon in the area, which included another Pokémon that Sun actually recognized from Kanto. Cubone. Oliver would have to weaken any Cubone he saw and then allow Penny and Brago to finish it off so they would get experience from the battle. Thanks to this method, Sun's Pokémon began to level up rather quickly.

This ended when Oliver missed a Razor Leaf attack on a Cubone and the Lonely Pokémon let out an echoing cry. Oliver flinched and knocked out the Cubone with a Leafage at Sun's instruction, but the massive nearby roar made everyone flinch as a loud stomping sound filled the area. And then…

 _"Whelp! Lookzz like we've got company! And one maaaaad mama!"_ Rotom yelped as it hid behind Sun. The boy took as step back as a massive brown-colored beast carrying a smaller purple Pokémon in her front pouch stepped forward, eyeing the children and their Pokémon with rage.

"You would be the one that pisses off the Kangaskhan, Oliver." Sun sighed, smiling a little despite the situation.

"...trix."

The furious mother let out a bellow of fury as her fists glowed white, thrumming with power. Sun grinned as Oliver swooped low, awaiting a command. Sun held out a hand to Oliver and looked over at Brago and pointed the Growlithe forward.

"Standby, Oliver. Brago, let's take her on! Flame Wheel!" Sun called out to the dog, who nodded and leapt into the air and called forth his fire, spinning as a raging whirl of flames that slammed into the chest of the beast and made her stagger backwards. The Kangaskhan suddenly grabbed Brago before he could move and slammed him into the ground.

"Brago, use Ember and keep your distance!" Sun commanded the canine, who leapt backwards to dodge a Mega Punch and shot a burst of flames at the monster, receiving a scream of pain and anger from her. Lillie cringed at the roar while Hau let out a whoop, seeing the fierce battle on display as Brago ran around the area, firing off Embers while he kept his distance from the furious beast, though eventually she caught up with him. The Kangaskhan roared as its body burned red before it charged at Brago, smashing into the Growlithe and sending him crashing into the dirt. The Growlithe staggered to his feet with a growl, his eyes showing his refusal to allow the enemy to get the better of him.

"There we go, Brago! Now use Reversal!" Sun called to the canine, who's eyes glowed bright red as his body glowed a harsh red and white color. The dog rushed forward and slammed his head into the chest of the mother monster, receiving an anguished scream of pain from the beast and knocking her over and onto the ground, unconscious.

"There we go!" Sun called out with a wide grin. Brago landed on the ground with a fierce grin, his mouth frothing with flames. The dog barked as he suddenly discharged some of the flames from his mouth, blinking in surprise.

" _Zzzt! Sun, I think Brago just learned Fire Fang!...Zzzt! Actually, that'zz exactly what happened!"_ Rotom called to Sun, who just grinned as he bent down and pet Brago, receiving a sigh of contentment from the dog.

"Good work, Brago." Sun said to the canine, who looked back at Sun with a happy smile. Sun laughed softly before he looked at Penny and Oliver.

"I think Brago's earned a rest. You two, get back in there and show them what we're made of!" Sun said to his two birds. Oliver hooted and shot off like a bullet towards the grass while Penny followed at a more reasonable pace. Hau and Lillie both flinched as a chorus of wails and roars echoed from the area they were in as Penny dive-bombed into the grass while Oliver released Razor Leaf into the grass again and again, hooting joyfully as he repeatedly knocked out opponents.

"That owl is the absolute worst." Hau muttered, hugging Kaha. The Eevee mewed happily, eyeing the two birds with interest. Meanwhile, Cassy and Duke were watching Oliver with horror. That remembered vividly that Oliver was not only stronger than the two of them, but he also had a sadistic streak. They'd prefer to just stay out of his way, thank you very much.

"We're going to train up ahead. You wanna come, Lillie?" Hau asked his friend. Lillie glanced over at Sun, who seemed to be really into his training, and looked back at Hau.

"Sure. You're going to take your Trial first this time, right Hau?" Lillie asked. Hau nodded, and Lillie added, "Then maybe we can scout the area ahead? Maybe see if there's anyone around who could shed some light on what to expect."

"Nah, I don't think I'm gonna do that. It's more fun if I'm surprised, right?" Hau said cheerfully as he walked ahead. "Yo Sun! I'm going to train up ahead while Lillie watches Kaha for me. You cool to stay back here?"

Sun grinned at his friend and gave him a thumbs up as he continued to apply Potion to Brago's injuries. Hau chuckled and walked alongside Lillie was Kaha wriggled out of Hau's grip and landed on the ground, bounding ahead.

"Jeez, little guy! It's dangerous around here!" Hau yelped as he ran after the infant Eevee, pushing past a young woman standing next to a cave entrance that led into the side of the rocky bluff. Lillie followed as quickly as she could, huffing as Nebby floated happily alongside her.

Hau scooped up Kaha right before the end of the tunnel opened up, and looked at the Eevee in his arms. "You really need to be careful. You're only a day old, little guy. You can't be running around on your own yet!"

Cassy and Duke added in their two cents by informing the child that the area was dangerous for a child like him, to which the Eevee cocked his head in confusion before yipping and nuzzling Hau's neck. The boy laughed softly and pet Kaha, hugging the little Pokémon against his chest.

Hau sighed, smiling despite himself. "Man, you're a troublemaker. But you're just a baby, so that makes sense. You really don't know any better, but that's okay. I'll just keep a close eye on you when you want to play. That's all!"

"Hau...can we...take a break?" Lillie asked as she hunched over, panting as she wiped her sweaty face, her hair becoming slightly more frazzled. Hau shrugged and sat down on top of a nearby rock as Lillie joined him, with the two friends drinking water and making sure their Pokémon stayed hydrated as well. Hau pulled out his Pokémon Refresh and began grooming Kaha, Duke, and Cassy. As he ran a comb through Kaha, the little Eevee sighed with pleasure.

"There we go...You like that, don't you Kaha?" Hau asked with a giggle, though he blinked when he heard snoring from his lap. "Maybe a little too much. Poor thing's tired out."

"Remember Hau, he's just a baby. He'll need a lot of sleep for a good while. From what I learned back home, some Pokémon are able to battle even after just hatching, but others require a bit of time before they should fight anything. It just depends on each Pokémon. Though I would do a check of what moves Kaha can use." Lillie suggested to Hau, who pulled out his Pokédex and scanned the Eevee.

"Huh. Nothing out of the ordinary, except that Kaha knows the move Detect. That'd actually help him out a whole lot, no matter what he evolves into later." Hau remarked quietly as he stroked Kaha's back. The two friends sat there and quietly talked while Kaha took his nap. Eventually the Eevee woke up and began to play with Cassy, Nebby and Duke under Hau and Lillie's watchful eye. Hau decided that he'd train later, seeing as how everyone was having fun playing around.

Sun eventually joined them, looking a bit worse for wear and sporting a burn on his left hand. With that, the trio had lunch of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, which resulted in much hilarity when Brago got his mouth stuck thanks to the sticky substance. After more time than Sun would have liked, Brago got his mouth free and was forced to wash his mouth out with water to flush the substance out…

Only for him to get his jaw stuck again two minutes later when Lillie fed Brago a chunk of her sandwich.

After even more time, the group set off again. Sun found a TM for the move Rock Tomb, which wasn't really of use to him right now, so he just pocketed it for later use. Sun and Hau battled against a few of the Trainers and Trial-goers training on the volcano, with Lillie cheering them on. Needless to say the two boy's managed to defeat everyone in their path. Sun even collected another Zygarde Cell along the way.

That wasn't to say that they spent the entire time battling. The trio of friends chatted about recent topics as well. Such as what the strange Commander Jack was up to and whether or not Professor Kukui and Crasher Wake were college friends or something. They also discussed Cipher and Pokémon in Alola and even what sort of places they wanted to visit when they arrived at their next city or town.

Sun took pictures of a flock of Fletchlings as they soared overhead, chirping happily as they rose higher into the air. The Kanto-native smiled as he observed a Charizard napping on a nearby rock, a saddle on its back.

"A Ride Pokémon, maybe? So cool." Sun mused aloud as Rotom buzzed beside him.

" _Zzzt!_ _Flying on Charizard is one of the most popular wayzz to get around in Alola. They may be one of the Starter Pokémon of Kanto, but here in Alola they've certainly made their mark. There's not a whole lot them in Alola, however, but there'zz loads of other cool ways to fly around in the skiezzz! Like on Garchomp or Pelipper!"_ Rotom explained as the Charizard's eyes flicked open. The draconic Pokémon snorted, a burst of flames erupting from its nostrils, before the Flame Pokémon returned to its nap.

"Charizard may be cool, but I've already got a Fire-type that's way cooler." Sun said with a grin as he looked over at Brago as the Growlithe smashed into a Magby and knocked it out with Reversal.

 _"Yep! All of your Pokémon are pretty interesting characterzz, zzt! And that includezz me!"_ Rotom cheered as it zoomed around Sun. Sun grinned and held out his hand and the Rotom Dex gave Sun a high-five in response.

Soon enough, however, the trio and their Pokémon arrived at the summit of the volcano, where the Trial Gate stood tall as the sun began to set on Alola. Sun and Hau healed both of their teams up and returned them, and watched the path for a few moments before they turned to each other.

"Good luck, man. Show them what you're made of." Sun said to his friend, extending his fist out. Hau tapped it with a wide grin before he looked at Lillie.

"Keep him out of trouble while I'm gone, alright?" Hau said with a teasing smile to his friend. Lillie laughed in response as Nebby flailed happily in her arms. With that, Hau began his trek to the top of the path ahead, where Kiawe awaited him.

"I guess we'll just have to wait here for him." Sun said as he sat down on the ground. Lillie nodded and silently joined him, hoping the ground wouldn't stain her dress. To Lillie's surprise, Sun called out all three of his Pokémon again.

"Alright, you three. I have no idea what to expect, but this is the Fire Trial. Meaning we need to strategize. We don't have a clear advantage over this one. If anything, we're at a disadvantage since Brago's fire won't do much and Oliver is weak to fire. Meaning it'll come down to Penny doing a lot of the work." Sun said to his Pokémon, with Penny nodding nodding once, a gleam in her eyes. Sun knew the Trumbeak was very driven to prove herself to him, and knew that she wouldn't let him down. He knew none of his Pokémon would.

"So...here's my plan." Sun said to the three assembled Pokémon, who listened to his plan with rapt attention. Lillie couldn't help but be impressed at the level of trust Sun's Pokémon had in him. Whether it was seeing the emotion in Penny's eyes, the firm nod Brago gave as Sun relayed his plan, or Oliver's surprised but accepting expression as Sun told him his role in the upcoming showdown. Each of them had the utmost faith in their Trainer, that he would lead them to victory. And Sun's plan was quite well thought out. It took the better part of an hour for Sun to explain everything, and he switched around a few items on his Pokémon's Attachment Collars as well. Oliver was given the Normalium Z while Penny received a Sharp Beak, which increased the strength of Flying-type moves. Brago kept his Amulet Coin.

Sun returned his Pokémon and leaned back, satisfied with his planning. He was confident in his Pokémon and in his strategies, and knew that the only thing left was to get up to the summit and defeat the beast that awaited him. He was knocked out of his thoughts when he was wrapped up in a fierce hug. Sun felt a burst of warmth in his chest that had nothing to do with the volcano he was currently on.

"Lillie?"

"S-sorry, Sun...um, should I-"

"N-no, it's fine. Just...surprised me, is all."

"I'm trying to work on being more friendly with the people I care about. More expressive...I want to be strong, Sun. I want to prove that I'm better than what others think of me. That I can stand against my weaknesses and be better." Lillie explained as she moved away from him, frowning as she looked off in the distance. Sun understood what his friend was talking about. When he had first met Lillie, the girl was much more reserved and shy than she was now.

At times, Sun felt like he was just looking at a reflection of who the girl really was. It was hard to explain and he didn't really understand it himself, but he knew that Lillie was strong and would work out her shortcomings, whatever she though they were.

"Alright. Well, I'm pretty proud to have you as my friend. And if you want to improve yourself, then go for it. I'll be cheering you on the whole way." Sun said with a grin as Lillie looked back at him, blushing despite herself.

" _I don't understand. What does he see in me? How does he believe in me more than I ever have believed in myself? I don't...I don't deserve to be his friend. I don't deserve any of this…"_ Lillie thought as she looked away from Sun. Suddenly she felt arms around her stomach, making her squeak in surprise.

"Nope. If anyone's going to be gloomy around here, it's me. And you all have been trying to get me to stop doing that, so I'm not letting you be sad either." Sun said to Lillie, who relaxed after a moment and shut her eyes with a soft sigh. She truly did love getting hugs from Sun. There was just something special about being embraced by him that just made her heart flutter with joy and-

"Seriously?"

Hau's voice snapped Lillie out of her reverie and she scooted away from Sun, who was blushing much like she was. Hau was smiling at them, though he seemed to be forcing it slightly. Kaha barked out from atop the cheerful boy's head, happy as could be.

"Why is it every time you too are alone, you're hugging? Or cuddling. Or...actually, I'm gonna stop right there because I'll probably regret the tangent my mind will go on." Hau remarked as he dug his hand out of his pocket and flashed his newest Z-Crystal.

"Nice!" Sun said to his friend, grinning at him.

"Well done, Hau! I bet Kahuna Hala would be so proud of you if he was here right now!" Lillie praised Hau, who blushed bright pink and laughed as he stowed the precious gem in his pocket.

"Man, Kiawe and that Totem made me work for it. Kaha liked seeing his big brother and big sister battle, though. Little guy looked like he was ready to jump in!" Hau laughed as the Eevee on his head squirmed and cried out, happy as can be.

"Any idea when Kiawe will be ready for me?" Sun asked his friend, receiving a wide grin in response.

"Right now. Kiawe made me wait until he had everything set up again before heading back down. Go get 'em, Sunshine." Hau said to his friend, extending a hand to him. Sun clasped his friend's hand and was pulled to his feet.

"See you in a bit Lillie. Make sure Hau doesn't fall off the volcano while I'm gone, okay?" Sun said to the girl, who put a finger to her chin thoughtfully.

"Are you sure I can't push him off of it and make it seem like an accident?" Lillie asked Sun.

"Nah, it's not worth the paperwork."

"...You know, I'd respond to that, but I have a baby Eevee I can keep playing with. So I'm gonna do that."

"And I'll watch. You being a daddy to Kaha is so adorable. I've got to send some pictures of you playing with Kaha to Mallow and Lana. They'd love them." Lillie said with a small laugh as she looked over to Sun. "Good luck, and do your best!"

Sun nodded and turned around, facing the massive slope ahead, wondering just what was ahead. Hau had already bested the Trial, and now he was next. Could he overcome it like the others? Or would this one prove too much for him?

"Alright...Let's do this." Sun said as he adjusted his hat and walked up the slope, where Kiawe was waiting for him with a smirk on his face and fire in his eyes, ready to see the power and heart of this newest challenger for himself.

* * *

"Welcome back to Lavender Town, Mister Dawson. How was your flight back to Kanto?"

"Not bad. Kinda odd we're meeting here instead of the Celadon or Pallet Town bases, but...eh. So where's Borlath?"

"He's out at the moment. Miss Amber is waiting for you in the first floor conference room. She'll be your guide until Mister Borlath returns from his business in town." The woman at the front counter said to the Dashing Rogue of Hoenn, who was dressed in his finest red outfit and black cloak. The man flashed the woman a smile and walked ahead, showing his ID to the security guards in the lobby.

Getting to his destination was easy, though Dawson was unprepared for the beauty that awaited him in the conference room. Tall, gorgeous, and with way more weapons on her person than he could count.

Score.

"So, you're the famous Amber Fontaine." Dawson remarked as the woman looked over at him with a bored expression on her face. Clearly the Admin wasn't happy that her current task was guiding the new guy around.

"Charles Dawson, I presume?" Amber asked the man, who showed her his card.

"Yeah. And you're Amber Fontaine. I guess I made more of an impression on Cipher than I thought, if they're sending the Angel of Death to greet me after all this time away." Dawson said to Amber, receiving a dull look in response.

"First off. Don't bother with the cutsy shit. I am _not_ interested. Now if you're done being stupid, I'll show you around. Borlath will be back soon and he's going to interview you himself, along with Greevil and a few others."

"Will you be there?" Dawson asked with a winning grin. Amber scoffed and walked away, her hand resting on the dagger at her belt.

"I'll take that as a yes." Dawson said as he jogged after the woman. The assassin and the rogue made their way through the facility, and all the while Dawson's mind was racing. He had been looking into the secretive crime syndicate known as Cipher for nearly a year now, and was astounded by the overwhelming amount of wealth, power, and technology they had. It was no small wonder how they had come to acquire such a feared name, nowadays. Dawson wondered how he had caught their eye all the way in Hoenn.

Perhaps it was because, despite his at times ridiculous demeanor, Dawson was a thinker at heart. He contemplated and schemed and just...thought. And he wanted to know more. His ever-growing curiosity was his best trait, in his own opinion, and maybe that was what led him to meeting Borlath and joining Cipher as their newest Admin.

"So, what all do you know about me?" Dawson asked Amber as they exited one of the many 'secret' rooms within the base they were in.

"You're the best bounty hunter in Hoenn and you're wanted in three regions. That said, you're really not that great of a Trainer in your own right. You've never even completed a Gym Leader circuit, but that hasn't stopped you from pulling off some things that give me reason to believe you're not a total fool." Amber replied smoothly as they walked down the hallway.

"Huh. Interesting. Well, I'm no fool. A bit of a dick, yes. But not a fool. Anyways, I've definitely heard a lot about you, Amber." Dawson replied as he adjusted his hat so it was slightly crooked.

"Likely all horrifying." Amber replied as Dawson smirked in response.

"To the weak-hearted, yes. To me, not so much. I'll admit, if I didn't know already that you could kill me right now, I'd blow out your brains and collect the fortune of a bounty on your head." Dawson admitted, with Amber rolling her eyes in response.

"Go ahead and try. I've got little to no humanity left and what little of it I do have is burned away with each passing day as more and more sin weighs down on me. Living nowadays is an absolutely misery to me." Amber replied with a note of bitterness in her voice, making Dawson raise an eyebrow.

"How so?"

Amber stopped and turned towards the bounty hunter, giving him a cold look. But he could see it in her eyes, and knew she was speaking the truth.

"No happiness. No joy. Nothing. The only thing that brings me any satisfaction is killing. Suffering. Bloodshed. And that's only because…" Amber grit her teeth and whirled around, stalking away. Dawson ran to catch up with her.

"One way or another, I'll keep fighting because it's all I can do now." Amber said quietly, her grip tightening on her blade. Dawson's mind raced with the implications of what she had said, and wondered what sort of hell had she been through to make her think like this. Or turn her into such a horrible person? Maybe she was born this way?

"Hmm...Mind if I ask you another question? Besides this, of course." Dawson said to Amber, who shrugged as she walked ahead of him.

"Why do you fight at all?" Dawson asked Amber, who cast a glance back at him. "So much bloodshed. So much suffering. You yourself have admitted that you're only killing what little humanity you have left in your heart, even if it's the only thing that brings you satisfaction. Why do you keep going?"

"Why…" Amber said quietly, looking away. The assassin offered the rogue a shrug, looking back at him. "Because of Borlath, honestly. I owe him a life debt. I promised that I would help his dreams become reality, no matter what. And so I fight. I kill. I sabotage. I'd burn down the world and kill the gods themselves if he asked me too."

"So he means a lot to you? Even when you're as broken as you claim to be?" Dawson asked Amber, receiving a nod in response. "That's nice. Horrifying in a way, but nice."

"Not really, but I don't think that'll change your mindset." Amber said, increasing the speed of her walking. Dawson had to put effort into keeping pace with the assassin now.

"You don't like talking about your past, do you?"

"Not really. I've already said far too much, and it doesn't concern you, anyway. You're here because you're competent, you can actually fight, and most importantly because Borlath sees potential in you." Amber replied curtly to Dawson, who simply raised an eyebrow.

"Odd that Borlath makes that decision, when it's Grand Master Greevil who's in charge. Borlath seems to be doing an awful lot of the big things around here too...He ruined Unova, orchestrated the downfall of Wes, and is spearheading the efforts of the Umbral Project. So where does Greevil fit in here?"

"He leads us."

"And...that's it?"

"Yes."

Dawson stopped where he stood, and it took several steps before Amber did the same, glancing behind her to see the cloaked man eyeing her with a guarded expression. For a cheerful rogue, he was certainly much more intelligent than he let on. Amber realized then and there exactly why Borlath had chosen Dawson like he had chosen her. Dawson's next remark confirmed her suspicions.

"So that leaves me with one question...Who's _really_ running the show, here?" Dawson asked Amber, who simply smiled at the man before a blur of silver was sent hurling his way. Dawson reacted just as quickly, ripping his pistol free from his jacket and blasting the throwing knife out of the air. Amber lowered her hand, though her other was holding a silver pistol aimed at Dawson's heart. Both of them could hear the sound of pounding footsteps, racing to their location, but the two ignored them.

"Good reaction time. A lesser man wouldn't have been able to counter that." Amber said to Dawson, who just scowled at her.

"So, that's how it is. A power struggle…a clash of ideals?" Dawson whispered, his eyes widening in realization. The man then smirked and stowed his weapon, with Amber doing the same a moment later. The Dashing Rogue put a hand on his hip and said, "Well played, Miss Fontaine. If this is what I've signed up for, then let's have at it. One way or another, we'll change this world with shadows and blood."

Amber offered a sharp grin that held no mirth, only an eagerness of what was to come. "Naturally. And it seems that we've got company."

"So...You two met." Dawson whirled around and saw a large, powerfully built man with mismatched eyes (red and blue respectively). His long black hair was tied in a ponytail, and he was watching them with a sense of faint amusement.

"Yep. Looks like this whole show is something I'm definitely interested in being a part of. I'll admit to being confused on some things, but I'll figure it out. I always do." Dawson replied with a cheery grin, receiving a small smile from Borlath.

"And that's why I recruited you. I imagine if I sent you and Amber out on a mission together, the two of you would be quite the force to be reckoned with. But that's quite some time away from now, and we have other matters to deal with. Grand Master Greevil has requested that we meet with him and the others to discuss your place within our group. He's running a little late, so we'll have to wait a bit when we get upstairs." Borlath said to Dawson and Amber.

"For a Grand Master, he doesn't seem to be on top of the ball." Dawson remarked, earning a frown from Borlath.

"He does his best, given his circumstances. Just remember that he's the one in charge, and that you're not to talk to him as casually as you normally do with people. Greevil's temper is something to be feared." Borlath said to Dawson, receiving a casual shrug in response.

"I mean, I'm kind of a dick regardless. But whatever. I'll work with it." Dawson replied to the Senior Admin, who gave stared at him before remembering that there was a squad of grunts aiming weapons at Dawson and Amber.

"Stand down. Return to your posts." The grunts scattered at the Senior Admin's orders, leaving the three of them standing there in the hallway.

Dawson grinned at Borlath and said, "So, Borlath. Amber here told me her reason for this mess...How about you?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Why join Cipher? You weren't one of the ones who was here in the beginning, like Venus or Dakim. You joined Cipher later. So why do it? You know why I joined. But I never got around to asking you the same question, Borlath. Why do you fight?" Dawson said cheerily, grinning at the man in the white suit that had commanded so much respect. Even the respect of a monster like Amber.

The tall man leveled his gaze as Dawson, who regarded the Dashing Rogue that was staring back at him with no fear, only eagerness. Borlath shut his eyes for a moment, sighing deeply. When he opened his eyes, one of them was green while the other was blue, but both were filled weariness, but also a glimmer of determination that was stronger than any Dawson had seen in his entire life. "To change the world and become the darkness...That is why I fight. Now the both of you, follow me. After Dawson's interview, we have work to do."

"What happened?" Amber asked Borlath, who scowled in response.

"We've received confirmation that the Kanto Champion, Lance, has taken out one of our outposts. Greevil plans on giving him a taste of his own medicine, and has ordered me to ensure that Lance regrets his act of aggression." Borlath said before he walked past them, with Amber following behind the Senior Admin. Dawson stood there for a moment, smiling to himself as he shoved his hands into his pockets.

"Change the world? Become the darkness? My, my...What have I gotten myself into?" Dawson murmured as he began to walk down the hallway after the two other Admins, wondering just where Cipher's destructive path of carnage would lead him.


	50. Fire Trial! A Flurry of Dancing Flames!

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 ** _Note (2/24/2018) This chapter has been re-uploaded, due to this site having some serious problems this week and notifications being all out of wack. The next chapter, the Totem Battle, will be up tomorrow._**

* * *

 _Yes, the title of this chapter is a Kingdom Hearts reference. Yes, I am beyond excited for Kingdom Hearts III. And yes, I'm a complete ass._

 _Woo! Chapter 50, and we are officially a quarter of the way done with this story! Hehe, yeah, I have a lot more fun stuff in store for you all. But I'd like to thank you all for sticking with me nonsense up to this point in the story, and I hope you all continue to stick with me for many more chapters to come!_

 _Shoutout to those who reviewed last chapter, which includes Madame Rodoshe, Cottonmouth25, Angelfir3, BraviaryScout, SonicIKE, hafizsyaraf5, Gokan123, AncientHero2000, Sai Og Sus, and DarkestShade73. Thank you all so much for the support!_

 _I'll admit, I was worried with how to do this Trial, because of how short it is in the game._ _I_ s _houldn't have worried, because I had more fun doing this Trial than I did with Lana's Trial and got a lot out of it._

 _That Totem Battle, however, was more of a bitch than I thought it'd be, so a realistic account of it would be no fun to read. So I got creative and decided to just wing it and make it awesome. You'll see what I mean next chapter._

 _And for those who are wondering about the thing with Gretel, the Dusknoir, I apologize. I meant to explain it last chapter but I completely forgot about it. I'll have it explained next chapter, I promise._

 _Anyways, here's the chapter. Got something special at the end to announce, but until that time…_

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 _Chapter 50: Fire Trial! A Flurry of Dancing Flames!_

* * *

 _Route 8_

* * *

Gladion sighed as he continued his trek, the moon illuminating his path as the ocean crashed and roared below the cliffs. Type: Null padded alongside him while his Zubat landed on his shoulder, chattering softly.

"Beat the Fire Trial...but I can't get that loss to Hau out of my head. How could I lose to such a idiot?" Gladion murmured, his hand traveling to his arm unconsciously and gripping it. Pain lanced up his arm and the teen grimaced in response.

"I have to do better." Gladion stated as he stopped in his tracks, shutting his eyes. Null groaned in response from beside Gladion, nudging his arm. Gladion opened his eyes and looked skyward, in thought.

"That other boy, though...Sun. He understands. He knows the suffering that I go through every single day. He's strong too. Maybe he can help me stop mother before it's too late…" Gladion said aloud before scowling, clenching his fists.

"No. I shouldn't involve anyone else. With how mother is now, they'd just end up getting hurt. I have to do this with just me and Null." Gladion said firmly before his Zubat made a disapproving noise in his ear, making him flinch.

"Sorry, Zubat. I'm...still not used to having another Pokémon with me." Gladion apologized, reaching up and scratching the small bat on the head, his eyes landing on the faded scar on the left wing of the bat Pokémon.

"It was supposed to be just me and Null against the world...but then I found you, and couldn't let you just die out there. You know? A Zubat with a broken wing in the wild wouldn't have survived long. Hell, most Pokémon with injuries that severe don't last long in general. I know that well, after all those years at the Paradise." Gladion muttered to the bat as he stroked its head, recovering a pleased cry from the bat.

"I'll protect you. Together, the three of us will become strong. And we'll take back the Aether Paradise and save Mother!" Gladion vowed softly, shutting his eyes and willing back the torrent of emotion he was feeling right then. Gladion received a growl from Type: Null and a hiss from his Zubat, both of which were enough support to get a smile out of Gladion. It was moments like this that helped make the terrible loneliness bearable.

Gladion then yelled out as a loud ringing echoed out on the silent road he was traveling on. After a moment of calming himself, he realized it was just his phone. With a calming sigh, he pulled out the device and studied it, seeing that it was an unknown number calling him. With a scowl, he answered it.

"Yes?"

"Gladion! How's it going? Wait, crap, did I wake you up?"

"...Demi?" Gladion muttered, recognizing the girl's voice after a few moments. This earned him a laugh from the other side of the phone.

"Yeah! I finally got a new phone, so I decide to add a bunch of numbers in. Kayla gave me your number so I can chat with you now! I can even do video chats!" Demi said happily from the other side of the phone. With a beep, Gladion pulled the phone away from his face and saw Demi grinning at him from what looked like the Pokémon Center back in Po Town. Oddly enough, she wasn't wearing any of the Team Skull gear that he had expected her to be wearing. She was wearing a dark red sundress now, with a Quilava napping just within the range of the camera. She seemed to be in much better spirits than the last time he had seen her.

As if noticing Gladion's confusion, Demi explained. "Apparently we have to wait for Plumeria to get back to the Town before I can officially join up. She'll be showing up sometime soon, so it's not a total drag or anything."

"I see...so why are you calling me?" Gladion asked, trying not to overly sound rude as he turned on his own video chat, allowing Demi to see the cautious expression on his face. Despite that, he was genuinely curious.

Demi shrugged and said, "It's been a little while since we talked and I was curious on how you were doing. I heard you fought at the Battle Royal!"

"Against your friends, Sun and Hau. That smiling moron got the better of me after him and Sun double-teamed me, but that won't happen next time." Gladion said with an annoyed sigh. Demi frowned at the teen's remark.

"Hau isn't a moron. He's really nice and a great friend. But, um, I don't know if I can call us friends anymore, after what happened…" Demi trailed off, looking away with a guilty expression on her face. Gladion had put the pieces together after learning Sun and Hau were the friends that Demi had lashed out at. Privately, he didn't think she acted too out of line. Trying to downplay something as horrific as losing your starter Pokémon...Gladion would have done a lot more than punch someone if something like that happened to him. He was looking forward to putting Hau in his place the next time they met.

"Then don't. I've met the guy and I don't think he's capable of taking anything seriously."

"Maybe...But even though he did that to me, he was just trying to calm me down. He's a really nice guy. Hell, I was planning on going on a date with him after the Water Trial, but we all know how that went." Demi said bitterly, looking down. Gladion felt a twinge of annoyance in him he couldn't identify, but ignored it as he noticed the cheerful girl on the screen suddenly become downcast.

"So how've you been holding up?" Gladion asked, making Demi look up in surprise. Gladion figured just keeping the girl occupied would keep her from dwelling on what befell Feya. She didn't need to think about that right now.

"Um...okay, I guess. Team Skull has been helping me get my mind off of it and being around people who grew up like me or experienced some of the same things I have really helps. But I'm still...struggling. I'll get through it. Somehow." Demi said quietly, offering Gladion a weak smile. Demi jumped in surprise as her Quilava suddenly hopped into view, letting out a cry.

"You'll be fine. You're not the first person to go through something like that and you won't be the last-" Gladion began to say, but Demi cut him off.

"But it shouldn't be like that though! Why _can't_ I be the last!? These stupid Trails are so dangerous and mean so much to everyone that it just tears families and communities apart if you're not totally committed to it!" Demi practically shouted, fire in her eyes.

"Then use that fire and channel it into resolve to change the system. You're with Team Skull now, people who want to destroy the Island Challenge and what it stands for. Use your anger and pain and change things so that no one else has to suffer." Gladion said to the other teen, who shut her eyes for a few moments before she opened them again, smiling a little.

"I will...I'll show them all. Thanks by the way. For everything, Gladion." Demi said sincerely, to which Gladion scoffed.

"I did what anyone with half a heart would do. Don't thank me." Gladion said, brushing aside the girl's thanks. Demi stuck her tongue out at Gladion, who nearly smirked in amusement at the girl's childish antics. He was about to respond, however, when Type: Null growled beside him. Gladion's eyes looked away from the phone in his hands and he noticed a man standing in the middle of the road in front of him, watching him with a small smile. Gladion stopped in his tracks, noticing that they were close to one of the Aether Foundation's many mobile labs, and regarded the man with suspicion.

"You there! Greetings!" the man called to him, tapping away at what looked like a data-pad in his hands.

"Uh, hey. Is everything okay?" Demi asked, concerned.

"I'll call you back." Gladion replied, hanging up the call and staring down the strange man standing about twenty yards away from him. He had blond hair with a blue cowlick and yellow eyes, with glasses covering them. He wore a thick grey coat around his body while machinery was on his arms, his lips curved into an amused smile as he spoke.

"Good evening. I'm sorry to bother you, but I couldn't help but notice that you have quite the interesting Pokémon beside you." The man remarked as Gladion took a step back, scowling at him.

"So what if it is? Null's one of a kind!" Gladion barked at the man.

"Indeed. Definitely not natural, that's for sure. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Introductions haven't even been made! My name is Colress. I'm a scientist." The man said politely to Gladion, who shifted his stance to a more neutral one.

"I'm Gladion. This is Type: Null. We're on a mission to become stronger by any means necessary." Gladion said to Colress, receiving a slightly raised eyebrow in response.

"Really? Well, I happen to be researching how to bring about the greatest potential in Pokémon. My quest has led me here, to Alola, where the connection between Trainer and Pokémon seems to run very deep. And I can tell by how that Pokémon is crouched in front of you that it cares for you. But answer me this, Gladion...How much do you really know about that creature?" Colress asked Gladion, who looked down in thought.

" _I… Honestly, I don't know a whole lot about Null. Just some of the data I managed to make sense of on Faba's computers before I ran away."_ Gladion thought as he clenched his fists, thinking about what had been done to the monster beside him.

"I believe I have my answer. Well, Gladion, I have a proposition for you." Colress said to the young Trainer, receiving a surprised look in response.

"And what would that be?" Gladion asked the man. His tone made it obvious he didn't trust Colress one bit, however. Colress picked up on that and chuckled softly in response.

"Cautious? Hmm...Smart. Regardless, I'd like to learn more about that creature beside you. The facility behind me is one loaned to me by the Aether Foundation, who will soon be assisting me with another project. Along with my own devices and the help of the facility beside us, I believe I could help uncover some of the secrets that the Pokémon beside you holds. That would not only satisfy my own curiosity, but perhaps also help you on your quest to become stronger. After all...My leading theory is that the bond one shares with their Pokémon leads to true strength."

"Bond?" Gladion repeated.

"Yes. I have been researching what truly brings out the true strength of Pokémon. Is it the power of science? Cruelty that pushes Pokémon to their greatest limit? The Shadow experiments that Cipher utilizes? Or is it something much more simple? Trust and love, and the strength of the bond that one shares with their Pokémon? That is the aim of my research, young man. To bring out the greatest power of Pokémon! And I'd like to ask you to help me." Colress said as he adjusted his glasses, which beeped quietly and made Colress' eyes widen in surprise.

"Especially if you're going to confront those you wish to...after all, your mother is quite strong, Gladion." Colress said to the young man, who gasped and jumped back, throwing out his hand.

"Null, attack!" Gladion barked out. Type: Null roared in response and charged at Colress, who offered Gladion a small smile before the man suddenly vanished from sight.

"Foolish, but amusing..." Colress remarked, his voice echoing around the teen.

"W-what!? Where did he go?" Gladion growled, thrown off by the disappearance of the strange scientist. His question was answered by a strange ringing sound from behind him. Gladion whirled around and saw that Colress was now standing several feet away, holding a Poké Ball in his hand.

"If it's a battle you want, it's a battle you'll get. I myself have been attempting to foster a relationship of trust and compassion with a Pokémon on my team. To bring out her greatest potential! She has opened up to me, despite the abuse she has suffered at the hands of her previous Trainer. Dusk...Please help this young man understand." Colress said as he called forth his Absol. The Absol crouched low on the ground, a shudder running through her as she stared down Type: Null and Zubat, as well as the fierce teen who commanded them.

"Zubat, use Wing Attack! Null, Aerial Ace!" Gladion yelled as he threw out his hand. Both Pokémon rushed forward as Colress chuckled softly.

"Dusk, use Night Slash on Type: Null once it hits you. Follow up with Dark Pulse on his Zubat." Colress ordered calmly, his smile widening as his Absol prepared herself. Type: Null was suddenly upon her, slamming into the Disaster Pokémon with a savage roar. Dusk skidded across the asphalt with a grunt, but managed to duck as Gladion's Zubat swept past her with its Wing Attack.

 _"Sorry about this!"_ Dusk yelled out as she charged forward, leaping into the air as her claws glowed jet black and grew an additional foot in length.

"Dodge!" Gladion barked, but the beast was too slow to move and the attack struck the monster, sending it crashing senseless to the ground. Gladion's eyes widened in shock at his partner going down in just one hit. Dusk landed on the ground, her eyes wide as a smile appeared on her face.

 _"I did it? I...I did it!"_ Dusk said as she looked back at Colress, who was smiling at his Absol.

"Well done. You've made so much progress, Dusk!" Colress praised the Asbol, who looked back at her Trainer and grinned at him.

 _"I'm...I'm so glad, Master. It's thanks to your faith that I finally managed to get strong. That I finally believe in the strength you told me I had all along."_ Dusk replied, her voice filled with joy. Gladion grit his teeth and clenched his fists, even as his Zubat rushed towards the distracted Absol and smacked her in the head with Wing Attack.

"Ah, but just because you have come far, Dusk, doesn't mean you can let your guard down. Dark Pulse." Colress commanded calmly, with Dusk nodding sharply and leaping towards the Zubat flapping away. Needless to say, the Zubat was easily shot down with Dark Pulse and plummeted to the ground, with Gladion leaping into the air and catching his falling Pokémon with a gasp.

"Damn it...Still too weak. I'm sorry, you two...This was a fight I shouldn't have started." Gladion whispered as he stepped over to Type: Null, gritting his teeth as guilt bubbled in his chest. Gladion started as Colress began speaking again.

"You have a lot of spirit, but that isn't enough. Especially if you want to accomplish your goals. Trust me, I know. You have to understand what you fight for, and recognize that there are other ways to succeed in what you desire. Take it from the man who unleashed hell on Unova for the pursuit of science, and was stopped by a mere child." Colress explained with a small smile as Gladion crouched beside Type: Null, open worry on his face. Gladion looked up at Colress and glared at him, but he received a wider smile in response.

"Now...would be willing to consider assisting me now? I could even make a deal out of it. Make this exchange worth your while, as they say." Colress said to Gladion as he applied a Revive to his fallen two Pokémon.

"A deal?" Gladion asked, wary.

"You allow me to study that creature and perhaps unlock some of the mysteries behind it. No harm done to it and I'll share all my findings with you and no one else. This is simply for my own interest. In return, I can give you and your team the gift of communication." Colress said, gesturing to Dusk and the collar she wore.

"You mean that collar...is that how your Absol can speak?" Gladion asked, amazed that such technology existed. He had heard rumors of such a thing in another region, but to see it firsthand was incredible.

"Yes. With this collar, you would be able to understand your Pokémon and have a closer bond with them, which would in turn strengthen the bond you share with them. At least, that's what I believe. So, do we have a deal?" Colress said to the teen, extending a hand to the young man. Gladion regarded Type: Null and Zubat for a moment, his mind racing, but decided fairly quickly. Gladion stood and walked over to Colress, staring down the man before reaching forward and shaking the scientist's hand.

"You have a deal. So, what first?" Gladion asked the scientist, wondering just what kind of secrets they would uncover about the mysterious creature he called his partner.

* * *

Wela Volcano Park

Totem's Den

* * *

"I am Kiawe." The Captain said to Sun as the boy stood before him, the moon shining down upon them as the last glimpse of the sun died in the sky, revealing night to Alola. The Kanto boy was grinning at Kiawe in excitement, ready to confront whatever challenges were in store for him.

"My Marowak and I are students of the ancient dances that have been passed down in Alola for generations." Kiawe continued, crossing his arms. "You are not native to this islands, Sun, but from what I understand you have embraced our people and culture with open arms."

"Yeah. Alola's a pretty incredible place and I want to experience everything I can with my friends and my Pokémon. And...Maybe become a stronger person in the process. This is my home now, you know?" Sun said to the Captain, who nodded in understanding.

"Yes. Your friend Hau said much of the same. He mentioned you had come to Alola after some pretty tough times in Kanto. I hope Alola has been good to you." Kiawe said to the younger Trainer.

"Manaʻo wau ...ʻo kēia kahi aʻu e pili nei." Sun replied to Kiawe, who chuckled softly.

"He hauʻoli e lohe, e ke keiki'ōpio." Kiawe said to Sun, who got confused. "That means that I'm glad to hear that, young Trainer. I'm glad you feel like this is a place where you belong."

"Now, the Trial of Kiawe, the Fire Captain...You will find that it is a bit different than the Island Trials that you have faced up to this point, but of course...You will attempt it, right?" Kiawe asked Sun with a small smirk.

"Of course! What kind of Trainer would I be if I didn't give it a try? Hit me with your best shot, Captain!" Sun said to the older Trainer, receiving a wide smile in response.

"You and Hau both show fiery spirits...heh, very well then. Let the Trial of Captain Kiawe begin!" Kiawe declared, barking out the decree before he pulled out three Poké Balls from his waist and released three familiar yet foreign Pokémon.

They had black dark bodies and each of them wore a white skull on their head and held a long bone in their hands, however the bone was on fire at both ends, an eerie greenish-blue flame that sent a shiver down Sun's spine. The trio assumed rigid stances before spinning their bones quickly, creating a burning flurry of movement that sent a rivet of heat surging through the air.

"Are those...Marowak? No wait, doesn't Alola have different ones that are Ghost/Fire-types instead of just Ground-type?" Sun asked, confused. At his question, Rotom Dex popped out of Sun's backpack and buzzed happily.

" _No worriezz, little buddy. I've got all the answers up here!"_ Rotom said cheerily, whirling around and scanning the trio of odd Marowak before turning back to face Sun.

" _Marowak. The Bone Keeper Pokémon. Alolan Regional Variant. Its custom is to mourn its lost companions. Mounds of dirt by the side of the road mark the graves of the Marowak. The bones it possesses were once its mother's. Its mother's regrets have become like a vengeful spirit protecting this Pokémon. And yes, they're Ghost/Fire-type Pokémon, as opposed to the normal Marowak, which is just a Ground-type."_ Rotom explained as Sun observed the trio of Pokémon with awe.

"That's...wicked." Sun said quietly, a small smile on his face. Kiawe, however, was watching Rotom Dex with interest.

"How strange. A floating Pokédex?" Kiawe mused aloud, receiving a look from Rotom Dex.

" _Bzzt! I'm Rotom Dex! I'm helping my buddy Sun here along the way with his journey! At least whenever the writer of this thing decides to give me some screetime! I provide navigational information to my young friend here! And I'm also the best DJ thizz side of Alola!"_ Rotom explained as it floated around and around Sun.

"For an overgrown cellphone, you seem to have a very high opinion of yourself." Kiawe said with a scoff, not particularly impressed with Rotom's explanation. Sun flinched, remembering the last time Rotom had been insulted.

" _Zzzzzzz...What did you just say?"_ Rotom Dex hissed, it's screen turning red. All three Alolan Marowak flinched at the harshness of Rotom's voice as furious screeching filled the air. Kiawe scowled and took a step forward, only for Rotom to fly into Kiawe's face and make him yell out in horror.

 _"How dare you insult me! **I will make you pay for this, Captain!**_ " Rotom Dex snarled as Kiawe scrambled away, with Rotom beeping in anger.

"Oh great, this again." Sun muttered, face-palming as Rotom drew closer to the Captain.

"Calm down, little Rotom!" Kiawe yelled out as all three of the Captain's Marowak's took cover behind the stage they were on.

 _ **"Little!? Zzzzzt!** **I will quench the heat of the volcano with your blood, infidel! Prepare for the end!"**_ Rotom buzzed as electricity surged out of the device.

"What the hell!?" Kiawe yelped as Rotom flew at Kiawe, who threw himself to the ground with a yell of fear. Sun walked over to Rotom was it soared by, aiming at Kiawe again. Sun snatched the irate device out of the air, where it struggled against his grip.

"Alright, Doctor Baron Von Evilsatan, enough with the scare tactics. Back into the bag you go." Sun said as he pressed Rotom's power button, making the device shudder as it shut down.

" _ **Noooo.**_ _..I must...kill…"_ Rotom went silent and fell into Sun's hands. The boy stuffed the device into his backpack and shook his head.

" _I have got to remember to bring this up to Professor Kukui. Did I even do that the last time this happened? I can't recall."_ Sun thought in his head before he shrugged.

"Sun...I'll ask you just this once. What...the hell...was that?" Kiawe asked, peeking out from behind his Marowak.

"A very cheerful Rotom that got put inside of a Pokédex, but has a really bad complex when it comes to being insulted. Especially when you call him something like a phone or a Gameboy." Sun explained to the horrified Captain, who just shuddered.

"I have wrestled a Charizard to the ground once without hesitation. I have danced through a deadly thunderstorm without fear while atop this volcano. And I've listened to Mallow talk about her feelings after her last breakup. But that...was beyond horrifying." Kiawe shuddered as he stood back up, shivering.

"Yeah, I was scared the first time, but after some of the crap I've been through, it doesn't phase me as much." Sun replied with a wide grin. "That said, when I fight the Totem, I'll have to send Rotom Dex back out. I'll need its help to figure out just what I'm fighting."

"Very well...Just keep it on a short leash, alright?" Sun nodded as Kiawe sighed, rubbing his temples. "Opening shift, duties all day long, and now evil Pokédexes? I need to start getting paid for this shit."

"What was that?" Sun asked, smirking now.

"Nothing, nothing...Now, Sun. My Trial will test your powers of observation! There will be a dance...and then another. Your task will be to find the difference between the two...Your eyes must be sharp and your focus even sharper if you wish to succeed here, my friend. Are you ready?" Kiawe asked, his voice radiating with power and authority. Sun nodded wordlessly, crossing his arms as he stared down the three Alolan Marowak standing behind Kiawe.

The Captain grinned widely and barked out, "Begin!"

The Fire Captain leapt aside as the three Alolan Marowak's jumped backwards, flipping in midair and letting out three cries as they landed on the hard volcanic stone that made up the platform they were on. From elsewhere, strange chanting filled the air and drumbeats pounded away. The atmosphere was tense as the trio Alolan Marowak's began to dance.

Each of the Marowak's began to spin their bones around, releasing small waves of fire around the arena as they performed, their feet swift as they leapt about the arena. Sun's eyes took it all in, but he couldn't help but notice the passion and power behind every move. Every step. Each of them held meaning for the trio of Pokémon.

Eventually the trio stopped dancing and struck poses, with two of the Alolan Marowak's facing away from Sun while the one in the middle stared directly at Sun, the Pokémon's intense eyes burrowing into his own grey eyes.

"Watch carefully and memorize this dance." Kiawe instructed Sun, his voice low and soft. The three Marowak's suddenly swung their bones, releasing a whirlwind of flames that made Sun yelp in surprise, the flames coming just inches short of his body.

"While I understand your fear, there is no cause for concern. These Marowak all belong to me, and are very well-trained. They'd sooner hurt themselves than harm an innocent for no reason." Kiawe said to Sun, but the boy was scowling and watching the Alolan Marowak's as they leapt backwards into their original position, eyeing the boy with smug expressions.

" _They're mad because Rotom scared Kiawe...jerks_." Sun thought as the trio began to dance again. Like last time, Sun kept a close eye on them, alert for any deviations from the previous dance. However, with a flash, the trio ended their dance and struck poses. However, unlike last time, the center Marowak was not looking directly at Sun. Instead, it was looking skyward with its bone held close to its chest.

"Well? What was different from the previous dance?" Kiawe asked the young Trainer. Sun pointed at the center Marowak.

"The middle one. It's looking up instead of forward." Sun replied, earning a shocked look from Kiawe.

"B-but how!?" Kiawe cried out, seemingly baffled. "That was truly spectacular! And to add to the spectacle…"

The center Marowak suddenly shifted, lowering its head to glare at Sun and spin its bone in a swift circle, letting out a cry. Kiawe called out to the Pokémon, "Come, Marowak!"

"Wa-wak!" the Bone Keeper Pokémon cried out, stepping forward and swinging its bone at Sun. The boy stumbled back as the flames washed past him, nearly roasting the boy.

"A battle? Figures. Oliver, let's go!" Sun called out his Starter, who emerged from the Poké Ball with a hoot as he landed on the ground. Oliver looked at the Alolan Marowak before calmly preening himself, earning an annoyed look from the Bone Keeper Pokémon.

"A Dartrix? How strange...But I'm eager to see what you can do with a Grass-type while facing a Fire-type. Marowak, show them your strength!" Kiawe called as the Marowak nodded in response.

"Oliver, use Pluck!" Sun called to the owl. Oliver shot into the air quickly, darting towards the Alolan Marowak whose eyes widened in surprise before Oliver's glowing beak slammed into its chest, sending it crashing to the ground. Oliver swooped through the air, though he had his eyes shut in pain as an indigo aura glowed around him, making him shiver.

"What's that? Oliver, are you alright?" Sun called to his Starter, who nodded in response.

"What you just witnessed was Marowak's Ability, Cursed Body. When it receives direct damage from an opponent, this Ability curses the attacking Pokémon and prevents them from using the move that caused damage for a short time. In your case, Pluck." Kiawe explained with a smirk. Sun narrowed his eyes in annoyance, as this battle was made much harder for him.

The Marowak twirled its club as it extended outwards and began glowing bright blue. It kicked off of the ground and swung the club at Oliver, but the owl easily dodged the attack.

"Fool...Bone Club has no effect on Flying-types!" Kiawe groaned as Oliver laughed at the Marowak's attempts to hurt him.

"Razor Leaf, Oliver!" Sun called to the Dartrix. Oliver flapped his wings hard and released his wave of spinning razor-sharp leaves, even as Marowak raised its bone and attempted to block the onslaught of leaves. However, it couldn't prevent the attack from slashing into itself, making the Marowak groan in pain.

Marowak's eyes shot open and the Bone Keeper Pokémon suddenly charged forward, leaping into the air as raging flames surrounded it in a very familiar fashion to what Brago did.

"Flame Wheel...Oliver, dodge!" Sun yelled out, but the Marowak slammed into the Dartrix despite the bird attempting to move out of the way. Oliver dropped several feet in midair before spinning around, glaring at the Marowak.

"Razor Leaf again!"

Oliver used the attack once more as Marowak leapt into the air, attempting to hit the bird with Bone Club once more. Oliver easily dodged the attack and hit the Marowak while laughing at it, making the other Pokémon more and more angry.

"Calm yourself! Keep your composure. Remember your training, Marowak!" Kiawe instructed the Marowak. The Pokémon looked at its Trainer before looking back at Oliver with a more relaxed expression-

Only to find Oliver in front of him, his head turned backwards.

"Astonish!" Sun yelled out as Oliver faced forward, screeching horribly as red waves of energy poured from the owl. Marowak cried out in horror and pain, stumbling backwards before it hit the ground, knocked out.

"Haven't used that move in a while." Sun said with a pleased grin while Oliver soared back to his Trainer, hooting happily. "Good work, Oliver."

"Well played, Sun. You and your Dartrix work well together. I apologize for the impromptu battle, but my Marowak was so pleased by your right answer that it simply had to battle you!" Kiawe explained as he walked over to his fallen Pokémon and pulled out a Super Potion and a Revive. Within a minute, the fallen Pokémon was standing and looking ashamed at itself. Kiawe rested a hand on the Pokémon's shoulder, his expression firm.

"You did well, my friend. Don't feel bad about losing. It happens. Just grow and learn from it. We'll work on this together." Kiawe said to Marowak, who nodded and rejoined its fellow Marowak behind Kiawe.

"Now...Onward to the second dance!" Kiawe barked out, throwing his hands aside.

The trio of Marowak leapt apart, creating a literal firestorm of green flames as they passionately danced about. Sun remained alert as Oliver stayed beside him, watching the Pokémon with an awed expression on his face. Finally the trio ended their dance, striking different poses.

"Watch carefully and memorize this dance." Kiawe instructed Sun, who mutely nodded. Again, the Marowak's danced and danced, releasing fire as they spun their bones and darted around the platform, pouring their heart and souls into this performance. Kiawe was smiling the entire time, pride on his face as his Pokémon danced before them. Finally they stopped, striking poses once again as a flash of flight erupted from them. When it faded, the Marowak were posing once again. Each of the poses seemed to be the exact same, but now there was a random man standing off to the side wearing a massive grin.

"What was different from the previous dance?" Kiawe asked Sun. The boy slowly exchanged a bemused look with Oliver, who just shrugged in response. Sun looked back at Kiawe, who was looking at him expectantly.

"The Hiker guy?" Sun asked Kiawe, who again seemed completely taken aback.

"B-but how!?" Kiawe sputtered for a moment. He composed himself, smiling now. "That was truly spectacular! And to add to the spectacle…"

"Come, my fine Hiker!" Kiawe bellowed, with the random Hiker jumping back and throwing aside his arms, a mad grin on his face.

"Alola!" the Hiker bellowed, pulling out a single Poké Ball and calling out a strange-looking Pokémon cloaked in what looked like lava. It was a Pokémon Sun knew from Kanto, however.

"Magmar. That's a tough one. Oliver, you think you can handle it?" Sun asked his Starter. Oliver nodded and launched himself into the air, hooting loudly.

"By the way, the name's David! Pleased to meet you, Sun! Let's have a good battle!" the Hiker said cheerily as he punched the air, getting into a battling stance.

"Magmar, use Fire Spin!" David yelled out, with his Magmar spewing forth a spinning wraith of flames towards Oliver.

"Dodge and use Pluck!" Sun shouted. Oliver dodged the move thanks to the timing of Sun's shout and dove downwards, his beak glowing like a beacon. The bird rushed towards Magmar and slammed into the Spitfire Pokémon, knocking it down. The Fire-type rose to its feet, huffing in pain.

"It's not often we see someone going through the Fire Trial with a Grass-type! What confidence!" David proclaimed, earning a grin from Sun.

"Not confidence. Faith. I know Oliver's strong enough to handle the pre-Trial stuff on his own. I'm saving the Pokémon that can take on the Totem without too many problems for later!" Sun explained to the Hiker, who beamed at Sun. Kiawe's eyes widened in surprise at hearing Sun's logic.

" _That explains it. I was wondering why he was using a Pokémon weak to fire this whole time. He wants to keep the rest of his team fresh for the proper battle...Heh. This kid is just as good as Hau said."_ Kiawe thought with a hidden smile as David and Sun called out commands to their Pokémon.

"Use Clear Smog, Magmar!" David yelled to his partner, who opened his mouth and released a white plume of smoke at Oliver.

"Dive through it with Pluck and knock that thing out!" Sun called to Oliver as his beak glowed white and grew longer. The Dartrix shot down towards the Magmar, soaring through the Clear Smog and slamming into the chest of the burning creature, surprising the Pokémon and hitting it while it's guard was down. Oliver hovered above the downed Pokémon, wincing in pain at the super-effective attack it had just dove through, though the gamble had paid off. The Magmar was now completely unconscious.

David slumped over, sighing with exhaustion despite having done absolutely nothing. The man recalled his Magmar and looked up at Sun, handing him a wad of cash with a sheepish grin and said, "You're a fool if you dance...and a fool if you just look on!"

"I guess?" Sun replied as Oliver swooped back over to him, looking frantic as he tried to clean himself. "Oliver, hold on. I've got this."

Sun sat down on the ground and pulled out his Pokémon Refresh kit. With a comb in hand, he gestured Oliver forward and began running the comb through the feathers of the Dartrix, who quickly relaxed. Oliver sighed with happiness as Kiawe and David watched on.

"Wow. He really likes that, huh?" David asked, seeing how content Oliver looked.

"Yeah...he does. I know Pokémon like being groomed and stuff, but Oliver usually does it on his own now. I just figured I didn't need to bother anymore. I'm sorry, Oliver. I wish I had known you liked being groomed by me so much. I'll make sure to do it more often, okay?" Sun apologized to the Dartrix, who nuzzled Sun's arm for a moment before returning to his previous position.

"I guess we all have something to learn about our Pokémon. That's what makes being a Trainer so much fun!" David proclaimed as Kiawe walked over to them.

"My Hiker Friend was so pleased by your right answer that he simply had to battle you!" Kiawe explained as he exchanged a grin with David.

"Absolutely. I sit in on these Trials because of my love for the dances of Alola. Getting to see such hot battles is a wonderful bonus!" David explained to Sun as the boy finished grooming Oliver. The Dartrix hooted happily as Sun put his things away.

"Onward...to the final dance!" Kiawe proclaimed, his face now set into an eager grin.

Sun and Oliver watched as the three Marowak assumed their positions. David and Kiawe stood off to the side, watching with smiles. Sun however, was anxious.

" _This is the third dance...And still no Totem Pokémon. This has to be it…"_ Sun thought before he nodded. With that, the trio of Marowak began their dance, twirling their flaming bones around and around as music, drumbeats and chanting filled the air. Sun's eyes widened as he saw several Salandit pop their heads over the ring of the Trial Site, eyeing Sun with interest. Most of them were the skinny male Salandit, making Sun wonder where the female ones were…

Sun snapped his eyes back to the Marowak's dancing, worried he had been too distracted to not be able to pick up on any differences between this dance and the next one. However, when the dance ended and a flash of light erupted from the Marowak, Sun blinked in confusion.

David had rejoined the Marowak, striking a pose alongside two of the Marowak. The third Marowak was standing off to the side, pretending to hold a camera to take a picture of the three others. Sun scratched his head in bewilderment before shrugging.

"Watch carefully and memorize this dance." Kiawe instructed Sun, seemingly oblivious to the strange scene playing out before them. Sun wondered if Hau had a similar experience, and if every Captain he'd meet on his journey had a weird Trial. At least Lana's had the benefit of being a bit cool. This one was just...odd.

"Alright. Let's see it." Sun said to the group. David walked off to the side while the Marowak returned to their positions.

For the final time, the trio of Marowak began to dance as the torches around the Trial Site crackled and burned. Flames whirled forth as the Alolan Marowak's spun their bones, and the pounding of drums and chanting filled the air. And then finally, a flash and everything stopped...

"Dar...trix?"

"Yeah, I'm confused too. But I think we finally got what we were waiting for."

Before Sun was a similar scene to the last one he had witnessed, however there was a major change. Standing next to David was a massive black and purple lizard with its arms and hands spread out, doing a classic photo-bomb pose. Sun and Oliver exchanged a glance and Sun dropped his backpack to the ground, pulled out Rotom Dex, and turned it back on.

" _...rebooting. Ugh, what happened last night?"_ Rotom mumbled as it weakly floated into the air.

"You went crazy because Kiawe insulted you. Please stop doing that." Sun asked the Rotom Dex, who just buzzed in response.

" _Well, lookee there! We're doing the Trial! Thankzz for waking me up, buddy!"_ Rotom said happily, zooming around Sun.

"Yeah, I just figured you'd want to play that creepy music, because I'm pretty much certain whatever that thing is...it's what we're about to fight." Sun said to the device, who chuckled electrically. Rotom began playing the eerie music, with it sending a shiver down Sun's spine.

"Ahem." Sun, Rotom Dex and Oliver all looked to Kiawe, who was watching them with amusement. The Captain then asked, "What was different from the previous dance?"

"The Totem Pokémon." Sun answered the Captain, preparing himself for the worst. Kiawe's expression turned to shock for a third time, with the Captain taking a step back in astonishment.

"B-but how?!" Kiawe demanded, taking a moment to compose himself. He then smirked and said, "Well...That was truly spectacular, Sun. Your swift eyes managed to hold their own against our dances. And to add to the spectacle…"

The massive beast's eyes locked onto Sun and the Totem let out a soft growl. That was enough for the three Marowak's to leap away from the Pokémon, with David also jumping off of the platform and landing next to Kiawe. The Totem Pokémon swept out its arms, hissing as it's tail lashed at the ground.

"Come, Totem Pokémon!" Kiawe bellowed as the beast in question let out a roar at Sun. Oliver kicked off of the ground, flapping into the air with a hoot as it stared down the Totem fearlessly. Sun grinned as he and his partner prepared to square off against the Totem Pokémon of Wela Volcano Park, even as the surrounding Salandits slowly drew closer with hunger gleaming in their eyes...

* * *

 _Howdy folks. FlygonNick here with a little note here at the end of the chapter._

 _So, I've been doing this for a little over a year. And my god, what a journey this has been. I didn't imagine this story would do as well as it has been doing, and I have you all to thank for it._

 _These past few weeks, hell the past few months, have been very trying. Thankfully, I have finally got to the end of this little journey and have officially graduated from Tech School. This means that I'll be going to my operational base soon and hopefully be able to maintain my schedule for this story again._

 _However, and now I get to my point, I've realized that as a result of my own busyness and working on a story this size, that I just don't have time to personally respond to questions and concerns in the story as often as I would like. I even have people who ask me questions via PM or ask me to check out their stories, and I'm not always able to follow up on that. And for those who feel I have ignored them, I sincerely apologize because that wasn't something I intended to do. I honestly just lose track of things with everything going on in my life lately._

 _So, I'm going to try something out._

 _ **At the beginning or end of every chapter, I'm going to answer questions left in the review section of RS. These can be from previous chapters from way back or the latest one, it doesn't matter. All I ask if that you leave one question per review, because otherwise it'd get excessive. I'd also like to ask that you leave some sort of feedback on the chapter itself. No feedback, no answer. Just how it's going to go. Also, if you're a Guest Reviewer, please have some kind of name so I'm not repeatedly answering questions for "Guest."**_

 _ **Also, in regards to my 10-Chapter poll I do, I will do one for this instance, but only because I want to know your opinion on something. Should I do the Q &A section in the beginning of chapters or at the end of chapters, like how I'm doing here? Would that reduce the immersion factor at all, or do you all not mind it being at the end of the chapter? Please let me know via review, PM, or by voting on the poll. **_

_I also reserve the right to not answer questions directly because they may spoil things for later. This is a long story, after all, and I have plans for after its completion that I don't want to explain just yet. So if I'm vague, it's because you'll find out about your question later on._

 _The following would basically be how it's set up._

 _From AncientHero2000:_

Q: As for the battle royal, I think it was cool that we got to see Hugh and Crasher Wake. I love it whenever there are cameos of people from different regions. Will we see more of those in the future? Like, will we see cameos of more player characters throughout the story? Maybe like Red or Blue? Possibly Lucas Barry and Dawn?

 ** _A: There will definitely be more cameos later. Every one of the in-game cameos will appear (even Cynthia, who isn't seen until post-game) within the main story. As for other heroes/playable characters, I'll confirm that Red and Blue will appear in the story as well, but for the others, as of now I have no plans for them._**

 _From Sai Og Sus_

Q: Just saying, don't you think there are too many OCs already?

 ** _A: Maybe not an actual serious question, but I'll answer it nevertheless since it is a valid concern. Yeah, I have quite a few OC's, but this story will be well over 2 million words before its done. Considering the massive length of the story, I think having a variety of characters isn't a bad thing. But you are right, I do have quite a few, which is why I'm not planning on introducing new ones anytime soon on top of this. Major ones, anyway. I think it all checks out for now._**

 _Basically, the Q & A will follow that format. Let me know your thoughts below, or via PM. Cheers!_

 _Next chapter is the Totem Battle. I had a ridiculous amount of problems with this one, so with that in mind, I can imagine Sun will have similar problems. I do have some fun twists involved, though, and it's going to be awesome._

 _As always, thanks for supporting the story and offering your feedback and support. Please consider leaving a review and favoriting or following the story if you haven't already. And leave questions if you have them in the review section below!_

 _Here's to another 150 chapters of fun under the Alolan sun!_

 _Stay safe and stay awesome._

 _Until next time, FlygonNick out!_


	51. Totem Battle! A Will of Fire!

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _So this site has had a rea_ _lly crap week. Hence why I re-uploaded last chapter a second time, because people haven't been getting notifications and everything is all screwy._

 _This Totem Battle was a blast to write. Like, best one yet. I imagine that they'll be even more hardcore once Sun gets another Pokémon or two. I'm proud of this one, and I hope you all enjoy it. Because in the game, I lost twice to the Totem before finally being able to put it down. Hence the problems I mentioned I had from the last chapter. Also, I did get some questions from last chapter, however, they'll be answered in this chapter so I won't do a Q &A thing for them._

 _Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes Anasazi Darkmoon, Cottonmouth25, hafizsyaraf5, Madame Rodoshe, Sai Og Sus, BraviaryScout, Gokan123, SonicIKE, and a new guest reviewer known as You Know Who. Thank you all so much for your support!_

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 _Chapter 51: Totem Battle! A Will of Fire!_

* * *

" _He doesn't trust me one bit. Understandably, of course, considering who I said I will be working with soon."_ Colress thought as he reviewed the equipment at his disposal. Gladion and his Pokémon watched the scientist from the other side of the room with a guarded expression. They were inside the, thankfully air-conditioned, mobile lab that had been established by the Aether Foundation.

"What is all of this stuff?" Gladion asked in a low voice, his eyes not drifting away from the man in front of him. Colress chuckled softly, turning around to face him.

"The device I'm currently preparing to use allows me to perform detailed scans of a Pokémon's cellular structure. There's a bit more to it, but that's just to start off and I'll not bore you with a lengthy explanation you wouldn't understand. I'm hoping to get a general background of what sort of Pokémon Type: Null is, and then we'll go from there."

Colress turned around and regarded Type: Null thoughtfully, in particular paying attention to the strange helmet the beast was wearing. "This Pokémon really is quite something. Powerful. Slow, but capable of overcoming that weakness with that right training. Did you get it from the Aether Paradise?" Colress asked the teen standing across from him, earning him a hard look.

"How do you know all of this?" Gladion demanded. Colress' smile faded and he looked away, sighing.

"If you must know, it's mostly because of your sister. The rest was an assumption. Based on that response you just gave me I was correct." Colress replied, glancing at the boy as his expression turned to shock.

"Lillie?" Gladion whispered, his voice shaking slightly. "She's _here_?"

"If by 'here' you mean away from the Aether Paradise, than yes. She is. She's currently in the care of some friends of Miss Wicke, safe from those who wish to bring her home. Meanwhile, I have been enlisted to help that brave little girl save her family." Colress explained to the teen, who just stared at him.

"How…" Gladion trailed off, unsure of how to take in this information about his sister. On the one hand, he was glad that Lillie had managed to escape their mother's grasp and was within the care of friends of Miss Wicke. Gladion knew that the woman was one of be few trustworthy people he had left in his life. If Lillie had escaped the Paradise, she definitely would have used the same person to help her leave that he did. If Colress knew all of this, then maybe Gladion could trust him for now.

On the other hand, he was worried that if Lillie were found, she'd be in danger. When he had left, his mother's mental state was declining. He shuddered to think what it was like now, nearly two and a half years later and after losing control over both of her children.

"Rest assured that your sister is safe. She's made many friends who are more than willing to protect her from those who wish her ill will. Including me. I know a good deal of your story and wish to help how I can. It was Lillie who told me who you are. Tracking you down was simple after that." Colress said to the teen, who visibly relaxed.

"Does that ease your suspicion of me?" Colress asked the boy, receiving a scowl in response.

"Yes. If Lillie trusts you...then I'll do the same. But rest assured, if you hurt Null during any of this, I'll kill you. That goes for also ratting us out to the Aether Foundation. You mentioned you were helping them with something." Gladion said to the man. He was shocked when Colress burst out laughing. The scientist braced himself against the wall, giggling as he struggled to catch his breath. Eventually he calmed down and noticed the angry teen glaring at him.

"What's so funny?" Gladion demanded.

"The fact that after all I've been through, a child like you thinks they're capable of killing me. I have too many things to help fix. Too much to do! I won't allow myself to die, Gladion. I'm sorry, but you wouldn't stand a chance against me in a Pokémon battle or an actual fight." Colress explained with a wide smile.

"You want to bet?" Gladion challenged the man, stepping forward. In response Colress raised a gloved palm that flickered with a crimson light, forming into a ball of energy as a low hum filled the room. Type: Null and Zubat moved protectively in front of their Trainer, who growled in anger at the scientist.

"Not at all. I have no wish to kill you. But keep in mind, you really shouldn't goad someone who is stronger than you. As you saw a short while ago, I can easily defeat you with the weakest Pokémon on my team, and I dodged your initial attack with ease. It'll take a lot more than a teenage boy to kill me." Colress said to Gladion, though the scientist smirked and added, "Even if I have been defeated by a child in the past. But it was for the best, anyway. Nate taught me a valuable lesson that I have used to better myself."

Gladion didn't answer to that. Instead, he was in thought as to what he had learned. Lillie was away from the Paradise and in the care of trusted friends. Gladion couldn't help a small sigh of relief as he reflected on that fact. Lillie was away from their mother and was safe. Gladion was seriously debating asking the scientist for Lillie's location, so he could see his little sister, but he decided against it. It was better she wasn't involved, since things would get dangerous for him once he confronted those at the Foundation.

And as much as he missed her...

He couldn't afford to be distracted. He had to harden his heart and become stronger, and believe that his sister could survive the trails to come without him. He'd stop their mother on his own and bring their family together again. And for that he needed to learn more about his partner…he couldn't do this without Null being as strong as possible.

So he would have to play along with Colress, for now, and trust that for once something would go right in his life.

* * *

Wela Volcano Park

Totem's Den

* * *

The volcano shook as the Totem let out a bellow of fury, even as Rotom Dex began playing the intense music that always accompanied these battles. The beast stood on two legs, towering above Sun as it narrowed its eyes. The Totem then fell to all fours, letting out a screech of fury as it's tail thrashed about behind it, pink flames flitting along the length of it before the Pokémon stood once more, a powerful aura suddenly exploding forth from the massive lizard that sent Sun skidding backwards with a grunt as Oliver struggled to remain upright in midair.

"Rotom, what is that thing?" Sun asked, glancing around as he saw dozens upon dozens of Salandits all watching him and Oliver with narrowed, focused eyes. As if awaiting a command.

" _Zzzt! I've got your back buddy! Scanning...Got it!"_ Rotom yelled out as it flipped towards Sun.

" _Salazzle. The Toxic Lizard Pokémon. For some reason, only females have been found. It creates a reverse harem of male Salandit that it lives with. Filled with pheromones, its poisonous gas can be diluted to use in the production of luscious perfumes. That Totem just got a massive boost to her Special Defense thankzz to her Z-Power!"_ Rotom explained to Sun, who nodded and turned his head forward.

"That thing looks like big trouble. Even more so than the other Totems. Anything special about it?" Sun asked the Rotom Dex, who buzzed for a moment.

" _Zzzt! Well, I know that itzz a Poison/Fire-type and that it's pheromonezz are super strong. Male Pokémon and even humanz can be affected by it. So be on your guard!"_ Rotom warned Sun as the boy smirked.

"Really...Man, we got our work cut out for us here. That's why it's all the more important to start out strong!" Sun yelled out as he held up his Z-Ring, which shimmered and then began to glow. Oliver let out a screech as energy suddenly engulfed him, filling him with Sun's thoughts and emotions. He was almost overwhelmed by the amount of confidence and faith that his Trainer had in him for this fight. Sun and Oliver began striking a series of poses in perfect sync, surprising David and Kiawe as they watched on.

"He's using a Z-Move already? What is he playing at?" Kiawe muttered, crossing his arms. David chuckled, putting his hands behind his head.

"I think get it. He knows that his Dartrix is weakened a bit from the Trial, and doesn't stand a good chance against the Totem. So he's planning on dealing as much damage as he can with Oliver, his Pokémon with the biggest disadvantage against the Totem, before he gets knocked out. It's pretty clever. He planned this all out well." David explained with a wide grin. Kiawe's eyes widened at this, but then he smiled as well. Sun completed the Z-Move as Oliver let out a screech, energy flowing from Sun into the Dartrix.

"Oliver, channel Tackle... _and use Breakneck Blitz!"_ Sun yelled out as Oliver hooted loudly, sprinting along the ground as quickly as it could, quickly drawing close to the Totem Pokémon. Salazzle roared and opened her mouth, preparing to unleash a blast of fire, but it was too slow. Oliver slammed into the chest of the beast , creating an explosion of force that sent the massive lizard flying backwards with a loud hiss.

"Alright! That's how we do it!" Sun yelled out with a laugh, with Oliver shivering as the energy he was given dissipated and left him. Oliver hooted as he watched the Totem Pokémon rise to her feet, flinching in pain and holding her chest. The Totem snarled softly before she opened her mouth and fired a torrent of purple liquid at the Dartrix.

"Oliver, dodge!" Sun yelled out, but the owl was too slow to dodge the disgusting fluid racing his way even as he tried moved out of the way, the liquid washed over him. Oliver landed on the ground with a hoot, eyes widening in pain as he tried to flick the liquid off of himself with a frantic look in his eyes.

"Oliver, focus on the fight and use Pluck!" Sun yelled to the owl. Oliver didn't show any sign of hearing him, and Sun realized just how distressed Oliver was at being coated in a toxic fluid. "Oliver! Knock it off and get back in there!"

" _Zzt! Dartrix are known to be sticklers about their appearance and their feathers. I don't think Oliver is any different. They get really, really upset if they're not looking their best at all timezz. It can distract them in battle. He probably hasn't even noticed that he's been badly poisoned."_ Rotom explained as Oliver desperately tried to preen out the liquid that had seeped into his body, only to get more poison in his beak.

"Oliver, stop it!" Sun yelled to his Starter, who continued to ignore him. Sun looked ahead at Totem Salazzle, who was watching with amusement. The beast then let out an echoing roar, and one of the many Salandits slithered forth to join their mistress in battle.

Sun scowled at that. He needed Oliver back into the game, but that wouldn't be possible with him acting like this. Sun quickly dug out an Antidote, sprinted over to Oliver, and sprayed it over the Dartrix. The owl stiffened in surprise as the medicine took effect and managed to calm down, his eyes returning to their normal state as the poison on him vanished.

"Oliver, you can't freak out like that. This is a Totem battle!" Sun said to Oliver, who flinched at the scolding. Nevertheless, Sun sighed and looked over at the Totem staring them down from across the battlefield.

"Just stay focused, okay? I'm counting on you." Sun said to his owl, who stared up at him for a few moments before slowly nodding. Oliver took flight again, soaring towards the two lizard Pokémon waiting for them. Both of them opened their mouths and released blasts of fire at the owl, who dodged the first one from the Salandit but couldn't dodge the Flame Burst that smashed into his chest and exploded, making Sun scream out in concern as the owl plummeted out of the sky.

"Oliver!" Sun screamed out. The Dartrix crashed onto the ground with a thud, but was moving not soon after that, panting in pain from the battles it had already been through and being hit with such a strong attack. The Dartrix screeched at the Salazzle, which let out a sound that could only be described as a laugh before closing her eyes and sighing deeply. Pink poison suddenly began seeping out from the Toxic Lizard Pokémon's body, filling the air around them and making all of the Salandits around her stiffen in response.

David and Kiawe exchanged a look and David pulled out two gas masks from his pack, which the two of them both donned. Sun raised an eyebrow in confusion, not seeing this, but pointed at the lizard despite the incoming gas.

"Oliver, Leafage! Blow that gas away!" Sun called to his owl, who clapped his wings hard and released a leafy blast of wind that made the gas disperse. "Follow up with Pluck!"

Oliver shot towards Totem Salazzle, slamming into the massive lizard and making her snarl in pain. The Totem opened her mouth and released another blast of toxic liquid, drenching Oliver again and poisoning him. The Dartrix screeched in horror once again as he was badly poisoned for a second time, but that was before the Salandit released a series of purple liquid blobs from the markings on its back, hitting the distracted Oliver in the chest.

Oliver's screech from before was nothing compared to the _scream_ of agony that Dartrix released as he went soaring back towards Sun, who watched the owl hit the ground beside him. Fear gripped his heart as he rushed over to his Starter as the Dartrix thrashed on the ground, yelling out Oliver's name in worry.

" _Sun, that attack wazz Venoshock! It's a Poison-type attack that does twice the damage on an opponent that's already poisoned, zzt!"_ Rotom informed Sun, who felt the horror in him intensify. Oliver was a Grass-type who was already weak to Poison-type moves. Add onto that the damage he had already taken…

Sun then blinked as, Oliver, to Sun's amazement started to stand back up. The Dartrix was eyeing the Salazzle with agonized fury burning in his one eye that was open. The Dartrix was surprised when Sun stepped in front of his Pokémon.

"You're not battling anymore. Not after that." Sun said firmly to Oliver, who hooted angrily in protest, but swayed on his face, shuddering as he fought against the poison in his system. Sun turned to Kiawe and said, "Can I leave him out so I can treat him? I won't use him again."

"I'll allow it. However he cannot assist you or your other Pokémon in any manner or you will forfeit the battle." Kiawe replied as he looked over to Totem Salazzle, who had been approaching the owl with flames dropping from her mouth. "Salazzle, that Pokémon is being withdrawn. Stand down."

The Totem Pokémon straightened up and huffed at that. The Salandit at her feet rubbed his head against her leg, receiving a small pat in the head in response. Sun wasn't paying attention any of this, though, and was treating the heavy damage his Starter had taken and healing his poison. Oliver was shaking with indignation at being removed from the battle when he was still good to fight, but then he caught sight of the worried look on Sun's face as he stood up.

"I'm sorry. I've been relying on you way too much lately. Worst yet, I've been putting you against Pokémon that having huge advantages against you. Just...let the others finish this. Okay?" Sun said to the owl, who watched him for a few moments before slowly nodding. Sun faced forward, eyeing the Salazzle with the burning aura that was eyeing him with annoyance.

"Brago, let's go!" Sun yelled out, calling out his loyal Growlithe. The Puppy Pokémon crouched and growled at Salazzle and the horde at her beck and call, hitting them all with his Intimidate ability.

"Bite on Totem Salazzle!" Sun yelled out to the canine, who rushed forward. Salandit and Salazzle snarled in response, firing off streams of toxic liquid and globs at the canine.

"Flame Wheel! Burn right through those streams and keep on going!" Sun commanded as Brago raced forward, a fierce glint in his eyes as flames surrounded him, allowing him to smash through the Venom Drench and Venoshock that had been sent his way and allowed him to land right next to the Salandit. Brago lunged forward, grabbing the smaller lizard by the tail with his teeth. The Salandit screeched in pain, but this soon stopped as Brago whirled around and threw the Salandit into Totem Salazzle, who had been approaching with a mouth full of flames. The Totem roared in protest as her minion smashed into her chest and knocked her to the ground.

"There we go! Nice work, Brago!" Sun yelled to the canine, who barked happily at the praise. The canine then crouched low as Salazzle rose to her feet, fury in her eyes as she threw aside her fallen Salandit and rushed forward, hissing furiously.

"Brago, watch out!" Sun warned the canine, who leapt back and avoid a slap from the lizard's massive tail. The Salazzle released a Flame Burst at the canine, knocking him backwards as the flames exploded beside him. The Growlithe landed on his feet, gritting his teeth in pain but otherwise showing no sign of damage.

"Use Thief!" Sun yelled to the Growlithe, who nodded sharply before his eyes glowed black, with the canine leaping forward as a black trail of energy followed his wake. Salazzle swung her tail at Brago, but the canine managed to drop to the ground to dodge it before jumping into the air and snatching a berry held in Salazzle's other hand with his teeth. The canine dropped to the ground and gobbled the berry whole, grinning at the Totem who's item he just stole and ate.

Needless to say, Totem Salazzle was not happy about this. The beast roared, with two Salandits joining the battle along with their mistress. Brago scoffed in response before crouching low, not intimidated in the least. Both lizards scuttled towards the Growlithe, who bared his fangs and looked up at Salazzle, who winked at Brago. Sun blinked in surprise as several pink hearts appeared the Totem Pokémon and floated towards Brago, who's eyes widened in horror.

"Isn't that…" Sun realized what was going on and yelled, "Brago, use Ember on those hearts!"

Brago responded by spewing forth fire at each of the hearts, determined not to let a single one effect him. However, despite his efforts two of the hearts ended up hitting the canine, making his entire body stiffen in response to the move.

"Agh...Now he's infatuated thanks to Attract. Just great." Sun muttered, face-palming. He had learned about this move during one of his many reading sessions with Lillie. Attract was a pretty annoying move, and could be used to devastating effect. Sun watched as Totem Salazzle approached the canine and drew back of her arms, her hands glowing light green as her claws elongated, a massive grin on the Totem's face.

"Brago, dodge! That's Dragon Claw!" Sun screamed at the canine.

Brago was currently in his own little world right now. The overwhelming wave of sheer happiness he was feeling right now was indescribable. He was beside the most beautiful creature in existence, and she loved him. And he loved her. He'd happily let her win the battle they were fighting. It didn't really matter all that much to him anyway. They could spend time together after the battle, perhaps. Yes, there was no other Pokémon he would rather be with-

Wait...No, that wasn't right.

Brago's mind partially regained control as the thought of another Pokémon came to his mind.

* * *

 _Brago sighed in contentment as the sounds of the waves crashed in the distance. He was currently lying down in contentment, enjoying some time off after training and recovering from the assassin's attack on him. He could see his Trainer, his Alpha, speaking with the loud friend and the cheerful friend of his, while the quiet friend of his Alpha currently sat beside him and another Pokémon that was currently curled around him._

" _You seem happy." Winter murmured, opening an eye and looking at Brago as the canine regarded her with a small smile. The Alolan Vulpix seemed to be trying to take a nap, but couldn't manage it. Understandable, considering the heat of the day and the loud noises being made by the children nearby._

" _I am happy. I am alive. And now I get to travel with new allies and a Trainer who shows a great deal of strength." Brago admitted, smiling at the Alolan Vulpix beside him. Professor Kukui's newest Pokémon had become a quick friend to the canine, for reasons he wasn't sure of. He had never met an Ice-type Pokémon before, and he always imagined he wouldn't like them should he ever encounter one. However, he was admittedly quite stricken by the icy fox curled around him._

" _Fair enough...I will miss your company though, Brago. The Professor is pretty erratic and a voice of reason after dealing with all of that is so refreshing." Winter sighed, closing her eyes. Brago thought about her words for a time before he smiled to himself. The canine moved closer to the Vulpix, making her open her eyes slightly before she released what Brago had done. The snowy fox smiled and nuzzled the canine beside her, enjoying the warmth his body gave her just from being in close proximity to her._

" _I will miss you as well, my friend. But let's just enjoy this moment together, hmm?" Brago murmured, closing her eyes. Winter hummed in response, smiling happily at Brago's words. She closed her eyes just in time for Sun to join Lillie underneath the umbrella, so that they could all enjoy each other's company._

* * *

Brago's mind was torn. On the one hand, Totem Salazzle. The other, the endearing Vulpix that he called his friend. Brago crouched low as flames whirled around him and the canine lunged forward, slamming into Totem Salazzle before she could unleash her attack. Brago landed on his feet, shaking his head back and forth as he focused on thinking about Winter. To his relief, the intrusive presence of Attract began to fade and the Growlithe was released of his infatuation as he continued to think about the Alolan Vulpix.

"Ha...Now that's impressive." Kiawe mused, smirking at the Growlithe.

"How on earth did he break free from Attract?" David asked, amazed at this development.

"Some Pokémon are affected worse by Attract than others. On the other hand, some are able to break free from its effects with sheer force of will, or if their hearts are committed to another. I'm not sure which applies to Brago, but I do know that Totem Salazzle is going to have to try something else." Kiawe explained as the canine barked out in anger at Salazzle. The Totem roared in response, rushing forward as her claws glowed green.

"Dodge and use Flame Wheel!" Sun yelled out. Brago jumped back as Totem Salazzle attacked, lashing out with a series of swipes and slashes as the beast snarled in fury that her spell over the canine had been broken. Brago was grinning the entire time, enjoying the Totem's frustration as he dove forward and delivered a flaming tackle to the chest of the Totem. Salazzle staggered backwards, but lunged forward and raked her claws against Brago's side, making the dog howl in pain as he went soaring across the stone stage they were on and crashed heavily on the ground thanks to the power of Dragon Claw.

"Brago, are you alright?" Sun called to his Growlithe. Brago was slow to reply, shakily getting up as he winced in pain at the powerful attack he had just taken. The canine looked to Sun and nodded before focusing his glare on Totem Salazzle. The massive lizard hiss softly, and at her command her two Salandits rushed forward to attack Brago.

"Use Bite and get those lizards out of your way! Then use Bite on the Totem!" Sun yelled to Brago, who nodded and charged forward. The two Salandits rushed for Brago, with the both of them raising their claws and raking the dog's body with two Scratch attacks while Salazzle watched from afar, snarling softly as her underlings attacked the canine.

Brago growled in fury as he sank his teeth into the nearest Salandit, making the lizard screech in pain before he swung the lizard into its partner, knocking the first one out and sending the second to the ground. Brago used Thief on the second Salandit, knocking it out as the other Salandits hissed at him in displeasure.

"Saaaahhh!" Totem Salazzle roared, her aura burning even more brightly than before. The Totem suddenly swung her tail at the ground, smashing the rock beneath it as the creature breathed a massive plume of fire.

 _"Sun, that thing knowzz Flamethrower! Watch out for that!"_ Rotom yelped as it hid behind Sun, who grit his teeth in worry. He didn't like having Brago get so close to that Totem, but his Fire-type attacks were little to no help and his Fighting-type attacks like Reversal didn't do much damage either. Thief and Bite were the only attacks that actually left an impact.

"Brago, use Flame Wheel to get close and then use Bite!" Sun yelled out to the canine. Brago leapt into the air, fire coalescing around the dog as he whirled towards Totem Salazzle, who opened her mouth and released a massive plume of flames at the Growlithe. Both Totem Salazzle and Brago struggled for dominance, but in the end the power of the Totem proved superior and Brago was suddenly thrown through the air and blasted by the fierce Flamethrower, landing harshly against the rock when the attack finally ended. The canine slowly rose again, panting from the pain he was in but determined not to fall against such an opponent. After all of his training, all of his efforts to catch up, he was hell-bent on not letting Sun down.

Totem Salazzle hissed in frustration, her tail whipping back and forth. The Totem then smirked and sighed deeply, releasing a pink gas from her pores and willing it towards the Growlithe and his Trainer.

" _Zzzt! Sun, watch out! That's Totem Salazzle's pheromones!"_ Rotom warned Sun. Sun's eyes widened in horror and the boy opened his mouth to issue a command to Brago, but the fast-moving gas had already swept past his Growlithe and was quickly coming towards him. The boy shut his eyes and held his breath as the gas blew past him, and he struggled not to breathe it in. Eventually the boy had to take a breath, and to his dismay, he felt a horrific shiver run down his body. The boy clutched his skull and fell to one knee as his vision began to... _change_. The world went fuzzy and his body began to feel very odd indeed.

"What...I don't…" Sun hissed, eyeing the Totem ahead of him. Brago was facing a similar crisis, the poisonous gas he had inhaled was making him snarl and he struggled to remain in control of himself much like his Trainer.

" _Why am I fighting this Pokémon? What did it ever do to me? Such an incredible Pokémon shouldn't have to fight a disgusting male like me...I should forfeit. Yeah, right now. That'd be sure to make things right between me and the Totem!"_ Sun thought, a small smile coming to his face. Oliver watched on helplessly, unwilling to make Sun lose the match thanks to his interference.

Meanwhile, Brago howled in frustration, shaking his head back and forth and refusing to let something like pheromones make him lose. Thankfully Salazzle was content to watch the display, having seen dozens upon dozens of Trainers succumb to her little trick. The Growlithe could feel the pheromones messing with his senses, his mind. He could feel himself wanting to give himself to the Totem, much like the horde of male Salandits that served her. The thought revolted him, but at the same time it seemed so appealing to him. This was even worse than being hit with Attract! Brago opened his eyes, glaring down the Salazzle with hate as his mind became more clouded, and wondered if there was a way to break the spell that he and Sun were under…

Brago grunted as he fell to the ground, seeing Salazzle practically strut over to him with a smug look on her face. The Growlithe shuddered as the pheromones nearby increased, making him almost completely white-out. The Growlithe was only holding on by sheer pride, but even that was quickly failing him. Out of desperation, the dog swung his head downward and smashed it onto the ground as hard as he could, hoping the pain could clear his mind.

Oliver flinched as Brago head-butted the ground, and saw that the canine had cracked his skull wide open. Totem Salazzle had stopped in her tracks, completely caught off guard. The Growlithe shuddered slightly before slowly looking up at the Totem with a feral grin, crimson trailing down his face. Salazzle screeched as the canine leapt towards her, hitting her in the chest with a Flame Wheel before following it up with a point-blank Ember, knocking over the beast and landing on the ground with a grunt.

Oliver screeched in approval, ecstatic that his teammate had circumvented Salazzle's pheromones. The owl wondered how the dog would help Sun come to his senses, as the boy was on his knees now, clutching his head while wearing a big smile on his face. Brago grit his teeth and shot a burst of flames towards the Kanto-native, which exploded at his feet and set his clothes on fire.

" _Yikezz! Sun, snap out of it! You're on fire! Literally! Where's a washing machine when you need one!? Brago, why on earth did you do that!?"_ Rotom screamed as it flew around and around Sun, who shuddered as a new sensation began to register with him. Slowly but surely, the flames that had flew onto him began to hit his skin, burning the boy's skin. Even in his stupor, Sun began to realize what was going on.

"Wha…" Sun murmured, his vision clearing slightly as the pain on his legs and stomach began to increase to a level that almost made him scream out in pain. And then, suddenly, it was like a veil had been lifted over the boy and the daze was gone and the boy realized he was partially on fire. Sun screamed, ripping off his shirt and beginning to beat off the flames licking at his pants and chest. Oliver managed to grab a water bottle from Sun's bag and the boy ripped it open, dumping water over the fire that was on him.

"What...How…" Sun panted, wincing in pain at the shining burns on his legs. Sun looked at Rotom, who was hovering beside him worriedly.

"What happened?" Sun asked the device. Rotom quickly recapped what had happened as Sun watched Brago and Salazzle thrash about on the battlefield, with the Growlithe snarling in fury as the Salazzle frantically tried to fend off the furious canine. Sun was almost horrified...He had never seen Brago so _angry_ before, wincing as the canine sank his teeth into the chest of Salazzle. The Totem ripped off the dog from her body and threw him across the field, where the canine hit the ground hard.

"Brago, you alright?" Sun asked, worried about the blood coating the Growlithe's head and the heavy amount of damage the dog had received. Brago nodded, his eyes never leaving the lizard now glaring him down.

"How did he snap out of it, though? Those pheromones were strong." Sun wondered aloud, amazed that Brago had overcome Salazzle's influence. He then noticed the bloody smear on the ground and on Brago's face, and remembered the burns that Brago had inflicted on him.

"He used pain to block out Salazzle's influence…even now, that stuff is trying to mess with me, but the pain is overpowering it." Sun realized, a small smile on his face even as the boy bit back a groan, looking down at his burned legs and charred pants and shoes with a pained expression on his face.

Brago was currently ignoring Sun's dilemma, instead focusing on the lizard that had proven to be quite the opponent. However, he was now angry and wanted nothing more than to put this beast in her place, a loathing glare in his eyes as a snarl escaped the canine.

It was one thing to hit him with her pheromones.

It was an entirely different matter to attack his Alpha. And for that, she would pay dearly.

"Alright...Then get close and hit her with Reversal!" Sun commanded, wincing in pain as he tried to step forward. Brago nodded and leapt forward, but Salazzle was ready. With a snarl the Totem swiped at Brago, who tucked his head forward and dodged the attack. However, just as he was about to hit the Salazzle, one of the Salandits jumped in front of her and took the attack for her, knocking the smaller lizard out cold.

Sun yelled out, but it was too late. With a triumphant gleam in her eyes, Totem Salazzle drew back one of her claws, which began glowing purple, and punched Brago in the chest. The Growlithe's eyes widened in shock and as went flying through the air, and for a final time he hit the ground and was completely still.

"Brago…" Sun muttered, feeling horrible about how much pain the canine had endured because of him being affected by the pheromones of Totem Salazzle. Sun returned the dog and smiled sadly at the Poké Ball in his hands. "Thank you so much. You were amazing. And I'm so proud of how far you've come. Take a long rest, buddy."

" _That wazz Poison Jab! Lookzz like Kiawe taught Totem Salazzle some tricks! Flamethrower, Dragon Claw, AND Poison Jab! Yeesh...talk about overkill. You've got to be careful, Sun!"_ Rotom Dex warned Sun as it settled on his shoulder. The boy nodded as he clipped the Poké Ball to his belt and called out his final Pokémon, who let out a loud cry as she flew into the air. Penny's eyes widened as the horde of unconscious Salandits and the blood coating the battlefield. She looked at her Trainer and saw Oliver standing beside Sun, looking exhausted.

"Oliver can explain later. Right now, you're up Penny. You ready to finish this together?" Sun asked the Trumbeak. Penny nodded before whirling around to face Totem Salazzle, who growled angrily at her new foe.

" _Zzzt! Totem Salazzle's tricks won't work now! Penny's a female Pokémon, meaning Attract and her pheromones are useless!"_ Rotom Dex yelled out as Sun adjusted his cap, his gray eyes gleaming.

"Penny, use Pluck!" Sun commanded the bird, which shot towards the Totem Pokémon with a loud cry.

Totem Salazzle growled softly, annoyed that she wouldn't be able to use her usual methods to beat her opponent. Worse yet, the Totem was sporting some heavy damage after her two previous opponents. She couldn't let the female bird get even a single attack in, or she could be finished.

Penny rushed at Salazzle, who leapt backwards with a snarl and dodged the initial Pluck attack. The Totem opened her mouth and unleashed a Flame Burst at Penny, filling the air with flames and hitting the Trumbeak directly with the attack. The Totem seemed to have finished playing around and wanted to end this now.

Penny straightened herself as she fell out of the air and swooped downwards, her beak glowing white as she shot towards Totem Salazzle. The Totem roared as four Salandits slithered forth, hissing before releasing a series of Venoshocks at Penny.

"How is this fair, Kiawe? I'm used to a two-on-one fights, but five-on-one fights? Seriously?" Sun asked the Captain, who grinned at him from beneath his gas mask.

"My Trial may be a bit too easy, that's true. But you're foolish if you didn't think the Totem Battle wouldn't be anything less than brutal to balance the two out. As for facing more than two opponents, how is this any different than being attacked by a horde of Pokémon on the road or being jumped by criminals? Every Trial and Totem Battle is different, Sun. As a Trainer, you must adapt. To be unable to do that means you will not succeed here." Kiawe explained as Sun faced forward, watching Penny frantically dodge the barrage of attacks from the horde of Totem Salazzle.

"Penny, hit those things from a distance...Hidden Power!" Sun yelled out to the Trumbeak. The bird allowed a brown-colored energy flow forth from her before unleashing it at the nearest Salandit. To Sun's amazement, the attack made the creature fly backwards with a screech pain and land unconscious on the ground.

"Wha...Alright, so her Hidden Power is strong against these things? It's brown, so...Rock. It's got to be a Rock-type Hidden Power. Of course it is...Keep using Hidden Power and then focus on that Totem!" Sun yelled to Penny, who responded by unleashed the attack at yet another Salandit, blowing away the lizard.

Salazzle snarled in anger and leapt into the battle again, swiping at Penny with Dragon Claw as the Salandits attacked her. Sun couldn't help but smile as he saw Penny weave in and out of the hectic battle, dodging every slash from the Totem and attack the Salandits with Hidden Power, knocking them both out and leaving just Penny and the Totem. Her expression was one of fierce determination, her eyes gleaming from the excitement of battle.

"Use Echoed Voice on the Totem and then make some distance between you and her!" Sun called to Penny, who responded by unleashing a blast of sound at Totem Salazzle before quickly flying away from the Totem and landing on the ground a short distance away.

"Roost!" Sun called to Penny. The Trumbeak sat on the ground and folded her wings in, closing her eyes and sighing as she began to glow white.

Totem Salazzle snarled and shook her head, wincing in pain from the attack. She then saw Penny sitting down a short distance away and smirked, seeing an easy target. The Totem opened her mouth and released a Flame Burst at the Trumbeak as her injuries healed up. The glowing ended and Penny's eyes shot open, her health now fully restored.

"Penny, use Hidden Power on the flames and then dodge the rest of it!" Sun barked out. The Trumbeak got to her feet and flapped her wings hard, soaring into the air and releasing Hidden Power as the flames rushed towards her. The blast imploded, making the flames fly everywhere and filling the air with fire. Penny frantically dodged the fire and made her way back over to Sun, who was grinning at her.

"Way to go, Penny! You're doing great out there." Sun praised the Trumbeak as she glared down the Totem Pokémon that was currently giving her an equally fierce glare. Oliver hooted something to Penny, receiving a surprised look from the Trumbeak. Oliver hooted again and pointed forward, to which Penny nodded and faced the Totem ahead of her.

"Not going to pretend I understood what just happened...But let's finish this. Penny, use Pluck!" Sun commanded the Trumbeak, who shot forward with a cry.

The Totem Pokémon of Wela Volcano Park let out a hiss, with three Salandits leaping into the fray and firing off three streams of Venoshock at Penny. The bird dodged underneath them, slamming her beak into the largest Salandit and knocking it to the ground while knocking out the other two with Echoed Voice. Penny shot towards Salazzle, who looked smug as she inhaled deeply and spat out a gush of purple liquid.

"Dodge it, Penny!" Sun yelled out. Instead, the Trumbeak opened her beak and blasting the liquid with a blast of sound. The attack overpowered Toxic after a brief moment and sent the liquid splashing all over Totem Salazzle, who's eyes widened in horror and made the Totem Pokémon scream in agony.

"What...what just happened? Salazzle's a Poison-type, isn't it? Why would her own Toxic hurt her?" Sun asked Rotom, who was grinning at this latest development.

" _Zzzt! That's usually true. You can't poison a Poison-type Pokémon. Except Salazzle and Salandit can! That's their Ability, Sun! It's called Corrosion! It allows them to be able to poison both Steel and Poison-type Pokémon. And...I believe that Ability just worked in your favor instead of Totem Salazzle's! It ended up badly poisoning itself when Toxic was sent back at it!"_ Rotom explained as Penny landed on the ground. Totem Salazzle was currently on all fours, her tail lashing back in forth as she shuddered in pain. Sun couldn't help but smile at his Trumbeak.

"That's brilliant, Penny. Using Echoed Voice to blast the attack right back at the Totem...heh. Use Echoed Voice again on the Salandits and then focus on Salazzle! Let's end this thing here and now!" Sun yelled to his faithful bird, who replied with a piercing screech. Oliver hooted encouragement to his teammate, receiving a determined nod from the Trumbeak before she shot forward. Salazzle rose to her feet, panting heavily before she swept her arms wide, six Salandits leaping forth to protect their mistress.

Penny screeched again and released a massive blast of sound, which whipped past the Salandit horde and blew them away, knocking each of them out as Penny swooped past, zooming towards Totem Salazzle. The lizard roared as her aura burned a darker color of orange before she unleashed a massive blast of flames at the Trumbeak, hitting her directly with Flamethrower. The Trumbeak struggled in the flames for a moment before opening her mouth, releasing Echoed Voice again and blowing apart the flames, releasing her from the attack.

"Echoed Voice gets stronger every time it gets used. That's something I really need to remember more often. Too bad that Totem has boosted Special Defense, otherwise I'd end this with that move. So...Penny, let's get that Totem! Pluck!" Sun yelled to his Trumbeak, who flapped into the air and shot towards the massive lizard with a elongated glowing beak. The Totem snarled before she leapt forward, her left arm glowing purple as she used Poison Jab. The beast swung her left hand downwards and Penny reached her, with both attacks meeting each other at the same time.

"Come on Penny!" Sun bellowed as the two female Pokémon struggled for dominance.

"Dar dar!" Oliver hooted out while Rotom just flew around Sun and the Dartrix in circles, increasing the volume his music was playing at. Meanwhile the two Pokémon, Penny and Totem Salazzle, were in a deadlock. Salazzle then winced in pain as the poison seeped deeper into her body, and that's when Penny made her move.

The Trumbeak swung her beak wide, throwing off Salazzle's balance for just a moment while she was distracted. The Trumbeak then shot forward and stabbed the Totem Pokémon in the chest with her shining beak, knocking the massive lizard backwards as she snarled in agony. The beast stumbled backwards several steps before falling off the platform they had been battling on as the Salandits let out cries of dismay. .

The Totem crashed onto the ground with an almighty thud, with the horde of Salandit watching on in horror. Totem Salazzle twitched a few times before finally collapsing. With a screech, the horde of Salandits fled, leaving Sun and Penny staring at the downed Totem Pokémon.

"We...we did it!" Sun yelled out as he ran forward and hugged Penny tightly. Penny sighed with relief, the bird closing her eyes as her heart filled with joy at having been able to defeat such a powerful opponent for her Trainer.

"Whoa! S-spectacular!"

Sun turned his attention to Kiawe, who was watching him and Penny with his arms crossed. The Captain stepped onto the platform as Totem Salazzle slowly stirred. Kiawe reached into his pocket and handed the Totem a Sitrus Berry, which the beast gobbled down before scurrying off, casting a backwards glance at Sun, but focusing on Penny. The Totem seemed to smirk before giving a nod to Penny. The Totem Pokémon then leapt off of the top of the volcano and departed. Kiawe's three Alolan Marowak joined him on the platform and began to dance behind him.

"With your keen observations, you were able to see even fine differences in our dances. And you defeated the Totem Pokémon with such ease!" Kiawe said before he bent down and plucked a bright red crystal off of the ground, showing it to Sun.

"The Totem Pokémon was carrying a Firium Z. It is yours now." Kiawe said to Sun, who stepped over to the Captain and received the Z-Crystal, grinning widely. After doing his victory dance and being shown how to use the Firium Z properly, Sun stowed the valuable gem away.

Kiawe turned to his Marowak, a fond smile on his face as he called to them, "Thank you, my dear Marowak!"

All three of the Pokémon stopped their dancing and turned to face Kiawe. The trio then bowed to Kiawe, who in turn bowed to them before recalling them to their Poké Balls.

"David, you mind throwing me my bag?" Kiawe asked his friend, who replied by giving him a wide smile and tossing him a small backpack. Kiawe dug through the bag before handing Sun ten blue and yellow Poké Balls.

"For when you meet a Pokémon that you would like to make your companion, take these! They're known as Quick Balls, and work better the sooner they are used during a battle." Kiawe explained as Sun put the balls in his bag. The boy then called out his Pokémon and began to treat their injuries, thanking them for their hard work in the battle. Sun and Kiawe worked together to treat Brago's head injury, wrapping bandages around the head of the Growlithe. Oliver seemed particularly animated, talking to Penny excitedly and making the bird look down bashfully.

"It seems your Dartrix was impressed by your Trumbeak's skill in battle. Not many can break free from a Flamethrower like that. Your Growlithe was also incredible, breaking free from both the pheromones and Attract." Kiawe noted as he smiled at Sun.

"They're all fantastic. I couldn't have won without all of them putting in every bit of effort they could." Sun said, shooting the Captain a grin.

"Indeed...Oh, I should probably tell you. You can now use the Ride Pokémon Charizard. I generally grant the use of a Flying-type Ride Pokémon when a Trainer receives the Firium Z, but you were particularly impressive. I believe Charizard will consent to lend you his strength, and with him, you will be able to go anywhere you have been in no time at all." Kiawe said as Sun handed him his Ride Pager. Kiawe then let out a hearty laugh, smiling happily.

"What a wonderful way to end the night. Two fantastic showdowns by two amazing Trainers. I'd love to battle you both someday." Kiawe said to Sun as he began returning his Pokémon. "It is late, though. I'd advise you stay at one of the caves here on the volcano instead of travelling down the cliffs at night. It's dangerous, as you can probably guess." Kiawe said to Sun, receiving a nod in response.

"Sounds like a plan. Anything else I should know? I know you'd probably like to get home soon." Sun said to Kiawe.

"Not much more. The Firium Z you now hold...You should show it to the Trial Guide outside the Captain's barricade at the bottom of the mountain. They'll open the path for you." Kiawe said to the young Trainer, extending a hand to him. Sun shook it, grinning up at the older Trainer.

"I wish you well on your journey, Sun. For now...It is time for us to return to our dance. The feelings of the Alolan people and our Pokémon. That is the true nature of Z-Power…" Kiawe said as he suddenly jumped backwards, striking a pose with his friend David.

"The answers lie in our dance! And so we must all dance on!" Kiawe proclaimed, beaming at Sun as he began to dance. Sun watched the two friends dance together for a time before bidding them farewell, returning his Pokémon and walking back down the path to see his friends, who had actually set up camp while he had been away.

"So...how did it go?" Lillie asked, looking up at Sun. The boy showed her his Firium Z, making her beam at him.

"Nice job, buddy. Looks like we're both good to head to the next Trial. After dinner, of course!" Haun declared with a massive grin at the pot of soup he and Lillie had made. The children ate their dinner, with Sun and Hau's Pokémon receiving a bunch of treats for their hard work during the Trial.

Eventually the topic turned to the Trial itself. Sun and Hau both discussed what had happened. However, as discussed they Alolan Marowak's and their dance, Lillie went quiet and looked down, making Sun and Hau look at her.

"You okay, Lillie?" Sun asked his friend.

"Ghosts…" Lillie trailed off, remembering something from the other day. Lillie looked at Sun and said, "Hey, Sun. Can I ask Rotom Dex something?"

In response, Rotom Dex popped out of his backpack and landed on the boy's head. _"At your service, Mizz Lillie! How can I help you?"_ Rotom asked the girl, who giggled at the device.

"I was wonder what you could tell me about the Pokémon Dusknoir. Commander Jack had one the other day and it could speak Common, so I wanted to know if you could help me figure out why." Lillie said to Rotom Dex, who beeped in response. Common was, of course, the common language that was mostly spoken in all of the regions. Alola was one of the few regions, next to Kalos, that had its native language still be heavily used in this day and age.

" _Oh, well that's an easy one. First off, some basic information!"_ Rotom yelled out, pulling up the Pokédex info.

" _Dusknoir. The Gripper Pokémon. It is said to take lost spirits into its pliant body and guide them home. The antenna on its head captures radio waves from the world of spirits that command it to take people there."_ Rotom explained to the trio of children.

"Whoa...Cool." Hau said with a smirk, petting the baby Eevee in his arms. Lillie frowned, as that didn't answer the question she had.

"So, how was it able to speak to us?" Lillie asked Rotom.

" _Um, well...I've heard once about a Pokémon that was apparently able to learn how to speak your language. There's other ways Pokémon can talk to humans as well. Psychic-types can communicate via telepathy and Ghost-types can possess stuff and speak to folks in dreams. Some have help, like with Colress' translation collars or me using this Pokédex!"_ Rotom explained to Lillie, who sighed in response.

"You're dodging the question."

" _You really, really don't want to know why that Dusknoir could talk to you, Lillie."_

"I do, Rotom! That's so interesting! Why would I not want to know?'

" _It'll scare you. Zzzt!"_

"I can take it!"

" _Well...Dusclops and Dusknoir do have the ability to speak in a way that allows them to communicate with humans. That'zz not very well known, but it is documented. But, they can only do that with species they consider prey. As in…um, things they wish to eat."_ Rotom slowly explained to Lillie, who's green eyes slowly widened in realization and abject horror.

"She...Gretel wanted to _eat me_!?" Lillie screamed, waking up Kaha and making Hau and Sun burst out into laughter at Lillie's horrified reaction to her question being answered.

Soon after this, the trio of children fell asleep under the stars. They awoke the next morning and made their way out of Wela Volcano Park, to head to the beach and enjoy the cool waters after their time at the blistering hot Trial Site…

* * *

"They should be here any minute. We're certain there's no trace of Lillie's presence here at all?" Kukui asked the assembled group of Sina, Dexio, Aria, Vivian and Noah.

"Non. Though I'll admit to being confused as to why we have to hide that she has lived here." Dexio remarked with a confused frown. Sina was sitting down beside him wearing a similar expression.

"Doesn't matter. If it's to keep that girl safe, we've got to do whatever it takes." Aria remarked, flexing the hand encased in the Snag Machine. Vivian and Noah watched the display, eyeing the device with wariness. Aria had been practicing with the...enhancements that were hidden with the the device, and that made the Snagger all the more lethal.

"Well, let's hope this goes well. First priority is purifying Celebi. Pretend Lillie doesn't exist and has no connection to us, and we're golden." Professor Kukui explained to the young Trainers. Professor Burnet, a well-built woman with tanned skin and white hair tied into a ponytail stood beside Kukui wearing a lab coat. None of the group assembled could figure out how the two were husband and wife, since they were radically different than each other, but just decided to roll with it.

"They should be here...Ah, here comes Julia now. She said she would be the first one up here." Burnet said as she strode forward, walking forward to greet the woman who had just exited the elevator. She was a rather beautiful woman with voluminous mauve-colored hair and a curvaceous body, but the warm smile on her face was enough to illuminate a room. Burnet stepped forward and embraced the other woman like a sister, turning around and introducing her a moment later.

"Everyone, this is Julia Wicke. She's the Assistant Branch Chief of the Aether Foundation." Burnet said to everyone, with Miss Wicke giving everyone a small wave.

"It's a pleasure to meet all of you. Faba and the President are right behind me, so you'd best prepare yourselves." Wicke warned the others, who all nodded in response. Wicke and Burnet moved aside, and not even a minute later the elevator door opened to reveal a man and woman, who both entered the room and approached the group.

"It's been a long while since I've been here. Not much has changed." The man spoke, his tone somewhat nasally. He wore a elegant lab coat with yellow glasses obscuring his eyes, which were narrowed in amusement.

"Why change perfection? The Dimensional Research Lab does wonderful work, as you well know. Stop nitpicking, Faba." The woman admonished the man, her tone teasing.

"Of course, Madame President. I was just...musing, after all." The man apologized, inclining his head to her. The woman beside Faba was strikingly beautiful. She had a slender frame and looked no younger than any of the Trainers in the room. She had styled blonde hair that extended down past her waist and a white and yellow dress that had a large blue and black diamond on her chest. She had white and black leggings with high-heels of the same color.

"So you all are assisting the Professors with the Shadow Celebi? Your generation of Trainers really does know how to leave their mark. Especially with Mister Dexio and Miss Sina being so helpful in helping us re-establish our place in Kalos after their work with us." The President turned to Wicke, smiling widely at her. "Wicke, you've proved invaluable yet again, helping arrange this meeting. Poor Faba should watch out, because you may end up taking his place."

"Like hell she will…" Faba muttered darkly.

"What was that?" Wicke asked Faba sweetly, her warm gaze becoming very cold. Faba and Wicke exchanged glares while the President walked forward, ignoring them both. The woman sauntered forward, her calculating green eyes drifting over everyone in the room. Her eyes lingered on Aria, a small smile coming to her face as she noticed the Snag Machine on her arm.

"You must be the one who captured Celebi. Your reputation precedes you...Aria, was it?" The woman said to the Snagger, her smile widening. Aria smiled in response, unable to say much else.

"That's me. And not really, ma'am. Wes was the one who did all of the impressive stuff. I just helped catch an annoying time-traveler, President…?" Aria trailed off pointedly, earning a scowl from Faba and a hidden smile from Wicke.

The blonde-haired woman laughed softly, covering her mouth with her hand briefly before extending it out to Aria. The Snagger shook the woman's hand, looking into her startlingly familiar green eyes as the woman spoke. "My name is Lusamine Jardin. President of the Aether Foundation."

* * *

 _Boom._

 _So yeah, I finally got around to that last name reveal drop. Nice backstory stuff happening next chapter, so stay-tuned._

 _I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I had loads of fun writing it, with **the best Totem Battle I've done yet. Next chapter we've got some heavy plot stuff and some fun stuff happening! Huzzah!**_

 ** _No questions were submitted in the review section, so that's getting a pass this week. Turns out everyone who voted on the poll wanted the AMA Question thingy done at the end of chapters in a second AN, so that's what'll happen._**

 _As always, thanks for reading. I'd appreciate the hell out of you if you left a review telling me your thoughts on the story. And if you haven't already, please consider favoriting and/or following the story and show your support. Plus, if you've got a question about something, feel free to ask in the review section below. Just remember to offer feedback before your question, because that's how this thing works and stuff. I'll see you all next weekend with another update!_

 _Stay safe and stay awesome._

 _Until next time, FlygonNick out!_


	52. Atop the Crooked Throne

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _Howdy._

 _This one is out a bit later than anticipated, but hey, what can you do? I've been having to work on my transition from the US to...well, somewhere overseas, so I've been really busy!_

 _After all this time, I'll be moving to my first operational base for the Air Force later on this week! Meaning I'm moving onto bigger and better things, and as long as I keep my head held high and stay focused, I'll be doing well._

 _However, I also have fun stuff planned writing-wise. You all still have a long ways to go before this story is done, so let's get onto this very long awaited chapter! Yes, I say that a lot, but I do genuinely look forward to a lot of my updates. I always put something in each one that I've been looking forward to, and this one is no exception. It's how I beat writer's block and writer's fatigue, you know?_

 _Anyways, shoutout to those who have reviewed since the last update, which includes Sai Og Sus, Gokan123, Madame Rodoshe, Cottonmouth25, SonicIKE, GeekyGamer314, DarkestShade73, sceptilezeno, Angelfir3,_ _hafizsyaraf5, BraviaryScout, a new guest reviewer known as Lil Stevie, as well as three new reviewers known as OmegaStar327, RC-DA, and Nakaru Uzumaki. Thank you all so much for the support and love!_

 _A quick note. Lillie, Lusamine, and Gladion's last name reveal from last chapter is indeed the first time I've mentioned it. I'll explain more in depth later. But, as someone pointed out in the review section, it is indeed French (and Spanish) for "Garden", which I felt was appropriate given their name origins, as well as other things I have planned._

 _Enjoy!_

* * *

 _Chapter 52: Atop the Crooked Throne_

* * *

"Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Jardin." Aria replied, earning a flinch from Wicke and a frown from Faba. Lusamine herself just allowed her smile to slip away to a somber frown.

"Just call me Lusamine. As much as I enjoy formalities, it's just better that way. And after the incident...Well, it's just Miss Lusamine nowadays. Usually just President." Lusamine explained to Aria, who also frowned in alarm.

"S-sorry, I didn't mean to assume." Aria apologized, but Lusamine broke their handshake and waved her hand dismissively.

"Think nothing of it. Now, shall we get down to business?" Lusamine said to the assembled group, putting a hand on her hip. Burnet and Kukui exchanged a brief glance before Kukui nodded to his wife, who stepped forward.

"Of course. Over here, please." Professor Burnet said, walking over to a cylindrical container. Within it, suspended within was an unconscious Shadow Celebi that was visibly twitching within the green fluid that it was immersed it.

"We've had to keep to keep Celebi sedated ever since we released it from the Master Ball Aria caught it in." Professor Burnet explained to the others. Lusamine eyed Celebi with an awed expression, stepping forward slowly and approaching the container. She placed a delicate hand on it, her eyes shimmering with emotion.

"It's hurting...What have those monsters done to you? Can my love save you? I...I will try, little one. I will save you from your pain, I promise." Lusamine whispered, leaning forward and pressing her forehead against the glass.

"Wow. You truly love Pokémon, don't you?" Vivian asked Lusamine, who stepped away from container and looked at the violinist.

"Of course. As the President of the Aether Foundation, it's my duty to help Pokémon to the best of my ability, rehabilitating them and protecting them from harm. I have spent more than two decades protecting Pokémon all around the world." Lusamine answered, smiling a little. "We get worldwide support and a great deal of help, but it's thanks to the tireless efforts of our employees and my love for Pokémon that we are able to assist as many as we do."

"We actually found out there was a Celebi within Alola some time ago, but we could not pinpoint where. Something was distorting our…" Faba began to say, but a sharp look from Lusamine shut him up. "Anyways, we're glad that Colress contacted us to clear up the mystery and asked for our help. Of course, we couldn't refuse the chance to interact with a renowned Pokémon like Celebi. With some luck and effort, we hope to be able to heal the damage that has been done to it."

"That's really cool." Noah remarked, smiling at the President and Faba. "I know back in Kanto there's a few of your labs out by Fuchsia City, so I'm kind of familiar with the Aether Foundation, but to think you can actually help Celebi return to normal is crazy."

"Of course! I'll, naturally, be leading the project! As the Branch Chief of the Aether Foundation, it's only right for me to assume that position." Faba said smugly, puffing out his chest as confidence oozed from his voice. Professor Burnet, Wicke, Sina, Dexio and Vivian all rolled their eyes at this.

"You? Do we have to entrust Celebi to this clown?" Vivian said, her tone deadpan as everyone looked to her. Faba's eye twitched as he turned to glare at the young woman.

"I mean...Your assessment of Faba isn't too far off." Wicke said with a teasing smile on her face as Faba's gaze attempted to burn a hole through Vivian, who was smirking now at the man's reaction.

"What!? How…I am a scientist! I work with genetics and inter-dimensional instruments all day long! What do you take me for!?" Faba demanded, making Vivian raise an eyebrow.

"What do I take you for? Well, to start with, you look like someone I definitely wouldn't let near small children." Vivian remarked, earning a surprised look from Faba while everyone else snickered. Miss Wicke was straight up started laughing while the most indignant look had now formed on Faba's face. Meanwhile, Aria was thinking about that comment.

" _I mean...she's not wrong. We had to send Lillie away from the lab so that these people wouldn't know she was ever here, didn't we?"_ Aria thought while Faba stomped towards a grinning Vivian.

"How DARE you!? I am the Branch Chief of the Aether Foundation! The last line of defense for the Pokémon and personnel we have there! I am the lead researcher on the Ultra Space at our facility and a world-renowned scientist! I shall not be mocked!" Faba growled at the younger Trainer, who just laughed in response.

"You're really sensitive about that, huh?"

"I am not sensitive!"

"You're the one shouting."

"I am not shouting! I am..erk...perfectly calm."

"About as calm as Aria after someone eats the last Choco Surprise."

"Those are fighting words, bitch!" Aria yelled, joining Faba in glaring down her friend, though she couldn't help a smile a moment later. Vivian was naturally grinning back at the Snagger.

"Right, well...I feel we're getting off track." Professor Burnet said after a moment of awkward silence, earning several nods from the more mature characters in the room.

"Of course. Since we're going to be studying Celebi in-depth today, I'd recommend everyone call out at least one Pokémon for protection, yeah?" Kukui said to the others, releasing his Magnezone. Everyone else released a Pokémon of their own, including Miss Wicke, who called out a Togetic.

Lusamine was the last to send out a Pokémon. Despite there being five Poké Balls at her waist, she instead chose to do something else. The woman reached up to her chest and pressed down on the large gem in the center of her dress. The gem clicked and moved outwards, revealing a battered old Poké Ball hidden on the other side of it.

"Wow. You have a false compartment in your dress?" Sina asked, amazed.

"It's a secret. I only bring this Pokémon out if I absolutely must." Lusamine said before she released her Pokémon, revealing a majestic cream-colored fox with nine long tails.

" _A regular Ninetales, and not an Alolan Regional Variant? Interesting."_ Kukui thought, observing the fox with a small smile. The Ninetales looked at them all impassively before regarding Lusamine with a sad look.

"I know, Fiaro. But this is important. Mohn would want you to see this for him. You know how much he loved the stories of Celebi. How much it inspired him." Lusamine said to the fox, receiving a worn sign in response. Lusamine looked to the others in the room, who were understandably confused. Lusamine smiled sadly and gestured to her Pokémon before explaining.

"This is Fiaro. He was my husband's very first Pokémon. I carry him in that compartment so that no matter what, I'll always have a piece of my husband close to my heart, since he is no longer among us." Lusamine explained as she scratched the Ninetales on the head, receiving a content sigh in response. "Much like how Faba calls himself the last line of defense of the Aether Paradise, Fiaro is the same for myself. With him by my side, my husband's strength becomes my own."

"Awww. That's sweet!" Sina cooed, smiling widely.

"Do you battle at all? He looks strong." Aria said as she eyed the Ninetales. It certainly had a sort of confidence about it, like it had seen many battles. Lusamine nodded, smiling a little at the question.

"I haven't battled seriously in decades. None of the Pokémon on what I consider my team have battled since I departed for Alola with Mohn on those years ago and realized the impact battling has on Pokémon. However, just because they're out of practice doesn't mean they're still not strong, and I ensure my Pokémon are fit and healthy." Lusamine explained, though it was obvious her remarks confused some of those in the room.

"How do you mean, ma'am?" Wicke asked the President.

"It's quite simple. Pokémon grow in strength due to battling. Pokémon are reactionary creatures, and defeating opponents and training allow them to grow in strength, speed, and so on because that's simply how they are made. However, as Pokémon grow stronger, their strength can only increase so much. It's harder for a stronger Pokémon to maintain that strength, even harder for it to grow, than it would be for a Pokémon that is weaker." Lusamine explained to her subordinate.

"And in that same vein, a super strong Pokémon that hasn't battled for while or doesn't continue to train at the same or greater level decreases in their own strength level. Some Champions have lost their title thanks to becoming lax. Alder comes to mind there." Lusamine remarked, earning a scowl from the Unovan's in the room.

"And a stuck-up brat grabbed the crown. Don't remind me." Aria growled, surprising Professor Kukui and Burnet.

"You dislike your Champion?" Kukui asked.

"A Champion protects their region. Iris sat on her ass and let Unova crumble, and ran away at the first sign of things getting really bad. She abandoned her people. We did her job for her and paid the price. Yes, I dislike her." Aria grunted, clenching her fists.

"Yes, well...back to my point. Yes, my Fiaro is strong, but not nearly as strong as he once was. It happens to all Pokémon. The strong do not always remain so forever. All Champions know that, including me." Lusamine remarked with a sly smile, shutting her eyes as everyone blinked in surprise as they processed Lusamine's words.

"You were a Champion?" Dexio asked, stunned by this.

"Yes. Many, many years ago I reigned as Kalos' Champion, the very region you and Sina hail from. It was Gregory the Swift who dethroned me several years later. He would later go on to be defeated by Diantha. But yes, once upon a time, I watched over and protected Kalos as its strongest Trainer. And then...Well, I was defeated and found a new path. But that's another story for another day. We have a Shadow Celebi to set free and then study." Lusamine said as she looked to Celebi, admiring the creature.

"Do we have a way to keep it unconscious without keeping it sedated? That would interfere with our studies of how Celebi's body reacts to whatever was done to it." Faba asked Professor Burnet, who shook her head.

"We were hoping you would have the answer, Elias." Burnet replied, receiving a massive scowl from the man.

"I told you the last time we met. No one calls me Elias, Professor." Faba said pointedly, not seeing Miss Wicke snickering behind him.

" _Soooo going to call him that as often as possible."_ Wicke thought as Faba continued to study the Time Travel Pokémon.

"I believe I can come up with something eventually. Now, let's release Shadow Celebi. We have plenty of Pokémon on hand to reign it in should it come to its senses." Faba said to the others. Soon enough the chamber was drained and opened, revealing Celebi. An assistant quickly grabbed the Legendary and placed it on a nearby table, where everyone clustered around to observe it, with all of their Pokémon ready to attack at the slightest hint of trouble.

"It's beautiful...But tainted by what they did to it." Lusamine whispered, reaching forward and placing a hand on the Time Travel Pokémon's cheek. "Mohn would weep if he saw what they have done to you."

"It's sad...Tragic, really." Vivian agreed as she leaned against Noah, who rolled his eyes at the nonchalant way his girlfriend was taking this.

"That little pixie has caused so much trouble. It'll be a relief to finally get it back to normal so we can stop worrying about it." Noah remarked, earning a look from Lusamine. Meanwhile, Faba was examining the Legendary with an awed expression.

"Fascinating...Professor Krane's notes on Shadow Pokémon, as well as their recovered files from Ein, really can't scratch the surface as to what was done this creature." Faba murmured, studying it intensely and paying close attention to the face of Celebi. "I can feel it...The darkness within Celebi. It's intense, almost overpowering."

"However, I believe this is reversible. I'll admit, it'll take time, but I believe that I can create a system that can purge the darkness from Celebi and free it's heart. However, it'll require Celebi to come with us to the Aether Paradise for proper study and rehabilitation." Faba explained to the others, standing up.

"Is that absolutely necessary?" Vivian asked, skeptical. "I can't imagine that your tech is _that_ much more sophisticated than what they have here."

"That's where you're wrong. The equipment and personnel we have at the Aether Paradise is second to none. If we are to help Celebi, it'll be from the Paradise. I'll not work on such a task with inferior toys like these!" Faba huffed, his smug grin returning. Wicke remained silent, knowing her thoughts on this situation wouldn't help. Lusamine nodded in agreement, her gaze not leaving Celebi.

"I agree with Mister Faba. Which is why I'll accompany Celebi to the Aether Paradise!"

The trio whirled around in surprise as they saw that a new member had joined the group. Colress stood cheerily behind them, smiling as he crossed his arms. Lusamine smiled a little before saying, "It's a faux pas to be late, Doctor Colress."

"Perhaps, Miss Lusamine. I had other matters to contend with. It was an opportunity that I couldn't pass up. And I don't think I've missed anything terribly important." Colress said as he walked forward, regarding the Pokémon on the table with a calculating look. "Yes, I will accompany you three back to the Paradise so that we can begin to heal Celebi from the darkness in its heart."

"I don't think so, Colress. Faba should be more than capable of sorting this matter out himself." Lusamine said to the scientist, raising an eyebrow as his smile widened. Colress nodded then and turned to Faba.

"Yes, it is necessary. Cipher doesn't usually take risks with their most important assets. I believe it'll take the two of us to accomplish our goal. Besides, it was _my_ invite that led to this encounter. A joint venture between two of the greatest minds of our time to save one of the Legendary Pokémon that travels through time! Doesn't that sound grand?" Colress declared as he swept his arms apart, grinning at them.

Faba chuckled softly at the praise, straightening his jacket and puffing out his chest. "Of course, Doctor Colress. I'd be honored to have such an incredible ally by my side as we save this wonderous Pokémon and help save the world from ruin. After all, Celebi has some truly amazing powers. If used for good, it could help turn the tides of the situation in Unova and Kanto!"

"I wasn't aware you were following the drama there, Faba." Lusamine remarked, earning a rare scowl of anger from the man. Lusamine blinked in surprise as Faba spoke, no trace of smugness or pride, but of one of solemness.

"They...ma'am, despite it being many years since I saw them last, I had friends at the lab in Oore. They worked to help Pokémon that were corrupted by terrible science. Science that even I wouldn't dare delve into. Cipher destroyed that lab, leaving no survivors. All of my colleagues there, gone. They were my friends…" Faba said quietly, a small somber smile gracing his face after a few moments. "I am the only one left to help carry on their legacy, as the only survivor from the Purify Chamber project. Cipher is evil and must be stopped. So, I will assist how I can. And I will do so with honor and grace, as befitting the Aether Paradise Branch Chief."

Lusamine and even Miss Wicke smiled at the small declaration from the self-obsessed scientist. The others did as well, surprised at the heartfelt response to help them with Celebi. Miss Wicke walked forward, smiling at them all.

"Rest assured, we'll be keeping in contact with you all should anything happen regarding Celebi. Between us and Doctor Colress, we should be able to sort out a way to purify Shadow Celebi and bring it to its senses. That I promise." Wicke said to the assembled crew, earning a grin from Aria.

"You wouldn't mind if we swung by from time to time, would you? I've heard of the Paradise from some friends back home, and I kinda always wanted to see it for myself. It's supposed to be really cool." Aria said to the trio, with Lusamine laughing softly.

"It'd be an honor, Aria. We're similar souls, in a way, and I'd love for you to be able to see just what we're doing to help spread our love to the Pokémon of the world." Lusamine said with a bright smile, though Aria was confused.

"We're...similar souls?" Aria asked, and with that Lusamine's smile faded and she looked away.

"We both fight on with our dreams of helping the world, in the name of someone precious to us that is now gone...Not dead. Just gone. We're quite alike, you and I." Lusamine looked ahead and smiled sadly, stepping forward and extending a hand to the Snagger.

"Come by the Paradise whenever you'd like. I'd be happy to show you and your friends around myself." Lusamine offered the younger Trainer, receiving a smile from Aria as she reached out and shook the woman's hand-

And then the world went white, as Aria's eyes glowed green.

* * *

 _Lusamine was curled up on a bed, sobbing as Miss Wicke watched on silently from the doorway. The room they were in was torn apart, and looked like it belonged to a child. Books were thrown around the room while dolls and stuffed animals were ripped in half. Several pieces of paper that looked like it was once a handwritten note was now shredded to oblivion on the floor._

" _My baby. My precious flower. How could you do this to me? Why did they all have to leave me? Now I'm all alone...all alone, except for the voices that whisper in my ear." Lusamine sobbed, her voice breaking with misery and anguish._

" _Ma'am...You know they did this because they love you." Wicke said quietly, listening to the crying of her longtime friend and employer._

" _Love? What do you know of love, Miss Wicke?" Lusamine asked, removing herself from the mattress and glaring at the other woman with leaky red eyes._

" _More than you would think, ma'am." Wicke replied smoothly, offering the older woman a kind smile that she didn't return. "Those children want nothing more than to protect Pokémon, just like their wonderful parents. And like most children, yours have rebelled in order to follow their hearts. Just like you, who has strayed from the dream you and Professor Mohn had all those years ago. How is this such a horrible thing?"_

 _Lusamine looked down, considering Wicke's words. Then, Aria noticed the veins on Lusamine's arms stuck out more than they should, and even Wicke was alarmed when the veins began to glow a dark red color. Lusamine visibly twitched and shuddered, inhaling sharply before slowly exhaling deeply, closing her eyes. And then they opened, her expression sharp and cold._

" _It's horrible because they're stopping me from saving the Ultra Beasts, Miss Wicke. They're stopping me from finding a way to the Ultra Space and saving my husband. I will not fail because of those brats! Not after how much I've lost! Not after how much I have suffered!" Lusamine growled, rising to her feet as the veins across her entire body glowed a horrific crimson color, with Miss Wicke taking a step back._

" _Ma'am...P-please, stay calm." Wicke said quietly, her hand trying to grab the door handle, with her voice beginning to shake with fear._

" _You didn't take your serum, Miss Wicke. Neither did Faba. I know. They told me." Lusamine said coldly to the other woman, her words powerful and radiating a darker meaning. "Don't stand in my way, like those evil little creatures that left me all alone. I won't be stopped now." Lusamine hissed, stepping closer to Wicke as her eyes narrowed down to slits._

" _Ma'am...these are your children!" Wicke said to Lusamine, her tone pleading. Aria heard Lusamine sigh deeply, her expression becoming one of deep sorrow before becoming replaced with something truly awful..._

" _I have no children, Miss Wicke. If they wish to stand against me, then they too will be scattered like ashes in the wind. I won't stop my love from being spread, and I'll destroy anyone who opposes me. That I promise!" Lusamine breathed, her eyes gleaming with a very familiar glow of madness as the President swept out of the room, leaving a horrified Miss Wicke behind._

* * *

The Snagger staggered backwards and returned to reality, her eyes widened in horror as Lusamine took a step back, looking startled.

"You…" Aria tried to say, but couldn't. What could you say to that? What the hell was going on with this woman!?

"Yes, I am me. I often get accused of that daily. Now, can someone explain what that was exactly?" Lusamine asked the others, none of whom responded.

"Sorry about that. I...originally came to Alola about seven months from the past thanks to Celebi, and the experience left me a bit scarred. Sometimes that shows in times like that…" Aria carefully sat down on the floor, taking slow breaths.

"Damn, that crap still winds me." Aria hissed as she closed her eyes.

"Right...of course. Well, Faba, I'll leave the details to you and Miss Wicke. I need to stop out for a moment. Talking about the past always throws off my composure and I trust you'll arrange things to my liking, as always." Lusamine said to the pair, receiving two nods in response. Faba turned to speak to Dexio and with that, Lusamine walked over to the elevator and was soon out of the building, deep in thought as Fiaro padded alongside her.

* * *

"Gaaah!"

"Aaaah!"

"Eep!"

The group of Pokémon watched on in amusement as Hau and Lillie helped apply cream to Sun's charred legs. Despite the boy's best efforts, he was struggling to walk without feeling intense pain from the burns in his legs and feet. While not severe, they were bad enough to where the boy had to take several breaks during their trek down the volcano. Eventually Sun called upon a Charizard to take them down to the beach, where the boy sank into the sand with a worn out sign. Lillie had suggested a burn cream given to her by Professor Kukui, and well…

"S-sorry guys. That stuff is cold!" Sun hissed, fighting back another violent shiver.

"Wuss." Hau sniggered from a safe distance away.

"Hau, don't make me dunk you under the water!" Sun yelled to his friend, who smirked.

"Alright then. Get up and do it then." Hau dared Sun, who scowled and hopped to his feet before stumbling forward and yelling out in pain. Hua giggled and said, "Whelp, since Sunshine here is grounded, I'm gonna have some fun in the water. I'll see you dorks in a bit."

Hau ran into the water, carrying Kaha in his arms while Duke and Cassy bounded past him. Meanwhile, Sun and his team sulked on the beach, with Brago hanging his head in shame.

After all, it had been the Growlithe's idea to set Sun on fire to free him from the control of Totem Salazzle. However, just because it was effective and allowed them to win the battle didn't mean that the move had come without consequences. Sun could travel, but he was definitely in some pain from the Totem Battle and it'd take a little while for them to heal. Sun had consulted his mother, who told him these types of burns usually took three weeks to heal or so, and that traveling would likely be a bit painful for a while, but nothing he couldn't tough out.

When Sun asked how she knew that offhand, his mother laughed and waved off his concern, telling him she'd tell him that story when he was older. Or whenever Mister Oliver decided that he felt like divulging top-secret League info again.

Sun decided that he was better off not knowing.

Regardless, Sun decided to just relax on the beach and rest. He sent Penny and Oliver out to play over the water while Brago was content to keep Sun company, mostly out of obligation. Lillie and Nebby decided to spend time with Sun, and had a relaxing time in the refreshing shallows on the beach as they chatted, with time flying by as they enjoyed this short reprieve from their journey. Oliver and Penny returned to rest on the shore with them, and for a time things were peaceful.

However…all good things must end. And end it did, several hours after the trio arrived at the beach.

* * *

"Brooo!"

"Cassy, stop worrying. I don't think anyone's gonna be mad."

"Pika pika!"

"Duke, seriously. Everyone's gotta pee sometime! Who would be mad about me peeing in the water out here on this island?" Hau asked his Pikachu and Brionne, who were both watching a napping Eevee curled up on the ground. Hau had spent the entire day playing with his Pokémon and battling Trainers on the water. Needless to say, after a while, the boy had to answer nature's calling. Hau went about his business while both Duke and Cassy face-pawed, knowing what came next would be bad.

Needless to say, no one was surprised when Hau turned around and opened his mouth to speak to his team, but was cut off by a furious roar from below. Hau scrambled forward, picking up Kaha as the Eevee began to cry. Hau turned around and watched as a massive Gyarados emerged from the water, giving Hau a look of the utmost hatred.

"Looks like Hau just made a Gyarados mad. Fantastic." Sun muttered, attempting to get up. He quickly sat back down with a groan while Lillie gave her friend a concerned look.

"Why would a Gyarados be mad at Hau? He wouldn't purposely pick a fight with one of those brutes, would he?" Lillie asked, bewildered as Nebby let out a cry and began floating towards the water. Lillie dove at her Cosmog, grabbing it in her arms, but fell into the water as a result. The soaked blonde emerged from the water, sputtering adorably as she rose to her feet and staggered back to Sun, who was smiling at his friend.

"You two never stop being great. Seriously." Sun said to Lillie, who smiled as her cheeks went bright pink, with the girl hugging Nebby close to her chest. Nebby waved happy, cooing as he flailed in Lillie's arms.

"But to answer your question...Well, my guess is he probably peed on another Pokémon and made it mad." Sun replied, earning a horrified look from the girl.

"Hau...urinated on a Pokémon!?" Lillie asked, dumbfounded.

"Yeah. He has a bad habit of finding really bad places to use the bathroom in the wilds. Sometimes wild Pokémon will attack him once he's done doing his business. I tell you, nothing is worse than being chased by an Alolan Raticate in the dead of night because Hau peed on its favorite tree." Sun explained to an increasingly disturbed Lillie.

"Wait, how many times has this happened!? Why am I just now hearing of this!?" Lillie demanded. Sun looked away, unsure if he wanted to actually answer this question. Rotom Dex popped out of Sun's backpack with a wide smile, giggling softly. Lillie turned to the device, and asked, "Rotom, do you know?"

 _"Zzzt. Mizz Lillie, let'zz just say this. Umm...Hau'zz been attacked after using the bathroom in the wrong spot about twelve timezz now. Az for why you're just now learning about thizz, it'z because the first eleven timezz were hairy enough that a T-rating for thizz story wouldn't be able to cover it!_ " Rotom explained as the group watched the Gyarados rear back and fire off a blast of energy at the small island Hau was on. A yell filled the air and the two children heard their friend yelling out commands to his Pokémon.

"I'm calling him." Lillie said as she pulled out her phone and called Hau. The boy quickly picked up and Lillie put the phone on speaker.

"Guys, I messed up again!" Hau yelled into the phone.

"Bro, I can't walk too well and Lillie isn't a great swimmer. It'll take a while to get a Poké Ride out to you." Sun admitted, scratching his head. "I guess you'll have to take out that beast yourself man. But don't worry!"

"Wait, what!? This is nuts, dude! Help!" Hau pleaded as another roar filled the air.

"And pick a fight with a monster serpent because you won't stop peeing on the wildlife? Hell no."

"Sun, as much as Hau deserves this, maybe you should send Oliver and Penny to help him." Lillie suggested to the boy, who waved his hand dismissively.

"He's totally got this."

"I _don't_ totally got this!"

"Hau will be fine. I believe in him. Power of friendship, Lillie. Power of friendship."

"Friendship means much less if Hau gets eaten, Sun." Lillie pointed out to her friend, who was just grinning at her.

"Lillie, I respectfully disagree."

"Well screw you too, Sunshine! Duke, Electro Ball! Cassy, use Toxic! Kaha, use Charm!" Hau yelled as the Gyarados roared in fury, lashing its tail through the water. Both Duke and Cassy unleashed their attacks, making the beast snarl in pain as poison and electricity rushed through its veins. It lunged forward to attack, only to see an adorable Eevee looking up at it. The move made the beast falter for a moment before a second Electro Ball hit the beast in the face, knocking it backwards into the water.

"Hehehe...Nice one, little buddy!" Hau said as he looked down at Kaha, who happily barked out in response. The Gyarados emerged from the water with a cry, opening its mouth and releasing a blast of energy that rushed towards Hau and his team.

"Duke, use Thundershock! Cassy, use Icy Wind!" Hau commanded his two Pokémon, who released their attacks to meet the Dragon Rage rushing towards them. The two attacks met and exploded in midair. Hau repeated the command quickly, and his Pikachu and Brionne obeyed and sent their attacks back through the smoke that filled the air now.

"I keep forgetting that despite him being ridiculous most of the time, Hau's a great Trainer." Lillie remarked as Hau and his team continued to battle the Gyarados, who screeched as the two attacks combined into one, ensnaring the beast and making it collapse into the water, knocking out.

"Boosh! Aww, yeah! Who's the best? We are!" Hau said with a laugh as he began dancing on the shore, with Cassy quickly joining him. Duke and Kaha watched on, bemused, until several roars echoed out across the water. Hau and his Pokémon slowly turned around to see five Gyarados slowly emerging from the water, looking at their downed brother with fury.

"Well...poopie." Hau sighed, hanging his head while Cassy and Duke exchanged a glance.

"This is not good," Sun muttered, hopping to his feet and yelling out in pain. Lillie got up as well, holding Nebby in her arms. However...none of this was necessary, as both children noticed a swarm of small figures darting through the water towards the horde of Gyarados, with one glowing speck in the middle of the swarm of fish.

"Brace yourself, gang!" Hau said as he took a step back, fear chilling him as several of the beasts charged up Dragon Rage.

And then, a massive roar that easily dwarfed those of the Gyarados' bellowed out from the water, and the fear that showed on Hau's face now showed on each of the blue serpent's faces. Each one of them let out a roar before quickly diving into the water, fleeing to parts unknown.

"Okay...weird, but I'll take it." Hau said with a happy laugh before he spotted the massive whirling shape in the water that had made the Gyarados flee in terror. However, Hau recognized the shape the creature had formed to be.

"That's a Wishiwashi in it's School Form." Hau stated as he crossed his arms. As he spoke, the horde of Pokémon suddenly dispersed, leaving a single Wishiwashi behind. The lone fish swam to the top of the water and greeted Hau with a happy cry. Hau blinked in surprise before smiling at the Pokémon, noticing that it was much larger than a normal Wishiwashi.

"Wait...aren't you Washua? Lana's Totem Pokémon?" Hau asked quietly, his smile widening slightly. In response, the fish's entire body became immersed in an aura of energy that Hau knew very well, and made him grin.

"Well, it's good to know you Totems get to have some fun every now and then! Thanks for the backup, buddy!" Hau said to the Totem Pokémon, who nodded in response. Cassy, Duke and even Kaha all greeted the Totem happily, thankful for his help in repelling the group of Gyarados. Washua then turned around, watching the several large clusters of smaller Wishiwashi swimming around a short distance away.

"Your friends are waiting for you, huh? Well...Don't let me keep you waiting! You all have fun!" Hau said to the Totem, receiving yet another nod in response.

"Oh, and tell Lana I said hi! Even though I have her number...Eh, tell her I said hi anyway. Why not?" Hau remarked with a shrug, making the Totem smile before Washua dove into the water and departed. Hau recalled Kaha and Duke and swam back to shore with Cassy, giving Sun and Lillie an annoyed look.

"In my defense, I wanted to help you." Lillie said sheepishly while Sun just grinned at his friend.

"You enjoy your swim?" Sun asked his friend, earning a smirk in response.

"Yeah, actually. It was invigorating, and we got some awesome combat experience. So win-win!" Hau said with a chuckle, calling his Pokémon back out onto the beach.

"Well, you kids look like you're having fun!"

The trio of children and their Pokémon looked up to see a familiar woman and man standing beside each other, watching them with amused expressions.

"Kahuna Olivia!"

"Commander Jack!"

The pair made their way into the sand, with the Kahuna offering the children a bright grin. Jack regarded them with a neutral expression, nodding to them as Olivia declared, "Alola, my young friends! Looks like you're having a blast out here."

"We are, ma'am. After dealing with Kiawe's Trial, we figured spending time at the beach would be a good way to recover from the heat. How does Kiawe deal with it?" Sun asked the Kahuna, who chuckled softly in reply.

"He wasn't a fan at first, but he's used to it. Next to Acerola, Kiawe is our oldest Captain and has been doing this for a while." Olivia answered, waving a hand.

"Acerola?" Sun questioned.

"Another Captain. You'll meet her eventually." Olivia replied, smiling mischievously.

"I've met her! She's really, really nice actually!" Lillie said with a smile, looking to Sun. "She came by the lab one day just to meet with me, after Doctor Colress contacted her. Acerola's looking into some stuff about the Tapu for me. She also promised me that if I came to her island she'd keep an eye out for me and would give me a tour of Malie City."

"Considering her background, I imagine that she dug into her family's trove of books. There's a lot of history in those ancient tomes. She might have even roped old Nanu into helping her." Jack remarked, smirking slightly.

"Commander Jack, what are you doing here? Do you two know each other?" Lillie asked the man, receiving a shrug in response, though the man's smirk faded.

"In a way. We've met a few times before. I was at her official Kahuna coronation as a guest, actually, but truthfully I'm just helping her with something. The police force can't look into this without drawing the wrong kind of attention, so I'm assisting Olivia how I can. It helps distract me from..well. Everything." Jack replied, his expression darkening. The children could hear the pain, clear as day in the man's voice. Regardless, he continued with, "Anyways, I'm helping out. At least until Nanu gets off his lazy ass and tells me what the hell is going on with these disappearances."

"Disappearances?" Hau asked.

"It's nothing you kids should be worried abou-" Olivia began to say, but the Commander cut her off.

"Yep. A few prominent figures have gone missing across all four islands, only to be found later brutally murdered a few days later. Odd noises being heard in the dead of night with no sources in sight. There's other things too, but Olivia wouldn't be pleased if I went into the gruesome details. Nanu recommended me to help and here I am." Jack explained to the three children, glancing over at the glaring Kahuna.

"You're going to _scare_ them. And there's no reason for them to know about something like that. We're keeping it on the down low for a reason." Olivia huffed, crossing her arms. Jack shrugged, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"Maybe. But I believe in being prepared. Whether that's scoping out a site beforehand or buying a few extra Max Potions for a job. Besides, these three know what I'm talking about. Don't you?" Jack asked the trio, earning a nod from Sun. The Commander saw clearly in the eyes of the gray-eyed child. He had seen hell before, and wouldn't cower should it come for them.

"This is going to be a long day. You're going to make me hit the sake quicker than I'd like." Olivia grumbled, just audibly enough for Hau to giggle. Jack offered the Kahuna a lopsided smirk.

"Shit, you want to get a few drinks before we start questioning people? That sounds retarded...I'm in." Jack replied, making the children burst into giggles while Olivia smiled grudgingly. Jack shrugged as Gretel slipped out of his shadow, a cackling gleefully.

"It wouldn't be the first time he's done that!" Gretel chimed in, covering her face as she laughed. Jack offered his partner an amused look.

"No, it wouldn't be. But considering how a few of those nights went, I think dropping the matter might be best. They're not old enough to hear those kinds of stories." Jack replied to Gretel, who giggled in response.

"I'm almost thirteen. There are those my age who've challenged Champions by now!" Lillie replied, huffing slightly while Hau giggled. Sun, however, was surprised.

"Almost? When's your birthday?" Sun asked Lillie, who blushed slightly. How had this never come up in conversation? It was almost like it took the author until now to come up with concrete dates for these things or something…

"Two weeks from today. On April 22nd I'll be thirteen years old." Lillie replied to Sun, who mutely nodded.

"Meaning me and Sunshine here will be gift-searching when we're done with the next Trial. I'm pretty sure the path we take to the battle Miss Olivia after that goes right through Heahea City!" Hau remarked cheerily as Kaha yipped from Hau's head. Olivia nodded to confirm this.

"N-no, that's fine. You don't have to get me anything." Lillie said quickly, waving her hands back and forth. Sun and Hau exchanged a glance, smirking at each other before looking at Lillie.

"Alright. If you say so." Sun said with a smile, making Lillie sigh in relief. The girl hated the fact that people always went out of their way and inconvenienced themselves just for her. She wasn't worth the bother.

"Jack, we really should get going." Olivia said to the Commander, who nodded in reply.

"You three be careful out there. Keep each other safe. And be good, alright?" Jack said to the children, offering them a small smile before he turned to Gretel. "Ready?"

"Of course. Goodbye you three!" Gretel said happily to the trio, waving to them. Olivia giggled at the Dusknoir's antics, but regarded the three children warmly.

"You three are just too adorable. Like Jack said, be careful out there. But have fun too. Life's too short to be constantly worrying about the future. Regard it, but focus on enjoying the present. Okay?" Olivia said to them, receiving three nods in reply. The children said farewell to the two adults and began packing their things up, so that they could cover some ground today. Jack and Olivia vanished into the shadows, and our trio of heroes continued on their way to tackle the next Trial, unaware of events unfolding elsewhere…

* * *

Lusamine stood outside the Dimensional Research Lab and looked up at the sky, wincing at the brightness. She quickly reached into a pocket and slipped on stylish yellow sunglasses before she set out, leaving Faba and Wicke to handle the matter of Shadow Celebi. Fiaro was watching her worriedly, but Lusamine was enthralled by other matters.

She still couldn't believe it. An actual Celebi! Here in Alola!

 _"Mohn...Darling, you'd be so excited if you were here with us. The very being that inspired us to spread our love to all of the Pokémon of the world will be coming to the Paradise."_ Lusamine thought to herself, smiling sadly at the thought of her husband.

 _"Wherever you are, I hope you're happy. Perhaps with Celebi's help...we can see each other again."_ Lusamine thought, her smile widening into something a bit darker.

 **" _But what of Cosmog…?"_**

Lusamine stiffened, stopping in her tracks. The woman placed a hand on her head, trembling as a shiver ran down her spine. She shut her eyes tightly, thinking hard.

" _A means to an end...First we heal Celebi. And then we find my husband and save him from his fate. And then together we help you."_ Lusamine thought in reply, regaining her composure. After a few moments, the fit passed and all was well. The woman coughed and shook her head, calming herself with a few steady breaths.

The President of the Aether Foundation continued striding down the sidewalk, her shoes clicking as she elegantly made her way through the city, thinking about her next course of action.

" _I'll have to have Guzma keep Team Skull busy here. I need as much attention away from me while we work on this. Perhaps they can track down my dear daughter in the meantime."_ Lusamine thought as she pulled a cell phone out of one of the small pockets within her dress.

"Yes. That's what we'll do. Now…" Lusamine trailed off as she punched in a number and held the phone to her ears. Two rings later and the phone picked up, a cheerful voice answering her.

"Thank you for calling Aupuni Industries, Kanto Branch! This is Ana, how may I direct your call?" The woman said to Lusamine, who inhaled softly before exhaling, calming herself.

"Atop the crooked throne the monarch weeps." Lusamine replied to the woman's question, receiving a solid ten seconds of silence. Then the woman spoke again, none of the earlier cheer present and a businesslike tone replacing it.

"I'll patch you through, ma'am. Please stay on the line."

Lusamine hummed softly to herself as she continued her stroll down the sidewalk, Fiaro walking alongside her. She received a few waves and smiles from the locals passing by who recognized her, and she returned their greetings with a smile of happiness. And then the other line picked up.

"I don't recognize this number. Who is this?" The smooth, deep voice on the other end of the line spoke. Lusamine closed her eyes for a moment, considering her actions one final time. Was it right of her to bring them here? Was it right for her to involve them in this mess?

 **" _Do it...with them involved, you can hunt for Cosmog without scrutiny…"_**

Lusamine exhaled a breath she didn't know she was holding. They were right. Of course they were right! Clearing her throat, she spoke to the man on the other end of the phone.

"For someone so powerful, you really do miss the little things, my friend." Lusamine replied lightly, sitting down on a bench in park. Ironically the very one that two certain children had shared more than a month ago.

"...Lusamine? I wasn't expecting a call from you again. After that donation to help with your conservation efforts, I figured that was all you needed." The man answered, his tone confused but not hostile. If anything he was a little thrown off, which made Lusamine chuckle softly.

"It is, truthfully. However, I'm calling to return the favor. I have a lot of information that your group would find very useful. And I mean your group, not the facade your group hides behind." Lusamine replied to the man as she looked up to gaze at the beautiful Alolan skies.

"Aupuni Industries and all its subsidiaries have no comments to make on the recent allegations that-" the man began to say, his tone almost mocking, but Lusamine cut him off.

"It's about that Snag Machine you've been searching for, Scowlbutt. I know where it is, who has it, and what they plan on doing with it. Now, can we cut the formalities, old friend?"

"...You have my attention." The man said on the other end of the line, his tone devoid of mirth. Lusamine smiled thinly as he added in a bit of a lighter tone, "I'll set aside my meeting with Venus for now. I think catching up with a friend with some information like this is far more important. I forgot about that old nickname. 'Scowlbutt'...man, that takes me back. Mohn would be laughing so hard right now."

"Mohn always did go on about how important friends are. I think he did it just so he could give everyone a nickname though." Lusamine giggled softly, earning a snicker from the other end of the line.

"That he did...I miss him."

"As do I...no matter how much time passes, my love for him never fades." Lusamine whispered, shutting her eyes for a few moments, willing back the emotions that came forward when speaking of her husband.

"So...changing the topic, how are the kids? Last I heard, little Lillie just had done her first live performance for the Foundation and Gladion was looking into taking advanced guitar lessons, I believe." The man asked, his tone lighter now. Lusamine recalled her friend being fond of her children, though it had been many years since he had last seen them. They had stopped vacationing to other regions after Mohn had vanished and the echoes of laughter and singing in their home had ceased.

"They're currently missing, actually. I've yet to find them." Lusamine admitted, frowning at the thought, even as the rage bubbled in her chest.

"Missing!? I...Damn it. I'm so sorry, I've been distracted lately. I can help look for them, if you need me to. Just say the word, and I'll have a dozen teams out to search for them in the morning."

"Don't bother. I'd rather keep this in-house. I'll find them one way or another on my own. Besides, you have other things to concern yourself with. They're not _that_ important. But what they stole _is_." Lusamine replied carelessly, shrugging. The man she was speaking to was silent for a few moments, and then his voice boomed forth.

"These are your children! And...agh, why didn't you tell me sooner, Lusamine? How can you be so casual about something like that!?" The man demanded, anger surging through his voice.

"Because they stole some very important assets, and that doesn't concern you or Cipher. Your contributions to the Aether Foundation didn't even go towards our special projects. Though truthfully, they've helped quite a bit with our conservation and protection efforts." Lusamine remarked, earning a sigh from the other end of the line.

"Anything for a friend. Especially after what you've done for me. And I have no idea what you mean by 'special projects', but I can guess that it's nothing that the public would approve of. I only have to say that if you need help, I will assist however I can, though it may admittedly not be much."

"So humble...so what name do you even go by now, hmm? I don't even know what to call you, anymore." Lusamine asked lightly, earning a deep laugh from the man on the other end of the phone.

"Fair enough. I have so many false names, titles and the like that I'm sometimes unsure of the same thing myself. You, however, can just call me Borlath." The Cipher Admin replied to the President, whose smile faded somewhat. She knew that what she was doing was wrong. She knew that it would lead to pain and suffering for the innocent. And she knew that many Pokémon would get hurt because of this. But at the same time, she had priorities, and if Alola had to burn in order for her to achieve her goals...

Then so be it. It was a gesture of love, after all.

* * *

 _Mmm...Interesting development. Just as Team Skull has their supporters, the Aether Foundation has their own._

 _What will Lusamine's betrayal of Alola mean for the region itself? Stay tuned!_

Q&A:

 _From Sai Og Sus:_

I really like how you tease the relationship between Brago and Winter. Do you have a name for it yet?

 **Actually, I don't have a name for it! And I'm absolutely taking suggestions.**

 **This has been a ship I've been hinting towards for a while with every interaction with Brago and Winter so far, so it's nice to kind of make it official. Looking forward to seeing how this one develops, especially since one of the best scenes I've ever thought of for this story involve the two of them.**

 _From OmegaStar327:_

Though, I've been wondering. Is the Aether Foundation somehow connected to Cipher? Because Lusamine seemed pretty interested in Shadow Celebi from what I could tell.

 **I think that question may have been answered by this chapter, but to summarize information mentioned so far...**

 **Borlath, who is connected to Aupuni Industries, has been making large donations to the Aether Foundation to help with their conservation efforts, mainly because he and Lusamine (and Mohn) are old friends. However, he is only just now learning that the Aether Foundation is doing...less savory things as well. This'll be explored later when Sun visits the Aether Paradise. However this is not the last we've seen of Lusamine, as she'll feature regularly in scenes from here on in just like with Gladion and others.**

 _From Cottonmouth25:_

So... why would Dusknoir only talk to what it wants to eat? That seems like kind of a useless ability. It's not like it'll ever get to talk to them again... did you perhaps mean it only talks to those it wishes to help on their way to the spirit world?

 **It was an idea I had gotten from "Pedestal", which I'll state once again is one of the best stories I've ever read on this site. Dusknoir and Dusclops were able to speak to the main character because of this reason, though I'll admit searching for the scene where this was explained has eluded me. It makes sense to me and made sense for those** **Pokémon** **, and that's why I included it in the story.**

 _From RC-DA:_

I also don't get the last name reveal, was there supposed to be something big or surprising about it?

 **I've always felt that names are very important in stories. As stated in the Inheritance Cycle (one of my favorite book series), names have power. And meaning. Most of the names in this story have a bit of deeper meaning to them. Even some of the incredibly minor ones. Everything I do in this story has a purpose or motivation behind it.**

 **Most of Hugh's team have names that consist of names I've used in Nuzlocke runs. Hugh's last name is also "justice" in Latin. Sun's name, Sunshine Smiles is the name of one of my favorite supporting characters in "Diaries of a Madman." Also, the joke was hilarious. Penny was named after a character from RWBY. Brago was named after my favorite character from the anime Zatch Bell. See, things like that.**

 **Since these (Hau, Lillie, Sun, Gladion, Lusamine, ect.) are the main stars of the story, I feel that their last names should hold a bit of weight and meaning since it's been deliberately not mentioned as of yet. So yeah, it was supposed to be a grand reveal. It seemed to have worked out that way.**

 _From SonicIKE:_

Wait, the Trumbeak's Hidden Power was a rock type attack? Couldn't it have been a ground type or is that another colour?

 **Yep, Penny's Hidden Power is a Rock-type move. I've actually had that revealed for a while now on my profile page, where all of the current stats for Sun's team are displayed. A lot of people seem to forget I'm doing an actual playthrough of the game with the team that Sun has. Penny's Hidden Power ended up being Rock, weirdly enough. And as for it being Ground, no, I associate Ground-type attacks with a lighter shade of brown. Rock-type is just regular brown, which is what was described in the chapter.**

 _From DarkestShade73:_

Gladion meets Colress. Now, how much does Colress know? Read that in a dramatic tone.

 **Quite a bit, but not everything. He knows what Lillie knows at this point in the story. Nothing about the Nihelgo, but he is aware of what Lusamine is capable of doing, but not exactly what she plans to do.**

 _From sceptilezeno:_

Did Gretal really want to eat Lillie..?

 **No. Gretel likes Lillie. But since Dusknoir can eat just about any kind of meat, which includes humans, she can speak to just about any human. Dusknoir are able to communicate with anything they wish to eat. They're mostly carnivorous.**

 _From hafizsyaraf5:_

Does the next chapter has Sun and Lillie moments? xD. I'm just asking cause it's been a long time I've seen those two being together ;).

 **I mean...the chapter before the Trial, Chapter 49, had a Sun/Lillie moment. I don't think that's too long of a time period between fluff bits, right? As for this chapter and some of the few that follow, there will be moments between the two but they're not going to take precedence over other things happening. Save for one scene in particular. They may have feelings for one another, but they're also friends on a journey. Not every chapter is going to be fluffy, because that'd make the real sweet moments not as special, you know?**

 _From BraviaryScout:_

I see he and Lillie read up on the move attract. Did she happen to use that on him whilst they read?

 **Nah, they were just looking up Status Conditions. But I could absolutely make that a scene, because that's hilarious.**

 _From Lil Stevie:_

I was just wondering when you'll be at the point when the Pokémon games ended not like a specific chapter, but like how many months or even years until we see that happen?

 **As of now, the official story ends at Chapter 194. There will be a few chapters dedicated to the post-game (Meeting with the International Police, the Battle Tree, Guzma's redemption, Gladion's work at the Aether Paradise, ect). Chapter 199 will be the Finale of the story and Chapter 200 will be the Epilogue. And depending on what happens in the second half of the story regarding reader/reviewer input, decides what happens after the story.**

 **As for time...God, that's scary. This is definitely going to be the longest story I've ever done (and possibly my last), but considering the scope of it, that's understandable. At my current rate, it'll take about another three years for this story to be properly concluded. Roughly four years altogether.**

 _That's all for now folks. I've got to work on packing for my trip overseas for the Air Force. It'll be a hectic week for sure, so next chapter might be a bit difficult to post since I'm unsure of what my internet situation will be._

 _That said, feel free to add me on XBox and PSN. For those interested in adding me, leave your info in the section below or PM me._

 _But while we're waiting for me to crank out the next chapter, please leave your thoughts and feelings down as a review in the section below, and show your support with a favorite and/or follow if you haven't done so already. Seriously, that stuff means a lot to me._

 _Also, please feel free to ask questions in the review section (feedback on the chapter is required). They'll be answered with the next update! And if you feel like I didn't answer your question properly, feel free to PM me and I'll answer it the best I can._

 _Stay safe and stay awesome._

 _Until next time, FlygonNick out!_


	53. Descent

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _Howdy folks._

 _FlygonNick here with his very first update from his first official duty base!_

 _Obviously I'm not going to say where. But its overseas and has required a lot of time and effort to get settled. Hence why it took me so long to get this update uploaded. And I would've updated sooner, but the site decided to totally crap out Saturday night and I had to delay to Sunday afternoon._

 _Sorry about the delay, but I had a lot of important stuff to take care of and even now, I'm nowhere near done getting truly settled into my new home for the next few years. It's...beyond anything I could have expected. I'm so far away from home, on the other side of the world. But, you know how it goes. Adapt and keep going and enjoy the ride._

 _Now, my uploads will be probably be at odd times now since my own timezone is several hours ahead of when I usually posted. But I'm hoping that won't really matter. As for the day these uploads will be going up, always expect them on the weekend, whether that be Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. If I miss my self-imposed deadline for whatever reason, then I'll wait until the next weekend to upload. Simple as that, because trying to rush myself on chapters never works out well for anyone._

 _Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes Angelfir3, Sai Og Sus, Cottonmouth25, Madame Rodoshe, Champion of the Divine Sun, Gokan123, SonicIKE,_ _operettaoceanic, RC-DA, a guest reviewer known as bigboy9969 and DarkestShade73. Thank you all so much for the feedback and support. T_ _he feedback since I've been gone has been absolutely fantastic, especially in regards to the favorites and follows. Like, that stuff is awesome. Thank you all so much._

 _And to those who are struggling to be able to review and read the story in the face of IRL stuff going on, don't stress. Because I completely understand, since I'm going through the same thing right now. I appreciate that, despite life making things busy and annoying, that people still find time to support this story. It means a ton to me and a genuinely appreciate your time._

 _Now, I had a lot of trouble deciding on a chapter title for this one. Ah well. Let's just get on with it._

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 _Chapter 53: Descent_

* * *

"What!?" Borlath roared, slamming his hands down on the table as he glared at Greevil, with every single Admin watching him in surprise. It wasn't often the man lost control of himself, but that was indeed what was happening as he eyed the Grand Master of Cipher, who was back grinning at him.

"That's right. What sort of fool do you take me for, Borlath?" Greevil replied, his smile widening at the man's frustration. However, Borlath was far past frustrated.

He was irate.

"How could you just start establishing an operation in Alola for months without me or the others knowing!?" Borlath yelled, rising to his full height and towering over the others there. Greevil laughed softly, bridging his fingers together and considering his response.

"Our friends, Neo Team Plasma, seem to have the situation in Unova under control. That's why I have reduced our forces there and focused them on Alola. And as to why I didn't consult you...take a guess, Borlath. I am the one who runs this show. Alola is a weaker region and will be under our control in relatively short order. As for what spurred it, well...We have agents in every region. I felt the time was ripe for some chaos elsewhere, and perhaps a chance to acquire some wonderful Legendaries rumored to lurk within the region. Besides, we're strong enough to cripple two regions at the same time, aren't we, my friends?" Greevil asked as he glanced to the other Admins in the room, each of which were watching the battle going on between the two men with anxiousness.

"We can't afford to waste our time in Alola, even if Aria and the Snag Machine are there! We're making headway in our campaign _here_. We've even captured one of Kanto's Elite Four! We can't just start focusing on another region while we're partway through decimating Kanto! How long have you been interfering in Alola, Greevil?" Borlath demanded, with the old man shrugging after a few moments.

After Lusamine had explained that Aria had escaped from Shadow Celebi and that the Shadow Pokémon had fled back through a time portal, leaving a wounded Snagger behind, Borlath had consulted the other Admins and Greevil to decide on a plan of action.

Only to find out that Greevil had already been meddling in Alola for months now. As far as Borlath could tell, it was some desperate bid to seem as powerful as he did back in the good old days of Cipher. Borlath was livid that this had been done without his knowledge, because the old man had a habit of making foolish mistakes out of pride. Greevil answered Borlath's question, his tone smug.

"Long enough for the International Police to cotton on that something is amiss. We've killed two of their agents and made off with several important locals who were very helpful in telling us all about the Legendaries of the region. All in all, perhaps two months? We've already got a base set up in the region, Borlath! You truly do underestimate how much power we hold now!" Greevil laughed as he stood up in his chair, staring into Borlath's mismatched eyes (gold and red) with his own yellow eyes that gleamed with greed and evil, delight in what he was doing showing clearly on his face.

"You're an idiot." Borlath spat at the man.

"Perhaps, but I'm organizing a force to eliminate a man that has proved to be a thorn in our side for far too long in Unova right this moment. They'll likely be reporting back on their success in just a few days! Then you'll be changing your tune, Borlath!" Greevil cackled with delight, earning a few smiles from the other Admins, save for Amber and Dawson. Borlath just shook with anger at the man, frustrated that the fool couldn't see that he was inviting ruin upon them.

"Very well. I'll concede to your _wisdom_ , Grand Master Greevil." Borlath breathed, closing his eyes and trying to force himself to remain calm. After a few moments of trying and failing, Borlath opened his eyes and said, "I'm stepping out for some air. I need to process this and try to see how this will affect our plans."

"Of course. Amber or Venus will let you know if anything of note happens." Greevil said with a small dismissive wave to the taller man. Borlath opened the door and stepped out.

"Greevil...What have you done?" Borlath whispered, covering his face with his hands and taking a shuddering breath. It was these moments of frustration that seriously made him consider going into the room and giving Amber the order to slaughter them all. It'd be a lot easier, all things considered, but he knew he couldn't take the weight of carrying Cipher on his shoulders. Greevil was useful because he bore some of the burden that Borlath had forced himself to carry.

"Well, he's decided to stretch our forces thinner than Amber's patience with my flirting." Dawson replied, making Borlath flinch slightly. He had never noticed the man slip outside of the room with him. The mercenary smirked at Borlath's surprise and added, "No worries, man. I'm pretty good at the whole stealth thing. Killing off rogue Team Magma members wouldn't have been nearly as fun as it was if I hadn't been able to sneak up on them and slit their throats close up."

"I see…" Borlath replied, unsure of why the man had followed him in the first place. He was fairly sure he could trust Dawson, having scouted him for a time before enlisting his help, but the man was unpredictable at times and a deadly fighter. Just like Amber, he'd have no problems killing them all if he had to. His only problem is that he wasn't a good Trainer despite his experience, but that could be remedied in time.

"So, you're pretty worried about Greevil doing this solo, huh? What's so bad about messing with Alola?" Dawson asked Borlath, who growled softly in anger.

"It's because he thinks that just because Cipher is back on top, that he can do whatever he wants. Greevil's ego will be the death of him. But I refuse to make such stupid blunders. I refuse to let so much of my effort go to waste because of his goddamn pride. I. Refuse. To Lose!" Borlath snarled as he stormed down the hallway, with Dawson trailing behind him.

"Again, sounds like you run the show more than him, if you're questioning his decisions to this extent." Dawson remarked, earning a bark-like laugh from Borlath.

"In his old age, he's become reckless. He's a good leader, and a ruthless Trainer on top of that. Despite his genius and cunning, he's become blinded by the power he has regained. It's only been through my efforts that Wes didn't kill him back in Unova. Greevil is easily manipulated and that worries me." Borlath muttered as he continued down the hallway. "We're dedicated to our campaign in Kanto and it'll be a fierce battle to the end. Now isn't the time to allocate forces and time to a region on the other side of the world. It's a risk we can't afford to take, and it frustrates me to see him make such a stupid decision."

"I'll say. Haven't ever seen you that mad before." Dawson replied as he adjusted his cape, smiling slightly.

"I don't lose control often, but when I do...Well, you should be far away. I have to suppress it all, hold it all back. I have to focus on what we're doing, because if we slip up for the slightest moment, our enemies will take advantage of that weakness and ruin everything. And then what? All of this will have been for nothing." Borlath responded, glancing at the mercenary-turned-Admin.

"Sounds like you've got one hell of a bad-streak." Dawson said, smirking at the man who regarded him with a thoughtful expression.

"Let me tell you a story, Dawson. Of the time I sold out my 'friends' to Cipher and turned a city into a frozen mausoleum." Borlath said as he continued to stride down the hallway, his mind racing even as he spoke to their newest Admin about his greatest sin. The time he condemned millions to a death none of them deserved.

* * *

It was one of the rare days of sunshine in Po Town, which Gladion considered himself lucky to be able to see.

The settlement on the northern side of Ula'ula Island was famous in Alola for its odd weather. Namely that it was almost constantly raining within the town about ten months out of the year. Gladion had yet to be at the town during one of these sunny seasons, so it was like looking upon it with an entirely fresh perspective. He had arrived that morning after another meeting with Colress, where the two of them had managed to uncover some of Type: Null's secrets.

According to Colress, Type: Null was meant to be an adaptable weapon created to combat high-level opponents of unknown origin. Though Colress didn't know what exactly those opponents were, Gladion did. Null was a beast killer. A weapon. On top of that, Type: Null had many functions hidden away within it. Some were odd, some were useless, and some Gladion knew he'd find a use for.

One such odd one was that fact that Type: Null was effectively ageless. Meaning that the beast could essentially live forever, though it was unable to breed due to being gender-less.

A useless function within Type: Null was for detecting certain kinds of weather, something the beast could sense inherently according to Colress. Considering Gladion traveled no matter what the weather was like, this was useless to him.

However...the Command System function was something he definitely planned on using soon. According to Gladion, Type: Null had several command features that could call upon special powers the beast held within it. Despite the head restraint on it, Type: Null could still access some of its abilities, though according to Colress the restraint would need to go if Gladion wanted to unleash Type: Null's true potential.

The teen dropped his pack on the floor and opened it, pulling out a black translation collar. It was his payment for allowing Colress to examine Type: Null and learn about it. Gladion still didn't really trust the scientist, but what he had told him about Type: Null lined up with what he knew about it from reading Faba's notes. At least those he could make sense of. Gladion was intelligent, but he wasn't a genius like Faba. So for now he had to trust Lillie's judgement, in that if Gladion's little sister could trust Colress, then he could at least work with the scientist for now.

Colress had explained that he was planning on journeying to the Aether Paradise soon to help them with a special project that would help with the situation in Kanto. Gladion had heard about it on the news, but didn't really concern himself with it since he had other problems to deal with. But Colress promised Gladion he wouldn't alert the staff there of Gladion's intentions or location. He wasn't sure why his mother hadn't hunted him down yet, but he wasn't going to take chances. However he was inclined to believe Colress, since he had yet to run into any Aether Foundation employees there despite having gone to their mobile lab on Route 8 three times now.

Gladion opened the collar and attached it to Type: Null's neck. The creature growled as Gladion flipped a small switch on the side and the device shuddered slightly before remaining still. Gladion took a few steps back, regarding his partner thoughtfully.

"Null? Can you...say something?" Gladion asked quietly, looking into the beast's intelligent grey eyes. After a moment, the beast responded..though not in the way Gladion expected.

" _You're an idiot."_ Null stated, nodding at Gladion. The teen blinked in response before scowling at his partner, who was making a dull noise that Gladion had heard the beast make a few times before. The translator helped make the noise a bit easier to understand, so now Gladion could tell it was _laughter_.

"Well, aren't you rude?" Gladion grumbled, sitting down on the ground and glaring at Type: Null. The monster mimicked him, sitting down on its haunches and continuing to stare at him.

" _Of course it was. But it got your attention. You weren't expecting that to be the first thing I told you. And it was funny."_ Null replied, sounding very pleased with itself. Gladion couldn't help a small smirk at his partner's antics. It was...actually really nice to find out that Type: Null had a sense of humor. The Pokémon before him wasn't just a monster designed for destruction.

It was alive.

"Well...Alright, you got me." Gladion conceded, reaching forward and patting Type: Null on the head. The beast hummed in response, and Gladion rose to his feet and looked out the window, the sun streaming into the Shady House.

" _The strange man did well. You can understand me now."_ Null remarked, his 'voice' sounding awed by this development. Gladion was as well. The boy was tempted to get another collar for his Zubat, but he decided against it. He understood his Zubat well enough and figured it wouldn't be worth the hassle.

"That I can. It'll be nice to be able to talk with you like this now. Arceus knows talking to myself gets boring." Gladion remarked as he walked over to the window and opened it, stepping out onto the balcony and looking down at the raging crowd of Team Skull down below. Type: Null and Zubat joined him outside and Gladion shut the window, content in the company of his Pokémon. His companions in this quest to save those precious to him.

"Almost time." Gladion muttered, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall. "I hope she proves to them that she's strong. She's definitely a lot smarter than the riff-raff Team Skull usually brings in."

" _You mean Demi?"_ Null questioned, receiving a nod from Gladion.

"Yeah...I don't even know why I came to watch this. I could be training with you and Zubat right now, but instead I'm wasting time here." Gladion muttered, watching the crowd as the jeers below suddenly picked up in intensity as a tall woman strode into the midst of them, her posture one of absolute confidence in where she was within the throng of hoodlums. She had pink hair with yellow highlights in it, her sharp yellow eyes covered in white makeup. The woman also wore a black sleeveless tank top with an X pattern under it. Below the X was a pink tattoo of the Team Skull emblem. She also wore black, baggy pants and a worn pair of grey sneakers. She had a black bracelet on her left air and a grey Team Skull locket hanging from her neck.

"Plumeria is the only one here besides Guzma that can whip these morons into a frenzy like this." Gladion noted as the woman prepared herself to speak, her eyes blazing with emotion as she addressed Team Skull.

"Alright, everyone! Now that I'm finally back from Poni Island, let's get back to business!" Plumeria yelled to the other thugs that surrounded her. Team Skull roared in approval, grinning underneath their bandannas as the self-proclaimed 'Big Sister' of Team Skull looked over at all of them, her expression hard.

"We've hit a bit of a slump lately with new recruits. But doesn't mean we're still not getting people to see why the traditions of Alola need to burn to the goddamn ground, right!?" The pink-haired woman barked to the others as she jerked her head forward. Team Skull began to chant obscenities at Plumeria's words, making Demi shrink back slightly from her position underneath a nearby overhang.

To Gladion's surprise, the girl suddenly walked out, thrusting aside her unease and just facing the raucous crowd head-on. She took her place beside Plumeria, and while Gladion could see the fear in her eyes, he could also see her determination.

"This is Demi. Like you all, she has seen the injustices of Alola. Her starter Pokémon was brutally murdered by Totem Araquanid on Captain Lana's watch. She nearly lost her life to that damned spider. She was forsaken by her friends and family after this, and was on the brink of death from a rogue Trainer-turned-bandit. Until we found her." Plumeria said to the crowd, who were hooked on the woman's every word. Demi remained silent, trying not to look any of Team Skull in the eye.

"Guess what, though? She got right back up and fought alongside Bone Unit 71 and kicked Night Slash's sorry ass. She decided to keep fighting and not give up on herself! And now she's going to join us. But not before she proves herself to all of you here today." Plumeria said, clapping Demi on the shoulder and making the teen jump in surprise. Gladion saw the woman lean down and whisper something in Demi's ear, with the girl nodding slightly. Plumeria backed away as three Team Skull Grunts stepped out from the crowd, laughing as they called out their Pokémon, which consisted of two Yungoos, a Poliwag and a Ariados that slowly approached the teen.

Demi inhaled deeply before exhaling, calming her nerves before she pulled out a Great Ball and called out her only Pokémon, a Quilava that landed on the ground and let out a bellow of defiance at the group assembled to fight it.

"She's going to keep fighting until she gets beaten. Such is the way Team Skull operates. They respect strength, and if she shows them how strong her will is, she'll be okay." Gladion muttered to himself as he watched Demi began to battle the group.

The girl managed to quickly knock out the Yungoos with a Flame Wheel each. The battle against the Ariados and the Poliwag was more difficult, but with an Aerial Ace and a Swift the pair of Pokémon were defeated. Gladion scowled as he shut his eyes, unable to deny the unease he was feeling. The teen opened his eyes and watched two more Team Skull Grunts step forward, preparing to battle Demi. This would keep going until the girl was defeated. Though given how much of a fight Demi and Torch were putting up, they'd be at this for a while. Gladion blinked and shook his head after a few moments of watching the battle below.

"Why do I worry about all of this? About her? I shouldn't be concerned about what happens to her. I should only care about myself and my Pokémon, right? I can't afford to be distracted by things that don't matter. So why...agh, it makes no sense." Gladion sighed as he rubbed his face, looking back at the fight as Demi and Torch defeated the next duo with little effort, though it was obvious Torch was beginning to tire slightly and had taken a few attacks now.

" _I understand why."_ Null said quietly, surprising its Trainer. Gladion looked down at his partner, but it didn't elaborate further.

"What do you understand that I don't?" Gladion asked the monster, receiving what Gladion perceived to be a shrug in response.

" _You're young. You'll understand in time. I may tell you later, when you understand yourself better."_ Null replied cryptically, though Gladion could tell it was definitely amused. Gladion scowled at that, but instead chose to sit down next to Type: Null and lean against the wall, watching Demi battle against Team Skull to prove her worth.

"And another down! Who else wants a piece of me!?" Demi demanded of the crowd, glaring down the jeering and roaring mass of thugs as her latest opponents returned their Pokémon. Several of the grunts were exchanging glances, wary of throwing down against the new girl that had made short work of several of them. To answer Demi's challenge, Axen and Tim jumped forward, grinning at Demi.

"We just want to battle with you, yo. Welcome to the family, Demi. Now put up your goddamn dukes!" Axen bellowed as he called out his Drowzee.

"Siht od s'tel ,imeD. Ssa latot a er'uoy ,nexA!" Tim yelled, calling out his Druddigon. Axen and Demi looked at Tim for a moment, still unable to understand him after his mind got damaged by Night Slash about two weeks back. Both Trainers shrugged before returning their attention to the fight.

"Bring it, dorks. Me and Torch will burn you boneheads away!" Demi barked, her eyes flashing as she threw out a hand. "Swift into Flame Wheel, let's go!"

Gladion couldn't help a hidden smirk as he saw Demi's fierce expression as she clenched her fists. Her Quilava launched a barrage of stars at the two Pokémon opposite them before hitting Axen's Drowzee with a whirling ball of flames.

"Give them hell, Demi." Gladion whispered as Type: Null and Zubat watched the girl alongside him as she began the long road to proving herself against and to the villainous Team Skull.

* * *

"This route really is lovely." Lillie remarked as they continued down the road, with the sun descending on their third day of travel since leaving the beach beside Wela Volcano Park. Route 8 had proven to be a gorgeous one, with an easy path through the grassy coast of Akala Island providing them with the refreshing chorus of waves crashing nearby. Sun and Hau strengthened their teams by battling the wild Pokémon, especially in preparation for the Grass Trial that would be held by Mallow at the Lush Jungle.

"It'd be better if I could walk." Sun grumbled from atop the Stoutland he was riding. He had procured a Ride Pokémon to help him travel for a bit since his legs and feet were still burnt from the Totem Battle. Sun had Oliver and Penny flying alongside him while Brago padded on the ground next to Lillie.

"It'll heal in time, Sunny Delight. Maybe once we swing by Heahea City we can go by the hospital or something. Cream and ointment can only do so much." Hau replied to his friend, earning a sigh from the boy. Oliver giggled from beside Sun, earning a playful swat from his Trainer. Oliver reared back, as if preparing to knock Sun off of the Stoutland, but seemed to think better of it and soared off ahead.

"That owl, man…" Hau muttered darkly. Hau had returned his Pokémon for the day, considering they had battled several Trainers that morning and were tired. Strangely enough, they had not encountered another person for the past few hours, which struck them as odd.

The trio spotted a large white structure up ahead, but couldn't make out what it was until a short while later. It looked like a mobile base of some kind, and when that thought entered Lillie's head, she froze in her tracks.

"I...I can't go past that lab." Lillie said with a shiver. Nebby cooed from within her bag, but Lillie ignored the Cosmog and shook her head.

"Why not? We're just going to be walking past it." Hau asked, confused.

"It's...Hau, I'm...I can't say." Lillie whispered, genuine fear in her voice as she backed away. She felt a hand on her shoulder and the girl jumped in surprise, only to see Sun looking down at her in concern.

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, but...We have to keep going so we can make it to the next Trial. If you're worried about getting hurt, then me and Hau can protect you. We're not going to let anyone get you or Nebby, alright?" Sun said to his friend, who stared at him for a few moments before nodding slowly. With that, the trio continued towards the lab. However, as they drew near, Sun spotted something familiar next to the entrance of the lab. Sun dug out his Zygarde Cube and instructed his Stoutland to walk over to the spot where he saw the Zygarde Cell twitching on the ground. Sun absorbed the Cell into the Cube and returned to the path with friends, grinning.

"Closer and closer to reforming Zygarde. Man...That'd be wicked. I wonder what it looks like." Hau asked, smiling at the thought of making friends with a Legendary Pokémon.

"I believe the form that Zygarde is most commonly associated with is a massive snake-like creature, though from what Sina and Dexio told me, that is only what Zygarde looks like at half of its strength. At full power...I can't imagine what sort of form it takes." Lillie said quietly, a small smile on her face. The trio made their way past the lab as quickly as they could, with Lillie lowering her hat to cover her face and with Sun and Hau on the lookout for any sort of threats.

Despite this...

"Hello there, my young friends!"

Sun turned around and grinned at the sight of a familiar man wearing a bulky grey coat with blonde hair. Colress walked towards the trio of children with his Absol, Dusk, padding alongside him.

"How did you...I just looked that way! How did you sneak up on us like that!?" Hau demanded, dumbfounded by Colress appearing out of nowhere.

"Because shut up." Colress replied to Hau before looking at Lillie, who had tilted her hat up slightly to see Colress. "No need to worry, Miss Lillie. I instructed everyone at the lab to go home early tonight. You're safe to stay at the lab tonight and continue on your way early tomorrow morning, since it's quickly growing dark. "

"If...um, if you're sure, Doctor Colress." Lillie said quietly.

"Of course I'm sure. So, what brings you this way? Did you two overcome the Fire Trial?" Colress asked the trio, tapping away on a small tablet on his wrist.

"You bet." Hau replied, grinning at the scientist.

"Excellent. I had some trouble with it, myself. I was unprepared to deal with Totem Salazzle's pheromones. The second time, however, I won with little effort." Colress said as he crossed his arms, laughing as Dusk shook her head.

" _He actually called off his Porygon and gave up. The look on his face when he found out that he surrendered to that dumb lizard was priceless."_ Dusk remarked, a small smile on her face.

"Yeah, that Salazzle was a handful. Brago had to set my legs on fire for me to snap out of it, and he managed to not only beat the pheromones, but also beat Attract." Sun said as he reached down from Stoutland and scratched his loyal canine on the head, receiving a happy bark in response.

"Hau, you had no problems with the trial?" Colress asked the Kahuna's grandson.

"Not really. Duke managed to hold his own for a while and after that, I used Cassy for the remainder of the fight and beat her with the Z-Move Lana taught me. I was done way quicker than Sunshine over here." Hau replied, laughing good-naturedly. Sun grinned at the remark, because despite his teasing, he was impressed with Hau's growth as a Trainer. Being able to defeat one of the Totem's without breaking a sweat was quite a feat. It made Sun want to try even harder.

"Well, I'm glad to see you both are growing stronger and becoming closer to your Pokémon. After all, that's why I have been embarking on my own Island Challenge. To better myself and to find out how to unleash Pokémon's true potential!" Colress declared, his smile widening.

"That is why it makes me happy to see children like yourselves journeying around the region. It reminds me of what I learned from a child much like yourselves not so long ago. There is so much to learn from children, and even now I have learned many things from simply observing you three." Colress said to the trio, earning confused looks.

"Like?" Hau asked.

"Well, from you Hau, I have learned the importance of enjoying what you do. While you definitely lack the ability to take things seriously, you show such joy in everything you experience. You embrace life, from the people you meet to the things you do, with an open warmth and joy that I admire. And that's important in any person's life. As such, while I do my work to assist Lillie and Professor Kukui, I also dedicate time to my own research and enjoyment." Colress explained, reaching into his coat pocket and drawing out two red discs. He then handed them to Sun and Hau, who both took the discs, perplexed.

"TM's?" Hau questioned.

"That is TM43, Flame Charge. Every time it lands a successful hit, a Pokémon's speed will increase. If you're able to utilize Flame Charge fully, you'll be able to have a great battle with the Totem in the next trial...the Trial in Lush Jungle." Colress explained to Sun and Hau, though his expression turned thoughtful.

"Z-Power...Is it the true potential I seek? Does it surpass the Mega Ring?" Colress muttered to himself before shaking his head, smiling back at the children looking up at him.

"Anyways, I've heard something rather interesting. Apparently, there are uninhabited islands for Pokémon called Poké Pelago here in Alola, far away from the main islands-" Colress began to say, only for Dusk to suddenly let out a faint growl and look towards the trees, eyeing them with narrowed eyes.

Colress frowned, confused by his Absol's behavior, and opened his mouth to speak, but Dusk suddenly threw up a shimmering blue barrier around the four of them just in time for a loud sound reverberate through the air nearby. There was distinct ringing sound of something colliding with the shield and bouncing off of it. Colress' eyes widened in surprise, eyeing the fallen metal casing on the ground that had just tried to penetrate the shield his Asbol had quickly thrown up. All of the children and Pokémon could very clearly see that a bullet had been stopped dead in its tracks, it's intended target obvious.

"Dusk, how did you know that was going to happen?" Colress asked, his voice level despite nearly being shot.

" _I can sense when bad things are about to happen. Brace yourself, Master. We have company."_ Dusk said with a small shiver in her voice. As if on cue, five figures teleported in front of them, clad in silver body armor with helmets and visors obscuring their faces. The one in the center was holding a sniper rifle while the others carried various other guns on their person, with plenty Poké Balls on their belt to show that they had the upper hand here. A Kadabra stood beside one of the armored men.

Sun couldn't help the gasp of horror that leapt from his throat, or the step back he took. Cold fear crept through his body as he beheld the armored men with weapons, who had nearly killed a friend right in front of him, just like they had killed Erika.

Cipher had come.

"Well, that's disappointing.I was hoping to make that quick and clean." The lead Cipher member stated, lowering his rifle with a sigh. Sun shivered, recognizing the voice of the man with the sniper rifle. As if sensing this, the man looked over in Sun's direction and his jaw dropped.

"S-sun? Is that...by Arceus, it's you." The man said softly, ripping off his helmet and revealing an older man's face with a massive red and bushy mustache. Sun felt his horror increase, with the boy taking another step back.

"Kennedy…" Sun whispered, recognizing his father's personal secretary. The man had been a family friend and had been under his father's employ for decades. It only made sense that he too was a member of Cipher. The Cipher Grunts seemed confused and looked to Kennedy.

"Captain, you know that brat?" one of the Grunts asked Kennedy, who grinned underneath his mustache.

"Of course. And I know a certain Admin who'll be ecstatic to see his boy again. I should have figured you'd be where all of those idiots were hiding out. It just makes too much sense." Kennedy said as he called out a Venasaur and a Nidoking, both of which had soulless eyes and a horrific shadowy aura radiating from their bodies.

"Captain Kennedy? You...You're just as bad as Dad. How can you be with those evil monsters!?" Sun demanded, clenching his fists.

"I actually joined up shortly after I learned that your father was in Cipher. I realized that I could secure a profitable future by showing the man how loyal I was to him, and I have never regretted it. A leadership position in the world's most dominant crime syndicate, and now what family I have left will never go hungry or want for anything ever again." Kennedy explained with a small chuckle.

"But we get ahead of ourselves. First, we're going to end Colress once and for all. And then you're coming with us, Sunshine. Conscious or not. Though I imagine we'll have to take care of the others behind you to ensure silence, you know." Kennedy said to Sun, earning a gasp from the boy. Hau stepped forward, glaring down the man in a way Sun had never seen before.

"Hey, you freaks better back off! No one threatens my ohana like that!" Hau yelled to Kennedy, who cackled with amusement.

"There's that fight I was expecting. Yeah, you'll die first. Then we'll end the girl, nice and quick. No need to draw things out, especially since we don't want to draw attention to ourselves here. Venasaur, Nidoking. Shadow Rush!"

Both of the Pokémon responded by roaring in fury and charging forward, striking Dusk's shield and making the Absol gasp in distress, with the shield cracking slightly. Colress scowled at that, tapping one of the data-pads on his arm.

"Dusk, hold strong. I'm thinking." Colress instructed his Absol, who grit her teeth.

" _Yes Master!"_ Dusk replied, glaring down Kennedy with hate in her eyes. Colress regarded Kennedy with a small smile, inclining his head.

"I imagine that's why there are no Trainers nearby. You didn't want any witnesses when you killed us." Colress remarked as the Shadow Venusaur and Shadow Nidoking struck the Protect shield again, cracking it further.

"Naturally. Grand Master Greevil wants to wrap up a few loose ends, and who could blame him? I know I've wanted to tear you apart for years, _Colress_." Kennedy spoke, his words dripping with venom. "You killed my parents back in Opelucid City, you son of a bitch! When you froze that city, they died in the attack!...And now I finally get to pay you back." Kennedy hissed, gripping his rifle tightly as the shield protecting Colress and the children cracked and chipped further.

"And taking Sun away from his family and friends to be with a father who attempted to kill him? That doesn't seem at least a little wrong to you, Kennedy?" Colress asked the man, who barked out a laugh.

"He's just a kid! He doesn't know his left from his right! And with his father, he'll be far happier than he would ever have been here," Kennedy replied, looking at Sun. "Your father will be so happy to see you again. He'll probably come to these islands later and put an end to your mother, since we now know that she's here. I can't even imagine how it'd feel for your father to kill that traitorous slut with his own two hands."

"This isn't good…this is so bad..." Hau whispered, looking back and forth between Kennedy and Sun with horror on his face. Lillie couldn't find the words to speak, as scared as she was. Colress had no problem picking up the slack.

"Well, I'm sorry to say that Sun will not be leaving with you all. He's quite happy living here, away from his father's vile schemes. And if you try to take him by force, then I'll have to respond by making you five pay dearly." Colress said smoothly, not phased by the weapons pointed at him or the fact that Dusk was panting from the effort of keeping the Protect shield up by this point, the shield heavily cracked and flickering slightly.

"Really? It seems as if we can just kill you and your Absol, silence the kids and take Sun back to his father." One of the Grunts commented, grinning underneath his visor.

"I wonder if Grand Master Greevil wants me to bring your corpse back just so he can spit on it." Kennedy laughed, glancing to his companions. "Call out all of your Pokémon, just in case. Non-Shadows, though."

The Cipher Grunts obliged, calling out their teams and surrounding them all with Pokémon. Sun grit his teeth, shaking with horror and rage at what was going on. Was this the end of his journey? Would he really be taken back to his father? What about his Pokémon? Would he be allowed to keep them, or would his father…

"No." Sun whispered, shaking his head. Oliver hooted in confusion besides Sun and Penny and Brago looked at Sun in concern, but the boy locked eyes with Captain Kennedy and said, "I'm not coming with you all. I'm not letting that man hurt me or my mother anymore."

Kennedy opened his mouth to speak, but Colress cheerfully cut the Captain off by saying, "Actually, Sun, I quite agree with you. So let's settle this here and now."

Kennedy raised an eyebrow. "You may be a genius, Colress, but you're a fool if you think that we'll let an opportunity like this slip through our fingers. You're outnumbered and surrounded, and we've got a lot of firepower on our side. I don't see how you can turn the tides here. Besides, you're a doctor now, aren't you? You swore an oath to do no harm." Kennedy joked, shouldering his sniper rifle while Colress chuckled softly, though the way he had done it sent a shiver of dread down the children's spines for some reason. It sounded so much darker than it usually did.

"There are two problems with your statement there, Captain Kennedy." Colress said lightly, eyeing the weapons pointed at him with amusement.

"And what would that be, Doctor Colress?" Kennedy replied curtly as he raised his sniper rifle, his aim unwavering a laser sight turned on, aligned with Colress' forehead.

"The first would be your assumption that just because people call me a doctor means that I'm _actually_ a doctor. Truthfully, I have never been certified as a doctor, so that oath means nothing to me." Colress explained, his smile widening slightly. The Cipher Grunts shifted, unnerved by the cheer of the strange man being held at gunpoint.

"Your second point?" Kennedy asked, scowling at the man. In response, Colress chuckled softly before he vanished into thin air.

All of the Cipher members yelled out in surprise, with Kennedy shifting his weapon to Sun, who stiffened in horror. Dusk let out a yell as Protect faded, with the Grunts opening fire on the Absol with their weapons, making Lillie scream. Thankfully a second Protect suddenly sprung up and blocked the bullets, courtesy of one Dartrix that was glaring down the evil men.

"Good work, Oliver." Sun whispered to his partner, receiving a fierce nod in response. Dusk sighed and shook her head, preparing herself to throw up another Protect if needed. Kennedy, meanwhile, spoke aloud to Sun.

"Sun...where did he go?" Kennedy said in a low voice, his eyes darting around the area for the scientist. Sun didn't answer except for a small shake of his head. The Captain whirled around suddenly, only for a crimson ball of light to strike him in the chest, flying from the outstretched hand of Colress about thirty feet away behind the Cipher squad.

Kennedy fell to his knees, screaming as his chest began to deteriorate from the quickly expanding red hole now there, his body slowly dissolving into burning flakes as the horrified Cipher grunts watched on. Lillie grabbed Sun's arm, her body shaking in terror as the trio and Pokémon watched the Captain scream in agony, his body thrashing on the ground with his screams rising in pitch and terror…

Until he was no more than dust in the wind.

While everyone was staring, terrified at what Colress had done, the scientist had called out a Metagross and a Klinklang. Colress' smile had widened to an almost psychotic degree as he looked down at the spot where Kennedy had stood before Colress had killed him. The former leader of Neo Team Plasma then spoke, with his hands glowing once again as orbs of energy formed in his palms for a second time, his voice as pleasant as ever.

"The second point of note...is that the word _harm_ doesn't even begin to describe what I'm going to do to you four."

* * *

 _Next chapter, Colress gets a healthy dose of backstory and shows off how awesome/terrifying he is._

 _Stay tuned._

Q&A

 _From: Sai Og Sus_

I wonder though, since she (Lusamine) is from Kalos, does she have any sort of connection with Lysandre?

 **Somewhat. You'll see later. I'll be explaining her backstory heavily over the course of the story.**

 _From: Champion of the Divine Sun_

Do you have a ship for each of Sun's Pokemon, both current and future?

 **First off, your avatar is fantastic. Dimentio is one of my all-time favorite villains and was the inspiration behind one of my main villains in my first serious story, DOTD.**

 **And to answer your question, no. I do have three confirmed ships for each one of Sun's current Pokémon, as well as a confirmed ship for Sun's final Pokémon. However his fourth and fifth, I'm unsure of. I'm a hopeless romantic, so if I can find a way for it to further the character or plot (or if I'm just feeling like it'd be fun), then I'll see what I can do about it.**

 _From: operettaoceanic_

There will be more bloody war right? Cause Lusamine is on her way to become a jellyfish soon.

 **Well...I think this chapter answered that one. Yes, Cipher is going to officially be looking into interfering with Alola in order to kill Aria, capture the Snag Machine, and put a stop to the efforts of Colress. They're unaware of Shadow Celebi, or that the Aether Foundation is helping purify it. As of now, anyway.**

From: RC-DA

 _As for my question, is there a possibility of Sun buying a Lax Incense in Konikoni city?_

 **It's definitely a fun idea to mess around with and not one I considered until you mentioned it. While Sun may not rely on an item like that, I can probably think of another character to use something like that.**

 _That's all for now folks. Things should NOW. FINALLY. BE BACK. TO FREAKING NORMAL._

 _Meaning another chapter next weekend. I'm getting settled overseas, and it's going well so far. Now that my wifi problem is all sorted out and I'm slowly adjusting to everything, I'll be able to crank out chapters reliably again._

 _Once again, thanks for all of the love and support during this transition, and for your continued patience as I try to get settled at my first base and my new life overseas._

 _Please, if you feel like being amazing, leave a review and tell me what you thought, and favorite and/or follow the story to show your continued support! Also, feel free to leave a question in the section below and I'll answer it next chapter (usual feedback rules apply)._

 _Take care and stay awesome._

 _Until next time, FlygonNick out!_


	54. A Wicked End

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _Well howdy folks. Welcome to another chapter._

 _So two insane things happened this past week._

 _One, Daniel Bryan was cleared to compete in a WWE ring again, much to the absolute amazement of everyone in the entire world and it makes many people, including me, quite happy._

 _Two, this story has hit over 600 reviews._

 _That's a pretty damn impressive feat. We're drawing ever so closer to actually beating my current highest reviewed story, and that was during the peak of Zombies popularity and with a much shorter story than this._

 _So again...Thanks. For the favorites, the follows, the PM's, the questions, the reviews, and all of your support. You all are just the best._

 _Shoutout to those who reviewed last chapter, which includes TheOneWhoSaysMeep, Anasazi Darkmoon, Champion of the Divine Sun, Madame Rodoshe, Angelfir3, operettaoceanic, Sai Og Sus, Cottonmouth25, BraviaryScout, Gokan123, SonicIKE, Ways, and a new reviewer known as MoonlightButterfree. Thanks again for the fantastic support and feedback, as well as the questions!_

 _Special shoutout to Sai Og Sus, who was my 600th reviewer and has supported this story with feedback since the very beginning! Much thanks, my friend!_

 _Side note: This chapter's title had many, many different changes. "A Deadly Disagreement" was the alternate chapter name for this one, but I went with something else._

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 _Chapter 54: A Wicked End_

* * *

Two Years Ago…

Plasma Frigate

* * *

 _Colress smiled slightly at the sound of the teleporter activating behind him. He could hear the new figure that had emerged from the device panting slightly, though they stepped forward, ready to confront him. It would be interesting to see where this would go._

 _They had landed in the Giant Chasm a few days ago, and Ghetsis had been insufferable in his musings. Revenge this, destroy Unova that...So short-sighted. Colress had much grander ideas in mind for this entire display. Kyurem was a fascinating subject, and the past few months and had shown him just how powerful the crueler methods of Neo Team Plasma were. However...there were still other avenues to be pursued before he could verify his hypothesis, and now his ever-so-helpful assistant had finally arrived to help him settle the debate once and for all._

 _Would he defeat Colress and go on to stop Ghetsis and his plans?_

 _Or would the power of evil and cruelty truly be what allows Pokémon to unleash their true potential?_

 _The scientist whirled around to see a familiar boy with messy brown hair, a blue jacket and white pants. His face was contorted in a fierce scowl as he glared up at Colress, before his face turned to confusion._

 _"You?" Nate murmured, taken aback as Colress grinned at him._

 _"Welcome!" Colress greeted the boy cheerily, putting a hand on his hip. "You must be so confused, Nate. Allow me to explain."_

 _"I was asked by an acquaintance to help with his research. What I desire is to bring out the entirety in Pokémon potential!" Colress explained, looking down at Nate as his eyes gleamed with enthusiasm. "If I can accomplish that, well...I don't care what it takes!"_

 _"You're their leader...You've been behind all of this!?" Nate demanded, anger creeping into his voice. "These assholes unleashed hell on Unova two years ago and you helped them do it again with a smile!? How_ could _you?"_

 _"Simple. I don't really care what happens to others, so long as I find the answers I'm looking for. Neo Team Plasma. Kyuem. And especially that bitter old man. All of them are a means to an end. That is how much I care about this. My entire life's goal will be realized tonight, my young friend." Colress replied to Nate's fury, but the boy took a step forward and threw a hand out, eyes blazing._

 _"How can you just ignore everything they're doing for the sake of your goals? They're hurting people! They're hurting Pokémon! You're a scientist, Colress. You can do so much good with what you can do...How can you justify what you've done?" Nate asked, genuinely confused that the helpful and friendly man that had assisted him several times over the course of his adventure had turned out to be the man leading Neo Team Plasma._

 _"In the pursuit of science, sometimes you must set aside what is right and wrong and focus on progress. This has always been easy for me, though perhaps this may be a personal problem with me." Colress shrugged, chuckling softly. "I may just be a bit of a sociopath. Ah well."_

 _"Right and wrong? You killed people back at Opelucid City! You're torturing Kyurem right now! How is this the right way to find out their true potential?" Nate asked, gritting his teeth in fury at the scientist's reasoning. Colress' next words hit him like a punch to the gut._

 _"If it means the strength must be brought out by the interactions between Pokémon and Trainers, than so be it."_

 _"If it means you have to use a merciless approach, like Team Plasma's, and force out all of the Pokémon's power, then so be it!"_

 _"And yes, if the entire world is destroyed as a result…then so be it." Colress whispered, his grin becoming Cheshire with delight. A wild eagerness had taken hold of the man, as if the puzzle pieces to a lifelong problem had finally fallen into place now that Nate was here._

 _"That aside! The reason I have been traveling all over Unova and battling many Pokémon Trainers is because I was testing the viability of this approach to bringing out the full strength of Pokémon. In that respect, Nate, you've done an amazing job." Colress praised Nate, gesturing towards the furious teen. "I thank you, sincerely, for helping me."_

 _"I'll stop you...I'm going to put an end to this! I'm going to save Kyurem!" Nate barked, drawing a Poké Ball and calling forth a massive Emboar that roared, releasing a small wave of flames as it swing its arms down._

 _"Excellent...Nate. Tell me if you have the answer I desire or not! If you're ready, come at me!" Colress yelled, throwing his arms aside and drawing a Poké Ball of his own, ready to clash with the prodigy child in this battle of ideals. Which would hold the greater truth?_

 _Colress couldn't wait to find out._

* * *

Doctor Colress couldn't hold back a laugh as he felt his Metagross mentally link with him and his Klinklang, allowing him to issue commands via thought instead of calling them out. His palms hummed with deadly energy, even as Kennedy's ashes were swept up in the ocean breeze rushing past them.

"Open fire!" one of the Cipher Grunts yelled, jerking up his weapon and firing. Colress laughed even louder as his Metagross floated in front of him, its eyes glowing bright blue. The dozens of glinting bullets were stopped dead in their tracks, suspended by the powerful Iron Leg Pokémon, who dropped the useless bullets onto the ground with a clatter. Each of the Grunts were thrown backwards, their weapons flying into the air and snapping in half before dropping to the ground, useless.

"After everything Cipher has been through, it's astounding that you Grunts haven't learned by now. Never underestimate a Psychic-type with a bad streak." Colress said softly, his eyes glinting with malice as the four Grunts called out attacks. Streaks of flames raced towards the scientist and his Pokémon, who scattered at Colress' command.

" _Thunderbolt! Meteor Mash!"_ Colress instructed his two Pokémon. Metagross floated off of the ground and soared towards a Magmar, slamming a glowing fist into the other Pokémon's face before suddenly unleashing a blast of energy at the nearby Rhydon. The beast roared in fury before slamming into Metagross, knocking it back.

Meanwhile, Klinklang was unleashing waves of electricity at the horde that was attacking it. While the Pokémon was strong, it was slowly being overwhelmed as it unleashed a massive Thunder on a snarling Shadow Kabutops that was lunging towards it, downing the Shadow Pokémon with a single strike. The Gear Pokémon suddenly cried out as a Fire Blast from a Flareon suddenly hit the Steel-type in the side, knocking it backwards with a groan. Colress' eyes widened in surprise as several fire attacks suddenly erupted towards his strongest Pokémon, smashing into his Klinklang and knocking it out.

"I miscalculated. You five were assembled together to take me out. Of course you're teams were designed to combat mine…" Colress realized, his smile fading away before he frowned. Most of his Pokémon were steel and Electric-type Pokémon, and almost all of the Pokémon battling him had the advantage against him.

" _Very well. Then I'll have to take things up a notch."_ Colress thought as he drew out two Poké Balls, calling forth two more Pokémon. A massive moving puddle of rainbow sludge and a large red and white sphere. An Alolan Muk and an Electrode.

The children's eyes widened in horror as they saw the expression on the Electrode's face. It had a blank expression with absolutely no emotion, it's eyes twitching ever so slightly every so often. The air was distorting around it, as if an invisible aura were around it.

"Is...is that a…?" Sun trailed off, unsure if he was just seeing things. His suspicions were confirmed when Colress snapped his fingers and the Electrode let out a cry before its eyes glowed black and the Pokémon rolled forward, slamming into a Talonflame that was swooping low to hit them with a Flame Charge. The bird jerked back, crying out, before being put down with Psychic by Metagross, both of its wings snapping up and breaking with a awful snapping sound.

" _Let me out of here!"_ Dusk the Absol suddenly said to Oliver, her expression frantic. " _I need to go help Master Colress!"_

Oliver hooted in reply, shaking his head, before the Absol lashed out. The attack knocked Oliver back and dispelled the shield. Dusk charged at the nearest Pokémon, which was the Shadow Venusaur that was randomly lashing out at everything near it, now that it and the Shadow Nidoking no longer had a Trainer.

"Protect!" Sun called to Oliver, who was panting in pain and bleeding from Dusk's Slash attack as he landed on the ground. Oliver nodded and threw up another shield while Penny flew down to the ground next to him, letting out a concerned chirp. Brago growled next to Sun as he sprayed Super Potion on his Starter.

"I can't believe this is happening…" Lillie whispered, watching Colress as his Pokémon frantically battling off the Cipher squad that was attacking all of his Pokémon at once. Again, Colress made no visible efforts to command his Pokémon, but every attack unleashed landed without fail, perfectly calculated by the genius and doing massive damage. Despite this, however, he was outnumbered heavily and his Pokémon weren't invincible. This was made evident when both his Shadow Electrode and Alolan Muk were knocked out and Colress was forced to return them.

Dusk leapt over to Colress' side even as the scientist called out a Porygon. Both Pokémon stood protectively in front of the scientist, even as the man's frown turned into a scowl. It was a terrible thing that made the children feel true fear.

Colress wasn't just annoyed. He was angry, and it was a horrifying thing.

"This isn't good...Captain's gone and this bastard's wiped out most of our teams." One of the Grunts hissed, standing behind a Shadow Durant and a Shadow Gloom.

"Doesn't matter. We can't let any of them know we're here. Not yet. Alola will fall, just like the others. Master Greevil is counting on us to succeed!" one of the other Grunts replied, turning to Colress. "We'll take you down or die trying, Doctor Colress!"

"Is that so? Well...I refuse to allow Cipher to hurt anyone else under my watch. I refuse to be manipulated again." Colress said, a smile made of permafrost forming on his face and a note of horrible, awful fury in his voice as he made a sharp gesture in the air. Porygon and Dusk leapt forward with savage cries while the battered Metagross groaned before floating into the air again.

Colress surprised everyone by suddenly hopping onto the top of his Metagross's head before it suddenly rushed forward with a loud roar as Colress held out his hands, firing two balls of crimson energy at the Cipher Grunts. One of the men had the sense to throw himself to the ground, but the other was too terrified to move and was struck in the throat. The man let out a strangled rasp as he fell, and within moments he was nothing but burning flakes.

"Ashes to ashes, and dust to dust." Colress remarked as Metagross' eyes glowed, lifting a Donphan into the air and sending it hurtling across the street and into the trees. It's Trainer yelled out before also being struck down by a crimson orb shot from Colress' other hand, obliterating him as well and filling the sky with red particles. Both of the remaining Grunts had expressions of horror on their faces, but they stood their ground.

"Shadow End! Shadow Wave!" the taller of the Grunts yelled to his Shadow Durant and Shadow Gloom. The Durant chittered furiously as it charged forward, a swirling aura of darkness around it as it slammed into Dusk, knocking her to the ground before Colress' Porygon blasted it with a Tri Attack, freezing the bug solid. Metagross then hurled the icy block backwards down the street with Psychic, shattering it and knocking the steel ant out cold. However, all three of Colress' Pokémon were hit with a tidal wave of darkness that Colress' himself wasn't' spared of.

The children all yelled out in distress as Colress was thrown off of Metagross and hit the ground with a howl of pain, clutching his chest. The scientist rolled onto his stomach and forced himself into a kneeling position, panting from the effort before Porygon and Dusk rushed the Shadow Gloom, knocking it out with a Slash and a Psybeam. Colress added injury to insult as he held out his left hand, which was stained red with his own blood now, and fired another ball of energy at the Grunt he had just defeated. The ball struck the man in the leg as he tried to jump away.

"So close...But now your life is at an end." Colress panted as he stumbled to his feet, a cruel grin on his face as he listened to the man howl in agony as his body began to burn away from his left foot upwards, leaving the man a writhing mess before he was nothing like his comrades.

Colress slowly turned to the final Grunt, who was standing beside a Shadow Golurk, looking scared beyond belief.

"I have defeated four of your comrades, and I believe you're down to your last Pokémon." Colress noted as the man suddenly pulled out a handgun and aimed it right at the scientist's head. Colress vanished right as the man fired his weapon. The Cipher Grunt growled in frustration, except for when Colress reappeared right behind him, grabbing the back of his head.

"Now...What to do with you?" Colress whispered as he tightened his grip on the Cipher Grunt's neck. Dusk shot out a Dark Pulse while Porygon fired a Shadow Ball at the Golurk, which roared in pain at the attacks. The Ground/Ghost-type Pokémon rushed forward, its fists glowing purple, before being struck down with Psychic and falling to the ground with a groan.

"N-no...How could this happen?" the Grunt whispered, eyeing the several knocked out Pokémon of his comrades, who were now dead at the hands of the man they were supposed to kill. Colress threw the man forward, sending him toppling to the ground. The Grunt rolled onto his back and threw his knife at Colress. The knife somehow bounced off of an invisible shield that had sprung up around the scientist when he hit a button on his arm. Colress chuckled softly as he raised both of his hands up, radiating a crimson glow with deadly purpose.

"You're companions are dead and you will join them, unless you tell me what I want to know." Colress said coldly, his smile as sharp as a knife. The Cipher Grunt gulped audibly and nodded slowly, knowing that the wrong answer would mean a painful end to him.

"Now, why did you five attempt to kill me? Kennedy was blinded by revenge, but I'd like to hear it from someone more neutral." Colress asked the man, tapping a button on his left data-pad.

"Grand Master Greevil ordered us to kill you. After everything you've done, it only made sense. You're the only real threat to us left since Aria and Wes are gone. Though I guess Aria's back now, so we've gotta find a way to get rid of her for good this time." The man explained, earning a surprised look from Colress.

"So you know she's alive and in the present again?" Colress asked sharply, earning another nod.

"Borlath...he had a contact from here tell him. I don't know who, I just know that he knows and told the Admins. I swear!" the Grunt yelled, fear making his voice crack.

Colress frowned deeply at that, obviously troubled, and so was Sun. If Cipher knew where Aria and the Snag Machine were, then they would probably return. And who knows what kind of destruction they'd unleash to get what they wanted. And on top of that, Sun and his mother would be in great danger should Cipher catch wind that this was where they were hiding out, if they didn't know already.

"Where is the base established here in Alola?" Colress asked, his eyes narrowing.

"It's on Ula'ula Island!" the Grunt replied, his voice breaking slightly.

"Where on the island?"

"I...uh…" the Grunt hesitated, and Colress sighed.

"Wrong answer." Colress said, sighing softly before he fired two blasts of energy through the chest of the Cipher Grunt, making him howl in agony before he dissolved into ashes and was blown away moments later by the seaside breeze. Colress hissed as both of his hands began to release red sparks. The scientist quickly removed his gloves and set them on the ground, sighing deeply.

"Overloaded the cells. Hmm...They did better than I hoped for prototypes. Still, they need work." Colress muttered before looking down at the fallen knife the Cipher Grunt had tried to throw at him.

"This is troubling. I wasn't expecting Cipher to make a move on Alola anytime soon. It has nothing they would want, save for some exotic Pokémon you couldn't find elsewhere. To think that they had set up a base of operations somewhere on Ula'ula Island is incredibly worrying. And they have fairly powerful Trainers at their disposal as well. I came far too close to defeat during this battle." Colress said aloud to himself, scowling as he examined his injured chest, which was still bleeding through his shirt. He'd have to alert the Kahunas about this mess. They couldn't let Cipher get a handhold in the region or else calamity would follow.

"It seems I have more work to do, alongside my pursuit of purifying Shadow Celebi." Colress remarked as he turned to his Metagross, Absol and Porygon. "Excellent work, you three. Thank you for your help."

All three Pokémon let out cries in response, with Porygon and Dusk affectionately nuzzling Colress. The man chuckled softly before returning his Porygon, and then turned to the children he had been protecting.

All three of them were taking the events that had just happened about as well as he expected them to. Mainly Sun and Lillie were having currently panic attacks and Hau was trying to calm them down, with no success. Lillie obviously was freaking out about the deaths of the Cipher Grunts while Sun was distressed about Cipher being there in general. Hau likely wasn't in a great state of mind after this either...So what to do?

" _Metagross…"_ Colress thought at his Pokémon, who glanced at him. " _Use Psychic on those children. Make them forget what just happened, if you would."_

"It's going to be okay, you guys. Calm down." Hau said to Lillie, who was sitting on the ground, shaking in horror at what had just happened. Sun glared at Hau and grabbed him by the shoulders.

"This is NOT okay! Cipher knows where I'm at! They're going to come after me and Mom, Hau! Dad's going to kill her! Kill me! This is the exact opposite of okay! So stop saying that!" Sun screamed at his friend, who flinched in response.

"Dude, I'm just trying to…" Hau trailed off as his body glowed blue. The boy suddenly collapsed onto the ground, hitting his head rather hard on the ground.

"Ouch. I didn't mean for that to happen." Colress apologized as Hau began to float in midair, floating towards Colress. Sun and Lillie both stiffened as the Metagross' power began to influence them as well. Lillie passed out after a few moments, leaving Sun the lone child that was conscious.

"W-why?" Sun grunted, feeling his mind shudder as a coldness creeped through it. Colress smiled sadly at Sun, walking towards the boy and stopping a few feet short of where he was.

"Because you poor children have been through enough already. What I did to them shouldn't weigh down on anyone's conscience but my own. Now sleep." Colress said, his words gentle. Sun fell into sleep and darkness claimed him.

* * *

Gladion opened his eyes, sighing as his alarm went off. The teen rolled over and tapped his phone, shutting off the device before sitting up. He glanced around the dingy hotel room that had been his home for the past two years and sighed again.

" _That alarm annoys me."_

Gladion yelped and tumbled off of his bed in surprise at hearing his partner, Type: Null speak. The beast was lying down on the floor, watching his Trainer with faint amusement in its voice. Zubat was currently sitting on its head, chittering softly.

"Agh...shit." Gladion groaned, stumbling to his feet and rubbing his neck.

" _You slept for a while. Are you okay?"_ Type: Null asked the teen as he finally stood up, stretching. The boy adjusted the sleeves on the long-sleeved shirt he was wearing and nodded.

"Yeah. You just startled me was all. We got back late, so…" Gladion shrugged and said, "We're going to be training today, so after some breakfast we'll head out."

" _Good."_ Type: Null replied, nodding before lying back down on the ground. Despite his newfound gift of being able to speak to Gladion, Type: Null wasn't necessarily a very chatty Pokémon. But that was fine with Gladion, since he wasn't really a talkative person anyway.

Gladion quickly showered, got dressed and ate before throwing on a backpack. He recalled Zubat and gestured for Type: Null to follow him. He opened the front door and blinked in surprise, seeing a cluster of people waiting just outside the door, before slowly shutting the door in their faces.

"Null...Would you blame me if I just stayed in today?"

" _I'd be disappointed. But I'd understand."_

"I don't know how much longer I can deal with Team Skull. They're…" Gladion struggled for words, but thankfully Type: Null was there to finish the thought.

 _"Abhorrent. But necessary. You made your choice, Gladion. You're stuck with them for now."_ Type: Null replied as Gladion pressed his hands against his head, groaning in frustration.

"This is my day off from their crap. Why can't they leave me in peace?" Gladion asked Type: Null, who was probably going to reply when a loud voice behind the other side of the door answered for him.

"We just wanted to swing by and surprise you with something, but if you're going to be an ass, then we'll leave then!" Kayla barked, her voice thick with irritation. Gladion's curiosity was piqued and he opened the door, where Bone Unit 71 was waiting for him, as well as a new addition that caught Gladion completely off-guard and that he hadn't noticed at first.

"Heya! So this is where you stay, huh? Cool." Demi said cheerfully, grinning at Gladion. Gone was the bright sundress the girl had been wearing, and now she was adorned in the garb of Team Skull, mainly white shorts and a black tank-top. She wore the usual Team Skull accessories, though Gladion was surprised to see that she wasn't wearing the hat that most of Team Skull wore, with her hair instead done in two pigtails, with one being dyed blue and the other being dyed pink while the rest of her hair was jet black. Demi pulled up the face cover she had and said, "I think Team Skull is a good look for me. Not digging the pants, but hey, I can work with it."

"The pants? Really? That's your complaint about their uniform?" Axen asked, chuckling at the thought of it. Demi crossed her arms, grinning still.

"I'm used to dresses. It feels weird wearing pants after so long. But again, I'll work with it." Demi responded, laughing before she noticed the collar on Type: Null's neck.

"Oh wow, Null. Liking the new collar. It suits you." Demi said cheerily as she pet the monster on the head. Type: Null hummed in response, showing his pleasure at the compliment.

" _Thank you."_ The beast replied, making Demi yelp in surprise and the rest of the Team Skull Grunts drop their hidden jaws in shock. Gladion couldn't help a small smirk at their surprise, but hid his enjoyment of their amazement after a few moments.

"I got a new toy for Null. Needless to say, it's helpful. And no, I can't get them for you all." Gladion explained as Bone Unit 71 looked at Gladion, earning several scoffs.

"I didn't want one anyway, yo." Kayla huffed, looking up at the Spearow on her shoulder. Type: Null stepped forward, eyeing the girl with narrowed eyes.

" _You're lying."_ Type: Null stated, earning a glare from the girl. Kayla bent down until she was level with Type: Null, gritting her teeth.

"Oh really? And how would you know that, freak?" Kayla whispered, a cold smirk on her face. Gladion clenched his fists and stepped forward, ready to yell at her, but Type: Null's response was more than enough to put the young woman in her place.

" _I can sense your heart rate. It's currently much faster now, which is one of many indications of someone lying. Your body posture and the slight redness of your face also indicate you're bluffing. You are jealous of Gladion."_ Type: Null accused Kayla, who jerked back as a fierce blush of embarrassment crept into her face.

"I...I will never be jealous of that emo prick, yo!" Kayla growled at Type: Null.

" _Another lie."_

"Busted." Kevin chuckled, putting his hands on his hips.

"S-shut your goddamn mouth, Kevin! At least I have my Pokémon still!" Kayla barked at the teen, who's eyes narrowed in anger. Gladion stepped in before the fight could escalate further.

"Wait, what happened to your Zubat?" Gladion asked. Kevin looked away, clenching his fists.

"When I ran into that Sun kid and his buddy, we were trying to steal a Drifloon. Some dumb hick named Hapu chased us down and battled us with that Sun guy, and she wrecked my Zubat. He...broke a wing and had some pretty bad internal injuries as well…" Kevin trailed off, closing his eyes. "Plumeria took Zubat and sent him away to some place where it could get help, so...I don't have him anymore. I don't have any Pokémon."

Gladion couldn't help the pang of pity for the Team Skull Grunt. No matter who you were, having a Pokémon that was that badly injured was nothing he'd wish on anyone. And since he had a Zubat, who had also dealt with a major injury once before, he was sympathetic to the young man's plight. Demi put a hand on Kevin's shoulder.

"We can help you catch another Pokémon to help you out until Zubat's okay again. How's that sound?" Demi asked the teen, who sighed and shrugged.

"Damn this shit got dark." Axen remarked, chuckling despite how tense the scene was. "About as dark as Gladion's room on a typical Friday night."

"Shut it. Why are you all here anyway?" Gladion asked them, hoping to get back to the point so they could leave him alone. Demi stepped away from Kevin and walked forward, grinning at him as she removed her face cover.

"Demi here got added to Bone Unit 71, since we found her. Well, you found her. Demi asked about where you were, I decided to show her where you lived so she can harass you at her leisure, and here we are." Kayla said with a small laugh, making Gladion scowl.

"You're the worst." Gladion grunted, crossing his arms while Type: Null laughed softly beside him.

"So, Gladion, you wanna come train with us? Figured the more people we can get in on this, the better." Axen said to the teen, crossing his arms.

"Train? With...you all?" Gladion stated, his tone deadpan. Team Skull hardly _ever_ trained. They were too busy harassing people and thinking up schemes to ever put any thought into making themselves better. It was why Gladion had so little respect for them, on top of everything else they did. Guzma and Plumeria were the only ones besides himself who regularly trained within Team Skull. Not even the Bone Brothers bothered with it. That said, he did recall Bone Unit 71 going into the wilds and battling Pokémon every now and then, so maybe they had some shred of dignity as Pokémon Trainers. Maybe.

"Yep. Demi managed to beat fourteen of us with just one Pokémon before she got beat herself. She even beat me and Tim at the same time, yo. That shows she's got the makings of a true bone-hard gangster, ya know?" Axen replied, shrugging after a moment. "She suggested we train in our downtime, and after awhile she convinced us. Maybe we'd have more luck if we were stronger. She came up with the idea of asking you, since you're stronger than most of us. For now."

Gladion scoffed at the remark, knowing it'd be a cold day in hell before he lost to a Team Skull member. That said, he did need the training. He just hoped they would get off his back and let him train without too many problems. Gladion closed the door behind him and stepped out, stuffing his hands into his pockets before he replied. "I guess I'll join. But if you assholes start your crap, I'm leaving."

"Love you too, sweetheart." Axen remarked, flipping off Gladion as the boy stalked ahead of them, hunching his shoulders while Type: Null padded alongside him. Demi crossed her arms, thinking hard.

"You're wasting your time, Demi." Kevin said to the girl, who sighed.

"No, it's just...going to be harder than I thought." Demi responded, a fierce glint appearing in her eye. "Call me pushy, but I'm not going to let something like this continue! Especially not after everything you all told me about him."

"Whatever. Let's get going." Kayla grunted, walking after Gladion. Demi shrugged and walked after her, flanked by Tim, Axen, and Kevin.

Her life had been quite interesting over the past two weeks or so. She had gone from reluctant Trial-goer to member of Team Skull. And while she regretted that she had abandoned some of her friends in the process, she knew they were better off without her.

Upon arrival in Po Town, Demi had stayed at the decrepit Pokémon Center and stayed with Bone Unit 71. When Plumeria had arrived back to the town, Demi had to run the Gauntlet. Basically, battle as many Team Skull Grunts as she could back-to-back until she lost. She had managed to beat fourteen of them before Torch was knocked out, but that was certainly a lot more than any of them had expected. Plumeria recognized Demi's skill and inducted her into the group of outcasts, who welcomed her with cheers and yells.

And now…

 _"Now I'm going to make a change. For all of the kids who get forced onto this path. For all of the people whose lives got ruined because Alola can't move on from their traditions. And for Feya."_ Demi thought to herself, taking a slow, deep breath before exhaling slowly.

"I will protect Alola's future, even if I have to stand against the past and everything I once cared about. That is the path I walk. I'm a part of Team Skull now, and we'll fix Alola the hard way." Demi whispered, clenching her fists as she looked up at the beautiful sky overhead.

* * *

"Ah, you're waking up. Excellent."

Sun groaned as he tried to open his eyes, only for him to flinch and shut them again as harsh light blinded him. After a few moments, he strained his eyes open and found himself sitting down on the floor of a small bedroom of sorts with white walls and a clean sterilized feel to the room. Sun felt something on his shoulder and was surprised (and flustered), to find Lillie sleeping against him. Hau was still sleeping on the bed a short distance away, while Colress smiled at him from a nearby chair.

"You all slept for a while." Colress noted, earning a look of confusion from Sun.

"Slept? Weren't we on Route 8? What's going on?" Sun asked the scientist.

"Yes. You still are. We're currently in the mobile lab owned by the Aether Foundation, as well as a place I have long since commandeered for my own study. The Aether Foundation allowed this after I paid them a hefty price, but I still allow them to carry out their own work if they need to." Colress explained to Sun as he rose to his feet. Beside him, Lillie stirred and blearily woke up. She moved off of Sun and yawned before she noticed Sun beside her. The girl quickly pieced together what she had been sleeping on and scooted away from Sun with a squeak, blushing bright pink.

"Good morning." Sun replied with a small smile, amused at Lillie's embarrassment. She was all for being affectionate when they were alone, but when anyone else was nearby she was the most awkward person around him.

"G-good morning. Um, where are we?" Lillie asked. Colress explained what he had told Sun, to Lillie's horror.

Colress realized exactly why Lillie was freaking out again and said, "I disabled the cameras here, as well as the security systems. You're safe here."

"But how did we get here? I'm so confused. Last thing I remember was you giving Sun and Hau a TM and then...nothing." Lillie mumbled, putting a hand to her head.

"I do have to apologize for that, since it was my doing. It wasn't my intention and I wish I didn't have to do what I did, though." Colress said to Sun and Lillie, his smile fading.

"What...did you do?" Sun asked, confused.

"I had to have my Metagross carefully go into your memories and remove all traces of Cipher's attack just a few hours ago and the resulting battle that took place." Colress said to Sun, whose expression turned to one of absolute horror.

"Cipher...they're here." Sun whispered, looking down at the ground. Sun felt a hand on his shoulder looked up to see Lillie looking at him, silently offering him her support. Sun sighed and hung his head, trying to think of what to do.

"You said there was a battle that took place? Why did you have to remove our memories of the fight? I didn't even know that was possible." Lillie said to Colress, who smiled grimly.

"Lillie, my young friend, I am going to offer this warning to you and Sun." Colress said to the two children, who looked at Colress expectantly. "Never underestimate a Psychic-type Pokémon. They're capable of some of the most horrific things I've ever seen. Most of the deadliest Pokémon I've encountered were Psychic-types."

"Really?" Sun asked, surprised by this.

"Yes. Shadow Celebi, Avis the Xatu...Jojo." Colress shivered at the last one, earning a confused glance between Sun and Lillie. "The point is that, with a well-trained and very powerful Psychic-type, you can carefully alter the memories of another person. That is what I did to you three, because you all were incredibly distressed after I destroyed the squad that had been sent to kill me. You three shouldn't have to shoulder any more stress than you currently do. Especially after Captain Kennedy recognized Sun and threatened to bring him to his father."

"W-what...Kennedy? Why...how could he?" Sun whispered, thinking back to his interactions with the man. The right-hand man that had been under the employ of his father since before Sun was born. He had been a kind yet reserved man, who never refused to let Sun play with his Pokémon when his Dad was off elsewhere. He was a good man...How could he have turned to Cipher's darkness?

"Sun…" the boy looked at Colress and saw him giving the boy a sad look. "Perhaps I can shed some light on the how and why."

"You see, sometimes people are blinded by their own pursuits and goals in the attempt to reach a higher goal. They can convince themselves that the ends absolutely justify the means, no matter what. After someone does this, then...They're already within evil's grasp." Colress explained, smiling slightly.

"How do you know this?" Lillie asked the scientist.

"Because once upon a time, I had fallen victim to the same evil logic that has caused the world so much suffering. Team Aqua and Team Magma operated under the principle that all the wrong they were doing was justified so long as their goals were met. N also believed in that philosophy, allowing Team Plasma to wreak incredible destruction just to liberate Pokémon from humans after Ghetsis whispered lies in his ears for the child's entire life."

"I was consumed with my curiosity and my research. I was content to allow the entire world to fall into ruin at the hands of Ghetsis just to find my answers. I didn't care, because the ends justified the means." Colress explained, crossing his arms. Lillie and Sun remained silent, trying to process this. Colress continued, closing his eyes.

"I am a man of science. I was gifted with an intellect that far surpasses even the greatest of the Pokémon Professors of the world. I can revolutionize whatever I set my mind to, but no matter what I did...a single question kept coming back to me. The true potential of Pokémon...where does it lie? With Trainers or on their own? Through cruelty or love? That question drove the events of the uprising of Neo Team Plasma, until I was taught some sense by a child who bested me in combat." Colress said, a faint smile on his face.

"He taught me that the path of love and trust with Pokémon truly brings out the best results when commanding them. I dissolved Neo Team Plasma shortly after the events of the Giant Chasm, convinced that there were other roads to walk to find my answers." Colress concluded, though his smile faded.

"However, one point remains. I did not stop what I did out of the goodness of my heart. I stopped because I would not achieve my goals going the path of Team Plasma, so I decided on another route. And while I wish I had not caused so much needless death and destruction, I can't bring myself to care." Colress admitted, though Lillie spoke up.

"What do you mean? Of course you care! You've told me that you work so hard with your science to redeem yourself after what you've done! You've helped so many people." Lillie said to Colress, who shook his head.

"I have, Lillie. But I have hurt countless others. And I don't care. I walk a similar road that Amber Fontaine walks, though I still know the difference between right and wrong and don't wish harm on the innocent. The road of the atoner allows me to live a better life than the road of the monster, something Amber regrets from time to time based on our last conversation." Colress remarked, adding a few moments later. "I'm just apathetic, Lillie. It's a major problem with me that I am trying to solve, but it's slow going. I wish to solve this weakness and become a better person so I _can_ care."

"The problem of you not caring?" Sun asked.

"The problem of being emotionally dulled to the point of being able to slaughter five men and not bat an eye. I enjoyed killing them, because Cipher has caused me and my allies suffering in the past. But I shouldn't be like that...I'm trying to become a better person." Colress responded, offering the children a somber smile.

"Is that why you helped Wes and Aria, back when Cipher was appearing in Unova? To start on your path to redemption by doing the right thing?" Sun asked Colress, who shrugged.

"It started that way, but quickly became personal after the first time Amber attacked me. After the Nimbasa City incident, I fled from Unova and went to Kalos, where I began studying Zygarde. After all, the best way to deal with a Legendary Dragon like Kyurem is with another Legendary dragon. Along the way I met Dusk, and that was when I got an idea." Colress explained to the two children, who were listening intently.

"Pokémon are special creatures with incredible powers, and are able to change the lives of those they interact with. As I had learned at the Giant Chasm, they truly grow in response to love and trust. The same must apply to humans as well. After all, my Pokémon had fallen to Nate's not just because I had failed to foster a strong relationship with them, but because I myself was weaker emotionally than that brave young man who defeated me."

"I decided when I met Dusk, wounded and abandoned by her former Trainer, to use her to try and develop a proper relationship with a Pokémon. Of trust and compassion. And I've found that to an extent, I have succeeded. But I have a long way to go...But I'm okay with that. After all, if I am going to discover the way to bring out the greatest potential in Pokémon, shouldn't I work on bringing out my own potential?" Colress asked the two children, who both nodded.

"I believe in you, Doctor Colress. I know you can better yourself and start truly caring about things." Lillie said to the scientist, who smiled at the girl.

"Thank you, Lillie. However, I do enjoy being on the side of good, all things considered. The company I keep is entertaining and feel as though the benefits of helping them will make the world a better place, which is where I've directed my efforts since I abolished Neo Team Plasma." Colress replied, though Sun spoke up.

"Even if you're still having problems with the whole caring thing, I think it's good that you care enough to want to change. To better yourself. That shows you're a lot better than most of those others villains out there." Sun said to Colress, making the man blink in surprise. "You're not a good person, not after what you've done. But you're not a bad person either. You offered to help Lillie, and you've saved our lives on more than one occasion. You're helping people and Pokémon, and you do a great job in whatever you do. I think if you stay on this path, you'll become the person you wish to be and find your true potential."

Colress seemed speechless, and looked away from the children, deep in thought. After a few minutes of silence, the man chuckled softly and turned back to them, smiling now.

"Maybe so. We'll see, won't we?" Colress said, his normal amused tone back. Lillie nodded happily, but Sun had questions for the man.

"What do we do now? Cipher knows where I am and knows that we're hiding out here? What's to stop Dad from coming here and killing us?" Sun asked Colress.

"I wouldn't worry about that. Kennedy showed surprise and indicated that he had no idea you were here, showing Cipher doesn't know where you and your mother are hiding. Given that I killed all five members of the group and none had a chance to report in, I imagine you and your mother are safe for now. However, I'd advise extreme caution from this point forward. They're here. And should they find you once again, you should be ready to fight for your life." Colress warned Sun, who nodded slowly.

"I'll have a conversation with the others about this, as well as be keeping an eye on things. That said, I will be at the Aether Paradise quite a bit, working on purifying Celebi. So my attention will be divided. I expect the Kahuna's and our friends will be making sure that Cipher does not expand their efforts here." Colress explained to the two children, walking over to a large white box to the side of the room.

"Now, in order to ensure silence, because I did just technically murder five people and that sort of thing is frowned upon in most societies, I'm going to give you a gift, Sun." Colress said as he opened the box, pulling out a black collar.

"Is that one of your translation collars?" Sun asked the scientist, receiving a nod.

"Yes. I've decided to entrust these to you and Hau in exchange for silence. I wouldn't want the gruesome details of what's happened to get out. I'm already enough of a liability without people knowing I can create devices that can reduce them to nothingness." Colress explained to the two children, who both nodded.

"Wait a sec, are you bribing us?" Sun asked the man.

"I'd like to call it a business transaction. A piece of revolutionary technology, in exchange for not mentioning the casual murder I committed a short while ago to anyone you meet."

"So...bribery. Got it."

"Wait, what do I get?" Lillie asked, confused.

"Well, I'd offer to give you a collar for Cosmog, but I haven't managed to get one that works on Nebby. Maybe after some fine-tuning I can manage it, but for now you'll have to go without." Colress said with an apologetic smile. It was at that time Hau suddenly rolled off of the bed he was on and fell onto the floor with a yelp. The boy scrambled to his feet, panting before he fell back on the bed.

"Uggh...My head." Hau groaned, putting a hand on his head.

"My apologies, Hau. You hit your head when my Metagross knocked you out. I treated your head the best that I could, but I'm not professional and I don't have access to a Pokémon with Heal Pulse and the knowledge to heal human injuries." Colress said to Hau, who just shrugged.

"It's all good. So what did I miss?" Hau asked, but Sun quickly spoke up.

"That's it? Colress explains that he had to knock you out and you just...accept that?"

"Sun...I honestly just roll with it. This is definitely not the weirdest thing to happen me. That honor goes to what happened on Route 3. Definitely weirder than this. Especially since Sun's not covered in honey, there's not a horde of Yungoos dancing to show-tunes, and Lillie isn't wearing cat ears and laughing at me." Hau remarked, earning an confused look from Colress.

"Wait...what?" Colress asked, but Hau shook his head.

"Yeah, I don't like talking about it. I couldn't sit properly for a whole week, and I don't think I can ever look at pancakes the same way again." Hau remarked, earning a sigh from Sun and a giggle from Lillie. Colress shook his head, giving on trying to figure out what was going on just then.

"Anyways, let's just move forward here. I'll be contacting the proper people and deal with this startling bit of information as soon as possible. Lillie, I've taken the liberty of calling Kukui already. He'll be here shortly to take you back to the lab, since we've moved Shadow Celebi and the Aether Foundation has no reason to be there again. Kukui's worried that it may not be as safe as he thought for you out in the wilds." Colress said to the girl, who slowly nodded.

"I...understand." Lillie said quietly, nodding. Sun frowned at that, having enjoyed spending time with his friend. But he understood why she needed to go, at least for now. Things weren't really safe anywhere, but at least they could count on Professor Kukui and Burnet to protect her.

"Now that we've got that out of the way, let's try out these collars!" Hau said excitedly as he walked over to Colress, grabbing a few of them and throwing three to Sun. The boy yelped as one hit him in the face and the other hit him in the stomach. Lillie actually managed to catch the last one, since Hau's aim was off.

"You suck, dude."

"Hehehehe..."

Sun called out all of his Pokémon and replaced the current Attachment Collars with the TACV's, allowing each of them to speak to the humans with no problems.

"So, now I can talk to you all?" Sun asked as each of the collars hummed and beeped for a moment.

"Give the device a moment. It's deciding on a voice for them." Colress said with a chuckle, though he was inwardly hoping that this bribe and erasing the children's memories would be enough for them to not mention what happened earlier to anyone. Especially authority figures.

Sure enough, the devices stopped beeping and Sun re-attached the Held Items onto each of the Pokémon, though he swapped Brago's Amulet Coin for a Firium Z and gave Penny the Amulet Coin instead. Sun took a step back and looked at his trio of Pokémon, grinning at them.

" _So...how does this work?"_ Penny asked, only to jerk back as she heard her own 'voice'. " _What the...so weird."_

" _You're telling me."_ Oliver muttered, preening slightly before looking back up to Sun. " _So I guess I can't get away with calling you mean names anymore, can I Sun?"_

"You call me names?" Sun asked, surprised.

" _I do it because I care."_ Oliver answered, though the smile he wore indicated that this wasn't entirely true.

" _None of them are pleasant. Then again, not much about Oliver is pleasant."_ Brago remarked with a laugh, earning a nasty look from the Dartrix.

"See, I'm not the only one who thinks so!" Hau whooped, clearly happy about this. Oliver rotated his head and casually threw a blade quill at the boy, who threw himself to the ground to dodge it.

" _No one asked for your opinion, shithead."_ Oliver chirped at the other boy. Oliver rotated his head back around to see Sun's shocked face.

"Did you just swear?" Sun asked, bewildered by this.

" _Yes, yes I did. And I know that it's not polite to say things like that, but that kid has gotten on my nerves since the day I met him. Waaay too cheerful. This world is a mess, you've gone through unimaginable suffering, the this idiot still finds it possible to brush aside all problems like they're nothing."_ Oliver muttered darkly as Hau got to his feet.

" _He's not...entirely wrong there."_ Penny stated after a moment, though she added. " _Me and Brago have no problem with Hau though, Trainer."_

" _Right. That's Oliver's fight to pick."_ Brago remarked, offering Sun a grin.

" _I stand by what I said."_ Oliver replied, preening one of his wings.

"That's still not a nice thing to say about Hau, Oliver." Lillie said to the bird, who shrugged.

" _I know that, Miss Lillie. Not going to apologize for it. If anything, it's the Master Kahuna's fault for teaching me all those bad words in the first place."_ Oliver responded, once again shocking everyone present.

"You...learned how to talk like that from Tutu?" Hau asked, earning another look from Oliver.

" _Do you have rocks in your ears? Yes! He and that Professor of yours have such vulgar vocabulary. Most of the Pokémon raised by the Kahuna talk like this. I'm hardly unique in that regard."_ Oliver responded, sounding amused at the collective surprise of the humans.

"Hau, would you blame me if I called my Mom and told her the Kahuna taught my Pokémon bad words? If anyone deserves a kick to the balls right now, it's him for teaching Oliver how to swear." Sun asked the boy, whose eyes widened in horror. The boy didn't respond, except by calling out his Brionne, Cassy. Hau quickly attached a TACV to the Brionne and knelt down to her.

"Cassy, that collar allows me to understand you. That established, I have a question for you. Did you learn any bad words because of Tutu's swearing back home?" Hau asked his Starter, earning a sheepish expression from the Pop Star Pokémon.

" _Umm...I...Y-yeah, kind of."_ Cassy said evasively, looking away from her Trainer. Colress and Lillie couldn't help but laugh as Hau face-palmed, falling to his knees. Sun just shook his head and pulled out his phone to inform his mother about this latest development and to let her know he was alright. He was also intent on having a discussion with Professor Kukui and Kahuna Hala about their language around impressionable young Pokémon.

* * *

Boosh. There we go.

 _Now that Sun's team has the TACV's, they'll regularly be able to speak from here on in. Pokémon speech that's translated or communicated via telepathy is going to be in italics, as done before._

 _Next chapter involves a very interesting battle and a very interesting reunion. Stay tuned!_

Q&A

 _From:_ _operettaoceanic_

What happens if Kennedy's still alivelike teleport with a Kadabra) Will he tell 'Ash' that Sun is in Alola? And will he kill Sun's mother?

 **Kennedy was killed, along with the rest of the team that encountered Sun, so no, he won't be telling anyone anything. The Kadabra was knocked out as well, though I didn't mention it. And if Ash did find out about where Sun's mother was hiding...I don't even think he knows if he'd kill her outright should the moment come.**

 _From: Sai Og Sus_

Does it really matter that Kennedy's related to Sun considering how small his contribution to the plot? I mean, you can give his role to a random Cipher and it will still be the same. We still get to see Colress losing his tolerance.

 **That was honestly my bad. Kennedy was meant to have been introduced about ten chapters ago, instead of like two, but in the mess of Tech School and everything else going on for me it just slipped my mind until recently that he was going to be in the first Cipher group Sun encountered. He'll be fleshed out a bit more in flashbacks, but he's dead, so it's mainly just for the sake of backstory and character-building.**

 **And it couldn't have been given to another Grunt because not all of the Cipher Grunts know Sun. Cipher wasn't actively known to be in Kanto until Celadon City was attacked.**

 **However, the Admins know who he is and a few of the Grunts and other leading officials in Cipher know about Sun, which is why Kennedy was needed in last chapter. To show the very real danger Sun and Laura are in should Cipher find out where they are.**

 **Also, I wanted to bring up a very interesting idea that not many seem to think about. As far as we know, Colress got off scot-free back in Unova. Now, I've rectified that in my own canon, but there were definitely some real consequences of his actions and I wanted to explore that. And it wasn't so much as him losing his tolerance as it was eliminating a threat.**

 _That's all for now, folks. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, because it was certainly a fun one to do. Please show your support with a favorite, follow and/or favorite! It takes just a moment and seriously means the world to me to see how much people enjoy my work._

 _Take care and stay awesome._

 _Until next time, FlygonNick out!_


	55. The Forsaken

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _Yeah, this ain't no April Fools. Tis a new chapter! Also, Happy Easter to those who celebrate it! And happy Sunday to those who don't!_

 _This past week has been an interesting one. I've managed to beat Crash Bandicoot 2 for the first time in decades and I got back into my Alpha Sapphire Nuzlocke, which has led me to Fortree City. More on this development later, because why not?_

 _There may be a minor uptick on profanity in this chapter, but that's only because of a scene I've been wanting to do for a long time finally happens in this chapter which requires it. Not gonna lie, this chapter took some really interesting turns as I was writing it. It also went much longer than I thought it would, so yeah! Let's go!_

 _Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes Madame Rodoshe, Cottonmouth25, Champion of the Divine Sun, SonicIKE, Angelfir3, Sai Og Sus, Moonlight Butterfree, Ultimate blazer, operettaoceanic, two Guest reviewers, BraviaryScout, DarkestShade73 and Gokan123. Thank you all so much for the fantastic support!_

 _Enjoy!_

* * *

 _Chapter 55: The Forsaken_

* * *

Professor Kukui arrived at the Aether Lab not too long after the children had woken. He was happy to see that they were okay, after hearing from Colress the scary news about Cipher.

However, he was not anticipating Oliver suddenly rushing him the moment he walked through the door, laughing maniacally. Kukui dove out the door while Oliver just missed catching the Professor in his talons.

" _Drat! I'm not going to miss this time, Professor!"_ Oliver yelled, his beak glowing white as he soared towards Kukui.

"Oh god, I'm reliving that nightmare again! Only this time I'm wearing pants! And that damn bird can talk now!? Oh Arceus, where will it end!?" Kukui screamed as Oliver chased the man down the road. Meanwhile, in the nearby trees, Hau, Lillie, Sun, and Colress were cracking up at their little prank on Kukui.

"I have to say, Oliver really does love griefing people." Lillie remarked, wiping a tear of mirth from her eye.

"Oh yeah, but that's because he's evil." Hau commented, earning a cold look from Penny before the Trainer shrugged. "What? Its true."

"He's wonderfully sadistic. How odd that such an eclectic Pokémon was chosen by you, Sun." Colress noted, earning a shrug from Sun.

"I wasn't going to pick Oliver, actually. But he really wanted to go with me that day, and I couldn't say no. That owl was painfully persuasive." Sun remarked, earning a round of laughter.

" _He's a bit of a dandy and a jerk, but he does really care about you."_ Penny chimed in from her perch on a nearby tree. " _He just...has an odd way of showing it."_

"I know. I wouldn't change a single thing about him. Or any of you, for that matter." Sun said, grinning at Penny and Brago.

" _Thank you, Alpha. Though I have to ask, should we call Oliver off soon? I don't think that Dartrix likes the fact that the Professor has been dodging his attacks so far."_ Brago asked, gesturing with his paw ahead of them, where Kukui rolled to the side to avoid a Leafage and had called out Rockruff and a Rufflet to battle the Dartrix.

" _It's on now!"_ Oliver screeched, diving forward and releasing a barrage of leaves. Sun ran over to where Oliver was and yelled, "Impromptu Pokémon battle! Follow up with Pluck on Rufflet!"

"Rufflet, use Peck! Rockruff, Stone Edge!" Kukui yelled out to his two Pokémon. Rockruff grinned and howled, calling forth several blue pillars of rock that shot out of the ground.

"Soar high and dodge!" Sun called out, with Oliver doing just that. The owl continued to throw leaves at Rockruff, who yelped in pain as the attack slashed against him. Rufflet slammed into Oliver from the side, knocking the owl down for a moment before Oliver shot towards the smaller bird. Oliver jammed his glowing beak into the side of the little eagle Pokémon, sending him fluttering down towards the ground.

"Use Razor Leaf!" Sun called to his Dartrix as he landed on top of one of the stone pillars. The owl flapped his wings hard, releasing another wave of leaves that made Rockruff howl in pain while Rufflet managed to dodge by launching itself higher into the air. Rockruff finally toppled over, but not before Kukui called out for the dog to use Rock Throw, which hit Oliver and made him plummet to the ground with a heavy crash.

"Use Shadow Claw, yeah!" Kukui yelled out as he returned Rockruff, punching his fist outwards. The Rufflet dove towards Oliver as he struggled to get back to his feet, slashing him deeply with shadowy talons. Oliver screeched in pain and kicked Rufflet away from him, flapping into the air and glaring down the other bird.

"Heh, you've gotten better Sun!" Kukui said with a grin.

"Thanks Professor. But I owe to them, though. Oliver, Penny, and Brago." Sun said before he swung his arm down. "Let's finish this! Use Pluck!"

" _Got it!"_ Oliver replied as he shot forward with a elongated glowing beak.

"Aerial Ace, Rufflet! Full-power!" Kukui yelled out as both birds shot towards one another. Sun, however, had other plans for how this would go.

"Use Protect!" Sun yelled out. Oliver's expression turned into a mischievous grin as he called up a shield around himself, still moving through the air as Rufflet charged at him, too quickly to avoid the now-moving projectile that couldn't be broken by its attack.

Professor Kukui's jaw hit the ground as Oliver slammed into Rufflet, knocking the Eaglet Pokémon out cold as it tumbled through the around and landed in the grass nearby.

"Nice job, Oliver! You've really nailed that Protect thingy." Sun said to his Starter as Olive swooped down to the ground, grinning.

" _You're the one who came up with the idea, Sun. I should be thanking you...because the expression on the Professor's face is priceless."_ Oliver pointed out, gesturing with a wing towards the Professor who was still staring forward with a look of sheer horror on his face. Without moving, he wordlessly grabbed a Poké Ball and returned his Rufflet, clipping the Poké Ball to his belt and continuing to stare into space for another two minutes of awkward silence.

"I think you broke him, Oliver." Lillie said with a note of wonder in her tone. Oliver giggled in reply, preening his wings with a happy look on his face.

" _I try. He never did like me, and neither did Master Hala. Surprising them like this always makes me happy."_ Oliver stated, earning a surprised look from Hau.

"Tutu...didn't like you? Hau asked, confused. Oliver gave Hau a strange look, but nodded.

 _"Yes, neither of them liked me very much. I may be odd, but just because I'm not perfect like all the other Rowlet doesn't mean being treated differently didn't sting."_ Oliver said quietly, a very noticeable note of hurt in his voice. The owl was surprised when he felt two arms wrap around him.

"Yeah, well it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. You're my partner, and nothing will ever change that." Sun said to Oliver, who couldn't help a smile at the words. Sun released Oliver and stood up, realizing that Professor Kukui was shaking his head and had finally come to his senses. He stomped over to where they were at, his expression still furious as he pointed a shaking finger at Oliver.

"Alright you! How the blueberry fuck did you do that?" Kukui demanded,his voice filled with a mixture of surprise, awe, and absolute fury.

"Professor! Language!" Lillie chided the man, but Kukui actually ignored her and stepped forward.

"I will not calm down here! That little stunt disproves everything we know about the move Protect! It shouldn't ever be able to be utilized in an offensive manner, but Oliver did just that! What the shit? Did the author come up with that idea while drunk or something?" Kukui demanded angrily. Rotom Dex chose that moment to pop out of Sun's backpack.

" _Zzzt! Professor, you know you're not allowed to break the fourth wall anymore. That's my job! And the author doesn't drink at all, actually. That nonsense is just what the little Cymbal Mankey's in his head come up with during his rare moments of lucidity."_ Rotom explained to Kukui, even though everyone else was totally lost. The others decided to ignore Kukui and Rotom Dex as they continued to bicker, with Oliver speaking up.

" _He might not have enjoyed that, but I sure had a bunch of fun. We should do that more often, Sun!"_ Oliver said with a laugh, preening his feathers after a moment while Lillie and Colress laughed.

"Oliver, just keep doing awesome stuff like that and you can harass the Professor whenever he starts being dumb. I'm pretty sure my mother is doing the exact same thing to Kahuna Hala back on Melemele Island." Sun said with a grin, looking skyward.

* * *

Meanwhile on Melemele Island…

* * *

"Holy shit, this job is going to be the death the me." Hala muttered, sinking into his armchair. The man had just finished talking to several members of the Hau'oli City Counsel and goodness did they like to blather on. He was glad to be home.

The Kahuna reached over to the stand that was beside his chair and opened a small secret panel in the top and reached in, pulling out a small chocolate pudding cup.

"Hehehe...You're the only one who understands me, pudding." Hala said happily as he removed the top of the packaging and pulled out a spoon from his pocket and began to dig in. Just as Hala was finishing up, he heard fierce knocking on his door.

"Hmm? I thought I put a sign on the door saying no visitors until noon. How odd." Hala muttered, setting aside his cup and walking to the door. Well, he'd send them away politely before finishing off his pudding. Hala opened the door and then took a step back in horror, seeing the irate Laura Smiles standing in front of him, giving him a look of absolute fury.

"Hello, Hala. How are you?" Laura said quietly, her anger thick in her voice.

"Um...I'm doing fine. And you?" Hala asked sheepishly, worried about just what had happened to make Laura so angry.

"Me? Well, I was just packing for my trip over to Heahea City to see Sun, when I got a very interesting phone call from him." Laura said, trying to reign in her anger but failing miserably.

"I'm...umm, okay?" Hala said, unsure of where she was going with this.

"He told me a few very interesting things, some of which we'll talk about later. But the one I wanted to address to you was this. Sun received a few of those translator collars from Doctor Colress and put them on all of his Pokémon. Do you want to know what I found out from Oliver?" Laura asked Colress, her eye twitching slightly now.

" _Oooohhhh shit."_ Hala thought, realizing this was going to turn very ugly.

"I can't imagine what that rascal would say. He was always a bit of a troublemaker. I couldn't get any Trainer to take the him for the longest time until Oliver chose Sun. I always wondered what he saw in your boy to make him attack Sun so. Even if I'm able to understand the gist of what they're talking about, that doesn't mean I truly understand them." Hala said thoughtfully, hoping to distract Laura.

It didn't work.

"Oliver told Sun that he learned how to swear. From you and Professor Kukui." Laura growled, parental anger coursing through her veins.

"...Laura, I have to make an urgent call. Wait right here for a moment." Hala said before closing the door in Laura's surprised face.

"Yeah, there's going to be hell to pay later, but I'm not getting kicked in the stomach today." Hala mused as he walked away from the door, grabbing his backpack off of the floor by his chair. He always kept it packed just in case he needed to be away from home for a few days. He'd sneak through the back door and catch a Ride Pokémon and get the hell out of the town and away from Laura.

Hala snuck out the back of the building and jogged to the other side of town, only for a massive bird to suddenly land on the ground in front of him with a loud cry, giving the man a fierce glare.

"Ah...Jace. Nice to see you again." Hala said to the Pidgeot, who cried out again, flaring its wings and releasing a powerful burst of wind that sent Hala staggering back a step.

"There you are!"

Hala felt his blood run cold as he glanced behind him and saw Laura running towards him, fire in her eyes. Hala yelped and quickly pulled a Poké Ball off of his belt and called out the Pokémon within, a Hawlucha that struck a stance when released.

"My friend, I need you to fly me far away from here as quickly as you can!" Hala said, grabbing onto the Pokémon's arms. The Hawlucha saw the massive Pidgeot in front of it and scoffed before turning around and seeing the furious mother stomping towards them. The Wrestling Pokémon let out a high-pitched scream of fear upon seeing Laura and leapt into the air, grabbing Hala's arms with his feet, and using Fly.

Laura let out a yell as she reached the spot Hala was just at, with the man soaring off into the distance. She leapt onto her Pidgeot and shot off after the man, eager to put him in his place.

* * *

"That thought horrifies me. Your mother is a force to be reckoned with when she's angry. I remember when she punched out the COO of Silph Co. at a Christmas party a few years back. Fun times." Colress remarked with a smile.

"How is it that you know my mother again?" Sun asked Colress.

"I've met her a few times while attending to business in Kanto, though this was after the whole Neo Team Plasma business. I was creating things that were able to be mass-produced and commercially sold, so eventually that led to me getting funding from your father back in Kanto. I met your mother several times while I was there, though I never did get to meet you." Colress explained, earning a laugh from Sun.

"I didn't like going to those parties. I was kind of really bad at talking to people before Alola. I've gotten a lot better though." Sun said with a grin, earning a punch on the shoulder from Hau.

"You're still an awkward dork. But that's why we put up with you! You're an awesome dork too!" Hau said happily as Professor Kukui walked over, glaring at the Dartrix next to Sun. Rotom Dex floated over to Sun and landed on his shoulder.

"Now that we've gotten that out of our system, I'm going to offer you both some warnings before me and Lillie head back to the lab." Kukui said to the two boys, who both wiped the smiles off of their face as they heard the seriousness in the Professor's voice.

"As you both found out, Cipher has made their way onto this island. They're here in Alola, and even if they may not have much of a presence on this island, that can change very quickly. Hau, you're the grandson of one of the main leaders of these islands. Sun, you're the son of one of the Cipher Admins. That means you're both high-value targets. Cipher isn't anything like Team Skull. They're powerful, and have no qualms about killing people and Pokémon to get what they want. The last thing I want is for anyone else to get hurt, so I want you to be careful." Kukui warned the children, with their Pokémon listening intently as well.

"Of course, we'll be on the lookout for anything and be preparing for deal with them should we come across them. I'll stress to you that if you encounter Cipher, run away. The operatives they have here are likely far stronger than any of the regular Trainers you've come across up to this point. If they can harm me, I shudder to think what they can do to you all." Colress said as he moved his coat aside, showing the shirt he was still wearing during the attack that was stained crimson with blood.

"You should have that looked at, Colress." Kukui noted, with the scientist nodding.

"I plan on going to the hospital as soon as I lock down the lab. Wouldn't want anyone knowing what I'm up to, now would I?" Colress said with a small chuckle. Kukui laughed as well, then he turned to Lillie.

"Ready to go? Professor Burnet has set your room up again and has reservations at your favorite restaurant tonight for dinner." Kukui said to his young assistant, making the girl smile widely.

"Really? I…" Lillie's smile faltered as she said softly, "You all shouldn't have gone through all the trouble. It takes weeks to get a reservation at the Simmering Palace."

Kukui put an hand on the girl's head and ruffled her hair, messing it up. "No sweat, Lillie. You shouldn't worry about people who care about you doing things for you! We both definitely missed having you around the lab, so we're taking you out to celebrate you being back with us!"

"Okay...if you're sure." Lillie said to the Professor, nodding to him. She then turned to Sun and Hau and smiled at them.

"So. I suppose this is goodbye for now?" Lillie said to her friends. Sun and Hau exchanged a look before they both ran forward and hugged Lillie, enveloping her in a massive embrace. Lillie laughed at her friend's affection, even as they fell to the ground due to being off-balance.

"Dog-pile on Lillie!" Hau yelled out. Lillie's laughter increased as all of their Pokémon suddenly hopped onto the pile of people, with everyone laughing at the silliness of everything going on and Rotom Dex taking a picture of the event. However, Colress had dropped his smile in all of the commotion, deep in thought.

" _Moments like these are precious. Laughing, smiling, and enjoying life and the bonds we share. I may not be able to care like them, but I will not allow Cipher to harm any more of my allies. My...friends."_ Colress thought, a small smile flickering onto his face. " _First we save Celebi. And then push Cipher out of Alola. Then onto Kanto, where we defeat them again. And then we return to Unova and destroy their main base of operations, along with Ghetsis and end this once and for all. I will show them my true potential, and once that has been achieved, none of them will stand a chance."_

So Colress continued to watch the children as they said their farewells, knowing that it wouldn't be very long before they saw one another again, but noticed how sincere it was. It was so obvious that the children cared deeply about one another, from the hi-five that Sun and Lillie exchanged to the hug the girl gave the two boys right before the girl teleported off with Professor Kukui.

One day, he'd be able to care, just like those children. Until that day, he'd just have to continue down the road he walked and continue to fight for what he desired.

* * *

"Get back here you fat bastard!"

"I said I'm sorry, Laura!"

"I don't care about how sorry you are! My foot has an appointment with your face!"

Hala screamed as an Air Cutter rushed through the air where they had been just a moment before. His Hawlucha was tiring and Laura and Jace were gaining on them, fueled by their sheer fury at the Kahuna. They had reached Hau'oli City and were racing above the area, with many people watching the display with confusion.

"Jace, Aerial Ace!" Laura called to her Pidgeot.

"Oh crud. Dodge Hawlucha!" Hala yelled, knowing that this move was basically unavoidable. However, lucky for Hala, a massive storm of lightning suddenly surged in front of them, making Jace and Laura stop their attack and halt in their tracks as a strange yellow, black, and orange Pokémon had appeared in midair. Hala looked down at his Z-Ring as it glowed white.

"Is that…?" Laura trailed off, her surprise and awe overriding her parental anger. Hala was likewise stunned, and bowed his head at the new arrival.

"Tapu Koko...it is an honor." Hala said to the Guardian Deity, who looked back and forth between the two humans and their flying mounts before addressing them.

" **WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?"** Tapu Koko intoned, a crackle of raw lightning surging around the wild Legendary.

"I'm running for my life. This woman wishes to inflict severe bodily harm upon me! Please, help me get away from her." Hala said to the Guardian Deity, who slowly looked at Laura.

" **AND WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS?"** Tapu Koko asked.

"Because this man taught my child's Pokémon a bunch of swear words!" Laura yelled, giving the Kahuna a look of rage. Tapu Koko blinked at the response before putting a claw to its chin, thinking about what to do.

" **I HAVE MADE A DECISION...I WISH YOU LUCK, KAHUNA."** Tapu Koko said, soaring a short distance away and allowing Laura and clear line of sight to Hala, who's face paled, realizing that the protector of Melemele Island wasn't going to be protecting him from taking his lumps.

"Tapu Koko, please help me!" Hala pleaded with the deity. Tapu Koko gave the man a bored look before shrugging, a small ethereal chuckle escaping the Pokémon.

" **NOT A CHANCE. I WANT NO PART OF THIS."** Tapu Koko replied with some amusement, flying away from the humans by retreating into its mask form and shooting off towards another part of the island.

"Looks like you're stuck between a rock and a hard place." Laura growled at the Kahuna, who was watching the departing god with a look of misery on his face. Hala tapped the side of his Hawlucha and the two of them quickly sped downwards into the city below, with Laura letting out a yell of anger and urging Jace forward after them.

* * *

"So that's why eating pancakes before a marathon is a terrible idea." Axen explained to the group of Team Skull, all of whom were wearing disgusted looks on their faces.

"Dude...You're just…" Kevin trailed off, suppressing a gag.

"Amazing? Stunningly incredible? Sexy as hell?" Axen suggested.

"A complete dipshit, actually, but I know that's going to go through one ear and out the other." Kayla replied, scowling underneath her bandanna.

"Holy shit, can you all just shut up!?" Gladion growled, finally losing his patience. They had just taken a break from training and while it had been a productive time up to this point, Gladion couldn't take anymore. They just wouldn't shut up!

"Dude, it was just a story. You good?" Demi asked, concerned about the teen's anger. Gladion shied away from the girl and shot Team Skull a look.

"Just because I agree to come along with you all doesn't mean I'm going to be constantly listening to their stupidity." Gladion grunted, earning a sigh from Type: Null.

 _"You're exaggerating. His last story wasn't that bad."_ The monster remarked, earning a look from Gladion.

"You're supposed to be on my side." Gladion muttered, earning a chuckle from the beast.

 _"I_ am _on your side. You need to socialize more with others of your kind. This is good for you."_ Type: Null responded, making Gladion scoff.

"I fail to see how this is good for me." Gladion replied, crossing his arms. "I can socialize just fine."

 _"You can easily be proven wrong."_

"Do it then."

 _"Fine. Demi, hug Gladion."_ Type: Null instructed the girl walking alongside the teen. Gladion had time to open his mouth and turn towards the girl before Demi pounced on Gladion with a grin, hugging the teen tightly around the shoulders.

"Dude, you're even more awkward than Sun." Demi said happily as Gladion struggled in the girl's embrace, his face growing hot. He couldn't even remember the last time he had been hugged by someone, and he didn't think he had ever been hugged by a girl that wasn't his sister.

"I'm not seeing what this has to do with anything! Let me go!" Gladion barked, with Demi quickly breaking away from Gladion and looking a little annoyed at his outburst.

 _"You can't even accept a simple gesture like that. You've been alone for too long."_ Type: Null stated, earning a scoff from the boy.

"Just because we can understand each other doesn't mean you can walk all over me." Gladion growled, hastening his pace as a confused Demi and Type: Null watched the boy go ahead.

"I don't understand him. He's so stubborn." Demi sighed, shaking her head.

 _"Indeed. He has suffered far too much, and allowed that pain to fester. He requires a...more gentle approach, I believe."_ Type: Null remarked, shaking his head.

"I was trying to get him to hang out with us for a while. Maybe have him and Team Skull get along for a while. He's a good guy, Null. I want to try and be his friend. I don't even know if he knows how to deal with someone being nice to him." Demi said with a small sigh.

 _"I will speak to him further. But I appreciate your efforts, Demi. I'm glad you care for his well-being."_ Type: Null responded before it bounded down the path and then darted into the trees for some reason.

"Weird. They're both weird." Demi stated as Kayla laughed.

"You're trying to make friends with a total asshole. That's your problem, Dems." Kayla said to the new grunt of the group, who frowned.

"I just want to be friends. Why does he have to act like that? Even Null thinks its weird." Demi muttered as Kayla wrapped an arm around the girl's shoulders.

"Because guys are dicks. Trust me, I travel around with these assholes." Kayla remarked, glancing over her shoulder and receiving three middle finger salutes from Kevin, Axen, and Tim. She grinned and blew them a kiss before turning back around to Demi.

"You're wasting your time. He's not worth the effort." Kayla remarked, but Demi shook her head.

"People could say the same of you all, but you're good people despite that. Gladion's good, but he doesn't want to be friends with anyone. He doesn't want to let anyone in. I want to change that." Demi said as she looked ahead. "If I can't be around my old friends anymore, then I want to make new ones! And I'll be a better friend to them than I was to Hau and Sun."

"Good attitude to have." Kevin remarked, catching up with them.

"I'd love to see your friends again. That Hau kid pisses me off. Especially after he made you losing your Starter seem like it was nothing." Axen grumbled, clenching his fists.

"Speak of the...Looks like you're gonna get your wish, Axen." Kevin said, suddenly pointing directly ahead of them. To Team Skull's surprise, they saw a familiar duo walking down the path. Sun and Hau slowed their advance and took in the squad of Team Skull Grunts before them, not recognizing Demi hanging back with a shocked expression.

"You clowns again?" Hau asked, cracking a smile as Axen and Kevin stepped forward, scowling under their face covers. Sun crossed his arms, smiling as well. Demi just remained still, stunned into silence, though the rest of Team Skull stepped forward to challenge them.

"Yo, you fools don't want to mess with us! This time we've got the whole gang here!" Axen yelled, throwing his arms apart.

"That doesn't really matter, since we've easily beaten you two like three times now." Sun remarked, grinning at them. He then noticed the Grunt hanging around at the back, eyeing Sun and Hau with wide eyes.

"Haven't seen her before. What's her name? Grunt AZ12?" Sun joked, earning a chuckle from Axen.

"Smartass. That's our newest recruit, Demi!" Axen said with a laugh, gesturing to the silent girl behind them. Sun and Hau took a moment to process that information before they suddenly realized they were looking at their old friend.

"Demi! You're okay!" Hau yelled out, a grin on his face. That grin faltered when he realized what she was wearing and who she was with. "Why are you hanging out with Team Skull? And dressed like them?"

"You joined them, didn't you?" Sun asked Demi quietly. Demi lowered her bandanna, showing them the broken expression on her face. Happiness at seeing her friends. Her pain at knowing how she had ruined so much for their relationship. And being torn between her newfound loyalty to Team Skull and her loyalty to Sun and Hau.

"I was all alone, after Feya died. They saved my life. They comforted me. And they offered to let me be a part of them. I had nowhere else to go, and they accepted me. I'm one of them, now. And we're going to change things, Sun and Hau. Please just...understand." Demi said quietly, her voice breaking slightly and her tone pleading.

"I don't agree, but I understand. Just don't sacrifice your morals for them, Demi. If you try and hurt any of my friends, I'm going to make sure you regret it. Understood?" Sun said to the girl, who nodded in reply. That was a fair arrangement.

"W-what!? Sun, are you serious? Screw that!" Hau yelled to his friend, looking ahead. "Demi, what happened back at Brooklet Hill was bad, yeah. But you don't have to join these creeps!"

"I already joined them. And these _creeps_ are my friends too, Hau. I thought you said that you can never have enough friends?" Demi asked Hau, her frown deepening.

"There's a limit to that statement when you extend the friendship to _criminals_. People who steal from and hurt others. I bet you're friends with that Gladion jerk and his pet monster too, aren't you?" Hau remarked with a sigh, crossing his arms.

"Take that back! He's not a jerk and Null isn't a monster!" Demi shouted at Hau, who's eyes widened in surprise.

"Wow...okay. Didn't expect that." Hau muttered, shaking his head.

"Girl, chill. We've got this." Kayla said to Demi, who was so upset with Hau that she was trembling. "We'll teach that kid not to disrespect Team Skull, even if it comes down to pricks like Gladion."

"He's not a prick..." Demi muttered, shaking her head.

"Hau, they're wanting to battle. You want to tag-team this? Between Cassy and Oliver, we should be able to handle them no sweat." Sun asked his friend, who shook his head, his eyes blazing with a rare anger to them. As if Demi joining Team Skull was a personal slap to the face to the boy.

"No way, Sun. I've got this. I'll take you all on by myself!" Hau barked, stepping forward and setting down Kaha on the ground and returning the Eevee. Axen and Kayla stepped forward, glaring down the Kahuna's grandson.

"You sure?" Sun asked his friend.

"Dude, I don't need your help for this one. Just let me deal with this. I'm the one who messed up with Demi. I'll fix this." Hau said as he pulled out a Poké Ball, ready to throw down with Team Skull.

"Hau, you don't have to fight them! Come on, guys, let's just leave them alone." Demi pleaded with her fellow Team Skull Grunts, but they ignored the girl.

"Not a chance. We're not gonna take his crap lying down, yo. This one's for Demi, you entitled brat! Drowzee, wreck his shit!" Axen yelled, calling forth his Drowzee. Kayla called out her Spearow, which fluttered to her shoulder with a caw.

"Duke, let's roll!" Hau called out his Pikachu, a confident grin on his face.

"Spearow, use Aerial Ace!" Kayla yelled to her bird, who shot forward with a quick burst of speed and slammed into the Pikachu, knocking it backwards.

"Duke, use Electro Ball on Spearow!" Hau commanded, throwing out a hand.

"Use Confusion on Electro Ball and send it back at him!" Axen yelled out to his Drowzee as the Pikachu leapt into air and swung downwards with its tail, sending a surging ball of electricity at the Spearow as it soared through the air. The Electro Ball halted in its tracks with a jerk before launching back up at Duke, who cried out in pain as the attack detonated as it hit the Pikachu and made it crash onto the ground heavily.

"Duke!" Hau yelled out, his voice filled with worry as the Pikachu struggled to his feet, panting slightly from the attack and the fall.

"Serves you right. Just because you're the grandson of the Kahuna doesn't mean you're hot stuff, yo. Team Skull will just beat you down!" Axen barked, punching his fist outwards. "Poison Gas!"

"Jump into the air to avoid it and use Thundershock on Drowzee!" Hau called out to his Pikachu. Duke nodded and charged forward, leaping high into the air and letting loose a torrent of electricity down onto the Drowzee. The Hypnosis Pokémon stiffened as the attack rushed through it, and Axen swore as he saw a crackle of electricity linger around his Drowzee after the attack had ended.

"Damn, it's paralyzed. Looks like we're going to have to pick up the slack. Spearow, use Peck!" Kayla barked out as her bird dove downwards.

Hau grinned and said, "Use Electro Ball on Drowzee!"

Needless to say, the resulting attack knocked the Drowzee out cold, since it was unable to avoid the second electric attack. However, this allowed Duke to get hit directly in the back by Spearow's Peck, throwing it forward with a cry of pain.

"Fury Attack!" Kayla yelled as her Spearow closed in, eyes glinting in the sun. The bird mercilessly pecked and clawed at Duke, who was too disoriented to do anything about it. Before Hau could call out an attack, his Pikachu had collapsed onto the ground and fainted.

"Booyah! Talk about a win!" Kayla laughed, grinning underneath her bandanna with pride as she ran forward, scooping up her Spearow and hugging it tightly. "Even with a type-disadvantage my baby kicked your-"

Kayla stopped speaking as her Spearow suddenly stiffened in her arms and began glowing white and blue. The Team Skull Grunt quickly set her Spearow on the ground and watched in awe as the small bird glowed brightly, slowly growing in size before the light exploded outwards, revealing a large bird with a narrowed beak. The newly evolved Fearow cawed loudly, flapping its wings as Kayla watched her bird with a shocked expression.

"Spearow...No. Fearow! You finally evolved!" Kayla yelled out, happily embracing her Fearow. The bird chirped happily, wrapping its large wings around its Trainer. The two broke their embrace and Kayla turned her attention to Hau, who had returned his Pikachu.

"Alright then. Cassy, let's go!" Hau yelled, calling out his Starter. Cassy glared down the Fearow as it flapped into the air, glaring down at the little seal Pokémon.

"Fearow! Let's make it two-for-two! Peck!" Kayla yelled out, with her Fearow launching itself forward with its powerful new wings.

"Cassy, let's end this quick. Icy Wind!" Hau yelled to his Brionne, who smacked her tail into and ground and flipped gracefully through the air. The Brionne opened her mouth and let loose a blast of icy energy that the Fearow smashed right through, making the bird cry out in pain as it took the super-effective attack head-on.

"Fearow! Come on, fight through it! You've got this!" Kayla called to her Fearow, who was struggling to stay airborne.

"I'm glad your Fearow evolved. But I'm knocking it out now, _yo_!" Hau called to Kayla mockingly, earning a glare from the girl. "Cassy, use Bubblebeam!"

Cassy grinned and opened her mouth as she released a powerful stream of bubbles at the struggling Fearow, who yelped in pain as the barrage of bubbles popped painfully against its body.

"Damn it...Tim! Back me up, would you?" Kayla said to the taller Team Skull Grunt. The young man nodded and called out his Druddigon, which roared in fury before stomping forward. Tim yelled out some incoherent gibberish that no one understood, so Kayla instead took charge.

"Druddigon, just spam Dragon Rage!" Kayla yelled to the Dragon-type, who nodded slowly and opened its mouth, charging up the attack.

"Not a chance! Cassy, use Disarming Voice on the both of them!" Hau called out, grinning widely. The Brionne grinned as she released a few bubbles in midair to hop on before opening her mouth and releasing two blasts of energy waves that slammed into Fearow and Druddigon, knocking out the former and earning a howl of pain from the latter.

"Fearow…" Kayla mumbled, returning her fallen Pokémon. "You were really great. Don't...we'll get 'em next time."

The Team Skull Grunts watched as Cassy continued to dodge the blasts from Druddigon while attacking with Disarming Voice, which began whittling down the massive dragon's health. However, the Brionne couldn't dodge forever.

Eventually one of the blasts finally managed to catch the Brionne while she was in mid-flip, detonating and knocking her to the ground. The Druddigon rushed forward with a roar, slashing downwards with its claws. Cassy rolled on the ground to avoid the move and spat a glob of purple liquid right into the creature's face, making it snarl in pain as it was poisoned.

"Finish it off with Icy Wind!" Hau commanded his Starter, who nodded and opened her mouth before billowing an icy blast of wind into the dragon directly, overwhelming it and knocking it out. Cassy sighed with relief and grinned at Hau, who gave his Starter a thumbs up.

"Damn it…" Kayla hissed, clenching her fists. "We're in a bad way here-"

"Torch, let's go!"

Hau's eyes widened in horror as Demi stepped forward, her Quilava standing loyally beside her. The girl put her hands behind her head with a small hidden smirk and stared down her friend, who slowly shook his head.

"So...this is what it's come to? You're gonna beat me and take my Pokémon?" Hau asked Demi, who reeled back in surprise.

"W-what? No! Of course not!" Demi yelled back.

"Then why are you helping _them_? They're the bad guys. Thugs! Who turned their back on Alola. They make the lives of the Captains and the Kahunas hell just because they're sore losers. You're gonna help them just because of what happened to you?" Hau asked Demi, crossing his arms.

"Of course I am! We're going to change Alola, Hau! These islands have been stuck in their traditions for so long, it's made the atmosphere toxic! I thought you would understand, having grown up under the shadow of your grandpa!" Demi said to Hau, who shook his head, smiling now.

"Nope! That just inspired me to be a better Trainer and shine even brighter then he ever did! Just because you suffered a setback doesn't mean you should join a group of criminals. You know, the bad guys who've attacked us many times now and threatened to steal my Pokémon. And if you're with them...then I don't know what this makes us, Demi. I didn't think you'd stoop this low." Hau said to the girl, a note of hurt in his voice.

"Stoop this low…a setback? Feya getting killed by that awful spider was a _setback_!?" Demi whispered, clenching her fists in fury. "I had to do this because I have nothing left, Hau! My family turned their back on me and I couldn't face you all! Not after that! What the hell did you think I was going to do?!"

"Anything but this. Cassy, use Bubblebeam!" Hau yelled out, clearly done talking about this. Cassy unleashed a barrage of bubbles at a surprised Demi and her Quilava, who stared at the attack in horror. Torch let out a yell and released a massive burst of flames from his mouth, which smashed into the stream of bubbles and cancelled out the attack.

Torch looked back at his Trainer and let out a bark. Demi snapped out of her shock and scowled at Hau, stepping forward.

"Alright then, Hau! Torch, use Quick Attack!" Demi called to her Quilava, who nodded and shot forward, slamming into Cassy and knocking her back with a nasty crunch.

"She's been training Torch up. He's way stronger than before." Hau noted with a pang, though he wondered where her Litwick, Aou, was. Hau filed that question away for another time as Torch suddenly slammed into Cassy with a Flame Wheel, sending the exhausted and battered Brionne to the ground, where she struggled to get up.

"Is that it, Hau?" Demi said to the boy. Hau frowned, seeing how she was acting. He just didn't get it. Team Skull was nothing but a bunch of bullies. They hurt people and stole Pokémon. How could his friend have fallen so far as to have joined them?

Well, what he did know was one thing. Cassy couldn't take much more of this and Demi was a very good Trainer. He needed to wrap this battle up quickly.

"Alright...if this is how it's gonna be. Then I'll get through to you the hard way!" Hau yelled out, holding out his Z-Ring as it flashed white. Demi shivered as Hau and Cassy began to glow and went into a series of poses as Z-Power flowed through the two of them.

"Channel Bubblebeam... _and use Hydro Vortex!_ " Hau bellowed as Cassy summoned forth a massive whirling vortex of water and traveled along the sides of it, grinning happily as she rushed towards Torch, who's eyes widened in horror.

"Torch, use Defense Curl!" Demi yelled desperately. The Quilava curled into a ball just before the massive torrent of water smashed into him, sending the Quilava across the path and into a nearby tree, where it crumpled to the with swirls in its eyes, showing it was knocked out.

"Torch!" Demi screamed as she sprinted over to her Quilava. Hau watched the girl with a pained expression, returning his exhausted Brionne. Sun walked over to his friend, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"You good, buddy?" Sun asked his friend, who nodded slowly. The boy inhaled deeply and then exhaled, nodding again.

"I'll be good. You idiots lost though." Hau said to Team Skull, crossing his arms. "Four-on-one and you still couldn't put me down. Now who's the loser?"

"Eh, we don't need shit from you, yo! We're the hardest bunch in Alola! Don't you forget it!" Kevin yelled at Hau, who shrugged.

"I can't forget you all. You won't stop picking fights you can't win. And why didn't you fight, huh? You scared of me beating you too?" Hau asked the Grunt, who flinched.

"I...can't anymore. That dumb hick crippled my Zubat!" Kevin yelled at Hau, who blinked in surprise.

"Hick...You mean Hapu? Wait, your Zubat got injured in that battle?" Sun asked, feeling a pang of guilt. He called the strange girl and the mighty horse Pokémon she commanded easily knocking out Kevin's Zubat with one attack, and that it had been in bad shape afterwards.

"I don't have Zubat anymore. I had to give him up so that he could get properly treated. They said he'd probably never battle again." Kevin said quietly, looking away from them. "So yeah, I can't battle. So laugh it up, hahaha, you win."

"Well...You kinda asked for it. Stop trying to mug people and maybe crap like this wouldn't happen to you." Hau remarked, crossing his arms. Kevin whirled around and grabbed Hau by the neck, glaring down at him.

"You shut your mouth, yo! My little buddy didn't deserve that shit!" Kevin growled at Hau, who tried to pry away the teen's hands, but to no avail.

"Hey!" Kevin looked over to Sun, who was glaring him down with two large birds and a angry canine backing him up.

"You're all out of usable Pokémon and I've got a fresh team ready to go. So unless you want to feel some real pain, drop him now!" Sun barked to the thug, who flinched at the boy's harsh tone and dropped Hau to the ground, stepping away. Sun walked over to Hau and helped his friend up, making sure he was okay.

"Sheesh. Sensitive." Hau muttered, brushing himself off.

"Not really. They're thugs, but they're people Hau." Sun admonished his friend, who shrugged.

"People who steal Pokémon and threaten others. They forfeited their right to my sympathy the first day I got jumped by them back in Hau'oli City." Hau said to the Grunts with a note of true disgust in his voice.

"Call me naive, but they're honestly not that bad." Sun admitted, earning a surprised look from all of them. "If you idiots stopped stealing and made an effort to change people's minds about you and the problems Alola has the right way, maybe they'd listen to you and sympathize with your cause." Sun said to Team Skull, who all remained silent.

" _He's right you know."_

Everyone turned around and saw a familiar monster emerge from the trees, eyeing the group with interest. Not a single person moved as Type: Null stepped in front of the two sides.

"You're Type: Null. Gladion's partner." Sun stated, confused as to why the beast was here.

 _"I am."_ Type: Null replied to Sun's comment, turning his gaze to Team Skull. _"I have watched you all for a time with Gladion. I don't understand some things. Unlike Gladion, I'm not too proud to ask questions. So why do you insist on doing things like this...when they don't allow you to achieve your goals?"_

"What?" Axen asked, confused.

 _"You all cause trouble. You hurt people. But you do so because the people of Alola turned their backs on you. Or so you say. You want change, yet you do nothing but cause grief. What's the point in anything you do?"_ Type: Null questioned the thugs, who stepped forward with angry looks on their faces.

"Back the hell off, freak! You and your prick of a Trainer need to learn your place!" Axen yelled to Type: Null, who growled softly.

 _"If you know what's good for you...You will not insult him any longer."_ Type: Null growled, a dangerous note of anger in its voice.

"Maybe we should lay off the guy, yo. Haven't we given him enough shit today?" Kevin said to the others, who scoffed. Type: Null ignored the Grunts, having said its piece, and walked over to Demi, who the others had noticed hadn't moved from her position.

"Demi...you good?" Axen asked uncertainly, the girl still kneeling on the ground and treating Torch's injuries. The girl didn't reply, though Torch had finally come to. Demi hugged the Quilava tightly before returning him, before rising to her feet with a shaky sigh.

"I'm good...Just kinda freaked out. I'll be good in a sec." Demi replied to Axen as she composed herself. Hau stepped forward, his expression one of worry as Demi calmed herself, having been rattled seeing the Z-Move hit her only Pokémon.

"H-hey, um, sorry about that, Demi. I knew Torch was strong and figured you'd be able to take down Cassy since she was so tired, so yeah, I kinda had to bust out a Z-Move. We're...cool, right?" Hau asked Demi, who gave Hau a hard look. Demi stared at him for a good while before slowly shaking her head.

"No." Demi said to Hau as the boy blinked twice.

"N-no?" Hau asked, confused.

"You don't get it. Hau, you've got the best attitude in the world. You build people up and light up the world with your smile. Which really sucks, because the way you view the world is absolutely disgusting to me after the crap I've been through. Do you really think after what's happened back then and today that everything's just going to be Pecha-keen and sunshine and rainbows?" Demi said to the boy, whose eyes widened.

"But...I don't…" Hau trailed off, recognizing her words as similar to those of Gladion's. Lillie, his mother, and even Hala had told the boy that his views on the world were not a practical one, even if he had the right attitude towards life.

Not everyone had the same privileges of a happy life like he had. People had struggles, and were fighting both battles outside and within. Until he had encountered Lillie, he had thought everyone was just as happy as him with their lives. And then he met Sun. And then he became friends with Demi, who told him all about her struggles with her family. Some pains ran quite deep, and without having meant to he made things so much worse for Demi.

"But don't worry Hau... _Everything's going to be okay_." Demi replied, her tone harsh enough to make Hau flinch in response as Demi clipped Torch's Great Ball to her belt. She flung down a wad of cash to the ground along with the rest of Team Skull.

"I am going to change things, Hau. And if you're going to stand in the way of my dream of making the hurt stop, then you're my enemy." Demi said to Hau, who looked away. Demi turned towards Sun, her expression lightening somewhat. "Sun...You've gone through some bad stuff because of those Cipher pricks. I've got your back. Same with everyone's favorite Princess."

The new Team Skull Grunt turned back to Hau and said, "Hau...ugh, I don't even want to see you anymore. I'm sorry, but right now you represent everything that still hurts right now." Demi sighed, shutting her eyes tightly. Sun and Hau both caught the tear running down her face though.

"Demi...I'm so sorry." Hau said softly before walking back down the road, where they had just come from. Sun looked at his friend and then back to Team Skull, and was surprised that Demi was standing in front of him.

"I hated doing that to him. You have to believe me Sun, I really did." Demi said quietly, lowering her face cover and looking pretty upset at what she had done. "But he doesn't understand! I'm all for keeping a positive attitude and having fun and being carefree, but there's a time when you've got to be serious and he really doesn't know when he needs to act like a Trainer and stop being a child."

"I understand what you're saying and I'll even agree with you to a point...But there's a better way, Demi. We're your friends. Friends look out for each other. And you just hurt Hau in the worst way. He cares about you. He really hated himself for a while after what happened with you. Me and Lana helped cheer him up a bit, but I know he still thinks about what happened to you every day." Sun said to the girl, who sighed and shook her head.

"Looks like I messed something else up. _Shocking_." Demi laughed bitterly, her smile one of complete hopelessness. "I really can't do anything right, can I?"

"Hey, you're not a failure, yo!"

Demi and Sun turned to see Team Skull walking towards them. Sun took a step back as Kayla clapped Demi on the shoulder and said, "You would've had that battle won if not for that cheap ass Z-Move! You did way better than we did on day one of being in Team Skull."

"Hey, Team Skull. Look after my friend, alright?" Sun said to Team Skull, who looked at the boy in surprise as he picked up the money that they had flung down on the ground and handed it back to the nearest one.

"That was money Hau earned, but I'm pretty sure he's gone for now. I don't want to hold onto it, so just keep it." Sun said to the group, receiving a nod from Tim and Kevin.

"We should uh...probably bail now." Axen remarked, gesturing to his healed Drowzee.

"I'll see you around Sun. And thanks for being a friend." Demi said to Sun, a small smile on her face before she pulled her face cover up. Team Skull vanished on the spot a few moments later, disappearing from the path and leaving Sun alone with his team.

" _Should we check on your friend?"_ Brago asked Sun. The boy thought about for a moment before texting Hau, receiving a text back after a few moments.

"No, he needs some time to himself. He said he was going to think about some things." Sun said to Brago, who nodded.

" _I may not like him, but he didn't deserve that. I think the Demi girl is just...lost right now. She doesn't know what to do or what to think."_ Oliver noted, earning a surprised look from Sun.

" _I agree. She has no idea what to do with herself. Especially if she's with those idiots. Hau certainly didn't deserve that sort of treatment."_ Penny agreed, ruffling her feathers slightly.

"Well...I'll talk with her about it. I know she's alright and that she's in good hands with Team Skull...Man, that feels weird to say. But they sounded really supportive of her, which is good. She's still dealing with the falling out with her family and losing Feya, so she needs all the support she can get." Sun said to his team.

" _I agree."_

Sun turned around and saw that Type: Null was still there, sitting down on the ground now with its grey eyes watching Sun. The boy's eyes widened at seeing one of Colress' TACV's around the creature's neck. That explained why they could understand the monster now.

"So, how'd you get that collar?" Sun asked Type: Null as he took a few steps towards the creature. Oliver flew into the air and landed in front of Sun, ready to protect him if need be.

" _I can't say. But I imagine it's from the same man who gave you yours."_ Type: Null replied before looking over its shoulder. " _Gladion, you can come out now."_

Sun smirked as a teen dressed in black stepped out of the trees, his expression guarded as he walked over to Type: Null. He stood beside his partner for a moment before he shrugged. "That was a bit of a crapshoot."

"A what?" Sun asked, confused.

"Still, you got rid of Team Skull for me, which means I can go home now. Plus Hau got beat, which is always fun to see." Gladion remarked as he looked away, making an obvious effort not to smirk at the thought.

"That's not funny! Hau's really hurt right now thanks to what those jerks said. And Demi...Man, that went so badly. This is all just a huge misunderstanding." Sun muttered, looking down. Gladion shook his head, glancing over at the boy.

"Look." Gladion sighed then, with Sun looking back up at the older Trainer. "I'll admit my views on a lot of things are biased. I've been through a lot. You have too. I'll level with you and say that your friend Hau seems to be a really good person. He treats his Pokémon well and he's a competent Trainer when he's being serious. But that doesn't mean that he's not capable of hurting people. And it doesn't make him immune to mistakes. Even if he didn't mean too, he hurt Demi back at Brooklet Hill. And he hurt her again by insulting her new friends, making the remarks he did about her and what she's been through, and then using a Z-Move on the only Pokémon she has left."

"That's true...But that doesn't mean treating him like dirt is right. Just because he's had a life free of serious hardship doesn't mean he hasn't had to suffer in life. He's gone through a lot of stuff too. He just doesn't let it get him down." Sun retorted, earning a surprised look from Gladion. "You shouldn't assume."

"...Maybe. I assumed you were just like him until I noticed how well you hide the pain." Gladion said quietly, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"Yeah...If it wasn't for friends like Hau, I probably wouldn't have made it this far. He's been one of my biggest supporters. A true friend through and through and a great rival that pushes me to do better. He might not be serious about this adventure, but he wants to do better and prove that he's not just the grandson of the Kahuna. He's more than that." Sun said as he crossed his arms, looking back at where his friend had gone. Sun pulled out his phone as idea came to the boy's head. Sun scrolled down his phone contacts and sent off a quick text before stuffing it back into his pocket. "I might not be able to help him with this. But I'm hoping a friend of mine might be able to cheer him up."

"Hmph. Well, I'm heading back to my hotel. I'm assuming you're going to the Grass Trial?" Gladion asked Sun, who nodded. "Then I guess we'll be heading the same way then. Don't fall behind."

Sun blinked as Gladion moved down the path, with Type: Null padding alongside him. Sun exchanged a look with his Pokémon, with Penny gesturing for him to follow the other Trainer, and with that Sun walked after the fierce blond in black that had suddenly become a traveling companion.

The two boys continued down the path, each of them sizing up the other when they thought the other boy wasn't looking. Unlike with Hau, the two of them had a more competitive rivalry. They recognized the strength of the other and knew that they understood one another better than most their peers did. Sun figured Lillie was the only one who truly understood how deep his scars went though.

"So...what happened with Demi?" Sun asked Gladion, surprising the teen. His shock went away and was replaced by a more neutral expression.

"Right. She's your friend too. Well, according to her, after she had a fight with Hau she ran off down the road. She then got into a bad fight with her parents." Gladion began to explain. The teen went into detail how Demi's parents had made it clear that their prestige meant more to them than their daughter did, and so she cut off contact with her family and shortly afterwards was attacked by the bandit Night Slash.

Gladion had explained how Type: Null had sensed something was wrong and led him and Team Skull to the place where Demi was being attacked, and with a combined effort the group managed to take down the bandit. Demi would tag along with them for a few days, releasing her Pokémon in a fit of grief and anger, before realizing her mistake and recapturing Torch, her only remaining Pokémon. Afterwards she joined Team Skull and was formally inducted into the group just yesterday.

"Wow...She's been through a lot since Feya died." Sun muttered, looking down at the ground.

"Yeah. She has. I'll admit, I respect her a lot. Hopefully she'll achieve what she hopes to with Team Skull. Since the group she's a part of gets paired with me a bit, I'll be seeing a lot more of her. Troublesome, really." Gladion said as he crossed his arms.

"Maybe."

"I'm...surprised though." Gladion muttered after a moment, looking down at the ground. "I was really nasty to her back there. But she defended me and Null. I don't get it."

"Because she's a good person. Just like Hau, she wants everyone to get along and to be okay." Sun remarked to a surprised Gladion, who just stared at him. "Well, at least you're looking out for her. I appreciate that, Gladion." Sun said to the teen with a small smile. Gladion stared at Sun for a few moments more before he scowled and looked away.

"I'm not looking out for her. I'm just...Not heartless, alright? I don't want anyone to suffer unnecessarily, but I'm not going to lose sight of my goal. I will become stronger so I can save those precious to me. Nothing else matters." Gladion said firmly, his eyes sparking with determination. Sun couldn't help a sad smile as they continued down the path with the Alolan sun shining down overhead.

* * *

" _Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap!"_ Hala thought as he sprinted through Hau'oli City, diving through alleyways and dodging citizens as quickly as he could. The Kahuna quickly hid behind a dumpster and sat there for a while, panting heavily.

 _"I need to work out more. And I need to ensure those stupid translator collars don't make it into the hands of any new Trainer who gets an Alolan Starter. That would be the end of me as I know it!"_ Hala thought as he slowed emerged from his cover. Laura had to have given up by now, right?

Nope!

Hala stepped out onto the street and to his horror, the woman was leaning against a light pole with a blank expression on her face. Hala sighed and slumped over.

"Alright, you win. Do what you will. I deserve it." Hala stated, drawing himself up and preparing for the worst. Laura walked up to the man and glared at him, eyes narrowed.

"I've already yelled at Kukui, and he's beyond my reach for now. So you're taking his punishment too." Laura Smiles said to the man, who nodded.

Laura then drew her foot back and kicked Hala as hard as she could right in the kahunas, dropping the man to his knees and earning a wince from every male on the block. Hala howled in pain as he clutched his crushed family jewels, hunching his shoulders and trying to maintain his composure despite the awful, awful pain that no man should ever experience. Laura bent down and grabbed the man by the ear, leaning forward.

"I'll admit, I had fun chasing you around. But it's dinnertime. So I'm going to go eat and finish packing so I can see my little boy in a few days. Meanwhile, you're going to think about your use of cursing around young people and Pokémon, because none of them need to hear that. If I ever catch wind of you or Kukui corrupting children's minds with that awful language again, I'm castrating you both with a rusty spoon and feeding what I remove to the local Ride Sharpedo." Laura whispered into Hala's ear before letting go of the man's ear and pushing him down to the ground.

"Have a wonderful day, Kahuna Hala!" Laura said sweetly as she walked down the sidewalk, leaving Hala lying there on the pavement and she departed on her Pidgeot. This allowed the old man to think about what he had done...how the first thing he was doing when he got home would be to invest in a swear jar.

* * *

 _Alrighty, that's another one done. Next chapter we've got some Hau development, Gladion and Sun chat and travel a bit, and then some really bad stuff happens and I can't say anymore because spoilers are evil. And we all know what that means._

 _Every villain is lemons._

Q&A

 _From: Champion of the Divine Sun_

My question is rather simple: How severe would the three starters swear/curse respectively?

 **As answered here in the chapter, not that much. Honestly, I'm not too comfortable with having Pokémon cursing up a storm, since its jarring and distracting. However, I enjoy the running gag of two of the most respected men in the region getting yelled at for inappropriate language and being irresponsible just too much to not use. Sun and Hau will work on it with their Starters and snap them out of that habit.**

 _From: Angelfir3_

What I'm wondering though is why did Colress kill the grunt if he still had the information of where the location of the base in Ula Ula was?

 **Because at that point he knew he wasn't going to get anything out of him, and there's limits to what even a very powerful Psychic-type can do. Colress' Metagross could destroy memories at best, but couldn't tear into the Cipher Grunt's memories to pry the information from his mind. That's just beyond what it can do, even for a Metagross. Colress just got rid of the problem since he knew the Grunt's use was at an end.**

 **I'll be explaining this in-depth later, but despite how dangerous they are in the story (because I think if Pokémon were real Psychic-types would hands down the most OP), they do have limits and its takes a lot of skill, training, and power to do things like stop attacks, throw people around, and especially go into people's minds.**

 **However with a Legendary Psychic-type…**

 **That's another story entirely.**

 _From: Sai Og Sus_

The whole Psychic Type being the most dangerous of all Types seemed to be hinting of Nebby's potential, am I right?

 **Hmm...Hold that thought. Nebby might not be a badass until late-game, but I've got some surprises in store for our favorite puffball. Though I suppose my answer for the previous question also ties into this. Psychic-types are tough as hell, and it's also a reference to Gen I when Psychic-types had basically no weaknesses and were broken as hell.**

 _From: MoonlightButterfree_

So Colress is attempting to atone for what he did? That should be an interesting arc to see. Also, wouldn't he technically get away on a self defence charge since the grunts were attacking him?

 **I'm gonna count this as one big question here. His situation is complicated. He wants to further his own research and find his answers, but he also wants to stop Cipher because he wants his own revenge on them for hurting him and his allies and to stop them from ruling the world. And yes, technically it is self-defense, but Colress also doesn't want word to get out that he can vaporize people and he doesn't want to freak people out and lose their trust.**

 _From: BraviaryScout_

And I see what you're doing there! Bribing Sun to keep it under wraps by having the translation collars. I read he only got 3 of them. Is he going to get 3 more for the rest of his eventual party?

 **Sun will have a TACV for every member of his team when he gets them. Might take a bit to snag another one from Colress, but he'll get them.**

 _That's all for now, everyone! If you enjoyed the chapter, please show your support in the form of a review, PM, favorite and/or follow! It's definitely appreciated and allows this story to grow and improve! And if you have questions, please leave them in the section below! (Usual rules apply)_

 _Stay safe and stay awesome!_

 _Until next time, FlygonNick out!_


	56. Umbra

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _I've gotta get down a schedule for writing. I can't keep slamming down 5,000 words Friday and Saturday night. Ah well._

 _Anyways, howdy folks. Welcome back. Not much to say this go around!_

 _Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes Champion of the Divine Sun, Madame Rodoshe, Anasazi Darkmoon, SonicIKE, Cottonmouth25, Ultimate blazer, MoonlightButterfree, GeekyGamer314, a new guest reviewer known as KorrinaTheReaper,_ _operettaoceanic, Gokan123, Sai Og Sus, BraviaryScout, DarkestShade73, Ways, and Angelfir3. Much thanks for the feedback and support, you awesome people!_

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 _Chapter 56: Umbra_

* * *

Hau flopped down into the grass and groaned, even though it was almost dark by the time the boy had stopped for the day. The boy lay there for a time, just breathing in and out and focusing on trying to find some kind of balance within his emotions. He called out his Pokémon, having healed them about an hour after the battle he had forced himself through. He just couldn't get his mind to stop going haywire.

On the one hand, he was happy that Demi was okay. Ever since Brooklet Hill, he had been beating himself up over what had happened. He blamed himself for being insensitive in a very intense situation and not handling it right. Not everyone could handle stress like him, and not everyone had the positive outlook he had on life.

And now that they had run into each other again, Hau was wishing it had never happened in the first place.

"It'll be alright...I'll figure something out, and make it up to you. Somehow…" Hau muttered, closing his eyes as Kaha leapt onto his chest and curled up there, taking a nap. Hau lay there for a time, just with his Pokémon, and mulled things over. Even though his Pokémon had been outfitted with the TACV's, they remained silent and allowed their Trainer to think.

The sun was completely over the horizon when someone spoke up, snapping Hau out of his thinking.

"A penny for your thoughts?" came a quiet voice from behind Hau. The boy opened his eyes and saw a familiar girl with blue hair looking down at him, a small smile on her face. Hau sighed and closed his eyes again, patting the ground next to him. Lana shrugged and sat down beside the boy, watching the ocean with a small smile. Bubbles the Popplio let out a small bark in greeting to Hau.

"I should've known. Sun sent you, didn't he?" Hau muttered, sounding faintly amused. Lana nodded, but then realized Hau couldn't see her with his eyes shut.

"Yes...and no. He told me a few hours ago that you were really upset by something, and wanted to know if I could talk to you. I said yes, and here we are." Lana answered the boy's question, which made him open a single eye in surprise.

"So you came out of your way to find me in person, instead of just calling me?" Hau asked the girl, who's cheeks burned pink and made her look away.

"When it comes to my friends, I don't want to take chances. And besides...After what you did for me, it felt appropriate." Lana replied, hoping the darkening sky hid her blush. She wished she had Mallow's confidence with this sort of thing.

"Did he even tell you why I was upset?" Hau asked the girl, who shook her head.

"No. But if I know a friend is in trouble and needs my help, I do whatever I can to help them. Sun only told me you were upset and that he figured I could cheer you up." Lana replied to Hau, making the boy open both eyes.

"Well, I'm not going to lie and say it isn't good to see you again, Lana. How's everything been?" Hau asked Lana as the girl settled down on the ground next to Hau, lying a short distance away from the boy.

"Good. Some harassment from Team Skull, but nothing I can't handle. Everything's been calmer as of late, though I have to thank Kahuna Olivia for that. She's been protecting me from a lot of bad publicity, though Demi's father still hounds me whenever he can." Lana said with a small shake of the head. "I don't blame him though. I failed in my duty. He's right to be angry at me."

"Psh. Even when his daughter joins a bunch of crooks?" Hau remarked, earning a surprised look from Lana. "Yeah, you wanna know why I'm here and so messed up? She joined them, Lana. Demi joined those jerks and is gonna help them steal Pokémon and hurt people. All because her Starter got killed. Yeah, it's awful. Terrible beyond description, but you don't join a no-good bunch of thugs because something bad happened to you. You've got to pick yourself back up, right?"

"Hau...It's so much more complicated than that. Not everyone has that resolve. Every person has a threshold of what they can handle before they hit that point of no return. I can tell some people, like Sun, are only one catastrophe away from snapping completely, whereas people like you can take a lot more because we haven't dealt with a high amount of stress."

"Sun's...what?" Hau asked, earning a sad smile from Lana.

"I'm not a psychologist or anything, but I've met a lot of Trainers in my short time of being a Captain. I've also completed the Island Challenge myself, and I have spent some time with you both. Sun hides the pain he bears well, but that doesn't mean it's not there. He's hurting. I don't know if even he is how close he is to breaking inside." Lana said quietly before she shut her eyes.

"What do you do when you hit that breaking point, Hau? That awful point where your will snaps? How much can you bear before you shatter? Demi found out her answer when Feya was killed by Totem Araquanid. She's found a new path in Team Skull, for better or for worse. I cannot support her decision, but I will accept it because I am responsible for this and I understand that this is what happens when people are hurting too much. You need to understand this too, Hau, and be more sympathetic." Lana continued saying, earning a thoughtful hum from her friend.

"Maybe...You know, when I started this journey, I figured it'd be nothing but fun times and laughs. Man was I wrong. I just wanted to have a good time with my Pokémon and my friends."

"Yeah, it doesn't always work out that way."

"I guess so. I've got a lot of growing up to do, huh?"

"Yep. So...What all happened back there, anyway?"

Hau gave Lana the rundown of events that had occurred, up until the point she had arrived at the cliff. Lana was pensive as Hau ended his explanation, considering what was going on.

"I'll have to tell Demi's father. Maybe he can...No. I'll tell Kahuna Olivia first. And from there, we proceed." Lana muttered to herself, nodding. She looked down at Hau and said, "So what now?"

"I guess just keep going, you know? That said...um, I'm glad you're here. Today's been a mess, Lana. It's nice to talk with someone about this. I kinda don't want to pile more on Sun and Lillie, since they've got their own stuff going on. They're counting on me to be there for them, so I can't bug them with my own problems." Hau sighed, putting his hands over his face and groaning loudly. "My one chance to make things right with Demi, and it backfired way worse than I could have imagined."

"Life isn't easy, Hau. Things don't always work out the way you want them to. But you just have to bounce back, like you always do. That's what you taught me to do back at Brooklet Hill." Lana said softly, grinning at Hau as the boy uncovered his face, thinking about it. Hau laid his head back down on the grass and seriously thought about the events that had happened since Brooklet Hill, and came down to a realization.

"I can do better." Hau stated, earning a nod of agreement from Lana. "I can be a better person. I can be a better Trainer. And most importantly, I can be a better friend."

"Yes, you can. No one's perfect, Hau. But I don't think I'd enjoy being around you so much if you were perfect anyway." Lana remarked before quickly clamping her hands over her mouth, her face slowly turning crimson and her eyes widened in horror. Hau just stared at the girl with his eyes wide, and considered saying something, but thought better of it.

" _Does she…like me?"_ Hau thought about it for a moment before he sighed inwardly. Not tonight. Besides, Hau wasn't about to pressure her about whatever that unintentional comment and reaction was about. He respected the Captain's privacy, and didn't want to risk hurting their friendship like he did with Demi. Instead, Hau let Lana recover, with the girl's face slowly returning to normal and a worried expression now on her face.

"I'm gonna crash here for the night. Too drained to actually move." Hau sighed, sitting up and stretching. Lana rolled her eyes and sat up as well, giving Hau a look that showed she wasn't worried about what he had to say in response to her remark now.

"You do realize who you're with, right?" Lana asked Hau, who blinked.

"Yeah. You're a Captain." Hau stated, and Lana nodded.

"Yes. And while we could stay outside in the wilds, it'd be way better to stay the night at the Pokémon Center next to the Lush Jungle because not doing so when we can is just stupid. There's no point in being out here if you don't have to. And I have to be at Lush Jungle early tomorrow to drop off some stuff anyway to Mallow. We might even have a picnic with her and Kiawe at some point." Lana said as she rose to her feet, brushing her pants off as Bubbles hugged her leg. Lana giggled and picked up the baby Popplio, nuzzling him for a moment with a fond smile before setting him on her head. The Popplio barked happily before Lana looked down at Hau.

"So you're coming with me then. We'll stay at the Pokémon Center for the night and we'll swing by Lush Jungle tomorrow. I think we'll beat Sun there easily, if he continued along the path that you two were going down. Correct?" Lana asked Hau, who nodded.

"Then let's be off." Lana said, reaching down to Hau. The boy reached up, grabbing the Trial Captain's hand. The girl pulled Hau to his feet and returned his Pokémon before glancing at the black sky, the crescent moon gleaming overhead.

"Hey Lana?" Hau said, looking over at the girl who was petting Bubbles' head.

"Yes?"

"Thanks...I really needed this talk. You didn't have to come out here, but I'm glad you did." Hau said quietly. Lana smiled at that, grateful for the darkness covering her blush as it crept upon her face again.

"Anything for a friend. Shall we go?" Lana asked, drawing a Net Ball. Hau took notice of the five other Poké Balls and Net Balls attached to her waist, something that he missed earlier.

"You've got your full team on you? How come?" Hau asked as Lana called out a Shellder. Lana's faced darkened as she knelt and put a hand down on her Pokémon. Hau mimicked the girl, kneeling down.

"Kahuna Olivia told me about Cipher. How they're here and want to hurt people. And how they almost hurt you, Sun, and Lillie the other day." Lana said softly, a glint of fire coming to her eyes. "I'm not going to stand by and watch another suffer. Next time danger comes, I will fight. I don't care what it is, but I refuse to be weak any longer, Hau!"

Hau couldn't help but stare at the Captain as she ended her speech, and smiled for the first time since his encounter with Team Skull earlier today. Lana seemed to realize how into her own speech she got, because she turned away.

"Um...Sorry. I just want to be careful. These are dangerous times, Hau. Whether I'm ready for it or not, I am a leader on this island. People look to me for guidance at times, and I have to be ready to protect them with all of my strength." Lana said to Hau, looking back at the smiling boy.

"Makes sense to me. I certainly feel pretty good knowing you're watching over everyone, Lana!" Hau said with a laugh, making the girl beam at the praise. The boy then surprised his friend by leaning over and hugging her tightly, which the blue-haired Captain returned with hidden glee. Without further ado, the duo teleported off of the cliff, leaving it empty save for the ocean and the stars above.

* * *

"Holy crap, how do you deal with them?"

"Don't even get me started on Axen. The guy thinks he's the second coming of Arceus. I'll admit, some of his jokes are funny. But it's about one in every twenty, for the hundred that he throws out a day."

Sun found travelling with Gladion to be a very interesting experience. Where with Lillie and Hau travelling with him there was conversation and smiles, the intense and fierce teen in black usually walked in silence. Type: Null was more talkative than his Trainer, but not by much.

However, Sun couldn't help but learn about the edgy teen as they traveled that first evening and the morning following Hau's departure. For one, Gladion was a very deep sleeper and usually used Type: Null as a pillow when he slept. For another, he mentioned offhand that he didn't eat meat unless he was forced too. Usually this happened if supplies were running scarce on a route.

Another thing was that Gladion had an appreciation for music. Sun had pulled out his flute to play around the campfire, and Gladion listened intently the entire time. Occasionally he would clap politely as Sun tried a few songs that Lillie had instructed him to learn while they were travelling together. Sun was surprised when Gladion offered him a few pointers that helped him complete one of the pieces with relative ease, concerning some rather difficult staccato notes at the end of a song.

In turn, Sun shared a bit about himself to the edgy teen. He didn't explain anything about Hau or Lillie, deciding that the boy could learn about them himself, but he did explain some of his upbringing as a wealthy child of a businessman who became a villain in a misguided attempt to help the world. Now he was in hiding in Alola, exploring the world and learning about himself as a person and growing stronger as he went on the journey he had always wanted to be on.

"We're more alike than you know, Sun." Gladion had said to Sun when the boy explained that, his expression almost pitying.

That next morning, Gladion went over some of his adventures with Team Skull, specifically Bone Unit 71. The group was one of the more proactive groups in Team Skull, not that it meant much. Gladion had been roped into the group thanks to Team Skull's leader, and had helped them ever since. When asked how and why he joined Team Skull, Gladion remained silent. He did explain that he usually teleported places with Team Skull, and their sudden departure caused him to have to walk several days back to his hotel room. When asked why he didn't just get a Ride Pokémon, Gladion just blinked before face-palming and admitting he didn't have a Ride Pager and forgot those existed.

Sun would have flown himself with Charizard Glide, but apparently the Ride Pager only registered areas that Sun had traveled to, so he couldn't fly ahead to the Pokémon Center. That didn't bother him, since he enjoyed just chatting with his Pokémon and with the moody teen whenever he felt like conversing, which started after the first awkward night they camped out together. That first morning, Sun asked Gladion questions, mainly about himself, but others about Type: Null and the Zubat that rested on Gladion's shoulder. While Gladion kept the details about Type: Null and his past under wraps, he seemed almost eager to talk about other things.

Sun wondered if the teen was lonely. Considering how Team Skull treated him and the fact that the teen avoided answering questions about his family in Alola, Sun decided that his assumption probably was a correct one.

"So, what about _your_ family? Since you want to talk about it so much." Gladion asked Sun, who just shrugged in response.

" _His mother is very nice! She makes some of the best Pokémon food I've ever had!"_ Penny spoke up, soaring past Gladion and looking back at the two boys.

" _That Pidgeot she has is kind of a showoff, though. Strong, but really full of himself."_ Oliver mentioned, earning a dull look from Sun. Oliver giggled and swooped past Sun, but not before wing-checking the boy and making him stumble forward while Gladion looked on in shocked horror.

"You little...Penny, use Peck on Oliver." Sun commanded the bird, who chirped happily and shot towards the owl. Oliver lazily threw up Protect, making Penny bounce off of the shield with a squawk of protest.

" _No fair! You can't just use that shield whenever you want!"_ Penny cried out as Brago and Type: Null laughed at the display.

" _You better bet I'll exploit this, Beaky. It's not my fault that I'm so clever. And skilled. And handsome, with the cleanest and most pristine feathers ever seen on anything in this world."_ Oliver said cockily as he dropped the shield and flapped higher into the air. Penny shot after the bird with a screech, leaving the group for a time.

" _I swear, those two will either end up killing one another or produce enough Eggs to put every Breeder in Alola out of business."_ Brago muttered, earning a dumbfounded look from Sun.

"Oliver? And Penny? You mean...Do they like each other!?" Sun asked Brago, earning a smug look from the Growlithe.

" _I won't assume. But they're very close friends, despite how much they argue. I wouldn't be surprised if the two of them became mates. I know I'll be having a very interesting conversation with Winter the next time we run into your Professor."_ Brago explained to a surprised Sun.

"Winter? That's his Alolan Vulpix, right?" Sun asked Brago, receiving a nod. "You like her?"

 _"I'll admit I am very taken with her. She has a very shiny coat and I enjoy talking with her. As I said, we'll have to discuss things further when we see each other again."_ Brago remarked, though he was smiling widely despite this. Sun smiled at the dog's happiness, glad he had found a girlfriend of sorts. He wondered what would happen when/if he told Lillie about his crush on her. Would they just talk it out or...Sun had no idea.

"Professor Kukui? You're friends with him, aren't you?" Gladion asked Sun, who nodded.

"He's a family friend, I think. My Mom knows him, anyway. He helped us get settled here in Alola after we moved here from Kanto." Sun said to Gladion, who seemed thoughtful.

"That must've been rough. Moving all the way over to the other side of the world." Gladion remarked, receiving a nod from Sun.

"Not just because of that. Me and my mother were going through a lot of stuff at the time too. But I've met a lot of really good people who've helped me through everything. Without them...I don't know where I'd be." Sun said quietly, and Gladion looked away at that. Sun looked over at Gladion, his frown deepening. "Gladion, I have a question."

"Yeah?"

"Not to sound mean, but do you have any friends here in Alola?"

"...No. Besides my Pokémon, I've walked this path alone. Zubat only came along just a little while ago. For a while it's just been me and Null. And it took a very long time for it to trust me." Gladion said to Sun, his right hand subconsciously moving to the crook of his left elbow. Type: Null let out a small sigh and looked away.

" _I am so, so sorry for that. I shouldn't have lost control. You were just trying to help me, and I hurt you."_ Type: Null said, earning an alarmed look from Sun. Gladion noticed this and put a hand on Type: Null's head, his expression softening.

"After what that bastard did to you, I'm not surprised you acted the way you did. We figured things out in the end. That's all that matters, Null." Gladion replied quietly, catching Sun's worried look. "Me and Null weren't always on the same page. There was a lot of confusion in the beginning and I'll admit, I had times where I doubted I could ever make it listen to me. But we're getting stronger every day, and now that we can communicate with each other I have no doubts that we'll achieve our goals."

"Which are?" Sun asked, crossing his arms. "Surely your goal isn't just to get stronger. You've mentioned wanting to protect people, but you've never elaborated."

"That's because it's none of your business." Gladion replied with a scowl.

"If it's that important and people you care about in danger, you should let people know! You could get help!" Sun shot back, earning a harsh look from Gladion.

"And force her hand? I've seen what I'm up against, Sun. The only thing that can take down my enemies if Type: Null. It's a weapon as much as it is a Pokémon, as much as I hate to say it. This is a job for my team and me alone."

"You know...I'd help you if you asked me too. I may not know you that well, but I can tell you're not a bad guy. You just aren't." Sun said quietly as he lowered his arms and walked ahead, spotting Penny and Oliver sparing in the sky. Gladion's eyes were wide in surprise, watching Sun in amazement at what he had said.

" _Gladion...I like that boy. He seems like he could be a friend, like Demi."_ Type: Null said quietly, nudging Gladion's hand. The boy shook his head slowly, though his frown softened slightly.

"Maybe not a friend. But it's nice to have someone who understands and cares, even if he doesn't know the details." Gladion murmured, walking forward with his Pokémon to catch up with the young boy who bore the same burden as him, in a world full of people who cared so little.

* * *

"Alright, run that by me one more time." Gladion said, crossing his arms.

"There's this dude near here who says that he wants to make a whole theme park full of nothing but Pokémon restored from Fossils!" the man replied, gesturing towards the small path. Sun and Gladion had been stopped by the stranger as he walked by, several hours into their trek for the day, pointing this area out to them as a place of interest. The man was smirking the entire time he talked, however, so Gladion was suspicious.

"That sounds incredibly awesome, but incredibly stupid at the same time." Sun remarked, though he was interested. Gladion was less so, but followed Sun anyway as the boy ventured down the path and came upon a broken RV sitting in the middle of a clearing, with what looked like the contents of a run down construction site thrown about the place.

"This doesn't seem like a research facility for restoring Pokémon from fossils." Gladion noted, crossing his arms as they continued walking.

"You'd be surprised. Maybe there's something special here." Sun replied, giving the teen a grin. Gladion shook his head in mock distress as the two boys approached a man wearing dirty overalls and staring into space. The two boys stood in front of the man, who didn't register them appearing.

"Umm...Sir?" Sun asked, leaning forward. The man's eyes were dilated to an extreme degree, and Gladion noticed a small bit of white powder underneath the man's nose and his own eyes widened in horror. He had seen this before during a party held in Po Town, and knew that they needed to get out of here.

"S-sun, I think we should leave this man alone." Gladion said, backing up and grabbing the boy by the shoulder, pulling him back. Sun looked at him with confusion.

"What? Why?" Sun asked. Both boys were ripped out of their conversation when the man's head suddenly snapped towards them and his vacant expression suddenly turned into an incredibly happy one as he stood up and beamed at them.

"Welcome to the Dream Park!" the man cried out jovially to the two boys. "Where dreams become reality and fossils become Pokémon!"

" _Zzzt! New human indentified!"_ Rotom cried out, hopping out of Sun's backpack. Gladion yelped in surprise as Rotom hovered in front of them, waving happily.

" _Heya there, Gladion! Good to see ya again! Man, you're edgier than a pair of black scissors with spikes, aren't ya?"_ Rotom greeted the teen, who calmed down as he remembered the strange device that accompanied Sun. Rotom Dex hovered in front of the man and beeped, showing a picture of the man.

" _Fossil Man. The Insane Human. This man spends his time trying to recover Fossils that he can restore back to life to achieve his dream. However, this will likely not happen due to the incredible amount of drugs he consumes on a daily basis."_ Rotom explained to the two teens, with Gladion slowly turning to the beaming man beside them.

"Is _that_ what you're trying to achieve out here? Snorting cocaine and playing with construction equipment?" Gladion asked the man, who laughed hysterically while clapping both boys on the shoulder. Gladion jerked away from the man that was twitching slightly, giggling to himself.

"Hah! You sound just like my parole officer!" the man replied as Sun easily threw the man's hand off of his shoulder and stared at him as he suddenly walked around them, waving his arms around.

"Someday this whole place is going to be filled to bursting with Pokémon from the ancient past! It's the bestest dream in the whole wide world! And that's why it's going to succeed! And then...well, we'll see who's crazy then, now won't we!?" the man boomed to the clouds above as Gladion slowly shook his head.

"Yeah...It's you."

"Gladion, what's wrong with this guy?" Sun asked, absolutely baffled by what's going on. Rotom chimed in, having been resting on Sun's shoulder for a time.

 _"Zzzt! Uh, Sun? Not sure how to tell you, but thizz guy isn't on our level of thought right now. Probably best to just get outta here!"_ Rotom warned Sun, who's eyes widened before Gladion addressed Sun.

"On a scale of one to ten, how sheltered were you as a child? With ten being you were literally not allowed to leave the house until you left for your journey."

"Maybe a six or seven?"

"Right. Well, that man is on drugs and I'd imagine a lot of other things. We should probably bail." Gladion said to an increasingly worried Sun, who looked back at the man with renewed interest.

"So that's what drugs does to people? Weird. I haven't done any reading on that kind of stuff and my parents just warned me to never associate with people who do those things. Let's get out of here." Sun said to Gladion, earning him a nod from the teen. Unfortunately the Fossil Man whirled around, his expression wild as he stepped towards them.

"Don't leave just yet! I'm not done! You see...That's my dream for this: the Dream Park! To bring the ancient world back to life!" the man finished, ignoring the fact that both boys were backing away from him.

"Do yourself a favor and go watch Jurassic Park. Literally any of them!" Gladion shot back at the man, whose eyes twitched.

"Silence, fool! I can hear the Fossils calling to me! They're going to help me rule the world!" the Fossil man declared, earning a startled look from Sun and Gladion.

"I thought you wanted to make a Fossil theme park?" Sun asked the man.

"I do!" the man declared.

"Then why do you want to rule the world!?" Gladion demanded.

"What world?"

"Fossil Man, we're leaving. You have a great day. Please do me a favor and kindly go to hell." Gladion said to the man, whose face contorted in fury.

"You shall not leave this place! I shall sacrifice you both to the great Fossil gods who watch over my grand mission!" the Fossil Man declared, pointing a finger into the sky.

"Gladion, I'm actually starting to get freaked out." Sun said with a shiver, grabbing one of his Poké Balls and preparing to call out Penny. Gladion decided to step forward, eyes narrowed as the man continued to rant and rave incoherently.

"Sir, I'm about to do something known as 'dropping your ass', as they say in Team Skull. Any last words?" Gladion asked the man, who beamed at him and raised his head and let out a bellow.

"Praise Helix!"

"That'll do." Gladion said before kicking the man in between his legs, making him drop to his knees. Gladion swung around and roundhouse-kicked the man in the side of the head, sending him crashing to the ground.

"Sun, let's go!" Gladion barked at the younger boy, striding out of the Dream Park. Sun looked down at the man for a moment before he jogged after the other teen, leaving Fossil Man writhing in pain.

* * *

"That was horrifying." Gladion stated, calling out Type: Null from its ball, something he had regretted not doing before entering the clutches of the insane Fossil Man. They had returned their Pokémon due to wanting to give them some rest, having sparred early in the afternoon. After that, however, they weren't about to take any risks.

"Yeah. Definitely didn't need the reinforcement to never do drugs, but hey, I just got it." Sun remarked with a shudder as he called out each of his Pokémon. That event set the tone for the remainder of the day, which is how long it took for them to reach the Pokémon Center. Gladion left to go to his room at the nearby hotel, so Sun just crashed at the Pokémon Center for the night.

Sun was very happy to receive treatment for his burned legs at the Pokémon Center from Nurse Joy, who happened to be one of the people qualified for the Modified Heal Pulse treatment. According to Nurse Joy, he would be able to walk normally after a good night's rest, though Brago got a very stern scolding by Nurse Joy and promised not to set his Trainer on fire unless he had a very good reason.

The following morning, Sun battled Trainers outside and trained up Brago and Penny up a little. Sun also taught Brago Flame Charge, knowing the move would be helpful during Mallow's Trial. Once Gladion arrived, looking tired but ready to go, the two set off towards the Grass Trial.

"It's about a day's walk to and from Lush Jungle. So I'll go first, and then wait for you to finish your Trial." Gladion said to Sun, who nodded. The boy thought it was interesting that Gladion was willing to wait for him to clear the Trial, but decided not to comment on it. He was, however, curious as to why the teen wanted to do the Grass Trial in the first place. After all, he was working with Team Skull, who despised the Island Challenge. Sun asked him about this, to which he received this reply.

"The Island Challenge is about proving yourself and becoming stronger, which is exactly what I need to do. I don't give a damn what Team Skull thinks. I'm in this for me, not them. If they want to wallow in their misery and pettiness, then I'm going to let them." Gladion replied with a scowl, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"You really hate them, don't you?" Sun asked Gladion, receiving a sigh in response.

"Despite what your buddy Hau says, I am not a criminal. I associate with Team Skull because working and battling with them helps me train and become stronger. That said...I can't stand them. They're criminals who steal Pokémon and who won't leave innocent people alone. I hate that. And that's on top of the almost non-stop harassment I get from them. Demi's just about the only Team Skull Grunt that actually treats me with nothing but respect." Gladion remarked, his expression turning into one of confusion.

"She's a good person like that. You know, she'd be a really good friend to you if you let her be. After all, she did defend you from both Hau and Team Skull." Sun pointed out, with Gladion looking very unsure of this.

"No...I can't. I can't lose focus, Sun. Not when so much is at stake. It'd be a disservice to those I care about to get distracted by such frivolous things…" Gladion muttered, though Sun rolled his eyes at this.

"Yeah, I can understand that. But you also can't do everything alone, and not having any friends has to be really boring. I know I'm a lot happier with friends like Hau around." Sun remarked, opening his phone upon mentioning his friend. He was surprised to see a text from Hau and a picture message from Lillie.

Sun checked the one with Lillie, and saw an adorable picture of Lillie and Nebby eating ice cream with Hugh and Aria, all of them grinning at them. Nebby was riding atop Lillie's head while the girl in question had an ice cream mustache. Sun smiled at the picture of his friend, feeling a rush of warmth.

He then checked Hau's text, to which he raised an eyebrow.

"Hau said he already cleared the Grass Trial and is hanging out with Lana now, which is weird because he was heading away from the Trial." Sun remarked, confused as to why this was.

"Lana? The Water Captain?" Gladion asked, surprised.

"Yeah, and don't you dare tell Team Skull that the two of them are friends. They get enough crap from them as it is." Sun warned Gladion with a glare, earning a scowl from the teen.

"As much as Hau makes me want to break things, the idea of Team Skull harassing people who don't deserve it bothers me more. I'll keep it quiet, since it's not my business anyway." Gladion said after a few moments.

The sun was high in the sky when the two Trainers arrived at the Trial gates. Gladion entered the area without a word, and Sun sat down outside and just talked with his Pokémon for a while and tried to come up with a strategy. Considering this was the Grass Trial and all of his Pokémon had the advantage, he wasn't too worried about this one. Especially since he had a Fire-Type Z-Move at his disposal.

Two hours later, Gladion emerged from the Trial gates holding a green crystal in his hands and walked alongside a very battered Type: Null and a very excited Zubat. Gladion sat down next to Sun and stowed his newly acquired Z-Crystal away, looking over at him.

"Not too bad. They're ready for you to come in. All of the Captains for this island are there, waiting for you, so you shouldn't keep them waiting." Gladion remarked, though he suddenly looked up as he saw a Spearow land on the ground ahead of them, cawing loudly.

"Hey, buzz off." Sun said to the Spearow, who cawed even louder.

 _"She's not happy with us being in her spot. This is her favorite tree."_ Penny translated, rolling her eyes. _"You do know there's hundreds of trees out there, right? How is this one any different than any of the others?"_

The Spearow cawed even louder and flapped her wings hard, soaring into the air. Sun made a move to call out an attack, but Gladion beat him to it.

"Zubat, use Wing Attack!" Gladion barked out. The Bat Pokémon soared forward and smashed into the Spearow with ease, knocking it out in a single hit.

Oliver shook his head, taking a moment to stop preening his feathers. _"All that talk and nothing to back it up. Pathetic."_

However, everyone was shocked to see Gladion's Zubat let out a high-pitched screech and suddenly begin to glow blue and white, suddenly growing larger in midair as light swirled around it. Gladion stood up and watched with awe, his mouth agape. Then, the light stopped and a larger Pokémon emerged from the light, flapping its more powerful wings with a loud screech as it swooped through the air.

"He evolved...My Zubat evolved." Gladion stated dumbly, amazed by this. Rotom beeped from Sun's shoulder, floating into the air.

 _"And that'zz my cue!"_ Rotom yelled out happily, halting in front of Gladion and Sun as the Golbat swooped down to the ground and landed, chittering happily.

 _"Golbat. The Bat Pokémon and the evolved form of Zubat. Its thick fangs are hollow like straws, making them unexpectedly fragile. These fangs are specialized for sucking blood. Sometimes they drink so much blood, they can't fly anymore. Then they fall to the ground and become food for other Pokémon."_ Rotom explained as Gladion stepped forward, closing his mouth and kneeling down to Golbat.

"Just a little push was all you needed, huh?" Gladion murmured, patting the Pokémon on the head. "You helped finish off the Totem, and then it was some little bird that allowed you to finally do this. I'm proud of you."

Golbat made a screeching sound and flapped its wings happily as Type: Null lumbered forward, sitting down next to his Trainer.

 _"He says that he's lucky to have grown into a Golbat at all. He says it's thanks to you he's become so strong."_ Type: Null translated as Gladion looked at Golbat with an awed expression. Sun couldn't help the smile on his face, and couldn't help but think that if Hau could see Gladion at moments like these, they'd actually get along.

"Hey, I'm gonna head inside. You're good out here, right?" Sun asked Gladion. The boy nodded without addressing Sun, and the boy chuckled softly in response as he turned around. Sun recalled his Pokémon and entered the Lush Jungle, ready to earn his next Z-Crystal and combat whatever obstacles stood in his way.

* * *

Celadon City Cipher HQ:

* * *

"So, as you can see, the League is pushing back hard. I believe we'll need increased personnel to hit the next few spots." Amber recounted to the other Admins, crossing her arms. "I'm good, but I'm not invincible and can't do this all solo. We also need more time for the other Gyms. I know Sabrina and Blue in particular are going to be absolute hell to deal with."

"True...A ex-Champion would definitely put a damper on our plans. And that's not even factoring into account Red." Greevil muttered, putting a hand to his chin.

"Red's an anomaly, whereas Blue is difficult to pin down. Plus, their movements are impossible to be traced when they're on the move. Any attempts to trail them have ended in our agents being scattered to the winds." Borlath remarked, a small smile on his face. "We'll just have to hope they'll make a mistake we can exploit."

"Yes, I suppose we will. Now, we have two more matters to discuss before we adjourn for the evening. Borlath, you said you wanted to discuss something important, so the floor is yours." Greevil said to the man, who stood and went to an at-ease stance, looking at each of the Admins present in the Kanto region as Amber sat down in her seat. Greevil, Dakim, Amber, Dawson, and a cloaked man standing in the corner, his head looking down.

Just as Borlath had recruited Dawson to Cipher, Greevil had seen fit to recruit someone new under his own banner for the Alola operation. Borlath didn't even know the man's name, and neither did the others save for Greevil. But Borlath turned his attention to the others, a small smile flickering to his face as he ignored the matter for now.

"I'm not going to beat around the bush. I'm ready to begin serious work on the Umbral Project once again." Borlath said to the others, receiving a horrified look from Venus.

"You can't be serious." Venus remarked, looking around.

"He is. And it interests me, I'll admit." Dakim spoke, the massive man smirking slightly from his chair. The Admin in question was garbed in white armored jumpsuit, with red warpaint on his face and his hair a burning red color. The man was quick to anger, but a powerful Trainer and ruthless one as well. Borlath recalled that the man had been beaten by Wes several times in Oore, and had owned a Shadow Entei before it was captured by the Snagger.

"I believe this is foolish, but I'm allowing him to plead his case. We may be gathering strength, but so are our enemies. Our efforts to capture the Tapu in Alola and track down whatever the hell Team Rocket keep going on about here in Kanto cannot be our only efforts to acquire more powerful assets. Borlath, explain, if you would." Greevil said to the tall man, who nodded.

"As you'll recall, back in Unova we had a large team dedicated to furthering the Shadow Pokémon project. We wanted to create a Shadow Pokémon with incredible strength that could not be purified. Expanding on the work done on XD001, Shadow Lugia, to create the ultimate Shadow Pokémon. I monitored the experiments from afar, and even gave the subjects their new name. Umbral Pokémon." Borlath explained to the Admins, receiving a few nods.

"Alright, I'll bite. What the hell is an Umbral Pokémon?" Dawson asked, earning a look from everyone there.

"A Shadow Pokémon is a fighting machine with the door to its heart closed. It can only be opened with the purifying power of Celebi, or with friendship and love easing open a Pokémon's heart to the point where it will become whole once more." Greevil explained to Dawson, bridging his fingers together. "An Umbral Pokémon, however, is nothing short of a _killing_ machine. A monster with incredible strength capable of absolutely horrible things."

"Indeed. Continuing on from the work done with Shadow Lugia, the team we had in Unova more than a year ago worked on creating a creature that could not be purified, but also contained incredible power. And that team succeeded, creating a single Umbral Pokémon known as Jojo." Borlath said to Dawson as he placed a hand on the table, his eyes flashing blue and green. Everyone at the table save for Dawson and Amber shuddered slightly at the mention of the name.

Dawson noticed this and asked, "So, what's so bad about Jojo?"

"Upon waking, Jojo went absolutely mad and slaughtered everyone at the Driftveil base. All attempts to control the Umbral Pokémon failed, and he somehow retained his consciousness and ability to think, making him a true monster. He then went on a killing spree, destroying everything in his path until Wes managed to put him down. After that the project was scrapped, and until now no one's been stupid enough to think about restarting it." Venus explained, glaring at Borlath.

"Are they really that strong?" Dawson asked, amazed that one non-Legendary Pokémon could cause so much trouble.

Amber nodded and said, "Jojo was strong enough to give me trouble. As it was, I barely managed to escape it with my life. Borlath has taken measures, however, to prevent this from happening again."

"I know the hazards presented better than anyone. We're especially not making sure to create an Umbral Pokémon from a Psychic-type again, that's for damn sure." Borlath remarked, smiling somewhat. "However, I will need volunteers for the Project. Powerful Pokémon with experience that could withstand the experiments and come out as unstoppable killing machines."

"Withstand the experiments? That sounds...bad." Dawson commented, with Borlath sighing deeply.

"The experiments are harsh. The main problem holding me back from having done the experiments already is that the Pokémon selected to become Umbral Pokémon usually do not survive the process. We've subjected hundreds of Pokémon to experimentation for the Umbral Project, and only one survived. Jojo. However, I believe that if we managed to get down the process and find a way to reliably create Umbral Pokémon, we can control Kanto with no further problems. It's as simple as that." Borlath explained to the others, earning several unsure looks.

"And so he wants to ask you all for volunteers for the Project, from your personal teams. I've already given him my Shadow Rhyperior." Amber said to the others as she crossed her arms. The Admins considered this for a while, thinking this over. It was a risky gamble, with a hefty price to pay for an unsure reward.

"And I will offer two of my own Pokémon. It'll be interesting to see where this goes, Borlath." Dakim said, unclipping two Poké Balls from his belt and placing them on the table.

The cloaked figure in the room stirred, reaching into his cloak and pulling out a single Ultra Ball. After a moment of thought, he tossed the ball to Borlath, who considered the figure before nodding to them.

"I...Very well. I trust your judgement on this, Borlath." Venus said, placing two Poké Balls on the table.

Dawson frowned and closed his eyes, considering this. Finally he unclipped a single Great Ball and placed it on the table. Dawson looked up at Borlath and said, "If you think this is best, man. Just…"

Dawson trailed off, shaking his head. Greevil chuckled softly, shaking his head and reaching up to the table, placing three Poké Balls on the table before saying, "Interesting. You managed to make them agree to condemn their Pokémon to a fate worse than death. But again...We accepted that in order to succeed, we have to do unspeakable things. Now, Borlath, what are you willing to give up for this venture?"

Borlath closed his eyes for a moment, considering the question, before his eyes both opened and revealed themselves to be crimson. The man slowly unclipped not one, not two, but five Poké Balls from his belt to the horror of the Admins and gently placed them on the table. He reached down to his only remaining Poké Ball and removed it, but then lowered his hand, thinking better of it.

"Never question my resolve, Grand Master Greevil." Borlath whispered as he clipped his only Poké Ball back to his waist, eyeing each of the awed Admins with a harsh glare. Even Greevil seemed surprised that the man had volunteered nearly his entire team to be part of the experiment, especially knowing that it either worked and made them monsters or it killed them.

"Thank you for this trust, my fellow Admins. I'll make sure your sacrifices do not go to waste. I'll be searching for other candidates, but hopefully with this many powerful Pokémon on hand we won't...Well, have to waste their lives. Now, onto the next order of business, Greevil?" Borlath said as he pulled out a briefcase and gathered the Poké Balls into it before securing it.

"Ah, yes. Our attack on the Vermilion City Gym. As you all may recall, we received word that our Shadow Moltres is being held captive there. Our goal is to free the beast and acquire control over the Gym Leader of Vermilion, Lt. Surge." Greevil said to the other Admins. The kidnapping and raid on the Vermilion City Gym would require Amber and Dawson to work together in order to recapture Shadow Moltres from wherever it was being held, as well as gain leverage over Lt. Surge, who commanded great respect throughout the region.

"By the end of the week, we attack." Greevil concluded his explanation, earning a chorus of assent from the others. "With Lt. Surge under our thumb, we can control Vermilion City with little effort. The port will be especially helpful...yes, this will be very fun."

"That said, we're going to assume they're expecting us and Lt. Surge is equipped to handle a fight. This isn't going to be like killing Erika. That man is waiting for a fight, and we have reason to believe that the International Police have spies within Cipher." Borlath said to the other Admins, earning a scowl from Venus.

"Disgusting...We'll find the rats soon enough." The former media icon remarked before her smile returned, and she gestured to Dawson. "I'm interested to see your skills at work, Dawson. Do try to put on a show, could you?"

"I'll do more than that, Venus. Of course, if you're interested in more, I'm always willing to-"

"Dawson! Focus."

"Sorry Borlath. Couldn't resist."

"That said, I do have to inquire as to what you've got our own spy doing within the Elite Four?" Venus asked Greevil, who grinned at her.

"Ah, yes. Our friend has provided new information regarding the International Police assisting the League in hindering our efforts. I'm amazed at just how much they're proving to be a nuisance, especially that blasted Quill man." Greevil growled, though he cast a look at Borlath, who sighed.

"I'll accept the blame on that one. I should've strangled him when I had the chance." Borlath admitted, looking up at the ceiling. "Next time, I'm putting a bullet in his heart."

"So you're finally learning how to use a weapon after all this time?" Venus asked, amused by this.

"Amber taught me just how useful being able to defend yourself is. I don't doubt I could provide some manner of resistance, but knowing how to apply lethal force when necessary seems pretty damn important in our line of work. That said, learning how to use a gun is a lot more work than you'd think it is." Borlath replied, earning a shrug from the woman.

"I can imagine. It's a shame the League doesn't believe in such things as self-defense. Otherwise capturing one of their members wouldn't have been such a joke." Dawson remarked with a smirk, leaning back in his chair. "I still say you should let me have a crack at her. No need for the torture and all. I'm pretty good at getting people to just spill the beans with some casual conversation."

"It's more fun this way." Greevil replied to the mercenary-turned-Admin, who just scoffed. "We've yet to crack our lovely guest, but I imagine time will change her tune. Until then, we just have to proceed with our plans until we have the information we want regarding our missing man."

"Missing...he went on the run. I fail to see how he can help with our efforts in Kanto." Amber remarked, crossing her arms. Borlath chuckled softly, shutting his eyes for a moment.

"Amber, you shouldn't underestimate a businessman. A few of us here at this table can attest to being more than what we seem." Borlath said, his eyes landing on Greevil, Venus, and the cloaked figure leaning against the wall.

"Truer words have never been spoken. So, I suppose we'll break for now and meet again the evening before our raid on the Vermilion City Gym. Borlath, I'll trust you know what you're doing in regards to the Umbral Project. Just try not to mess up, would you? The last thing we need is more Admins getting their heads ripped off." Greevil said to the man, receiving a rogue grin in response.

* * *

 _Lots of things happening now! Hau experiences character development, Lana nearly spills the beans, and Gladion and Sun continue their adventures together with Sun's Grass Trial happening next chapter._

 _Plus, some bad guys stuff. Umbral Pokémon, spies within the Pokémon League, and a captured member of the Elite Four, all on top of a raid happening? How will this end? Probably not well, but we'll find out soon!_

Q&A

 _From: Champion of the Divine Sun_

I apologize if this enters spoiler territory for future chapter, but will Sun meet the other tapus before the endgame?

 **Funny that you mention that. The alternate ending to Chapter 54 was Tapu Lele spying on Gladion and Sun from the skies before vanishing in a flash of light. I took that out when I decided that ending the chapter on a funny note would probably be more entertaining and I can include Tapu Lele later any time I felt like it.**

 **Sorry, got distracted. Anyways, the question. The other Tapu will be featured much more in the story than they were in the games, and Sun will be encountering them all at least once before the end-game. Tapu Lele and Tapu Koko will definitely be getting the most screen-time though.**

 _From: GeekyGamer314_

I do have one question though, Why did Colress tell the kids about how he killed the Cipher Grunts after going through all the trouble to erase their memory? I get that seeing something happen and hearing about it are two completely different things, but why didn't he just tell them that none of them recognized Sun and that they all just ran off. He killed the only one who recognised Sun anyway.

 **Because its like you said, seeing and hearing about something are much different, and Sun deserves to know the dangers of Cipher being around. If Sun is recognized by the wrong person, he'll be in serious trouble. Colress told Sun the truth so that he would be aware of what's going on and the threat he's dealing with, but on the other hand he didn't want the children to have to live with the memory of Colress slaughtering five men in front of them, especially since Sun knew one of them. He just felt it was better that way and made it easier on them.**

 _From: KorrinaTheReaper_

I hope Demi becomes stronger than Sun and achieve her dream. I feel so sorry for her. Btw is Demi Moon by chance?

 **I'm gonna admit, it took me a while to figure out a way to respond to this one.**

 **Uh...No. Demi isn't Moon. Her name is Demi Palena. If she was Moon, I would've just called her Moon. Demi is a totally different character, and her character arc has nothing to do with beating Sun or becoming stronger than him. I hope this cleared up any confusion.**

 _From:_ _operettaoceanic_

This question involves with the future. Will Sun beat Chipher by himself? And fights his own father? I think it will be nice to see Sun fights with his strongest team!

 **Absolutely not, because even at his strongest, Sun wouldn't be able to bring down Cipher alone. They're just too powerful to be brought down by an 11-year old boy.**

 **Also, I'd like to believe that none of the heroes in these stories did what they did all on their own. Red, Brendan, Nate, etc. Some of the games have sort of worked on this, including the Gym Leaders, Champions, and Rivals as people who help battle the bad guys with you. Sun will not be alone in his fight against Cipher, when it does come.**

 **As for the second question, I'm choosing not to answer that question at this present time. Partly because of the one question per review deal, and because of any possible spoilers.**

 _From: Sai Og Sus_

Just curious, does Hala's love for pudding was inspired by someone? Specifically, a magical being that live in a book?

 **You know what? I didn't even realize I made that SVTFOE reference until you pointed it out. That said, it was a thing in this story before I discovered the show.**

 **Actually, Hala's love for pudding is part of a running joke for me with this story. Hau's family all love a certain kind of desert each. Hau loves Malasadas, Hala loves pudding, Hau's mother and father both love different deserts as well (to be included later). Again, it's me putting way too much detail into some of the most trivial things.**

 **Also, for those of you who submit Guest Reviews, I have the setting for them to be able to be screened by me before they get posted. So if you don't see your review pop up on this story, it's just because I haven't had the chance to approve it from my account. Keep in mind I'm in the military and dealing with getting settled in another country right now, so I won't be able to respond to PM's and reviews right away. Apologies for that.**

 _That's all for now folks. I'm surprised how well the Q &A thing is going since I started it, and I hope that they've been helping clearing up stuff in this convoluted mess of a story. _

_If you feel like showing your support, please review, favorite and/or follow the story. We're nearing 200 favorites, which is absolutely insane and amazing. Thanks again for reading and all of the love._

 _That said, next chapter will be the Grass Trial! What sort of stuff do I have in store? Let's find out next week!_

 _Stay safe and stay awesome!_

 _Until next time, FlygonNick out!_


	57. Grass Trial! Welcome to the Jungle!

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _Howdy folks._

 _So this week has been very, very busy for me. Needless to say it was hard to get this chapter done thanks to my lack of free time, but I managed._

 _I even managed to finish my Alpha Sapphire Nuzlocke somehow, though that was mainly due to my internet being down, which means I can't get anything productive done._

 _My Final AS Nuzlocke Team:_

 _Gretel the Gyarados_

 _Hansel the Dusclops_

 _Xi the Magnezone_

 _Elise the Vileplume_

 _Zap the Manetric_

 _Olivia the Flygon_

 _It was the first time I managed to keep an entire team through the Elite Four and the Champion. Highlights of the run included losing my Blaziken to Archie due to his Corbat's Acrobatics OHKOing him, and catching a Shiny Sableye on Victory Road while grinding for the Elite Four._

 _My next Nuzlocke will likely be on Pokémon Moon, but it won't be for a while due to me being so damn busy, and because I have a massive catalog of games I need to get through beforehand. I'll probably announce that at some point when I don't have anything for my author's notes._

 _Anyways, rambling. Back to the reason you're here!_

 _So this past update allowed this story to break 200 favorites, which is absolutely bananas. It's awesome that so many people have favorited and followed this story, and I thank you all for your support. It never stops being incredible to me, so again...just thank you._

 _Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes Madame Rodoshe, a new guest reviewer known as_ _Okamiden14, GeekyGamer314, Sai Og Sus, Cottonmouth25, Angelfir3, MoonlightButterfree, BraviaryScout, Gokan123, and SonicIKE. Thanks for the feedback, questions, and support!_

 _Also, a quick note. As mentioned a few chapters ago, Lillie's birthday is coming up in the story. Of course, I'm going to have a chapter dedicated to that because seriously...Why would I not? The reason I'm bringing this up because I want you all to have a part in the chapter. It'll be interactive, in a way, and I have high hopes for it. I'll explain more next chapter, but I'm gonna say this is all going to be quite fun._

 _Enjoy!_

* * *

 _Chapter 57: Grass Trial! Welcome to the Jungle!_

* * *

"Vitals are falling. Intriguing, but also alarming. Faba, what do you make of this?"

"I believe the Z-Power is finally breaking it. I give it another week before it succumbs." Faba responded as he considered the data before him, glancing over at the massive spider that was slumped in a containment pod, for its safety more than their own. Faba's Hypno and Colress' Klinklang were present, just in case something happened while dealing with the rogue Totem Pokémon from Brooklet Hill.

Ever since Colress had departed his little lab and said farewell to Sun and his friends, he had been hard at work with Faba trying to unravel the secrets of Z-Power and other things. Their newest lead came in the form of a Totem Pokémon that had attacked a friend of Sun's. The beast had to be subdued and re-captured by Captain Lana before being turned in to the Kahuna. Olivia had entrusted the Totem Pokémon to Colress when the man had told her his plans to spy on the Aether Foundation and purify Shadow Celebi.

He had also briefed all three Kahuna's about the dangers of Cipher, and was pleased to see they were quick to react. The Kahuna's had their own Pokémon scouting the islands for danger, with the Trial Captains and the local authorities also on high alert. Already there were reports of Captain Acerola battling against Cipher Grunts on Ula'Ula island to protect the Ghost Trial site, having managed to defeat them but being injured in the process.

" _We have to work quickly."_ Colress thought as he observed the Totem Araquanid slowly opened an eye, which had several jet-black veins within it. "How could Z-Power corrupt it like this? I wish I could devote more time to this mystery, but this is a mere break from our ceaseless efforts on Shadow Celebi."

"Doctor Colress, we should get back to work. President Lusamine will be stopping by shortly and I'd rather have something to report to her, rather than tell her how we've yet to discern anything new." Faba said to Colress, receiving a small shrug from the other man.

The two men left Totem Araquanid and walked over to the small imp-like Pokémon lying in a small pool of water, unconscious. Shadow Celebi twitched slightly as its eyes opened for the first time since its battle in Heahea City, and found that it was staring at a very familiar face.

" _Colress…"_ Celebi hissed weakly, extending a tendril of barely connected thought to the scientist. Colress questioned the wisdom in allowing the contact, but then realized he didn't give a damn and knew that if he wanted to, he could kill Celebi should it try to harm him.

"Yes, I am Colress. And you've been a massive pain in my side for a long time. However, this is the part where I'm going to say that soon enough, your pain will end and everything will be well. So rest, Celebi. Me and Faba will take care of everything." Colress said with a small smile, a hint of smugness in it. He had run into Shadow Celebi more than once in Unova, and remembered that those encounters had not ended well for him. To see Shadow Celebi in such a weak state and totally at his mercy was...admittedly satisfying for the scientist.

"We should put it back to sleep for now." Faba advised Colress, who nodded and pressed a few buttons on a nearby console. Fluid flowed through an IV attached to Shadow Celebi, who's eyes began to droop.

" _I'll kill you someday."_ Shadow Celebi hissed as it fell asleep once again. Colress smirked as he knelt down, placing a hand on the creature's head.

"We will save you. And from there, our true work begins. But until then, sleep...you little bitch." Colress said happily as he stepped away from Celebi.

"Was that last bit necessary?" Faba asked, raising an eyebrow at the bit of vulgar language.

"No, not at all. But it definitely made me feel better! I hate being thrown out windows." Colress said to the other scientist, whose eyes widened.

"I expect to hear that story in full later." Faba said to Colress, who just shrugged.

"Perhaps. We should return to work though. I'd like to have a replica Purify Chamber built sooner rather than later." Colress said to Faba, receiving a nod in reply.

"You seem confident."

Colress and Faba turned around to see Lusamine walking towards them, flanked by Miss Wicke. Faba bowed to Lusamine while Colress looked the woman in the eye, trying to see something that wasn't there.

" _I guess that goes to show I'm not the only one skilled at keeping up a facade."_ Colress thought with an inward smile as Lusamine addressed him.

"Any progress?" Lusamine asked the two men, receiving a shrug from Faba.

"We've had more luck with the Totem Pokémon than we have with Celebi, but that's only because there's less of a story to tell with it than the Legendary." Faba explained to Lusamine, who frowned.

"Can we save it?" Lusamine asked quietly, slowly stepping towards Totem Araquanid.

"I'm afraid not, ma'am. It'll be dead within the week. It's Z-Power has yet to fade, becoming something else entirely. I'm sure a much stronger Pokémon could withstand the non-stop Z-power, but a simple Araquanid couldn't hope to survive this." Faba noted dryly, causing Wicke to sigh sadly at the news. Lusamine, however, seemed thoughtful.

"Maybe not a regular Pokémon...But perhaps something else could." Lusamine remarked, a small smile on her face.

"An Ultra Beast, perhaps, would be more used to the energies of the Ultra Space." Colress replied as he crossed his arms, tapping away his thoughts on his data-pad. "Faba even believes that it could call upon Z-Power at will, like the Totem Pokémon have learned too. But with a greater strength and with no drawbacks. But that's just speculation."

"By all means, I'd love to hear your theories." Lusamine remarked, giving both men a wide smile.

"As important as our work with the Ultra Space is, understanding the properties of Z-Power is just as crucial. After all, can we harness it ourselves? Promote the lives of Pokémon with it? It's definitely interesting." Miss Wicke remarked, earning a grin from Lusamine.

"I'd like to see a day we could harness Z-Power. Perhaps if we achieve our goals and uncover the secrets of the Ultra Wormholes, we can find out from the Ultra Beasts themselves!" Lusamine said as she turned to Colress, excitement gleaming in her eyes...along with something else that Colress couldn't identify.

"Perhaps, President Lusamine. My TACV's have allowed me to bridge the communication gap between humans and Pokémon. However, I don't believe it'll work with an Ultra Beast. After all, the Foundation has never managed to recover one and it's likely the devices won't work on something so foreign and unusual, much less a Pokémon from another dimension." Colress reminded Lusamine, who's smile faltered.

"We'll see about that. I will find one, someday, Doctor Colress. And when I do, I believe it will be the beginning of something wonderful for both Ultra Beasts and us humans. After all...A Pokémon from another world? Isn't it an amazing thought?" Lusamine said softly, a note of wonder in her voice.

"It is. But that being said, we have to focus on the present and what we have here. Totem Araquanid must be studied while its still alive so that we can understand Z-Power and the energies from the Trial Sites better. This'll prevent another incident. And there are many people who are counting on us to heal Shadow Celebi so that it can help us against Cipher." Colress reminded Lusamine, who's expression darkened for a moment before she sighed deeply, calming herself.

"Right. Sorry. Sometimes I get a bit too into my work with the Ultra Beasts. Thank you for reminding me of the present, Doctor Colress. Is there anything else I can do to help you two?" Lusamine asked Faba and Colress.

"Not yet. I'll keep you informed, ma'am." Faba replied with a smile to the President, who crossed her arms, as if a thought had just occurred to her. She slowly walked over to Shadow Celebi, taking in the creature's meager form.

"I'll save you...Somehow, I will." Lusamine whispered, her voice full of emotion. Faba and Colress exchanged a brief glance, and Miss Wicke stepped forward, hoping to snap the President out of her thoughts.

"Ma'am, your conference call?" Wicke spoke up, making Lusamine snap her fingers.

"Ah, yes. I nearly forgot. Thank you, Miss Wicke. Keep up the hard work, gentlemen. I'll be by again in a few hours. I have business to take care of." Lusamine said to the two men, turning on her heel and walking off. Colress looked at Miss Wicke, who had glanced at him. Miss Wicke sighed and shook her head before following the President, leaving Colress with his thoughts.

* * *

Sun walked through the jungle path for about five minutes before he came across Mallow, who was standing next to a sign wearing a wide grin.

"Thanks for stopping by!" Mallow said cheerily, stepping forward and giving Sun a hug, which the boy returned with a slight blush on his face. The two friends broke apart and Mallow gestured to the area around them, her smile not fading.

"Welcome to Lush Jungle, the Trial grounds for me, Mallow!" Lana said as she threw apart her arms, beaming at Sun.

"So, is your hair natural or what?" Sun asked Mallow, who's smile faltered as confusion appeared instead.

"Huh?"

"Well...Lana, Kiawe and you all seem to have color-coordinated hair corresponding to the type of Trial you have and the kind of Pokémon you use. I was just wondering if that was intentional or not." Sun asked the girl, who just gave him a thousand-yard stare.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Mallow said after a few moments, a smirk on her face.

"Very much so."

"Well too bad! Anyways, let's get back to why we're here."

"Fine. I'll found out someday."

"Not a chance. You know, I knew it the first time I saw you and your team…" Mallow said, her smile widening. "You've chosen only the finest ingredients! That's why I'm gonna make you me-er, no! I mean, um...That's why you should try my Trial!"

"Mallow, if you wanted to do a cookout or something, all you had to do was ask." Sun said in a dull tone, though he smiled a moment later. Mallow grinned, clapping happily at the remark.

"Yes! We're gonna have so much fun! We can include Lillie and Hau and everyone else and it'll be such a blast!" Mallow said excitedly before the girl remembered who she was and what was going on. Mallow stood up straight and her expression became more serious, though she still wore a smile.

"You are the one who got a Sparkling Stone straight from Tapu Koko, aren't you? You're so totally ready for this!" Mallow cheered as she looked behind her, taking in the jungle and allowing a silence to fall between them. The wind rustled the trees and the cries of Pokémon echoed throughout the jungle. Sun wondered where the Totem was.

"Ah, the breath of the jungle…" Mallow whispered, shutting her eyes. "I can tell just what today's special should be..."

Mallow opened her eyes, wearing a Sharpedo's grin. "Yup! It's gotta be! My personal specialty: The Mallow Special."

" _Zzzt. Soundz kinda dirty."_

"No one asked you, Rotom."

" _I know. But the joke had to be made regardlezz!"_

Mallow was of course laughing during this short exchange, and hopped forward to pat Rotom Dex on the head. The girl jumped back to her spot, giggling still. "I'm gonna need you to, heh, find four ingredients for me!"

"Sure thing. What all do you need?" Sun asked his friend.

"I'll need a Mago Berry, a Tiny Mushroom, a Revival Herb, and a Miracle Seed!" Mallow said, reaching into her backpack and pulling out a small satchel of sorts. She then handed it to Sun, who took it in his hands with a curious look on his face. "Here you go! I brought you a Forage Bag to hold all the ingredients gathered for your Trial."

"Awesome. But why do I need this when I can just use my own bag?" Sun asked Mallow, who just laughed in response.

"Because if you put the Trial ingredients in your bag, they'd get mixed up with your stuff, right?" MalLow replied, though she seemed to remember something and added as an afterthought. "When you're hunting for ingredients, you're gonna want to rely on Stoutland's help. It'll help you find things that you don't see, after all. There's a few Ride Stoutland hanging out in the Lush Jungle, so it'll be easy to get one of them to assist you. You remember how to ride them, right? I gave you the Stoutland Search back at the farm."

"Yeah, I've used it a few times." Sun replied, smiling at the girl. He was getting excited now.

"OK, so one more time! There are four things you need to get for me to clear your Trial! A Mago Berry, a Tiny Mushroom, a Revival Herb, and a Miracle Seed. You got that?" Mallow asked Sun.

"Yep. Not too hard to remember. Thanks Mallow." Sun said to the girl, who grinned and leaned forward, giving Sun a small pat on the head.

"OK, then here in Lush Jungle...It's time for Mallow's Trial to begin!" Mallow declared as Rotom began playing the intense guitar music that usually accompanied these Trials. Mallow started bobbing her head to the music as Sun made his way down the path. The boy changed into his Ride Gear behind a tree as soon as Mallow was out of sight, since he knew he'd need to use Stoutland to help him with the Trial.

To Sun's surprise, he felt as ease in Lush Jungle. Yes, the heat was oppressive and the Pokémon watched him intently from the trees, but he enjoyed the atmosphere of the place. In the distance, Sun heard an odd trilling sound from within the trees and wondered if that was the Totem Pokémon he was sensing.

Sun spotted a small copse of large and small mushrooms growing in a small side path to the right, and grinned as he jogged over to them, stopping as he looked around.

"I needed a Tiny Mushroom…" Sun muttered as he reached down and plucked a mushroom from the dirt. He stowed it in his Forage Bag, smiling. That smile faded when Sun heard a hiss from one of the Big Mushrooms, which rose and whirled around, swiping at Sun with its pincers. Sun jumped back with a yelp as Rotom Dex floated about him.

"That's a Parasect, right?" Sun asked Rotom Dex as he called out Brago. The Growlithe hit the ground with a growl, making the weird Pokémon back away slightly as Intimidate struck it.

" _Zzzt! Lemme check my data…Boop! Got it!"_ Rotom yelled out, moving closer to Sun.

" _Parasect. The Mushroom Pokémon and the evolved form of Paras._ _The large mushroom on its back controls it. It often fights over territory with Shiinotic_. It _scatters toxic spores from its mushroom cap. Once harvested, these spores can be steeped and boiled down to prepare herbal medicines."_ Rotom Dex explained to Sun as it floated beside him, making the boy shiver at the description.

"That's freaky. Brago, use Fire Fang!" Sun called out to the dog. Brago nodded and lunged forward, his mouth filled with raging flames as he sank his teeth into Parasect's back, making the bug hiss in pain and stumble backwards, falling to the ground with a groan.

"Wow...That was really easy." Sun remarked as he pet the Growlithe's back. The canine grinned at his fallen opponent, sitting down.

" _It's good to know all my hard work paid off. Now I don't have to rely on Oliver or Penny to help me win."_ Brago replied, baring his teeth at the Parasect as it shakily wandered off.

"Oh wow, that was quick!"

Sun whirled around in surprise and saw a grinning Captain looking at him. Mallow waved at Sun, who waved back at her. Mallow put her hands on her hips and said, "Hey, it's me Mallow."

"I'm aware who you are. You're the perky girl who enjoys cooking and teasing Lillie."

"Yeah...She makes it so much fun. Love the girl to death, though. Anyways!" Mallow said, shaking her head and getting back to her point. "You found a Tiny Mushroom. Which is great!"

"Yeah. Not that exciting though." Sun admitted, shrugging his shoulders.

"You know...There's a secret to why they're so popular with some people. You'll have to try one to find out what it is!" Mallow said teasingly, and Sun shook his head in response.

"I'm not really a mushroom guy. Pass."

"Booo! You can't expand your palate if you don't try new things!" Mallow pouted as she crossed her arms, though she was still grinning.

"I have tried them. They're gross. My Mom hates them especially." Sun admitted, earning a small sigh from Mallow.

"I guess that's alright then. Anyways! There's still three ingredients left to get! We still need a big helping!" Mallow said to Sun before she skipped off, leaving a bewildered Sun and Brago behind.

" _Alpha, I have a question."_ Brago stated, and Sun looked down at the dog beside him with a curious expression.

"What's up?" Sun asked.

" _Can I be used for the entirety of the Trial? Penny and Oliver have been able to experience these in depth while I have not. Now that I'm stronger, I want to fight as much as I can for you here. Is that alright?"_ Brago asked slowly, unsure if this was appropriate of him to ask. He was surprised when Sun knelt down to him, giving him a grin.

"Absolutely. Me and you are gonna beat this Trial together. This time, we can do the Trial with just the two of us. At least until we fight the Totem." Sun said to Brago, who nodded happily. Sun called upon a Ride Stoutland and the two of them began to ride through the jungle atop the massive dog, taking a northern path through the forest.

"Looks like the path keeps going this way." Sun said to Brago as he urged Stoutland forward. Brago leapt down and bounded alongside the massive hound, his eyes darting all around for any hidden threats.

"Wait stop!" Sun called out to Brago, who stopped in his tracks, growling softly.

" _What's wrong?"_ Brago asked, crouching low. The dog heard a distinct snapping sound and slowly turned to see Sun taking a picture of something he couldn't see from atop Stoutland, grinning.

"I really need to use this more. Rotom, what was that anyway?" Sun asked the device. Rotom giggled as it flew ahead of Sun, floating above Stoutland.

" _Comfey. The Posi Picker Pokémon._ _It attaches flowers to its highly nutritious vine. This revitalizes the flowers, and they give off an aromatic scent. Baths prepared with the flowers from its vine have a relaxing effect, so this Pokémon is a hit with many people."_ Rotom explained to Sun, who nodded.

"That's cool. We should get back to the Trial, though. Right Brago?" Sun said as he turned to see the dog giving him a deadpan expression. Sun laughed nervously, realizing that he was throwing them off track here.

"Sorry Brago. I'll pay attention now. Let's go." Sun said to the other dog, who just shook his head and continued forward, with Sun and Stoutland following him. However as they passed a large tree covered in vines, it began rustling and creaking, showing that something was within it. As Sun looked up at the tree, a small green and pink blur suddenly rushed from the tree and lunged at Sun, knocking him off of Stoutland and earning a snarl from Brago as the Growlithe leapt forward, slamming into the small assailant and sending it tumbling away.

" _Alpha, are you alright?"_ Brago asked, shooting an Ember at the small creature ahead of them. Sun staggered to his feet, clutching his aching head.

"Y-yeah. Rotom, what is that thing?" Sun asked the device, who beeped happily as it scanned it.

" _Fomantis. The Sickle Grass Pokémon._ _During the day, it sleeps and soaks up light. When night falls, it walks around looking for a safer place to sleep. They give off a sweet and refreshing scent. Cutiefly often gather near the tall grass where Fomantis are hiding."_ Rotom explained as the small creature hissed at them.

"Brago. Make that thing hurt more than it hurt me." Sun said with a wince, standing behind the canine as he crouched low.

" _With pleasure!"_ Brago growled and leapt forward, using Fire Fang. The canine caught the screaming Fomantis in his teeth and scorched the Pokémon as it tumbled to the ground. To Sun and Brago's surprise, the Fomantis rose to its feet and unleashed a whirlwind of leaves that slashed at Brago, making the canine snarl in annoyance.

"Use Bite and send it sky-high!" Sun commanded Brago, who rushed at the Sickle Grass Pokémon and chomped down on the Grass-type, throwing it into the air where it screamed shrilly before landing in the trees far away.

" _That was annoying."_ Brago growl, spitting out a burst of flames from his mouth.

"Yeah. Man, my head hurts." Sun muttered, rubbing his aching head. With that, the group made their way further into Lush Jungle. Stoutland let out a bark a short time later, and dug into the ground at Sun's command, unearthing a berry. Sun leapt off of Stoutland and picked up the berry, patting the large dog on the head.

"There we go!" Mallow suddenly dropped down from a tree, because that makes sense. "Congrats on finding that Mago Berry!"

"Thanks. Now, why were you in that tree?"

"Oh you know. Anyways, the bigger and more twisted a Mago Berry, the sweeter it will taste!" Mallow said, brushing aside Sun's questions.

" _You're weird."_ Brago stated, earning a happy pat on the head from Mallow. "Still two more ingredients left to get! Just a little more left to find!"

"Got it. Come on, Brago." Sun said to the Growlithe, hopping back on Stoutland. Brago followed, as did Mallow surprisingly.

"Come on, scoot up!" Mallow said to a shocked Sun, who just shrugged and let Brago sit in his lap while Mallow sat behind him, strapping on a helmet that she produced from seemingly nowhere.

"So, what, you're going to be following us through the Trial?" Sun asked Mallow, who grinned at him.

"Absolutely. Do you know how boring this Trial can get? Some people take _hours_ to get through Lush Jungle and get the items. I kinda just tag along sometimes and annoy people as they go. It's fun!" Mallow chirped as Stoutland made its way down the path at a much slower pace, with three riders now.

"Well, if the Trial is just a scavenger hunt through the forest, I don't know what you were expecting. I mean, Kiawe had the dance thing which was really weird, but interesting. Lana had the fishing thing, which was actually really neat. A scavenger hunt through the forest might take a while, so I'm not surprised you get bored. Maybe you should switch it up a bit?" Sun suggested, earning a shrug from the Captain.

"Maybe. But this works for me and it's not too crazy. After what happened with Lana, a lot of us are wary of changing things. It upsets the locals who are sticklers for tradition too." Mallow explained as Sun returned to the original path he had been on, deciding to go to the east. Eventually the trio came across an area covered in massive rocks, baring their progress.

"These weren't here before. Weird." Mallow said with a tilt of the head. Sun hopped off of Stoutland and Brago followed. The boy checked the forest on his Ride Pager and found that there we two Ride Tauros within the area, so the Kanto-native called upon the Wild Bull Pokémon. Sun hopped on Tauros as soon as it arrived within the Jungle and made quick work of the rocks, smashing through them all with a grin on his face.

Sun thanked Tauros for its help and sent the bull on its way with a Poké Bean. Brago walked over to Sun as the boy noticed something within the rubble of the rocks. It turned out to be Stardust, which Sun pocketed. He also found X Attack nearby as well. The trio hopped back onto Stoutland and began searching the area, and soon enough Stoutland found a small seed buried within the ground underneath where the southernmost rocks were. Stoutland dug out the send and picked it up with his mouth. Sun grabbed it and showed it to Mallow, earning a grin from the girl.

"Yup! That's a great Miracle Seed! Did you know that Miracle Seeds are bursting with nutrition? They're a really miraculous gift from the jungle." Mallow said as Sun put away the seed in his Forage Bag. "Just one ingredient left, Sun! Let's get back there and find it!"

Sun and co. made their way down the path and returned to the entrance of the Lush jungle, finding a Big Root as he led Stoutland through Lush jungle. After about thirty minutes of searching, Sun found a northern path he hadn't taken yet and ventured down it, with Mallow keeping up a chatter the entire time.

The area Sun found himself in was filled with tall grass, and Mallow laughed as Sun cast his gaze around the area.

"You've gotta find the Revival Herb and we're all done. Get to it!" Mallow said as she hopped off of Stoutland and put her hands on her hips, grinning at him. Sun nodded and stomped off with Stoutland into the grass, with the massive dog sniffing the ground for the final item they required.

Eventually, Stoutland barked out at the ground. Brago translated the speech by saying, " _Stoutland has found something buried here, but isn't sure if its the item we need."_

"Then let's pull it out and see." Sun said as he hopped off of the Stoutland, with Brago following. Sun knelt down to the grass and saw nothing special about it. He pulled it out anyway and stared at it.

"Rotom? What's the verdict?"

" _Zzzt. Just grazz, Sun."_

"Grass or grazz?"

" _Hey! I can't help my speech impediment! It'zz not nice to tease someone about that!"_

"Sorry Rotom. Couldn't resist."

" _Apology accepted. Oh, by the way, another Fomantis izz about to attack you."_ Rotom Dex said to Sun, who whirled around in time to see a small Pokémon lunge at him. Luckily, Brago leapt in front of Sun and slammed into the creature, knocking it to the ground.

" _You stay away from him!"_ Brago snarled as the Fomantis rose to its feet, hissing angrily.

"Brago, Flame Charge!" Sun called to the loyal canine. Brago felt flames engulf him, much like they did with Flame Wheel. However, unlike that attack, these flames were much less intense and seemed to help him move quicker, seeing as how he was able to easily cross the distance to Fomantis and slammed into it, sending the Sickle Grass Pokémon into a tree and knock it out cold.

"That's how we do it!" Sun cheered as Brago turned back to him with a grin. With that, they hopped back on Stoutland and continued their search through the area, stopping at a large rock covered in moss. Brago leapt down from the back of Stoutland and sniffed the base of the rock before he looked up and cocked his head.

" _Strange."_ Brago stated, sitting down on the ground.

Sun looked down at the dog and asked, "What's wrong? It's just a rock."

 _"No. I can feel power coming from this rock. It's confusing."_ Brago stated, turning his head the other direction. Sun smiled at the admittedly adorable sight, as did Mallow as she sauntered over to them.

"You both found the Moss Rock, huh?" Mallow asked, putting her hands behind her back.

"Brago said he can feel power coming from this thing. What's up with that?" Sun asked the Captain, who grinned at him.

"Oh yeah, the Moss Rock is special. You can find them in just about every region, but they're rare. They hold a special sort of power within them, and as a result allow Eevee to evolve into Leafeon when they're near it." Mallow explained to Sun as boy's expression turned thoughtful.

"Isn't there an ice equivalent to this as well?" Sun asked the Captain, receiving a nod in response.

"Yup! There's an Ice Rock that can evolve Eevee into Glaceon! Not quite as good as Leafeon in my opinion, but still awesome! I think there's an Ice Rock at Mt. Lanakila." Mallow explained to Sun as the boy reached forward and placed a hand on the rock.

"Weird...the rock feels soft." Sun murmured as he removed his hand. The boy shook his head, smiling now. "We keep getting distracted. Come on, Brago. Let's find that Revival Herb."

Brago nodded and followed Sun as he hopped back onto Stoutland and continued his search while Mallow just smiled and observed. She usually didn't have such a hand in the Trials, but Sun had proved he was a friend worth keeping due to his closeness with Lillie and how he and Hau helped Lana in her time of need. Plus he was fun and nice, which was definitely a plus.

Speaking of, she was wondering if Lana would be bringing her boy-toy to their picnic later. Lana would deny it, of course, but she saw how hard she was crushing on the cheerful grandson of Kahuna Hala.

She wondered what Sun's thoughts on this were.

"Hey Sun!"

"Yeah?"

"What do you think of Lana and Hau?"

"How do you mean?"

"Just answer the question!"

"I don't know. Lana's really nice and Hau gets along really well with her. I asked her to talk with him the other day because of how close they've gotten lately. Hau told me it helped and that they're traveling together for a bit." Sun replied to Mallow, who's smile widened.

"I know! I saw them walking off together after Hau beat the Totem. My plan of hooking up Lana with a cute boy is coming to fruition!"

 _"Zzzt! Kinda surprised you know how to use that word, Captain Mallow."_

"Man, you are some kind of snarky, aren't ya?" Mallow asked the floating Rotom Dex, who just giggled as it landed on Sun's helmet.

"You get used to it." Sun said dryly, crossing his arms with a smile. "But yeah, I'm happy to see the two of them hanging out more. I don't know if it'll lead to something more, but if it does then I want no part in it. If something happens, then it should be on them. Not because I helped make it happen."

"Oh? Then why'd you tell Lana to check on Hau?" Mallow asked.

"Because Lillie's in danger, Demi's mad at him, and I didn't think he'd listen to me. Hau became really good friends with Lana, and I figured that she could help him. And it worked." Sun replied to Mallow as he urged Stoutland forward. "I'm not going to say I'm an expert at this kind of thing. Kind of the opposite, since it took me so long to figure out this stuff about Lillie."

"Lillie stuff?" Mallow said with a grin, skipping forward to look at Sun. The boy was blushing slightly, but his expression was serious.

"Yes, Lillie stuff. If you want the best for Lana, you should let it happen naturally. I don't know if they're the best for each other because I don't know that much about liking people. Or crushes. Or even love. _I don't know_ , Mallow, but I do know that pushing an issue usually ends badly. So I'd stop it if you really wanted Lana to find love." Sun said to Mallow, looking over at her. The Captain stopped in her tracks, thinking about Sun's words as the boy and two dogs searched for the Revival Herb.

 _"You are wise for your age, Sun."_ Brago commented as he hopped into the grass. Stoutland found another patch of grass, which Sun hopped down to pull up.

 _"More grazz? That won't do!"_ Rotom yelled out, eyeing the grass with distaste.

"Yeah, mainly because its grass. Not grazz."

 _"Sun, don't make me zap you."_

"Watch out!" Brago barked as he jumped in front of Sun, taking a blast of leaves to the face that would have hit Sun if the canine hadn't stepped in. A wild Fomantis leapt from the grass, hissing at them.

"Brago, use Flame Charge!" Sun commanded the canine. Brago summoned forth flames around him and rushed forward, slamming into Fomantis and sending it reeling back. The Sickle Grass Pokémon unleashed a whirlwind of leaves at Brago, but with a well-timed call from Sun, the dog managed to dodge the attack and knocked out Fomantis with a Bite attack.

Mallow stepped forward and rejoined Sun, her expression thoughtful as she said, "Still haven't found it?"

"No. You're sure there's still some Revival Herb around here, Mallow?" Sun asked the Captain.

"Absolutely. I've got a hidden stock of them in the Jungle and I plant some here every weekend. Just keep looking!" Mallow urged Sun, who sighed and hopped back onto Stoutland. Brago bared his teeth and charged into the grass.

"Brago? Where are you going?" Sun asked the canine.

 _"I will not be defeated by grass! Now come, Alpha!"_ came the dog's shout from the grass. Sun just shrugged and made Stoutland follow the Growlithe, who was sending a small horde of Fomantis away with several bursts of Ember.

"Sounds like Brago's getting cranky." Mallow noted, though Sun shook his head.

"Not really. He's super proud, though. I think he's just frustrated that we're having so much trouble finding something here when the other parts of the Trial were easy." Sun said to the Captain before Sun entered a small clearing, where Brago was sniffing the grass.

 _"This area is different."_ Brago noted, looking over at Sun with his tail wagging. Mallow bounded forward and pet Brago on the head, giggling.

"It's so funny to see such an adorable puppy be so serious! By the way, why can he talk?" Mallow asked Sun, who blinked several times before face-palming.

 _"How did you just now notice that I was speaking in your language?"_ Brago asked, his voice filled with amazement. Mallow stuck her tongue out at the dog, which he didn't appreciate. This was why he spat a burst of fire in her direction and set her pants on fire, making the girl yelp and run off, patting her butt to put the fire out.

"Brago, when we run into her again you're apologizing." Sun said to the canine, who just grinned at him.

 _"It was worth it. Hmm. I wonder if this is what it's like to be Oliver?"_ Brago mused as Sun hopped down from Stoutland and picked the grass, noticing it was different from the grass he had been picking for the past half-hour or so. Sun suddenly whirled around and yelled, "Flame Charge!"

Brago mimicked his Trainer, calling forth fire and slamming into the Fomantis that had been charging at them from behind with anger in its eyes. The surprised Grass-type was knocked out cold by the Flame Charge, landing on the ground in a crumpled heap.

 _"Good. You're learning, Alpha."_ Brago noted, smiling as he sat on the ground. Sun nodded as he put the Revival Herb into the Forage Bag. Sun looked up and saw Mallow walk back into the clearing, wearing a plain pink T-shirt and faded blue jeans, looking annoyed.

"That was my favorite outfit!" Mallow whined as she stormed towards Sun and Brago, where the canine sighed and looked down.

 _"I'm sorry for burning you. It was out of line."_ Brago said to Mallow, who shut her eyes for a few moments before grinning at Brago, kneeling down and hugging the dog.

"Awww...it's okay little puppy! Just be careful from now on, okay?" Mallow said to dog as she hopped to her feet, earning a nod from the canine. Mallow turned to Sun and said, "And it looks like you found some fine Revival Herb! You know, even though it's got a really bitter taste that is pretty shocking to Pokémon, I think that adds a lot of depth to the flavor."

"So is this it?" Sun asked Mallow, who nodded.

"Yep. Looks like you've got everything!" Mallow said happily, putting her hands on her hips. "Looks like we can finally start cooking, so come on back to the entrance of the jungle!"

Mallow ran off into the trees, leaving a bemused Sun and Brago behind. The boy sent away Stoutland with a Poké Bean and a thank you.

However, before Sun returned to the entrance, he and Brago investigated a nearby tunnel. This tunnel lead to a hidden area that allowed Sun to find TM86, which was for the move Grass Knot. Sun healed Brago and made his way to the entrance of Lush Jungle, which took a while. He also stopped to change out of his Ride Gear and back into his regular clothes, returned Brago, and met up with Mallow who greeted him with a smile.

"Hey Sun! Now that we've got all of the ingredients, we just need…" Mallow trailed off, her smile widening as she looked past Sun. The boy turned around and saw Kiawe and Lana walking towards them.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. I had to stay a bit later than I would've liked for work today." Kiawe said with a small sigh as he stopped next to Sun.

"That's fine, Kiawe. I know you're swamped." Mallow said with an understanding smile to her friend. She turned around to get hugged by her best friend, Lana. Mallow returned the hug happily before the two separated.

"How are you, Mallow?" Lana asked the Grass Captain.

"Pretty good. Thanks for bringing me more supplies for the Trial. I was really running low, since I had some guy have to redo the Trial twice this week." Mallow said with a small sigh. Her smile returned quickly though.

"Good to see you're still in top form, my friend. I've brought a Thick Club and a Rare Bone for Sun here." Kiawe said to Mallow, brandishing both items.

"And I brought you some Fresh Water and the usual Rocky Helmet. Try not to ruin this helmet like you did the last one" Lana said to Mallow with a teasing smile.

"Lana, you do not want to bark up this tree. I know that Hau is waiting back at the nearby Pokémon Center for you!" Mallow shot back at the other Captain, receiving a deep blush from Lana, who shut up. Mallow giggled, patting her friend on the head.

"Gotta say, I'm jealous. I wish I could find a guy like Hau. You keep on being awesome and I bet he'll be all over you soon enough!" Mallow said to Lana as she accepted the ingredients from her friends and set them down on a pink blanket that was on the ground.

"Seriously though. Thanks, Lana! Thanks, Kiawe! Now we've got everything we need!" Mallow said happily before she looked over at Sun, who had been watching the proceedings with a small smile. "You're up next, Sun! We're going to cook up a storm and lure out the Totem Pokémon of Lush Jungle!"

Sun pulled out his Forage Bag and set it down on the blanket, where Mallow opened it and dumped out the contents. She then began to carefully inspect everything, making sure it all was in order.

"Let me see what you've got for me...One Mago Berry, check!"

"One Tiny Mushroom, check!

"One Revival Herb, check!"

"One Miracle Seed, check!"

"And one incredibly smexy Captain, check!" Mallow said with a bright grin, earning a giggle from Lana and a facepalm from Kiawe as Mallow put everything back into the Forage Bag. "Perfect! Just what the recipe calls for. Now we can make the Mallow Special! The aroma of this tasty dish will draw that Totem Pokémon right to us! Are you ready to start cooking, Sun?"

"Absolutely." Sun replied, his smile widening as the usual excitement filled him. Mallow happily clapped, showing how excited she was to proceed. The Grass Captain turned to Lana, who was smiling at her best friend patiently.

"Miss Lana! Could you flip that Rocky Helmet over and pour some Fresh Water into it?" Mallow asked the other Captain, who gave her friend a small salute and did what she asked. Lana picked up the helmet with the water and handed it to Mallow.

"Here you are, Mallow." Lana said to the girl, who dumped the contents of Sun's Forage Bag into the helmet. Sun thought he saw the mixture shimmer for a moment, but he wasn't entirely sure.

"Alright! Then in go the Mago Berry, the Tiny Mushroom, the Revival Herb, and the Miracle Seed…" Mallow said as she turned to Kiawe, who was smirking at the proceedings.

"Kiawe, you mind letting us use the Thick Club and that Rare Bone for a minute?" Mallow asked her friend, who handed the items to Mallow.

"Here you are. Let's see if your skills have improved since our last cookout." Kiawe remarked, crossing his arms and examining the contents of the improvised bowl with interest. Mallow set down the bowl on the ground and held out the Rare Bone and the Thick Club to Sun, who stared at them in bemusement.

"Okay, Sun! Grab the Thick Club and the Rare Bone and pound it all to a pulp!" Mallow said to Sun as he grabbed both items. The boy grinned and knelt down, banging the Thick Club and the Rare Bone into the Rocky Helmet and mashing everything inside apart as frantically as he could.

"Crush it!" Mallow commanded, her grin widening in sheer joy. Kiawe and Lana laughed at the display, though they could hear a small shudder in the air. The Totem was aware of their efforts, they could tell, as Sun pounded away at the mixture.

"Grind it!" Mallow declared as Sun changed the way he was smashing the mixture, which was becoming an odd paste of sorts and was creating a very odd smell. Sun felt a shiver run down his spine as he inhaled the fumes of the substance he was crushing.

"Turn it to goo!" Mallow yelled out happily, and Sun obliged. He put all of his strength into smashing and pounded the contents of the bowl into pure liquid, and found that after a minute or two he had succeeded. Sun stood up, grinning tiredly at the contents of the bowl, even as a strange and unique aroma began to fill the air.

It was at this moment Rotom Dex began playing the creepy music that Sun attributed to the Totem's arrival. He could also feel the piercing gaze of something powerful upon him, though from where exactly he couldn't say.

Kiawe's face turned to one of surprise, with the young man taking a step back. Lana's face became one of worry, with the girl also moving back in horror. Mallow's expression turned to one of annoyance and Sun started becoming worried. Especially when he heard the sound of heavy breathing behind him. Sun slowly turned around, and beheld a horrifying sight.

Before him stood a tall and slender pink mantis-like Pokémon, with massive scythe-like arms and a pink and white head. Its red eyes were narrowed as it opened its arms, ready to strike at Sun. The Kanto-native jumped back as the massive beast swiped at him, letting out a furious cry that shook the forest and made the three Captains standing behind Sun flinch.

"Hey! You're not supposed to hurt him!" Mallow shouted at the Totem Pokémon, who waved an arm dismissively at Mallow and turned its red gaze back to Sun, hissing softly. Sun grinned at the Totem Pokémon as he pulled out a Poké Ball, preparing himself against this powerful foe.

* * *

 _Because sometimes even Totem Pokémon have a sassy side. Next chapter, Sun battles the Pajama Pokémon for his next Z-Crystal! I managed to do battle with the beast in my current playthrough of Pokémon Sun about an hour ago, and let's just say that it ended up being just as climatic as I could have actually written. Meaning that it'll be a great battle to write about._

Q&A

 _From: Sai Og Sus_

I am curious, what drives Sun to make Gladion as his travelling companion in the first place? Or did you tell us already in the previous fic?

 **Honestly, it was mainly because they're both going in the same direction and doing the same thing. Also, both Sun and Gladion are very socially awkward and just figured that they'd travel together since Gladion is incredibly lonely and interested by Sun, and Sun doesn't care since he can coexist with most people without too many problems. Unlike with Hau, Gladion doesn't dislike Sun. And Sun isn't pushy with things and isn't trying to invade Gladion's comfort zone, like Demi has been, so Gladion has no reason to not travel with Sun.**

 **And no, since that previous fic doesn't exist. I also seriously need to delete "Symphony" considering it isn't canon within my universe anymore. Especially since I messed up and forgot Flygon doesn't learn False Swipe. Whoops.**

 _From: jonesyboy456_

Can Sun get a Fossil Pokemon? I would love to see his face! Also,Is Necrozma going to be a little more important than in sum?

 **It's possible, considering he's got three more** **Pokémon to fill on his team (in the main story). As for Necrozma, I believe I've already said that it'll have a more important role in this story than it did in Sun and Moon. However, that depends on what I decide to do after this story is done. I'll explain in like, a year or so because it's way too early to go into that stuff.**

 _From: Sai Og Sus_

By the way, I don't know if this was explained before but are you planning to include Moon in the future?

 **How are you able to review a chapter multiple times? Whenever I try that on stories I read, the site doesn't let me.**

 **And as of now, I have no plans to incorporate Moon. Though that could change, of course. The only reason I haven't done so already is that I've already got a full cast and adding another main character might complicate things.**

 _From: Cottonmouth25_

And Dakim confirmed. All that's left is Ein and the Gale of Darkness admins, and the whole Cipher gang will be here! Ooh, that reminds me - will Miror B. show up, at least as a minor character?

 **Hehehehe...Let's just say that one of my favorite scenes in the entire goddamn story concerns your question. Music will be required for what you speak of.**

 _That's all for now, everyone! Next time we've got more plot development and an awesome battle! Hopefully I'll have more time on my hands to write, but hey, we'll see._

 _I'll see you all next weekend. In the meantime, it'd be amazing if you could favorite, follow, or review the story and show your support. It means the world to me._

 _If you have questions about the story, plot, characters, other works of mine or even about myself, please let me hear/see them in the review section below!_ _Just remember to leave feedback with your question, and know that I can only answer one question per review. If I don't answer your question in the chapter (which tends to happen very often) for some reason, feel free to PM me or just ask again next chapter._

 _Take care and stay awesome!_

 _Until next time, FlygonNick out!_


	58. Totem Battle! The Solar Blade!

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _Yes, this is late._

 _Sorry about that, but I just haven't been able to write at all this past week and I had a crapton of important things coming up this week and I was away from my computer. Meaning writing this chapter wasn't on my list of priorities nor was it really possible. Some of that stuff literally had my entire career hinging on it going well, so thankfully all is well and I can finally breathe again._

 _So yeah, we're at the conclusion of the Grass Trial and we've got a lot of fun things coming up in the next few chapters, with some new faces, old faces, and faces that should've shown up in a Pokémon game another time but haven't. Maybe._

 _Shoutout to those who have reviewed since the last update, which includes Angelfir3, Madame Rodoshe, RC-DA, Sai Og Sus, SonicIKE, DarkestShade73, skyguys05, MoonlightButterfree, a new guest reviewer known as_ _Okamiden14, Gokan123, BraviaryScout, Cottonmouth25,_ _operettaoceanic, Ways, as well as a new reviewer known as SoulMatter. Thank you for your patience and support!_

 _Also, to answer the question of how my Blaziken lost to Archie Crobat during my Alpha Sapphire Nuzlocke, my Blaziken was only ten levels higher and missing about an eighth of its health, and I figured it could tank an Acrobatics and knock out Crobat with Blaze Kick. I underestimated the move and regretted it dearly, since it cost me a large chunk of time to train up other Pokémon._

 _Now onto the chapter, because I'm exhausted and require sleep._

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 _Chapter 58: Totem Battle! The Solar Blade!_

* * *

Laura Smiles couldn't help but smile as she stepped out of the Tide Song Hotel with Meowth trailing behind her, eyeing the passerby and buildings with awe. It wasn't often the cat got to explore new places, after all.

"What a wonderful city. It looks so much different during the day." Laura remarked as she made her way down the sidewalk, smiling as the Alolan sun shined down on the region from above. Despite Sun's complaints about the constant heat, Laura found it invigorating.

What was also quite energizing to her was the knowledge that she would see her child again. While she was happy that Sun was out living his dream of being a Trainer and having a successful run of the Island Challenge,Laura still missed having her little boy around. Especially considering how dangerous things were nowadays, and with Cipher having apparently come to Alola.

Yes...That had been a very nasty shock for her to hear from Doctor Colress.

However, upon reflection she shouldn't have been surprised. You could never run from your demons, and Cipher had proved that they wouldn't stop until every loose end was tied up. She'd have to step her training up a few notches after she and Sun reunited in a few days. The time had finally come for them to see a renowned psychiatrist in Heahea City that would hopefully help Sun with some of the issues he had been going through lately. Laura only hoped that Sun would be willing to open up about his feelings and help them help him with what he was struggling to deal with. Whether that be depression or something else.

Laura had been walking through the city aimlessly for about an hour before she received a phone call, starling her momentarily before she pulled the device out of her purse and examined it. An unknown number. Only close friends and a few co-workers had her new phone number, so she considered the wisdom in answering a number she didn't know. She eventually decided to answer and pressed a button, putting the phone to her ear.

"Hello?" Laura asked, trying to hide her nerves. To her relief, the voice that responded back was not only a familiar one, but one she was happy to hear from again.

"Greetings, my friend! How's Alola treating you?" came the cheerful man's voice from the other end of the phone.

"Not too bad, _Mister Oliver._ " Laura remarked with a bit of amusement in her tone. The man on the other end of the phone coughed slightly, as if embarrassed.

"Can you show a bit of respect, Laura? I mean, I am the man who took on Shadow Zapdos alone and lived to tell about it." The man responded, sounding seemingly smug.

"Oliver Étincelles...How on earth did you become a secret government agent when _you're so bad at lying_?" Laura asked, earning a nervous laugh over the phone.

"Oh, I'm _not_ a secret government agent…"

"Ollie..."

"Alright, I guess that joke has gotten a bit stale. Also, really? _Ollie_? What happened to 'Mister Oliver'? That said, I think only Sun called me that." the man asked, chuckling softly.

"Well, it doesn't help when you've got such a weird last name! It's hard to pronounce." Laura responded, earning a bark of laughter.

"God, I've got like a million names here, Laura. You could've picked any of those cooler ones...Still, I guess Ollie is better than a nickname like Looker." The man replied with a laugh while Laura sat down outside of a cafe, with Meowth hopping into her lap.

"Well, Ollie, I have to say hearing from you is a wonderful surprise. But I have ask, why your contacting me at all. Haven't you been too busy with what's going on in Kanto to check in?" Laura asked the man, frowning slightly.

"You're right, I have been. But considering we're going to be having a big clash in Vermilion soon with Cipher and I'll be there to give some payback, I figured calling to check on you wasn't too out of line. Seriously though, is everything going alright? How've you been?" Ollie asked, his tone becoming one of genuine concern.

"Quite well. I've got a wonderful home here in Alola and my job is enjoyable as always. I've even been able to get back into training, thanks to Professor Kukui. Even though getting over all of the heartache and pain Ashton put us through has been difficult, I haven't been letting him ruin my chances of happiness over here." Laura explained to her friend, who sighed with relief.

"That really does make me happy to hear. I was wondering how you were adjusting. How's Sun?" Oliver asked Laura, who smiled a little.

"He's on a journey, currently going through the Island Challenge. He's got a team of three Pokémon now and he's just about to take on the Grass Trial, if he hasn't started it already." Laura said proudly, a warmth in her heart at what her child had accomplished so far in his career as a Trainer.

"Just three? As excited as he seemed to start a journey, I'd imagine he'd be out there catching everything he could get."

"He wants to just have six Pokémon on his team, and doesn't want to be one of those Trainers who catches a bunch of Pokémon and has them rot in the PC. So far he's got a Trumbeak, a Growlithe, and a Dartrix." Laura explained to Oliver, who laughed at that.

"Sounds like a solid line-up! I bet he'll turn out to be a fantastic Trainer, just like his mother." Ollie remarked cheerily as Laura nodded.

"You'll never guess what he named his Starter though. That Dartrix I mentioned? He named him Oliver. After you!" Laura said to the man over the phone, receiving shocked silence from the other end of the line.

After several seconds, Oliver sighed softly into the phone and muttered, "Wow. That's something. I didn't think Sun thought so highly of me, to name his first Pokémon after me. I'm...touched, truthfully."

"After what his father did to him, I'm not surprised he became as fond of you as he did. You saved us from Cipher and kept us safe during those last days in Kanto. He probably latched onto you as a male role model of some kind. You're an important part of Sun's life because of that, Ollie. When he was at his lowest point, you were the hero he needed to look up to after his Dad betrayed him." Laura said softly, remembering those dark days after Ashton's attack on the house. Sun was inconsolable after that, and it was only thanks to Oliver's efforts that Sun would even leave his room. They had become close, after that.

"Yeah...He begged me to come to Alola with you guys. Kinda wish I could've, in all honesty. Kanto's a mess and my boss is being a regular dickhead. Never join the International Police, Laura. It's a mess." Ollie advised Laura, earning a small chuckle from the woman.

"Noted. But you should come around some time. Sun would really appreciate it, and it'd be nice to see you in person." Laura remarked as a waiter dropped off a menu to her.

"Maybe someday. Until then, I have to help the League with this Cipher crap. After what those monsters did the Erika…" Oliver took a shuddering breath and said, "I promise you that they will regret what they've done. Ashton too."

"Please do. If you get ahold of Amber, put a bullet in her heart for me, would you?" Laura asked her friend, who just chuckled into the phone. Distant yelling was picked up by the phone on Ollie's end, and the man in question sighed.

"Looks like I've got to get back to work."

"Have fun, Ollie."

"Right. Hanging from the roof of the gym with a really heavy sniper rifle? Real fun. You take care, alright Laura? _Be safe_." Ollie heavily emphasized the last two words before adding, "Prends soin de toi, ma chérie." Oliver hung up the phone and Laura found she was blushing slightly at his parting comment.

" _Take care, my darling_...Oliver, you better be safe yourself. Sun would be heartbroken if he didn't get to have a battle with you someday. And I'd definitely miss you too." Laura muttered before she waved to a nearby waiter and finally made her order from the cafe, thinking about her friend and the dangers he would have to face soon. She also wondered how her son was doing in his Trial...

* * *

Sun grinned as the Totem Pokémon screeched loudly, throwing its arms apart as a fiery orange aura burst into existence around it, creating a shockwave of force that sent Sun skidding backwards across the dirt, though his eager smile never faded.

"Rotom, what is that thing?" Sun asked the device as it popped out of hiding from behind Sun's head.

" _Lurantis. The Sickle Bloom Pokémon and the evolved form of Fomantis._ _It fires beams from its sickle-shaped petals. These beams are powerful enough to cleave through thick metal plates. It requires a lot of effort to maintain Lurantis's vivid coloring, but some collectors enjoy this work and treat it as their hobby."_ Rotom explained as the Totem Pokémon got into a fighting stance, clearly ready to get the battle underway. " _Zzzt! My scans show that Totem Lurantis got a massive Speed boost thanks to its Z-Power!"_

"That's problematic...But I'm not too worried." Sun replied, drawing a Poké Ball from his belt.

"You seem rather confident, Sun." Kiawe noted with some amusement. Sun looked back at the eldest of the Captains, smirking.

"Well, yeah. Fighting Wishiwashi was pretty much an even-match up, and Salazzle was a brutal uphill battle from the start. But considering all of my Pokémon have the advantage against a Grass-type and I can use a Fire-type Z-Move, I'm honestly not too worried. My plan was just to end this quickly with Brago and try out the Firium Z I got from you, Kiawe." Sun explained to the Fire Captain, though Mallow stepped forward with a grin.

"Oh yeah? So confident, huh? If that's the case, I want to make a wager then." Mallow said, a devious grin on her face. Lana giggled while Kiawe rolled his eyes, though Sun ignored their actions and focused on Mallow.

"Alright, what's the wager?" Sun asked Mallow, who's smile became quite sinister.

"I'll make you a bet, Sun. I bet that you can't beat my Totem Pokémon with none of that Fire-type Z-move crap. It's a cheap way to end a fight and doesn't show any of the skills you and your Pokémon have developed over the course of you're Island Challenge. If you win, I'll owe you a favor that involves our sweet little Lillie in some way." Mallow said with a cheeky grin, making Sun blush at having his affection for Lillie thrown out so casually in front of Lana and Kiawe.

"I don't really want help with that, though. So, what if I choose not to accept your wager, or decide to use Inferno Overdrive anyway?" Sun asked Mallow, who crossed her arms and leaned back.

"Then I'll just have a nice chat with Lillie about how a certain boy has been saying rude things about her behind her back." Mallow said with a smirk as Sun stared at her in horror.

"I wouldn't ever say anything rude about Lillie though!" Sun yelled at the Grass Captain, who's smile only widened.

"Exactly. Well, there's another thing. If you choose not to accept the bet, I'm calling Lillie anyway." Mallow said with a devious grin as she pulled out her phone, waving it tauntingly at Sun.

Sun looked at Kiawe and Lana and said, "You're both okay with this?"

"Absolutely not. Flat-out blackmailing Trainers into fighting a certain way is incredibly underhanded and wrong in just about every way, but on the other hand Mallow is the Captain of Lush Jungle. She can do whatever she wants here." Kiawe explained with a shrug.

"Sorry Sun, but Kiawe's right. Just so you know, this isn't personal. She tries this with a lot of Trainers when she finds out they have a Fire-type on their team. We should try and change up the order of the Trials somehow, shouldn't we?" Lana apologized as she pulled out a Poké Ball and called out Bubbles the Popplio, who barked happily.

"Feeding time, Bubbles!" Lana said happily as she pulled a bottle of baby Pokémon formula and picked up the infant Popplio. Meanwhile Sun was glaring at Mallow, even as Rotom continued playing its music.

"Fine. I won't use the Fire Z-Move. Just don't call Lillie." Sun relented, with Mallow closing her phone and stuffing it into a pocket.

"Good boy. Now, who're you going to use first?" Mallow asked Sun as he turned back towards Totem Lurantis, who was watching the whole scene with crossed arms while tapping its feet impatiently.

"All three of my Pokémon have the advantage. I'll start out with…" Sun clipped the Poké Ball he was holding to his belt and pulled off another. "Penny, let's go!"

The Trumbeak was released with a proud cry as she landed on the ground, flaring her wings as Totem Lurantis crouched slightly, bowing to Penny and hissing to her. Penny responded in kind, bowing to the Totem Pokémon.

" _I recognize this duel under the name of the Guardian Deities…"_ Penny murmured before she rose again, flaring her wings. " _Ready!"_

" _What was that about?"_ Sun thought before brushing the thought aside. "Penny, use Pluck!"

Penny shot forward with a powerful flap of her wings, rushing towards Totem Lurantis as her beak glowed bright white. Lurantis swung down its arms, releasing wicked waves of spinning leaves that slashed Penny's body as she flew, but the Razor Leaf attack didn't deter the bird one bit. The Sickle Bloom Pokémon's eyes widened in surprise before Penny jammed her beak into its chest, knocking it backwards and onto one knee.

"There we go, Penny! Nice work!" Sun cheered for the Trumbeak as she soared above her Trainer. Penny watched her opponent rise with a hiss, clutching its chest that was clearly damaged by the move. Lurantis looked up at the bird and seemed amused before it suddenly kicked off of the ground with surprising swiftness, raising its glowing arms in an X-shape and slashing at Penny, knocking the Trumbeak back through the air before she flung out her wings and stopped herself.

" _Not bad...But I'm not going to lose to you, Totem!"_ Penny chirped to Lurantis as it dropped to the ground. The Totem Pokémon quickly dropped into another stance, though it now wore a small smirk on her face before she threw apart its arms and let out an echoing cry.

"Crap...So who did you just get as your backup?" Sun wondered as Lurantis shifted into another stance. Sun didn't have to wait long, as a strange teardrop-shaped Pokémon burst into the clearing, ready to support the Totem Pokémon.

" _Zzzt! No worriezz, Sun! Scanning new Pokémon...Gotcha!"_ Rotom Dex yelled out, lowering its music for a few moments.

" _Castform. The Weather Pokémon._ _It changes its form depending on the weather. Changes in the temperature or humidity appear to affect its cellular structure. Its form changes on its own, due to its cells' sensitive reactions to temperature and humidity...Huh, that entry combo was redundant. Weird."_ Rotom mused aloud before turning to Sun.

"Interesting...Alright. Penny, use Brick Break on Castform!" Sun called to the bird, who nodded and flew towards Castform, who's eyes widened in horror as Penny smashed her glowing beak into the Weather Pokémon. Castform crashed to the ground with a cry and Penny glanced over at Lurantis, who was standing there smugly with its arms raised.

" _What are you...Wait, I've seen this before!"_ Penny yelled out as Totem Lurantis began to glow white, with white particles focusing on large scratch on its chest from where Penny had hit it earlier. The injury began to repair itself before their eyes, leaving Lurantis with full health. The Sickle Bloom Pokémon got into a fighting stance as Castform struggled into the air again, visibly hurt.

" _Trainer, it can heal itself! Be careful!"_ Penny called to Sun, who grit his teeth. This battle had just gotten a whole lot trickier.

"Synthesis. A lot of Grass-type Pokémon can learn it. I've read about this with Lillie. Alright, we'll just have to make sure that Totem can't use it! Penny, keep up the-" Sun began to say before he saw Castform let out a yell and summon a ball of bright light in its mouth and then fire it into the sky. Sun flinched and looked away as a wave of heat washed over them all, with the sunlight becoming particularly brutal.

" _Zzzt. Hey Sun? That uh...May have just made the whole Synthesis problem way worse."_ Rotom Dex beeped, floating in front of Sun. " _Sunny Day not only weakens Water-type moves and boosts Fire-type moves, but it also makes moves like Synthesis and Solar Beam way more effective. The move lasts for a short time, but until itzz neutralized or wears off, the sunlight will be really harsh."_

"Dang. Alright, Penny! Focus on Castform!" Sun yelled to Penny, who nodded at the remark. To their surprise, however, Castform's body began to glow and morph until it was bright orange and had a totally different body.

"It can change forms with the weather...I bet it changed types too. That's a good workaround for dealing with Ice-types." Sun mused before he pointed at Castform. "Pluck!"

" _Got it! You're going down!"_ Penny cried out as she shot towards Castform, her beak glowing like a beacon. She was cut off, however, when Totem Lurantis suddenly jolted forward with an incredible burst of speed, holding one of its arms into the sky as solar energy quickly began to form. Penny stopped in her tracks as Lurantis rushed to her, kicking at the bird and knocking her away. To Sun's horror, a massive flux of energy began gathering into a sphere at the tip of Lurantis' arm. The ball of energy suddenly blasted out from the arm before shining a bright yellow-ish green and forming into a massive sword-like pillar of energy.

"Penny! Dodge!" Sun screamed to the Trumbeak as she caught herself in mid-air, but Lurantis was too quick and swung the attack downwards, smashing it right into Penny and creating a massive explosion of energy. Sun yelled out as the shockwave blasted him backwards, nearly knocking him to the ground. Rotom dove into Sun's backpack to escape the shockwave while the Captains were spared the worst of it due to their distance from the fight.

"Still think Lurantis is going to be easy, Sun?" Mallow said with a smirk as Lurantis leapt back to join Castform, letting out a small coo. The smoke began to clear, and Sun was relieved to see an intact Trumbeak, though she looked very battered and was having a hard time getting up.

"Penny, you okay?" Sun asked his Trumbeak as she finally rose to her feet, wincing.

" _I'll...manage."_ Penny said quietly, shutting her eyes for a few moments.

"What was that attack!?" Sun demanded, looking at Rotom Dex as it floated beside him.

" _Zzzt! That was Solar Blade! It'zz the signature move of Lurantis. Similar to Solar Beam, it requirezz time to charge sunlight or energy to use. However, it'zz incredibly powerful it it hitz the opponent. In harsh sunlight, the move can be charged almost instantly, bzzt!"_ Rotom explained to Sun, who scowled at that and glared at the Castform that was smirking at him.

"Penny, you want to Roost and regain some energy, or just keep attacking? Your call." Sun asked the Trumbeak, who considered it as she turned to face the two opponents.

 _"I'll take my chances, Trainer. If I can take care of that Castform, then our battle will be easier. Brago and Oliver can finish this if I can't. This Totem is strong, deceptively so."_ Penny said as she extended her wings, and with a will of force became airborne. Sun couldn't help but smile at the drive his Trumbeak had to prove herself.

"Penny, let's take out Castform with Pluck!" Sun called to the bird as Lurantis got into another fighting stance with a hiss.

" _You're not going to protect that little brat!"_ Penny responded as she flapped her wings hard. Totem Lurantis unleashed a Razor Leaf at her airborne opponent, but she did a barrel roll in midair and dove at Castform, who's eyes widened in horror before Penny slammed into it for a second time with her glowing elongated beak, knocking it out.

"Go Sun!" Lana cheered as Kiawe clapped softly beside her. Meanwhile, Mallow was grinning like a madman, eager to see the next phase of the battle.

Lurantis looked down at its fallen ally with a hiss before slowly looking at Sun and Penny. The Totem Pokémon straightened up and slowly bowed to the two of them, a clear gesture of respect. Sun and Penny both bowed to the Totem, before the beast threw her head up and let loose another powerful, echoing cry.

"Penny, stay sharp!" Sun called to his Trumbeak. To their surprise, however, another Trumbeak burst into the clearing with a loud chirp, landing on the ground beside Totem Lurantis. The Trumbeak chirped happily at Penny, fluttering his wings. However Penny scoffed in disgust.

" _Not happening."_

"Beaaak?"

" _No. You're not my type."_

"Beaak! Trum beak!" The other bird called, looking annoyed. Penny rolled her eyes and looked back to Sun, who was watching the display with confusion.

"So, what's was that about?" Sun asked Penny, who sighed in response.

" _I believe that Trumbeak is doing what you humans call 'flirting.' However, I'm not interested in anything like that right now, and he absolutely isn't my type."_ Penny remarked, turning her beak upwards as the other Trumbeak hung it's head. Totem Lurantis walked over to her ally and gently pat him on the back, trying to console it.

"So what is your type?" Mallow asked Penny, smiling widely.

" _I'm not going to dignify that with a response. Trainer, can we continue?"_ Penny asked Sun pointedly, with Sun nodding in response.

Sun pointed at the other Trumbeak and said, "Use Hidden Power on Trumbeak!"

Penny let out a yell as her body glowed brown, unleashing and pent up energy at the other bird. The Trumbeak darted towards Penny with a chirp, with Totem Lurantis doing the same, charging up X-Scissor and slashing apart the attack, to Sun and Penny's horror. The Totem Pokémon then dropped down to the ground, allowing the Trumbeak to smash into Penny with Peck and knock her out of the air and onto the ground.

"Penny, come on! You're better than that other guy!" Sun said to his Trumbeak, who rose once again, giving the other bird a look of fury that made the bird hide behind Lurantis, who rolled her eyes.

"Try Pluck on Trumbeak, Penny. Everything you've got!" Sun said to Penny, with the bird flapping hard towards the other Trumbeak. The bird in question seemed to smirk before suddenly releasing a blast of sound at Penny, which made Sun wince in pain.

"Supersonic! Penny, dodge it!" Sun yelled to the female Trumbeak, but this proved to be inadequate warning time because Penny was hit directly by Supersonic and stopped in her tracks, swaying in midair and looking all around the battlefield. This allowed Lurantis to jump into the air and deliver a brutal Solar Blade, knocking Penny to the ground and taking her out of the battle. Sun returned Penny, smiling at her Poké Ball.

"Thank you. You were great as always, Penny." Sun said to the Trumbeak, clipping the ball to his belt. He grabbed another Poké Ball from his belt and tossed it.

"Oliver, let's go!" Sun yelled out, calling forth the Dartrix as he took to the air with a delighted hoot before landing on the ground. Lurantis bowed to Sun and Oliver, with the pair doing the same out of respect to the Totem. Oliver then flapped his wings, smiling slightly in anticipation of the fight.

"Alright...Oliver, use Razor Leaf on both Totem Lurantis and Trumbeak!" Sun ordered his Starter, who kicked off of the ground and shot into the air with a loud hoot, flapping his wings and releasing a bombardment of spinning leaves. Trumbeak screeched in pain while Lurantis hissed at the attack. Despite it doing minimal damage, it did make Totem Lurantis stumble backwards as it held up its arms to block. Lurantis suddenly let out a roar and swung its arms frantically, releasing a wave of Razor Leaf which began to hit Oliver's attack in midair, halting it and creating a deadlock between the two. However, due to the flurry of attacks, Trumbeak was forced to stay still at risk of being hit.

"Oliver, stop the attack and use Pluck on Lurantis!" Sun cried out as the owl swooped past him, eyes glinting as he soared at the aura-cloaked beast. Lurantis roared as its arms glowed, with the creature crossing its arms into an X-shape and lunging at Oliver. The two Pokémon clashed in the middle of the clearing, kicking up a fierce wind as they struggled for dominance. In the end, Oliver slipped past Lurantis and jammed his beak into her chest, but was then hit by X-Scissor and sent reeling backwards with a hoot of pain. Trumbeak took that moment to hit Oliver with Peck, knocking him to the ground.

 _"Not bad...But I'm better!"_ Oliver said as he looked over at Lurantis, casually realigning feathers as Lurantis shifted into a familiar stance, beginning to glow white.

"Oliver, hit the Totem with Pluck before she recovers!" Sun called to Oliver. To his dismay, the Dartrix took several precious seconds to move, focusing instead on preening before he suddenly flapped his wings and shot towards Lurantis, hitting her with Pluck. However, Oliver had wasted too much time and the Totem healed the damage that it was just dealt plus everything before then, thanks to the power of the intense sunlight from above.

"Oliver, this isn't the time for that kind of crap!" Sun called to Oliver as he flapped his wings towards his Trainer, landing on the ground in front of him. Oliver rotated his head, narrowing his eyes.

 _"I disagree. There's always time to make sure that you look your best. You just don't understand, Sun."_ Oliver remarked before he turned back around. _"It doesn't matter anyway. This Totem is going down regardless."_

"Not if you can't focus on the fight instead of your looks. This is the second time this has happened." Sun pointed out, a note of annoyance in his voice. Oliver kicked off of the ground and soared into the air, eyeing Lurantis with gleaming eyes. That said, he was blindsided by the Trumbeak, who had used Peck on him from below and sent him plummeting out of the sky for a few moments. He caught himself with a powerful flap of his wings, wincing in pain.

"Oliver, use Pluck on Trumbeak!" Sun called to the owl, who paused for a moment before shooting towards the surprised bird, knocking it to the ground as he rushed by and stabbed the Trumbeak with his beak. Lurantis swiftly jumped to intercept with Solar Blade, quickly forming the attack and unleashing its destructive slash.

"Protect!" Sun cried out, with the owl just barely throwing up the shield in time to avoid damage. Regardless, the force of the attack blew Oliver back a bit, allowing him to escape the wrath of the Solar Blade as Lurantis dropped to the ground. Oliver smirked as he landed before adjusting an out of place feather.

"Hey Oliver?" Sun asked the bird, making him rotate his head backwards. Sun lifted his Z-Ring slightly. "You want to take care of that Trumbeak so you can beat this thing one-on-one?"

Oliver turned back around and flipped Sun a thumbs up with his feathers in response. Sun began to strike a series of poses in sync with Oliver, combining their energy and souls into one all-out attack.

Meanwhile, Mallow was fuming.

"No fair! I was hoping he wouldn't realize that he could use other Z-Moves instead of the fire one! Bah!" Mallow pouted, crossing her arms while Kiawe and Mallow snickered at the girl.

"Channel Tackle... _And use Breakneck Blitz!"_ Sun screamed as Oliver shot forward with a massive burst of speed, energy surging through his body as he stomped towards the horrified Trumbeak. The bird was too stunned to move as Oliver kicked off of the ground and smashed into the other bird, creating a massive explosion of force that obscured everyone's vision for a moment. When the blast subsided, Oliver was soaring through the air hooting while the Trumbeak fell to the ground senseless.

"Now there's no one left to help you!" Oliver taunted the Totem as the Sickle Bloom Pokémon hissed at him, dropping into a crouch as her arms glowed. The beast rushed at Oliver, who kicked off of the ground without a command and engaged the Totem Pokémon with a glowing beak. Sun was too amazed by the spectacle to chastise Oliver, as he began to exchange blows with the Totem, using his beak like a fencer wielded a blade. Each of the attacks created a loud boom that echoed throughout the clearing, showing that the two Pokémon were just about evenly matched.

"Duck under her guard and hit her hard!" Sun called to Oliver, who dropped a foot in the air and dodged a double-swipe from Lurantis before hitting the Totem in the chest multiple times with Pluck, soaring away with a chirp. Lurantis snarled in pain, but to Sun's annoyance, used Synthesis again to heal every bit of damage it had taken. To their surprise, the sunlight that had been causing them problems throughout the battle finally began to fade. Sun was relieved by this. He knew he'd be aching from newly acquired sunburns tonight.

Sun then caught sight of the furious look in Totem Lurantis' eyes, and and saw the beast fling aside her arms and inhaled deeply.

"Lurr...aaantiiisss!" the beast roared, her Z-Power exploding outward and making Sun and the others yell out. Oliver wobbled in the air, eyes widened in shock at the power pouring from the Sickle Bloom Pokémon. Lurantis grit her teeth as she locked eyes with Oliver, raising her arms and releasing a massive wave of Razor Leaf at the bird.

"Counter with your own!" Sun called to Oliver, who responded in kind with Razor Leaf. However, it became apparent that the Totem's attack had more intensity, as Lurantis' leaves broke through Oliver's attack and the owl was slashed and sliced by the move. Oliver dropped downwards, into Lurantis's range as the Totem leapt into the air and hit Oliver with X-Scissor, sending him crashing to the ground heavily.

"Oliver, are you alright?" Sun asked his Starter as he rose to his feet, panting now.

 _"That beast is clever. And it's done playing around._ " Oliver responded as he eyed Lurantis.

"Alright...We'll just keep hammering at her defenses. She can't keep using Synthesis forever, and thanks to Sunny Day fading she can't use Solar Blade as easily. Use Pluck!" Sun commanded Oliver, with the bird soaring into the air and dive-bombing Lurantis with her glowing beak growing as he drew closer.

However, he had just played into the Totem's hand.

Lurantis reached down to the ground and yanked some grass out, quickly eating it. The Sickle Bloom Pokémon's eyes widened as a sudden rush of power flowed through her, even as she raised her arm in the air to gather energy.

Sun yelled out in horror as Solar Blade suddenly formed within the span of a few moments, with Lurantis slashing at Oliver and hitting him directly with the attack and knocking him out of the air. The bird crash onto the ground with a nasty crunch, with many of his feathers charred by the attack.

"How…" Sun said aloud, confused as to what just happened.

"That's Power Herb for ya."

Sun turned around to see Mallow grinning at him. "Lurantis used some of the Power Herb that grows around her to give herself a burst of energy so that she could quickly use Solar Blade without the charge-up. That's what makes Power Herb so special and helpful!"

 _"How dare you…"_

Sun turned around and saw Oliver rising to his feet. However, the owl was looking down at his ruined, once prestine feathers with horrific look of sheer rage in his eyes, with the owl's gaze drifting to Lurantis. The Totem seemed unnerved by the terrible look of rage in Oliver's eyes as he stepped forward, making Lurantis back away with a small shudder.

 _"I will make you pay for that. You. Will. Suffer!"_ Oliver screeched as he flew at the Totem, only for a red beam of light to hit him from behind and return him to his Poké Ball. Sun looked down at Oliver's Poké Ball with a worried look before turning to the Captain's.

"I've heard that Dartrix were sensitive about their looks, but that was...Oliver looked like he was going for blood." Lana said quietly, sounding a little scared.

"Some Pokémon cannot help their instincts. However, I think this is something your bird can overcome, Sun." Kiawe said to the boy, who nodded slowly.

"Keep in mind that the battle isn't over yet. Do you want to send Oliver back out, or use your cute puppy?" Mallow asked Sun, who thought about it.

"Oliver could probably beat Lurantis at this point. That thing's used up a lot of energy with its moves, and there's a limit to that. I could wear it down that way, since it has no more allies to help it. But Oliver was mad enough to seriously hurt Lurantis. I really shouldn't send him out while he's still mad. So in that case…" Sun thought, smiling slightly as he clipped Oliver's Poké Ball to his belt and grabbed Brago's ball.

"Brago, it's up to you!" Sun yelled out, sending out the fierce Growlithe. The dog landed on the ground with a savage grin, using its Intimidate ability to weaken Totem Lurantis, making the beast take a step backwards from the canine.

"It's down to you, Brago. You ready to win this?" Sun asked the Growlithe, an excited smile on his face.

 _"Absolutely."_ Brago replied as Lurantis made hissed softly at the hound and bowed to him, with Brago lowering his head to the Totem Pokémon. Both Pokémon rose and prepared to fight.

"Brago, use Flame Charge!" Sun yelled to Brago, who nodded and called forth fire to engulf him. The canine charged at Lurantis, who raised her arms and released a wave of leaves that slashed at Brago, but did little damage. The dog leapt into the air and slammed into Lurantis' chest, making the Totem scream in pain as the flames scorched her. Brago leapt away as Lurantis used X-Scissor to slash at the hound, hissing at him as the canine shot the Totem a grin.

 _"Not a chance. I can feel it...The thrill of battle burning inside me. My fire rages like an inferno, and yours is weakening. Today I take you down and prove my worth to the pack!"_ Brago roared at Lurantis as she snarled softly. The Totem used Synthesis again, healing most of her injuries but not all of them.

"Use Ember, and then follow up with Flame Charge!" Sun called to Brago, who was hit with X-Scissor and sent skidding back through the grass. Brago shot a ball of flames at Lurantis, who swatted away the fire with a wince before releasing Razor Leaf at Brago. Like before, the attack hurt the canine but didn't stop him from hitting her with Flame Charge again. Lurantis fell to the ground, panting heavily as Brago bared his teeth in a fierce grin. Sun couldn't help but smile alongside the canine, sharing in his joy at being able to showcase how far he had come since that fateful battle with Amber back on Melemele Island.

Lurantis staggered to her feet, using Synthesis once more before raising her arm into the air and beginning to gather energy. Sun had Brago hit her with Flame Charge again, knocking her backwards with a scream of pain before she swung the attack in arc at Brago.

"Dive to the ground and hit her with Flame Charge!" Sun called to Brago, who ducked to avoid the sweeping blade of solar energy. Lurantis stumbled slightly as the attack missed, thanks to Sun's quick-thinking, and Brago leapt forward with a cloak of fire and quickly slammed into Lurantis again.

"Lurr...an!" The Totem snarled as she released a massive wave of leaves at Brago, who jumped back to dodge all of them and used a blast of flames to burn away the second volley of Razor Leaf thrown at him.

"Flame Charge again!" Sun ordered Brago, who just grinned and shot forward as flames wrapped around him, urging him onward and allowing him to knock the Totem down once again. Sun was relieved when Lurantis got back up, but didn't heal.

"I was wondering when she would run out of energy for that move. Brago! Let's keep up the pressure! We've got her on the ropes!" Sun called to the canine from across the battlefield. Brago simply nodded and Lurantis hissed, raising her arms as they glowed. Lurantis lunged at Brago, hitting him with an X-Scissor, but the canine took the hit with a grunt of pain and little else.

"Brago, use Fire Fang to clamp onto her arm and try to throw her!" Sun yelled to the fire puppy, who looked at him for a moment in surprise. "Oh come on, just try it!"

 _"If you insist."_ Brago remarked with a nod before leaping at Lurantis with his jaws open wide, flames spewing from his mouth. Brago sank his teeth into Lurantis, making the Totem screech in pain and stumble backwards, swinging its arm in an attempt to dislodge the canine. However, Brago simply bit harder into the Sickle Bloom Pokémon and wrenched his body sideways, shocking everyone present as he lifted the Totem up off of her feet and swung her around, slamming her onto the ground with a crash. Brago leapt backwards, looking a bit worn out but grinning from what he had just done regardless.

 _"That was...really fun!"_ Brago panted happily, wagging his tail in excitement.

"Aww. That's so cute. The cute little puppy likes kicking your Totem's ass, Mallow." Lana teased the green-haired Captain, who couldn't help but smile a little at the display.

"That dog is way too cute to be this cool." Mallow remarked, putting her hands behind her hand with a small laugh as Totem Lurantis slowly rose once more, her aura flickering slightly as she got to her feet and turned towards Brago, who crouched down, ready to fight again. The Sickle Bloom Pokémon roared as its arms glowed brightly, the beast quickly getting into a fighting stance before it suddenly attacked the canine.

The Totem rushed at Brago, slashing and swiping at the canine in an incredibly display of skill and power. However, despite the frantic flurry of X-Scissors, the Totem couldn't land a hit on the Growlithe, who was easily backing away from the attacks and was moving far quicker than he was before.

"Hit her with Flame Charge!" Sun yelled to Brago as he dodged another X-Scissor, which had missed by a large margin. Brago grinned at Lurantis as she took a step back, but was too slow to avoid the attack that knocked her down and dealt super-effective damage.

"Brago's too fast now." Lana noted, smiling as she realized Sun's strategy. Bubbles barked happily, receiving a hug from his mother while Mallow sighed, shaking her head with a smile of her own as Kiawe laughed.

"I was really hoping Sun would lose this. I'd like Lurantis to beat the odds sometimes when people show up with a full team ready to beat my Totem." Mallow remarked wryly as Kiawe put a hand on her shoulder.

"It's not just that. Sun would have likely beaten Lurantis regardless of his team choices. He has skill, as me and Lana have told you. His strategy with Brago shows this." Kiawe explained as Sun called out for Flame Charge, with Brago hitting Lurantis again with the move.

"What strategy?" Mallow asked, curious as to what her two friends were talking about.

"Brago's finally wearing down Lurantis, who's fought against two of Sun's Pokémon already. Even healing can't wash away the fatigue and exhaustion of battle, which is settling in now in a major way. Plus every single one of Brago's attacks are super-effective, and Sun's repeated use of Flame Charge has made him faster than Lurantis, thanks to Flame Charge boosting speed with every use of the move. Even if Lurantis is using Z-Power to boost its speed, that Totem is no match for Brago now." Kiawe said as Brago leapt towards Lurantis with blinding speed, chomping down on its arm with Fire Fang and making the Totem scream in pain.

Lurantis charged up Solar Blade and flung Brago off of her, but the dog landed on his feet as Sun commanded him to use Flame Wheel. The canine leapt into the air with a snarl and became a whirling ball of flames that collided with hellacious force into the chest of Lurantis.

The Totem stumbled backwards with a cry of agony, her Solar Blade dissipating completely as her eyes widened in pain. She fell backwards and crashed onto the ground with a faint groan. Brago landed on the ground beside the Totem, looking down at her as she gazed skyward with swirls in her eyes.

 _"You fought well...But today, the hunt is mine!"_ Brago said to the Totem, raising his head proudly before he let out a howl that not even his translator could pick up. The Growlithe ended his cry after a few, long moments before he looked down and was pulled into a bone-crushing hug from Sun.

"That was awesome! You did it, Brago!" Sun laughed as he ruffled the fur of the dog's head, making him grin happily as he licked Sun's face. The boy giggled at that, so taking initiative, Brago tackled Sun to the ground and began licking his face repeatedly while the Captains watched on with smiles.

"That boy's something special." Mallow remarked with a smile, taking a picture of Sun and Brago on her phone. She quickly sent the picture to a certain Princess, knowing she'd have a heart attack from sheer force of adorable from her crush and him being with a puppy.

A growl alerted the group and snapped them out of their celebrations, with Sun and Brago looking at the slowly rising Totem. Lurantis weakly got to her feet, covered in burns and barely standing. Despite this, the Totem rose to her full height and bowed deeply to Sun and Brago before she kicked off of the ground and vanished into the trees.

Mallow stepped forward, letting out a low whistle as she watched the Totem depart. She helped Sun to his feet, pet Brago on the head, and then smiled at him. "Wow, Sun, you're strong, huh! You were really able to draw out the flavor of you're Pokémon in that battle! The Totem Pokémon bowed right down to you and recognized your strength!"

"Yes, even back at Wela Volcano Park my vaunted Salazzle didn't stand a chance." Kiawe murmured as he and Lana stepped forward. The Fire Captain had a small smile on his face as he raised a fist to Sun, who tapped it with his own.

"Nor did the Wishiwashi I trained so carefully…" Lana said with a giggle, grinning happily as Bubbles barked from atop her head.

"All right, you've cleared all three of Akala's Trials! You even managed to get through my Trial, and I'd say its a real doozy!" Mallow said happily, putting her hands on her hips, her grin widening. "You even did it without abusing the Fire Z-Move, which I sincerely appreciate. So, here! A gift for such an inspiring young Trainer!

Mallow pulled a glittering green crystal from her pocket and offered it to Sun, who smiled and accepted the Z-Crystal. He struck his signature pose as Brago howled in triumph, and after learning how to do the poses for the Z-Move, he sat down with his friends on the pink blanket laid out on the ground.

"Since you've cleared my Trial, Sun, I want you to help me train some Pokémon from here in the Lush Jungle. So here, have some Next Balls!" Mallow said, digging into her backpack that had come from nowhere. She gave Sun ten Nest Balls, which were quite good at catching weaker Pokémon. As Mallow handed Sun the last ball, she tilted her head in confusion and looked down at the makeshift bowl who's contents had summoned Totem Lurantis.

"Hm? Looks like Lurantis didn't finish all the food. Ooh, I really want you guys to try some! Have a bite, Kiawe! You, too, Lana!" Mallow offered to the two other Captains.

Kiawe sighed and pulled out a spoon from his pocket. Before Sun could comment on this, Kiawe said, "If you insist Mallow. If you give me food poisoning again, I'm shaving your head while you're sleeping."

Kiawe got a spoonful of the goo that was inside the Rocky Helmet while Lana wisely just gathered some on her finger and licked it, closing her eyes to contemplate the flavor.

"The flavor from the Rare Bone seems to fill my whole mouth…" Lana murmured, twitching slightly. Sun looked from her to Kiawe, who was smiling.

"It tastes so good you might melt…" Kiawe trailed off, his face contorting with pain. "No, wait. Is that _my_ tongue that's melting?" Kiawe suddenly clamped his hands over his mouth, letting out a groan of pain.

Lana coughed, her eyes watering as she hissed, "It's...it's so…"

"SPICY!" Both Captains screamed as they bolted from the Trial Site, with Mallow watching them in bemusement.

"What? What's wrong with you guys? Don't you have any taste!? " Mallow called to her friends as they vanished from sight. "Huh. Well...That's a new reaction. Sun, you wanna try some?"

Mallow heard silence from the boy, and when she turned to look at him she saw that he was gone. Mallow blinked several times in bemusement before she turned forward again and saw Sun sprinting to the exit of Lush Jungle alongside Brago.

"Are you heading to Olivia's for the Grand Trial!?" Mallow called to Sun's retreating form. As the boy disappeared, Mallow sat down and looked at the bowl. She stuck a finger inside and scooped up some of the Mallow Special, tasting it. A smile came to her lips.

"Yum. Could use a little salt though!" Mallow declared as she pulled out a spork from her bag, ready to have some lunch after watching such a fun battle.

* * *

Lusamine crossed her arms impatiently as she awaited the call so that they could start this meeting. Miss Wicke didn't know the details, of course, but it was a conference call with Borlath. It was quite odd how old friends came back into your life.

Once Borlath had been a dear friend, and now he was a useful tool to her plans. Was it wrong of her to use someone in such a manner? Yes. Did she care, so long as she got what she wanted? Absolutely not.

At that moment her computer monitor began to play a tinkling tune, and Lusamine tapped a key and suddenly a man with ragged black hair appeared on the screen with two mismatched eyes of blue and gold, looking exhausted.

"Lusamine. You wanted a follow-up report of some sort?" Borlath asked, leaning back in his chair with a sigh.

"You seem unwell. Is everything alright?" Lusamine asked, a tendril of worry creeping into her. Regardless of recent events, Borlath was her friend and she cared for the man. As long as they had known each other and considering his current position, he was likely one of the few people who understood her current status. That said, he was still a useful tool despite this. She had to remember this.

Borlath gave Lusamine a crooked smile and said, "I'll manage. I've dug my own grave with this one, Lusamine. I'll find some kind of peace with my sins soon enough."

"What? You can't stomach what you've done, Borlath?" Lusamine asked, her smile widening. Borlath scoffed at that, rolling his eyes, though Lusamine could see through the facade he had up. Lusamine's expression softened slightly as she crossed her arms.

"Borlath...We're friends. You don't have to lie to me." Lusamine said quietly to the man, who shut his eyes and hunched over in his chair, remaining silent for a long while.

"Lusamine...What have I done?" Borlath murmured, looking up at her with two crimson-colored eyes. "I know what I'm doing needs to be done. But all of this bloodshed and destruction...My deeds seem to weigh heavily on me, these days."

"You did what you thought was right. You've laid waste to the world and helped with a revolution of the darkest sort. Will you achieve your goals and usher in an era of prosperity and peace for the world? Or will yet another hero rise from the ashes and tear apart you and your forces?" Lusamine responded as her smile faded. The very thought of someone doing that to ruin her plans made Lusamine reflect on her own insubordinate children. If she ever got her hands on them, they would dearly pay for turning their back on her. Especially a certain girl who dared take the cornerstone of her goals away from her.

"I'll do whatever it takes to prevent that happening. Greevil is content to try and kill Aria and her friends, so he can do whatever in Alola. I trust that he can handle it while we're working on Kanto. We're close to acting on Vermilion, and reacquiring not only Shadow Moltres but control over the city. I have no choice but to continue and ensure my success." Borlath responded quietly yet curtly, closing his eyes again. "That said...I may have acted far to quickly in regard to some of my plans."

"How so?" Lusamine asked, curious. Borlath opened his eyes and considered the question for a moment, but then decided to trust his longtime friend with a secret.

"I've been working on restarting the Umbral Project for quite some time, given the results in the past. Should the project succeed, we could easily defeat the League with just a small army of Umbral Pokémon."

"Umbral Project?"

"Essentially, its a way of increasing a Pokémon's strength to incredible levels and advancing a Shadow Pokémon to an unstoppable state. There's nothing that can purify an Umbral Pokémon. You'd have to put it down for good in order to actually stop it. However, the strain of such experiments almost always kills the test subject. Greevil has given me the green light to continue the project, but so far I've already lost ten test subject Pokémon. I just can't seem to find a proper base to…" Borlath trailed off, smiling slightly. "Sorry. The nerds in charge have yet to explain it in a way that doesn't give me a headache. Basically, the main compound we use to complete the process isn't strong enough to protect the Pokémon's mind from unraveling completely, to the point where its brain ceases function. If I can't find a better alternative or change the process into something that works, I may have to quit while I'm ahead. Even if the other Admins and Greevil support me, they will not be happy that I squandered their Pokémon's lives in such a manner."

"That is a problem…" Lusamine murmured, considering Borlath's plight. However, just as she said this, a voice whispered into her ear.

" **The gift we gave you. Offer some to him. It will do what he wants...And help him with the monsters he seeks to unleash."** The voice whispered in Lusamine's ear, sending a shiver down her body. Lusamine considered what the voice meant before she smiled widely, something Borlath was confused at.

"Lusamine?"

"Just a moment." Lusamine said, putting Borlath on hold. She called Faba over her phone, with him picking up a moment later.

"I don't care how many times you tell me, Colress! _Detective Pikachu_ is an amazing game and I'll murder anyone who thinks otherwise- Oh, President Lusamine! How can I help you, ma'am?" Faba asked, his tone going from incredibly irritated to normal in a heartbeat. Lusamine blinked several times, trying to process what she had just heard from the scientist.

"Faba...Is everything okay in there?"

"Of course ma'am. Why would you think things weren't fine?"

"You just said...You know what? I don't care. Fetch me the serem we recovered from the Ultra Beast during our last experiment. A small amount should suffice." Lusamine said to Faba as she leaned back on her chair, smiling at the very thought of that experiment in particular. Cosmog's screams of agony had been been quite loud that morning.

"What serum? You mean the...I mean, of course ma'am. Just a few minutes." Faba responded nervously, hanging up the line. It didn't take very long for a winded Faba to enter Lusamine's office, placing a small vial onto her desk filled with a black-ish purple fluid that sparked bright red occasionally from within the container. Lusamine sent Faba away and picked up her call again, showing a bored Borlath.

"So?" Borlath asked, sitting upright once again. Lusamine simply held up the vial in her hands, grinning widely.

"This may assist you, my friend. It's a special serum harvested from an experiment we conducted a few years back. It's untested in this sort of thing, but I don't think there's any harm in trying it out." Lusamine replied lightly, shaking the liquid slightly in its vial.

Borlath's eyes narrowed, suspicious of this sudden solution to a problem he had just presented. "Lusamine, as much as I appreciate the help, how can I trust that this can help? What sort of serum is that?"

"I can't disclose my sources, my friend. Some secrets must stay secrets. However I can assure you that if I didn't think this could help you, I wouldn't have offered this to you. Do you want to at least give it an attempt?" Lusamine asked Borlath, who considered it for several moments. Finally the Cipher Admin nodded.

"I'll take it. Amber's Shadow Rhyperior is on the verge of death, so I'll use the serum on it. Nothing ventured, nothing gained after all." Borlath said to Lusamine, who laughed softly.

"That's the spirit." Lusamine said as she rose to her feet and placed the vial in a nearby device. It was a standard Item Transporter that could be found in most of the Pokémon Labs and several other high-tech facilities not unlike the Aether Paradise. Within moments, Borlath was holding the odd serum contained within a vial in his hands, looking at it.

"This mixture is so strange. What makes you think this will work, Lusamine?" Borlath asked the woman as Lusamine sat down in her chair.

"A friend that is very dear to my heart." Lusamine responded as she smirked at Borlath's annoyed expression that cleared after a moment. The two friends talked of more trivial matters before Borlath had to leave, considering it was very late in the evening in Kanto.

Lusamine ended the call with a tap of the keyboard, her smile fading as she leaned back in her chair. She felt a small shiver of pleasure as the presence within her mind spoke again.

" **Thank you, Mother... The gift that we have given you will help that man with his monsters. That will allow you to hunt down Cosmog swiftly and make it suffer. You always do what's best for us."**

"Of course I do. My love knows no bounds, and I will find a way to save you." Lusamine replied in a whisper, closing her eyes and sinking into her own thoughts. "No matter what...I will make things right for you."

* * *

 _So, Laura gets some spotlight in a manner that doesn't include destroying someone's balls, Brago defeats the Totem, and Lusamine gives Borlath a strange liquid extracted during an experiment? Mmm... Interesting stuff, but how will it play out?_

 _Next chapter Sun will reunite with Lillie and friends, and some other stuff happens too!_

Q&A

 _From: Angelfir3_

I'm not sure if you've answered this. But if Sun adds one of the legendaries to his team, would they be considered part of the 6 you had planned for him? Or better yet, will Sun have a full team that doesn't include a legendary? Thanks and see you next chapter!

 **I might have answered this question, but I honestly don't remember. It's why I don't mind answering the same questions again, because I'm absolutely going to lose track of what I've answered and what I haven't.**

 **To answer the question, Sun is going to have a full team of six that doesn't include Legendaries or the Ultra Beasts. They're not part of the main six that Sun will have on him when he battles the Elite Four and so on.**

 **Nebby, however...Well, I have some problems with how the game handled that situation, and I'll be dealing with it in my own way when the time comes.**

From: RC-DA

Though I'm still wondering, what happened to Eldes and Ardos?

 **I mean, I could spoil that and just tell you, or I could save that for something that may or may not happen down the road. Depending on what choice I make regarding the story, depends on whether or not some things will be revealed in RS or not. But I'll confirm that they're definitely not showing up for various reasons.**

 **I hate being so vague, but I also dislike spoiling things. Sorry.**

From: SonicIKE

I thought there would be a moment where the bond between Sun and Lillie shows. I think you answered this before, but do you think you'll add another moment like that in the story?

 **There will be many more Sun/Lillie moments for this story. I just can't include them in every chapter because this is still Sun's journey, and Lillie can't be with Sun all the time. However, she'll be back next chapter and more adorableness will follow.**

 _From: DarkestShade73_

 **Alright, so you asked like...4 or 5 pretty good questions and I'm not going to copy and paste and massive, yet awesome, review you left. I kinda keep breaking my own rule about answering one question per chapter. So...fuck it. I'll just do whatever. Since you did go through the effort of leaving such a big review.**

 **Shellder can learn Teleport via Technical Machine. A lot of Gen I** **Pokémon can learn Teleport, because it was a Technical Machine given to you in the original games.** **I abuse this quite heavily, because seriously...Who wouldn't teach their** **Pokémon Teleport?**

 **Maybe. It isn't hard to come up with an excuse for Gladion and Sun to travel together. They get along fairly well and are rivals.**

 **I have no plans to include Event** **Pokémon, mainly because I've already planned out Sun's team to perfection and the Event Pokémon are problematic for one reason or another. For example, these reasons include things like...**

 **(Munchlax) I don't want two Snorlax battling in the Championship showdown. (Umbreon and Espeon) Sun's problems with the Eevee-line prevent that from happening. (Level 10 Salamence) Salamence being part Flying-type when Sun already has two Flying-types right now, and so on.**

 **Lillie, Kukui, Aria and co. will be showing up next chapter, when he returns to Heahea City.**

 **This is in regard to your other review, but as of now I have no plans for Rotom to be able to aid Sun in battle, as awesome as that would be. Though of course, that could change. It just depends on whether or not I feel like it's necessary. As of now I'm not going to use Roto Power.**

 _From: skyguys_

As some feedback, I don't know if I'd call it feedback personally but with Cipher presence in Alola, I feel like everyone in the region should be in a much more higher alert then what is presently shown, that includes the guardian deities. After what happened with Amber in Melemele, then the shadow celebi incident in town and lastly, their most recent encounter a few chapters ago, I was surprised to not see or even hear mention of Tapu Lele. I have a lot more to say about my opinion of Cipher but that will be for another time, aka when something significant happens and how you'll connect it with the plot and characters. And that significant moment will occur real soon as Aria mistakenly predicted at the very start of the Akala arc...

Lastly, the question I've been dying to ask is about Sun's fourth Pokemon. Will he catch it on Akala Island or later on in the story?

 **Well, this revelation only happened, like, two days ago in the story. These sort of things take some time, though the Kahunas have already stepped up security via the police and having other channels be on the lookout for things (International Police and their own** **Pokémon). While they're on high alert, they also don't want to cause a panic and force Cipher's hand into doing something drastic. There's an unknown factor coming into play here, because the Kahunas don't know how well-prepared Cipher is in Alola, what they have at their disposal, or what their plans are for the region. They just know their base is on Ula'ula Island.**

 **As for the Tapu...Well, they're a bit of a wild card, and not even the Kahunas can find them if they don't want to be. However, the Tapu are aware that something is going on.**

 **Though I'll admit, while writing this response out, I did come up with a very interesting idea for Tapu Lele and Cipher. I'll get back to you on this one.**

 **As for Sun's fourth Pokémon, it will be revealed in a few months time IRL, but he'll definitely catch it on Akala Island. Within the next fifteen chapters or so, Sun will acquire his fourth teammate, which will bring a very interesting new personality to the team. I'm really looking forward to it.**

From: Okamiden14

Man I'm loving this so far! Every chapter is better than the last. I also love the inclusion of gale of darkness, it really works well. But i do have to ask, why include all of these things from gale of darkness specifically? Is it like your favorite game or something?

 **Glad you're enjoying the story. And as for XD: Gale of Darkness being my favorite game, I'll have to say that it isn't my favorite game.**

 **However, XD and Pokémon Colosseum are the two games that inspired me to become a writer in the first place.**

 **So, I would say they're two of the most influential games I've ever played.** **I actually answered this question with a literal essay** **, but had to delete it because it spoils some things for later. So I'll answer with this shorter answer for now.**

 **Cipher's inclusion carries the plot of this story along until Team Skull and the Aether Foundation can take up the reins after the third island. It also allows me to create a plot and cast of characters that stand out and make it different from the dozens of other Pokémon Sun and Moon novelizations, which was a worry I had early on. Creating a story that A). Couldn't be copied or be too similar to another story in this site due to how complex the plot is and B.) Would never be ruined by Nintendo coming up with something similar, which is how several stories and ideas I've had have been ruined in the past.**

 **On top of that, I'm also able to greatly expand on other characters such as Guzma and Lusamine by introducing them earlier than they appear in the games and flesh out their backstories and the like through other challenges and conflict going on. I hope that helps explain some things.**

 _From: Sai Og Sus_

I have no comment on Colress's segment. If anything, I would have wished for more humorous interaction with Faba. Just a suggestion, how about giving Faba a blog for him to brag about? He's a narcissist after all. What kind of narcissist who doesn't have a blog?

 **Alright, that's a fantastic idea and I may end up using it later. I can absolutely see him having a blog where he rants about how amazing he is. Maybe I can have Miss Wicke troll him online and Faba throws a fit because he can't figure out who's messing with him.**

 **Hopefully the small bit earlier was humorous enough.**

 **There's definitely a lot of those happening with Faba in the future. I'm pretty sure you all have picked up on the fact that Faba will be getting roasted regularly because he's a total prick. I just didn't do that in this first scene at the Aether Paradise because it didn't feel appropriate.**

 _That's all for now folks. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, because it was certainly awesome to do. If you enjoyed it, please show your support with a favorite, follow, or a review in the section below. If you have questions about the story or others things, please leave your feedback and question also in the review section below. The usual rules for that apply._

 _Oh yeah. One last thing. Lillie's birthday._

 _So yeah, I've got things planned in a few chapters for that. One of which I will reveal to you all, because I figured it'd be awesome to get you all in on the excitement of celebrating_ _Pokémon's best girl on her birthday (in my story, anyway)._

 _So, at one point, Lillie will be hanging out with all of her friends, enjoying the festivities and being grateful for their support and love. However, Mallow suddenly hops forward and suggests the group plays a party game. What game, you may ask?_

 _Truth or Dare._

 _Yes, I'm doing this. Cliche, maybe. And it's going to be fantastic. Why? Because not only am I plotting to make this fun as hell, but I also_ _**plan to allow you, the readers, to submit Truths and Dares for the characters in the story to perform.**_

 _The players in question are Sun, Hau, Lillie, Vivian, Hugh, Aria, Lana, Kiawe, and Mallow. Professor Kukui, Sina, Dexio, Professor Burnet may get one dare or truth each, but everyone else is free game for how many they get. Sun's Pokémon will also be in the game should people want to submit ideas for them as well, but can also just be bystanders observing. A lot of how this scene will go will depend on the collective of suggestions I get from you all and the ideas I already have. I will accept suggestions up until Chapter 61, which is aptly titled "Happy Birthday" and debut the game itself_

 _Now, some rules and suggestions for this._

 _-Nothing super inappropriate or sexual. Keep it rated-T. They're mostly kids, after all._

 _-No maiming or things of that nature. Stating that just so that's there._

 _-Nothing about characters confessing their undying love for each other, because that's up to me to decide when and where that'll happen, so don't waste your time._

 _-Submit as many dares as you wish, just try to have them numbered or put at the end of your review so I don't have to hunt for truths and dares later._

 _-I'll add more rules later as needed, or message people if I need to._

 _But yeah, that's my little surprise. Hope it makes up for the weeklong delay._ _Now, obviously I can't pick every suggestion that gets submitted for one reason or another, so apologies in advance for that. However, I will say that those of you whose ideas do get picked for this chapter will get a shoutout and a thanks in the chapter in question._

 _Thanks for everything._

 _Stay safe and stay awesome._

 _Until next time, FlygonNick out!_


	59. A Shocking Twist

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _Alrighty, we're back with another chapter. Yesh._

 _First off, a quick note._

 _Mister Oliver, AKA Ollie, AKA the human Oliver...is NOT Looker._

 _That was a joke at Looker's expense, considering how odd the nickname is. A few people got confused about that last chapter, so I'm clarifying it now. Ollie is an OC that I'm very happy to finally be able to get to exploring in depth, even though he technically made an appearance in the story in Chapter 13 when he saved Erika from a Scyther (I think)._

 _Anyways, shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes Madame Rodoshe, Moonlight Butterfree, jonesyboy456, Cottonmouth25, SonicIKE, Angelfir3, Sai Og Sus, GeekyGamer314, a Guest reviewer, BraviaryScout, Gokan123, operettaoceanic, Dario Flaman (good to see you again!), Ways, as well as three new reviewers known as JasperCFZ, rexmaster56, and FlygonNick. Thank you all so much for the feedback and support. Your reviews seriously make my day and put a smile on my face, so I thank you for that._

 _Special shoutout to FlygonNick for being a fucking moron and reviewing his own story when he meant to review "A Hui Hou Kakou." Yeah, that happened and I'm still annoyed at myself for it._

 _Anyways, enough of my blatant stupidity._

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 _Chapter 59: A Shocking Twist_

* * *

 _"Alpha, I feel like we may have dodged a bullet there."_

"No kidding…

Sun and Brago took some time to catch their breath while Gladion just watched with faint amusement from his position on the ground nearby, yawning softly.

"I'm assuming you beat the Totem?" Gladion asked, standing up and walking over to Sun with Golbat and Type: Null in tow. Sun dug out his Grassium Z and Gladion nodded, as if he expected nothing less from his rival.

"So...now what?" Gladion asked Sun, who shrugged.

"Gotta fight the Kahuna now, I think-" Sun began to say before suddenly, a man wearing a labcoat suddenly appeared beside the two of them.

"Hey there, cousin and scary-looking cousin. How's it hanging?" Professor Kukui greeted them cheerily, with an Abra sitting on his shoulders looking bored.

"Pretty good. Me and Gladion just beat the Totem, so we're trying to sort out a course of action." Sun said to Gladion, turning to the other boy. "By the way, this is Professor Kukui. He's the regional Professor of Alola, and studies Pokémon moves."

"Nice to meet you! Any friend of Sun's is a friend of mine." Kukui remarked, flashing the two younger Trainers a bright smile.

"We're not friends. And it's a pleasure to meet you, Professor. I'm Gladion." The fierce boy said quietly, putting a hand on Type: Null beside him. "This is my partner, Null, and Golbat. They help me on my quest."

" _So...this is her brother. He seems like a rather unhappy sort, doesn't he? The Jardin children may look a lot alike, but their personalities are totally different. Maybe because he's been on his own for so long, according to Lillie...interesting."_ Professor Kukui thought, before he directed his thoughts towards Abra. _"Set up a Mind Link with this boy, Abra. I want to be able to find him later if I need to."_

Abra nodded and Kukui addressed the two boys, though he was distracted by the smell of something coming from Lush Jungle, crossing his arms and breathing in deeply. "Woo! What's that sweet smell I smell, driftin' my way!? Could it be a tasty Mallow Special?"

"You mean something so awful it made the other two Captains sprint out of Lush Jungle? Yes, that was it." Sun replied, shuddering at the thought of whatever it was that Mallow had made them taste.

"Well then! You say you beat Mallow's Trial? All right then, I have a present for you!" Kukui said as he dug into his coat and pulled out a gray disc. A Technical Machine.

"That little TM right there is Smart Strike - a move that will never miss!" Kukui said as he handed TM67 to Sun, who admired the disc for a moment before putting it in his bag. Gladion watched with a bit of envy, looking away as Sun thanked Professor Kukui for the gift.

"There'll be all kinds of discoveries and new experiences to make your adventure brighter, cousin! Say for example...There's a facility, yeah, that I want you to check out on your Island Challenge. The Dimensional Research Lab! Let's get on over there with Extreme Speed!" Kukui said to the boy, grinning widely.

"It's about time I actually visited that place. It'll be interesting seeing it after how much our favorite Princess talks about Professor Burnet and the lab." Sun remarked, earning a chuckle from Kukui.

"Yes, she's missed you a lot. Expect a massive hug from her when you do arrive. And remember, no funny business! I've heard what you two got up to when she stayed the night over at your house!" Kukui chided the boy with a knowing smile, making Sun blush profusely at memory of sheer embarrassment. Getting a face full of boobs from a girl you had a crush on wasn't a memory you were soon to forget after all.

Meanwhile, Gladion was beginning to grow irritated. He had no idea why, but for some reason this discussion about some girl he didn't know made him feel like punching Sun repeatedly in the face. However, he repressed this urge, wondering why it came up in the first place.

"You know, I guess I should congratulate you on clearing all three of Akala Island's Trials…" Kukui trailed off, with Sun smirking at what was to come. Kukui didn't disappoint, throwing his arms apart and yelling, "Congrats! Looks like it's time for you to take on Kahuna Olivia's Grand Trial!

"Olivia is an expert user of Rock-type Pokémon. You're gonna want to catch some more Pokémon to add to your team if you want to hang with that rock-hard Trainer." Kukui suggested to Sun, who shook his head.

"I think I'll tough it out. After all, I've got an awesome team with me. We haven't lost a Trial yet! But I do think we'll try and get some more training in. We could still use a lot of work." Sun said to the Professor, who nodded in agreement.

"Whenever you're ready for the Grand Trial, come see me at the Dimensional Research Lab! It's down past Route 6, yeah, but just ask Rotom if you need some help! See you soon, Sun! And it was nice meeting you, Gladion!" Kukui said to the boys with a wide smile, waving to them before vanishing without another word.

"That man is way too weird to be as well-respected as he is." Gladion remarked as Type: Null laughed quietly from beside him, shaking its head.

 _"All of you humans are strange."_ Type: Null remarked, earning a bark-like laugh from Brago.

 _"Pokémon are pretty strange too, you know."_ Brago retorted, making Sun smile at that. The boy then unclipped a Poké Ball from his belt and stared at it for a moment, thinking hard.

 _"Oliver...that's the third time you've freaked out during a major battle about your feathers. I don't know why you act so badly when it comes to that, but one way or another this crap is going to end. I'm counting on you to do most of the work against Olivia, and I can't have you distracted by stupid stuff."_ Sun thought as he clipped his Starter's ball back to his belt and returned Brago.

"So now what?" Sun asked Gladion, earning a shrug from the teen.

"I'm heading back to my hotel. I'm going to focus on getting Golbat used to its new body and training Null with some new moves to make him more versatile." Gladion explained, turning around and beginning his trek down the path. To his surprise, Sun followed him with a small smile.

"Why are you following me?" Gladion asked Sun, who just shrugged.

"I figured I was supposed to walk back to your hotel with you, since you waited for me. Besides, I'm not in a huge rush to get back in civilization. I kinda need to figure out what to get my friend for her birthday." Sun admitted to Gladion, who nodded.

"I just don't know what she would like. She's got plenty of clothes, even if she doesn't like to wear anything besides her special dresses. Maybe I could write her a song or play something for her on my flute, but that seems kinda tacky." Sun said, mostly thinking aloud but also kind of hoping Gladion might have suggestions.

"Sorry." Gladion remarked, shrugging. "I'm not good with gifts. I haven't properly celebrated my birthday in years, and I don't have any friends to give gifts to anyway."

"That's really sad, you know. You've got to have _some_ idea." Sun said to Gladion, who looked ahead. He thought about it, and actually did have an idea.

"I'd recommend a book, if they're into reading. A book about something special to them or something they enjoy. I like to read in my downtime, when I'm not training or wasting time with Team Skull. Maybe your friend would like that." Gladion suggested, earning a wide smile from Sun.

"Wow, that actually helps out a lot. I forgot that she's a total bookworm like me. Alright...I'll be on the lookout for other things, but a really good book would be right up her alley. Thanks Gladion." Sun said to the other boy gratefully, receiving a simple nod in response.

Sun tried to keep up the conversation with the teen as they made their way back to the Pokémon Center, where they got their Pokémon healed and treated by Nurse Joy. Gladion wasn't very talkative, but he was at least civil, which Sun appreciated. After they received their Pokémon again, Gladion led Sun to a hotel room and produced a simple key-card, unlocking it and letting himself and his Pokémon inside. Sun followed, looking around the room. It was rather stereotypical of a hotel room, with not much really standing out besides the massive Pokémon bed on the floor next to the single bed in the room.

"So, this is where you stay, huh?" Sun asked Gladion, who nodded.

"I've been here for about two years. I paid the hotel owners in advance so I wouldn't have to worry about it later, though that time is probably going to expire soon. I need to work on getting more money so I can afford another year." Gladion muttered that last part to himself, realizing that while he still had a considerable sum of money, it wasn't enough to keep him in the hotel for much longer without leaving him broke.

"You'll figure something out, I'm sure. If anything, I'm sure you could just go beat a bunch of rookies and get easy money off of them." Sun suggested jokingly, making Gladion scoff.

"There'd be no point. We want to get stronger, not waste our time with kids who haven't battled long enough to be a challenge." Gladion retorted, though Sun's smile widened in a way Gladion didn't like.

"Really? Because I'm a kid who hasn't been battling that long, and I still beat you." Sun retorted, making Gladion blink before hanging his head in mock-distress.

"Alright...That was a pretty good rebuttal. Now...Get out." Gladion responded after a few moments, making Sun chuckle before exiting the room and leaving Gladion alone with his Pokémon.

The teen took a deep breath and sighed before walking over to his bed and collapsing onto it. Type: Null and Golbat moved over to their Trainer, with Golbat fluttering to Gladion's side while Type: Null sat on the floor.

 _"You did well, Gladion."_ Type: Null said, sounding amused as Golbat chittered beside them. _"Golbat believes so as well. You haven't lost your temper at all while traveling with Sun, and you were much more sociable than usual."_

"It wasn't easy. I'm trying, Null...Even if its a waste of time, I'm not going to be nasty to people just for the sake of it." Gladion said with a groan as he rolled onto his back, putting his face in his hands. "I just can't do this. I spent so much time avoiding people that I can't even socialize anymore. I feel weird. Off. Am I just a freak now? I don't know...I don't even know why I let Sun come with me back here."

Golbat made a noise and Gladion looked at the newly evolved bat before Gladion turned to Type: Null, who had settled onto its bed on the floor, but was still looking up at him.

 _"You're hurting. And despite what you say, wish for someone to help you. You're just very stubborn. That is why you traveled with Sun. Because he understands."_ Type: Null said to Gladion, who slowly rose from his bed with a look of anger in his eyes.

"So what you're saying is that I'm weak." Gladion said to the monster, who snorted in amusement.

 _"Foolish. You'll never stop her if you can't learn to understand yourself."_ Type: Null replied as it shut his eyes and rested its head on the ground. Gladion clenched his fists and scowled, fury building up in him before he realized how worked up he was getting. The boy unclenched his fists and slowly exhaled, trying to steady himself. Suddenly, his phone rang, snapping him out of his efforts. He dug out his phone and stared at the number, with Gladion cautiously hitting the accept call button and put the phone on speaker, leaning back. "Who is this?"

"Well, hello to you too." came Demi's voice, chipper as always. Gladion felt his mouth twitch for a moment, amused at the remark before he frowned.

"Right. I guess you finally got a new phone. Well, what do you want?" Gladion asked, closing his eyes.

"I was going to apologize for leaving you behind the other day. The others didn't want to come back to take you to your hotel and I was kinda overruled there. Sorry." Demi remarked, sounding a little embarrassed.

"Well, I'm glad you're all gone. I've gotten my training in and can spend a day resting before I go back out and train some more. Team Skull shouldn't need me for a little while, after Hau destroyed them." Gladion remarked, allowing himself a small smirk.

"You know, he destroyed me as well." Demi stated, sounding amused if anything else. Gladion was admittedly impressed that she had recovered from that fiasco of a battle.

"Yeah, I remember. I had been wondering how you were dealing with that. I actually enjoyed you going off on him." Gladion remarked, earning a sigh from Demi on the other end of the phone.

"I didn't want to do that...He just doesn't understand. Life isn't rainbows and cupcakes. Bad things happen, and when they do you have to deal with them. You can't just gloss over it and move on. Besides, I'm actually worried that I'm not as good as I thought I was." Demi admitted, sounding somewhat nervous.

"What do you mean?" Gladion asked, interested.

"Well...Today marked the beginning of Po Town's rainy season. And I just couldn't go outside. I felt so uneasy about all the rain outside. I don't want why, but I couldn't make myself go outside of the Shady House so far today. I don't want to...I can listen to the rain outside, but that just makes me feel really upset." Demi admitted, sounding rather morose about this.

"Maybe you're just having an off day?" Gladion suggested. In response, the phone beeped, showing Demi was requesting video permission. Gladion sighed and pressed a button, turning on his phone's video chat and showing a rather downcast Demi sitting in one of the rooms within the Shady Manor dressed in her Team Skull outfit. Gladion felt a small kick of adrenaline at the sight of the other teen as she shut her eyes, sighing softly before speaking again.

"I don't know. Thankfully there's not a lot of rain this week since the season just started, but it'll get worse later. I'm kinda worried about that, honestly." Demi said quietly, and Gladion noticed the barely audible note of fear in her voice. She was scared.

"You'll get through it. Somehow. I'd talk with some of the Team Skull members who you're friends with and talk with them about what's bothering you. I'm not really an expert on this." Gladion said to Demi, who looked down at the ground. It was so odd, seeing how someone who could be so full of life and so bubbly reduced to such a state of sadness. Then, she spoke up and completely surprised Gladion.

"I'd like to think that I _am_ talking to a friend about what's bothering me." Demi said as she lifted her head up, a weak smile on her face as a Quilava hopped into her lap, grinning happily as Demi pet his head. Gladion took a moment process what he had just heard before frowning at Demi.

"Let me make this clear, since you're new around here. I don't need you. I don't need Team Skull. I don't need _anyone_. Friends will only slow me down from getting stronger. They are distractions. You're a part of Team Skull now, so you wouldn't understand what I'm fighting for. So do everyone a favor and stop trying to be nice to me. It'll only get yourself hurt and you'll just be in my way" Gladion said to Demi, who's eyes widened at the remark before an expression of profound hurt appeared on her face.

"But...I'm just trying to be nice. I want to be friends with everyone, and that includes you. You're so alone, Gladion. You're a good guy, but you always push people away, even when you're even more sad than I am." Demi said wearily, making Gladion grit his teeth in anger.

"I'm just fine on my own, Demi! Remember that before you ever think of giving me any of your goddamn pity!" Gladion barked at the girl, who jerked back in surprise before her eyes began to glisten with tears. Demi slowly nodded before looking away from Gladion.

" _I guess I overestimated how much it would take for her to give up trying to be nice. She's really struggling right now, huh?"_ Gladion realized with a pang of guilt. " _I shouldn't have said that. I just made this worse for her…"_

"You don't have to be such a jerk, you know! I was...just trying to be n-nice." Demi muttered before she hung up, though Gladion caught the tear that rolled down her cheek before the video cut out. Gladion scowled at the phone as he threw it onto the floor, staring at it for several long seconds. The boy lowered his face into his hands before slowly collapsing onto his pillow, letting out a soft groan of despair.

 _"That was foolish."_

"I know, Null. Don't remind me."

 _"Then why do you do it, knowing it was foolish?"_

"Because I don't deserve friends. I don't need any of that crap either. Not when there's a job that needs to be done. Afterwards...maybe. But right now, I have to focus. I can't be distracted. Besides, I don't even know how to let people in anymore. It's weird for me. She'd be better off without me in her life, as would basically everyone else. _I'm not worth it_ , Null. Not as I am now. I have to become better. Stronger. Nothing else matters." Gladion said softly, bringing his knees up to his chin and shutting his eyes. Type: Null sighed beside him, though Golbat shuffled over to Gladion and nuzzled his shoulders, receiving a small sigh from the boy as he reached over and patted the Pokémon on the head.

"I'll save Mother and the Paradise with just you two. I don't need anyone else's help."

* * *

Sun arrived back in Heahea City late in the afternoon two days later. He had briefly encountered Hau on his way to the city by Paniola Ranch, but the boy had taken off before Sun could say too much, though he promised to meet him in Heahea City at the Dimensional Research Lab later.

After getting directions from a woman on a Ride Stoutland, the boy managed to eventually reach the building and was surprised to see a familiar face standing just outside of it.

Sun couldn't help the smile on his face as he saw Lillie and Nebby, the latter of whom was floating off of the ground slightly as Lillie took a few steps away before turning around. She pointed forward and called out a command, not unlike how she had once done in the Double Battle she had helped Sun win against Sina and Dexio.

"Go, Nebby! Use...use Splash!" Lillie called out, her voice echoing in the empty lot. Nebby looked back at Lillie, confused at what Lillie was doing. The girl in question smiled and looked down at the ground, thinking hard.

"Heh...I was just acting like I was Sun." Lillie mumbled to herself, blushing slightly before she looked up again and walked over to her Cosmog, who was watching her in bemusement. "You...You always seemed to end up getting hurt, Nebby. So I never really liked Pokémon Trainers or thought that I would want to be one myself. But when I see Sun and Hau…"

Lillie picked up Nebby, cradling the Pokémon in her arms as she looked up into the sky, which was a miasma of blue, pink, and orange as the sun began to set upon Alola, creating a wonderful scene in the sky above.

"It's like they've thrown open some door that I always thought was closed...They stride right through it towards the future...it seems so...amazing somehow…" Lillie whispered, hugging Nebby tightly to her chest with her smile not fading at all. It made her introspective, seeing how far her two closest friends had come in their lives.

"Pew?" Nebby cooed, spotting Sun watching them. The Cosmog slipped out of Lillie's grasp and floated to the ground, eyeing Sun with excited eyes before floating towards the boy. Sun grinned and caught the puffball, hugging Nebby happily. Lillie had turned around and gasped in surprise, but this didn't last long as she walked over to her friend with a happy smile on her face.

"Nice to see you again, Nebby. Have you been good for Lillie?" Sun asked the Cosmog, who to Sun's surprise, nodded in response. Sun looked up at Lillie, who seemed both happy and nervous at the same time. Sun wondered why that was, but brushed that aside.

"Um, oh, Sun. Hello. I feel like it's been a while since we last met. Even if it was just a few days ago." Lillie said awkwardly, to which Sun chuckled.

"Lillie, do you want a hug?" Sun asked his friend, who hesitated for a moment before looking around them. Upon seeing no one, Lillie nodded and Sun stepped forward, with Lillie throwing herself at Sun and hugging him tightly.

"I missed you." Lillie whispered as she tightened her embrace, with Sun feeling rather warm at the remark. He couldn't explain why, but hearing that from her made him really happy. To know someone he cared about so much actually missed him being there with her. The two friends held each other for a few moments before Sun responded.

"I missed you too, Princess." Sun replied as the two of them broke apart, with Sun lightly blushing. Lillie naturally didn't notice this because Nebby had suddenly flown over to them, happily crying out to Sun in greeting again. Sun opened his arms once more and Nebby flew into them, nuzzling Sun's chest as the boy hugged the Cosmog.

"We didn't forgot about you, Nebby. Looks like you've been doing well." Sun said to the strange creature, who beamed up at him with joy in his eyes.

"He's missed you too. I'm glad you're safe, though. After what happened with Cipher, I've been really worrying about you." Lillie said to Sun, who frowned a bit at that.

"No worries, Lillie. I've got my team watching my back. If Cipher tries that crap again, I'm ready for them." Sun said with a grin, making Lillie smile a little.

"I see...Well, I'm glad you're not letting them worry you. Maybe it's just me being silly…" Lillie muttered, though she was surprised when Sun hugged her again, making the girl squeak in embarrassment, even as she melted in the boy's arms, happy to have him so close to her again. She felt so safe in his arms.

"None of that, now. So, where's this Dimensional place Professor Kukui and Hau mentioned? Do you know, Lillie? And what were you doing out here?" Sun asked Lillie, who coughed slightly, trying to break out of her thoughts about the boy currently hugging her.

"Th-there's a laboratory here that studies the dimensions, did you know? And the Professor is waiting to meet you!" Lillie managed to say, gathering her composure. "By the way, how was your Trial with Mallow? It must be quite trying to do three in a row, in such a short span of time." Lillie asked Sun as the boy let go of her, the girl blushing again as Sun grinned at her.

"It was really tough, admittedly. Each of them pushed me and my team to their limits." Sun admitted, chuckling as he scratched his head. Lillie giggled at that, shaking her head slightly.

"I would think so...But still! You made it through all three! I think that explains it…" Lillie trailed off, making Sun give her a look of confusion. "The reason you look more content and understood so well by your Pokémon when you're with them. They all trust you without reserve and respond so well to your commands. I can't help but wonder but it'd be like…" Lillie trailed off, her smile fading as she looked away.

 _"Could I do it? Could I make that leap? Am I strong enough?"_ Lillie wondered, her doubts creeping back into her mind.

"Lillie? You okay?" Sun asked his friend, who snapped out of her thoughts and laughed nervously, looking back at Sun.

"S-sorry. I've been distracted lately. Come on inside, everyone's waiting for you!" Lillie said as she turned around and walked towards the nearby doorway. Sun followed his friend, slightly worried about what had been on Lillie's mind to trouble her so.

* * *

Sun followed Lillie into the elevator located in the lobby and traveled to the third floor, where he ran into Professor Kukui. The man cheerily greeted Sun and Lillie before walking them over to the main lab area and waved over to a woman standing next to Lillie in quiet yet excited conversation.

"Hey there, honey!" Kukui hollered to the woman, who looked towards her husband and grinned.

"Oh, hi!" the woman responded, putting a hand on her hip and walking over to the two Trainers with Lillie in tow. She had yellow eyes and spiky white hair, clad in a gray tank top and black pants. She had a silver necklace with a ring connected through it.

"This here's Professor Madeline Burnet. She runs the Dimensional Research Lab, yeah...And she's also my wife!" Kukui said happily, to which Burnet smirked.

"You're Sun, right? Lillie told me about you." Burnet remarked, glancing at the girl in question who blushed slightly.

"Oh? What did she say about me?" Sun asked, smiling at the girl in question who slowly tilted her hat downwards, though Sun caught the blush that was spreading across her face. Sun was now even more curious about what she had told Professor Burnet for her to get so embarrassed about this.

Thankfully, Professor Burnet came to her rescue. "She said you were the reliable sort."

"I try to be." Sun admitted, shrugging after a moment. Lillie sighed in relief, making a mental note to thank Professor Burnet once the day was over.

"Well...almost eight months ago, I found Lillie lying on a beach. Cosmog in her bag was also unconscious." Professor Burnet began, though she glanced around the room and frowned, as if she had just noticed something.

"What's wrong, dear?" Kukui asked.

"Hm? No Hau today?" Burnet asked Kukui, confused. "I would have thought he'd be here by now, since Lillie and Sun are both here."

"Hau? He's out doing his own thing. But he'll be the real deal someday...He could even become a Kahuna, just like old Hala before him!" Kukui said with a wide grin, though he was interrupted by a loud voice yelling out behind them, making Lillie and Sun jump in surprise.

"You really think so!?" Hau said as he burst into the lab, beaming like a madman. Sun grinned at his friend, holding out his fist for Hau to tap with his own, which he did. Hau stepped forward into a hug from Lillie, who was happy to see her friend again. Hau let go of Lillie after just a moment, making sure not to make the embrace last too long and make her uncomfortable. He had no desire to be kicked in the balls again. Kukui spoke up after the children had finished greeting each other.

"Well...yeah, Hau. I really do." Kukui said to the boy with a more serious expression, his smile one of confidence. Professor Burnet stepped forward, also addressing the Kahuna's grandson.

"It's good to see you again, Hau! It's been a while since I last saw you." Burnet greeted Hau, receiving a wave in response before Kukui turned his wife's attention back to the reason they had wanted Sun here in the first place.

"Anyhow, I brought Sun here because I wanted you to tell him about some of the mysterious phenomena here in Alola." Kukui explained to his wife, receiving a nod in response.

"I'd be happy to. So, the mysteries of Alola, huh? Then you've got mean the...Ultra Wormhole!" Professor Burnet exclaimed, though she still wore an amused smile at the surprised expression on Sun's face.

"You see, it's extremely rare, but sometimes a hole opens in the sky over Alola. It appears that this rift leads to a different and unknown dimension. The reason that people think there may be a mysterious dimension is because of the legends of fearsome Pokémon appearing from the Ultra Wormhole." Burnet explained to them all, but was cut off when Nebby suddenly let out a cry, shivering slightly.

"Are you cold, Nebby?" Lillie asked the Cosmog, picking up the small Pokémon. Nebby shut his eyes and sighed in Lillie's comforting embrace, making everyone else smile at the touching sight. Burnet gestured over to the massive glowing light-blue monitor across the room, which had several small maps on display along with lines of text in both Common and Alolan.

"It's very weak as proof, but I can't ignore it. There is also plenty of evidence already in the Pokédex for the existence of different dimensions, right?" Burnet remarked, with Rotom Dex popping out of Sun's backpack.

" _Too true! I can tell you all about it, but then I'd just be telling you what you already know! Zzt!"_ Rotom cried out as it rested atop Sun's head.

Hau turned to Professor Kukui, a little awed. "Fearsome Pokémon...?"

"Even normal wild Pokémon sometimes attack people, right? But the Pokémon that appeared from the Ultra Wormhole went way beyond that." Kukui explained, with Professor Burnet continuing on.

"They were called Ultra Beasts. And they were feared. Their power was immense, and normal Pokémon would be hard-pressed to survive in battle against an Ultra Beast, If the stories are to be believed, the Guardian Deities of the islands fought desperately against them." Burnet explained, making the children think about the possibilities of Pokémon from another world attacking them. It was a terrifying scenario to them, which Burnet seemed to realize because she added a moment later, "But like I said, it's all legends and folktales. It's hard to know how much is true."

"But there's an old saying that all legends and myths are true, at least in part. Isn't that what we're looking for, after all?"

The group turned around and spotted Hugh and Aria watching them from one of the desks nearby, holding an old and complicated book between them. Aria stood up and stretched, walking over to them and smiling at Sun, extending a fist out to the boy who punched it with his own.

"Good to see you again, Sun. And you're Hau, right? I'm Aria." The Snagger introduced herself, shaking Hau's hand with the Snag Machine attached to her arm.

"Whoa...Feels cool." Hau remarked, grinning at the older Trainer who just laughed.

"I get that sometimes. Professor Burnet has a ton of great reading material about inter-dimensional studies and reports. It's some really cool stuff when you get down to it." Aria said to them, exchanging grins with Professor Burnet.

"But I would be very happy if I could somehow unravel the mysteries of the Ultra Wormhole by studying dimensional disturbances!" Burnet said with a wide smile, putting her hands on her hips. Sun realized that Burnet and Kukui were a bit alike, in regards to their general enthusiasm for their work and their kindness. Maybe that's why they had gotten married?

"That's why you enlisted Colress' help, right?" Sun asked Burnet, who nodded.

"Yes. He's a genius who has a knack for making breakthroughs where others have come short. Already we're making some headway into our studies thanks to some of his contributions at the Trial Sites, though he's admittedly too busy with Shadow Celebi and his own research to delve too deeply into our studies on the Ultra Space...Unless working at the Aether Paradise has him investigating all three at once. I imagine the Doctor is being stretched thin." Professor Burnet remarked, chuckling softly.

"We've recorded several known relationships between Pokémon and different dimensions in books. You can find them on the bookshelf in this lab over there. Hugh and Aria have already begun searching through them, and Lillie has become quite well-versed in dimensional research thanks to her own studies here." Burnet said proudly, wrapping an arm around the girl's shoulders.

"I try…But it's really thanks to all of the hard work you and your team has done that I know as much as I do." Lillie said modestly, making Sun grin.

"So not only are you super good at music, but you're also an dimensional expert studying stuff that kids like me and Hau could barely wrap our heads around? You know you're awesome, right?" Sun said to Lillie, who lowered her hat again to hide the blush that had appeared once more, making Sun chuckle at her embarrassment. He liked making Lillie flustered. It was really cute.

"You kids feel free to take a load off. I've got a bit more work to do today before we wind down. Lillie, make sure to catch up with your friends. Okay?" Burnet said to the girl, who nodded with a smile. Burnet stepped away and began chatting with a nearby assistant, walking back to a small side office that was clearly hers.

Aria walked back over to her book while Hugh decided to begin talking with Hau and Kukui, leaving Sun to chat with Lillie. The boy stepped forward, curiosity burning within him. "So, Lillie, I have a question." Sun began to say to the girl, but Lillie cut him off.

"You want to know what happened eight months ago?" Lillie asked Sun, who nodded. He was genuinely curious about where Lillie had come from, and wanted to know more about his friend.

"Well...I'd wanted to learn more about Nebby...I mean, about Cosmog. So I decided to come speak to Professor Burnet. But I got lost along the way...And ended up wandering about until I collapsed on the shore, where Professor Burnet found me…" Lillie began, trailing off after a few moments, her smile fading as she lost herself in the memories. "She listened to my story, staying up all night to hear it all. And then she even got her husband, Professor Kukui, to lend me his loft to stay in. And then she told him to help me investigate Nebby's origins, too."

"Professor Burnet has been so kind, and she's still helping me find a way to get Nebby back to its own home. She's been like...a real mother to me." Lillie whispered, a sad smile on her face as she said those words. The girl sniffed and wiped her eyes, which were shimmering with tears. Sun put a hand on the girl's shoulders, making her smile a little wider.

"Thank you. I'll be okay. I have you all to depend on. I'll make it through this. Thank you, Sun." Lillie said to her friend, who just grinned back at her.

"How about that, Sun?" Kukui remarked, crossing his arms and drawing Sun and Lillie's attention over to the other group speaking. "If the Ultra Beasts are really out there, I wonder what kind of moves they can use…"

"Who knows? It'd be really cool to see one in person though." Sun replied, the Professor's enthusiasm making him excited as well.

"Hey Sun." Hugh spoke up, catching Sun's attention. "You beat the Grass Trial, right?" Sun nodded, and Hugh continued with a grin. "Nice work. I'll be getting back on the Trial path soon enough. Aria's coming with me, but we'll be there to watch you battle with Olivia in the Grand Trial. How's that sound?"

"Sounds awesome, Hugh." Sun said gratefully, happy that the older Trainers would be there to support him against what would likely be his greatest battle yet.

"Absolutely!" Kukui boomed, punching his fist forward with a manic grin. "You've finished all three of Akala Island's Trials. Woo! And now comes the big match against Olivia - the Island Kahuna! It's the biggest and baddest Trial of them all here on Akala - the Grand Trial!"

"You know...I'm here too. And I beat the Trials as well." Hau said dully, earning a wince from Professor Kukui as the man looked awkwardly at the Kahuna's grandson.

"Hau I…"

"Nah, it's fine. It's because I don't wear shoes, isn't it?"

"What?"

Hau grinned at Professor Kukui's thrown off expression, but was interrupted from his remark by Aria yelling, "Ha! I knew it!"

"What's going on?" Professor Burnet asked, walking back into the room. Aria grinned as she held up the book she was holding.

"What's that book?" Sun asked, curious.

"It's a book of about Unova's history, and I found a section that discusses the origins of the Legendary Pokémon in the region. Or rather, it's an abridged version. But this works, because I found what I've been looking for!" Aria said excitedly, looking down at the book and reading the passage aloud.

" _However, just as their quarrel had divided the Original Dragon, the twin heroes that founded Unova knew that they would have to devise of a way to make it whole once more. So, they set to work with the greatest minds of their time, and created a device that allowed those that were now three to become whole once more. That single, nigh-indestructible beast that protected Unova during the earliest days of its existence. The strongest dragon of all."_

" _Today, this device is known as the DNA Splicers, safeguarded in secrecy by those well-versed in Unovan dragon-lore._ _However, it should be known that a second device created at the Twin Heroes instruction known as the Eternity Locket has been lost to time. This device allowed the brothers to contact the Original Dragon, also known as Perfect Kyurem, and connect with its heart. The brothers could speak to it from anywhere in the world, as their souls resonated with its own."_

Aria lowered the book, grinning widely. "Like I told the others, I had a plan to try and stop those bastards back in Unova by helping Kyurem. Problem is, there's so many conflicting stories about the origin of the three legendary dragons of Unova. Reshiram, Zekrom, and Kyurem, that it's hard to know where to begin. However, this is a step in the right direction. This is what Drayden talked about!"

"What are you talking about?" Hugh asked, confused.

"I had a talk with Drayden just after a beat him. He told me about the DNA Splicers and how Neo Team Plasma would fight to get them back. And he told me that there was something that could help us reach out to Kyurem, from the old days of legend. If we had this Eternity Locket, we could speak to Kyurem and maybe have it separate, or fight against Ghetsis' control! Think about it! Then we'd only have to fight Shadow Kyurem in its regular state, and not the Perfect Form that Wes fought!" Aria said as she set the book down, grinning.

"You're saying that the Kyurem has achieved its original form? No wonder Wes lost…" Kukui trailed off, shivering slightly. Aria blinked and then swore loudly, face-palming.

"I forgot...I wasn't supposed to let people know about that. Shit." Aria muttered, looking up at the ceiling. "Whelp. N is going to be pissed. That was supposed to be a secret until I could find out more about what the Twin Heroes' second treasure was. Oh well."

"So...what now? You know about that treasure, but does that book tell you where it is or how to use it?" Hau asked the Snagger, who sighed softly.

"No. But its a start. Drayden, the Dragon-type Gym Leader of Opelucid City told me to find someone even more skilled with dragon-lore than him. Someone who could help us save Kyurem and stop Neo Team Plasma and Cipher. I've heard about someone like that roaming the world, meddling with those that interest them. I plan on tracking them down and getting their help in finding the Eternity Locket. That's my plan." Aria said as she placed a bookmark in the book, closing it shut.

"You've got access to any of my contacts if you need to make some calls." Kukui asked Aria, who nodded.

"I'll be talking with Colress and then...ugh, Iris. I might need her to do me a favor and talk with some of the Champions. Maybe they can help me look. I doubt it, but considering how bad things have gotten, maybe they'll decide to help out." Aria said in reply, offering the Professor a grin.

Sun started as his phone began to ring, catching everyone's attention. The boy grinned sheepishly as he pulled out his phone and looked at it. Seeing it was his mother, Sun stepped away and answered the phone. "Hey Mom."

"Sun, you're inside the Dimension Research Lab, right?" Laura Smiles asked her child.

"Yeah, why? What's going on?" Sun asked his mother.

"Well, I think it'd be a good idea to come outside. After all, it's been awhile since I've seen you and I was hoping we could have dinner tonight. You could invite your friends too, if you want." Laura replied, with Sun's eyes widening in surprise as he realized what his Mom was saying. Sun bolted to the Elevator, and tapped the button to close it. To his surprise, Lillie managed to squeeze into the elevator with him, a worried expression on her face.

"Is everything okay?" Lillie asked, but was relieved when Sun nodded, a smile on his face. The elevator opened on the bottom floor, allowing the children to exit the building a few moments later. Waiting for them was Laura Smiles, grinning at them both and waving beside a massive Pidgeot and a Meowth that was sitting on the ground.

"Mom!" Sun yelled out, running forward and embracing his mother in a tight hug. Lillie smiled at the reunion, though Lillie's gaze traveled upwards as she saw a strange flicker in the clouds above. Her thoughts wandered, drifting back to the idea of Pokémon from other dimensions traveling to Alola and wreaking havoc.

" _That's what she wants to do...I can't let her succeed with her plans. I have to stop her. I have to save Nebby. I have to be strong. Just like Sun and Hau...Somehow, I'll get through this and save everyone "_ Lillie thought to herself, looking back to her crush and his mother. Another thought crept into Lillie's mind, making her frown thoughtfully.

Lillie wondered if her mother missed her.

* * *

"Welcome to the Vermilion City Gym! "

Amber smiled as she and her disguised cohorts walked into the Gym, eyeing the familiar battlefield with a detached sense of amusement. Each of them had weapons hidden away on them, with a squad nearby ready to attack at their signal.

Ahead of them was a large cluster of sailors and what looked like ex-soldiers, with the largest of them standing at the back of the Gym. He was a massive man, dressed in military fatigues, sporting a blonde buzz-cut and a thick leather jacket that bulged underneath the man's muscular frame.

" _That's interesting. They usually only have three Gym Trainers on hand for the Gym during normal operation. Why do they have the full twelve here? Our reports said Surge was paranoid, but this is excessive."_ Amber wondered to herself, smiling a little wider. " _I'll have to ask Surge about it before I shoot him in the stomach. Or head. Honestly, I'm flexible."_

"Looks like you rolled out the red carpet for us." Dawson remarked, grinning at the retired soldier ahead of them. The massive man known as Lt. Surge chuckled softly as he crossed his arms, looking down at the trainers from a small podium he was standing atop.

"You kids look a bit older than what I'm used to battling. But that doesn't bother me one bit. You see, I've learned a lot from my time in the Army and my time as a Gym Leader. Lot's of important lessons about life and about people." Lt. Surge said to the group of what seemed to be regular Pokémon Trainers. The retired Officer couldn't help his smile widen a little as he continued his speech, the Gym Trainers moving away from the man and allowing him to walk forward.

"There's one lesson that I've learned a while ago that never stops proving to help me and others in battle. Any idea what that may be?" Lt. Surge asked the gaggle of Trainers. Dawson frowned at the man's question, though Amber smiled hollowly at the remark.

"Does it have to do with never giving in when things get bad?" Amber guessed, making the massive man bark out a laugh.

"Absolutely not. That's important, yeah. But the important lesson is that karma's a wonderful thing." Lt. Surge explained as his smile widened, with Amber's smile vanishing as she realized what had just happened.

He knew.

Amber heard the sound of something rushing through the air, but even she was surprised when two armored Cipher Grunts suddenly plummeted from their positions above them and crashed onto the ground next to them with blood leaking from their necks, their sniper rifles clattering uselessly to the ground. Before any of the Cipher members had time to react to this development, a loud buzzing sound crackled around them before the floor underneath the disguised Trainers suddenly surged with electricity, making each one of them scream in pain and fall to the ground. Even Amber fell to a knee, wincing in pain and slowly forcing herself into a standing position as Lt. Surge slowly drew a magnum from his jacket and the other Gym Trainers called out their Pokémon.

"Damn them...They knew. It was a trap." Dawson gasped, jerking on the ground as the electricity surged through his body without mercy. "Oh god, I...I should've...worn t-that s-stupid armor after all."

"I...told you…" Amber hissed as she stood tall, gritting her teeth as several more Cipher Grunts began to stand as well. Despite them not being in full armor, what the members of Cipher wore underneath their disguises was enough to keep them from being totally incapacitated like Dawson.

However, a loud gunshot rang out from above, and the grunt next to Amber dropped to the ground dead from a gunshot wound to the back of the head. Amber forced herself to look up and scowled at what she saw above her. Amber then shouted out in pain as a round suddenly slammed into her shoulder, going through her armor and sending her crashing to the ground with blood streaming down her body.

Above them all, standing atop one of the rafters in the ceiling was a tall man with short blond hair dressed in all black, decked out with body armor and weapons. He had a runner's build, slim but able to hold the massive weapon in his hands with relative ease. The man wore a blue bow-tie on his neck, oddly enough, but despite that he looked quite fierce regardless. The man locked eyes with Amber as she glared back at him, the man's expression one of fury.

"That was for Erika, you rotten bitch!" Oliver barked as he racked back the bolt and discharged the round from the chamber, adjusting his aim before firing a second shot aimed at Amber's heart.

* * *

 _Next chapter, Lt. Surge and Mister Oliver vs. Amber, Dawson, and a bunch of Cipher guys! Also. Sun and Hau try to plan birthday stuff for Lillie and more things happens! Huzzah!_

Q&A

 _From: jonesyboy456_

Are the beast talking cto Lusamine DIRECTLY!?

 **Yep. It gets much creepier, trust me.**

 _From: Angelfir3_

The issue is, I wonder if that wouldnt be allowed, considering what Oliver might to do Hau may be considered maiming?

 **Nope, though Oliver would happily attack Hau a bit before Sun can step in to stop him. I've got that one written down, because it's pretty funny.**

 _From: JasperCFZ_

Why Greevil as the head of Cipher? I thought he turned over a new leaf with Eldes leaving Ardos with a revenge plot in a game that would never come out

 **True, but then again, XD was originally supposed to be about Wes turning evil and taking control of Oore and Michael having to battle him, from what I remember.**

 **This is just another part of a long list of things that I haven't explained yet and depending on how things go with the second half of the story, will either be explained later or I'll have other things planned.**

 **But to answer your question, I actually thought I had explained this in an earlier chapter. If not, I'll have to do some flashbacks if I haven't.**

 **Let's just say Sun's father can be pretty persuasive and helped Cipher get back on its feet, and Greevil's two sons followed their father despite the difference in ideals. It didn't work out well for them in the end. This bit is explained in Chapter 31, to an extent. But it will be covered in depth later.**

 _That's all for now, folks. I'm gonna get some lunch/breakfast and finally try to get through Doom and Metroid: Samus Returns._

 _In the meantime, please show your support in the review section below by telling me what you thought of the chapter! And if you haven't already, please favorite and/or follow the story to help the story flourish evermore!_

 _If you want to submit a question to be answered, that can also be done in the review section. All I ask if that you leave some sort of feedback in the review itself when you ask your question._

 _We've still got two more chapters until Lillie's birthday, so feel free to submit Truth or Dare suggestions for that segment in the chapter! I've gotten some fantastic ones so far that actually work well with my own ideas, and even help transition into some development down the road. Remember that all ideas must follow the guidelines from Chapter 58, and will receive credit for your suggestions in Chapter 61._

 _That said, I'm done here._

 _Take care and stay awesome._

 _Until next time, FlygonNick out!_


	60. Circuit Breaker

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 ** _(Revised as of 5/21/2018)_**

 _So. Horizon Zero Dawn? Fantastic game._

 _Like, I've been on a role with beating games lately. DOOM. Metroid: Samus Returns. Undertale...though I guess I can't truly count that. I mean I beat the True Pacifist Route, but I couldn't beat the final boss in the Genocide Route._

 _Let's just say after getting wrecked 13 times in a row and not even getting remotely close to the halfway point in the battle..._ _ **I was having a bad time**_ _, and decided to give up on that endeavour._

 _Now I'm shooting robot dinosaurs, and it's definitely shown because I could've had this up on Friday but am having to upload Sunday because every bit of free time I had this week was spent running around with a bow blowing up stuff and looking for more stuff to loot. It's nice to get back into gaming like this, though._

 _That said, we're back with another chapter. And man...The next ten chapters will be nonstop with action, romance, and drama! And even a few major story twists that are definitely a lot more shocking than the title of the last chapter, which was a pun. Not because the twist was surprising. I kinda stated it in the chapter beforehand that something going to happen, with Oliver flat-out saying he was waiting in the Gym with a sniper rifle._

 _Honestly, most of my chapter names are either a joke, a reference, or something really cool sounding on the off chance I can't think of anything. Speaking of reference, this is a cameo and character heavy chapter! Which means some interesting new arrivals, and the reappearance of some old faces!_

 _Sorry. Rambling again. Though most of this chapter is a big fight, there's still some fun stuff happening too._

 _One last sidenote. Yes, Professor Mohn will be discussed, but not in this chapter. It will happen before Sun leaves for Konikoni City, just to address questions about it._

 _Shoutout to those who have reviewed since the last update, which includes Madame Rodoshe, Cottonmouth25, MoonlightButterfree, JasperCFZ, SonicIKE, EL Hunter (Good to see you again!), a Guest reviewer, Omegastar327 (also good to see you again!), Sai Og Sus, BraviaryScout, operettaoceanic, Gokan123, and DarkestShade 73. You all are amazing and I thank you for your support. It's also really awesome to see a few people I haven't seen in a while reviewing again. I have a pretty good memory when it comes to that kind of thing, so don't think I don't remember those who support this story with their feedback. Always great to hear what you have to say, even if its not all the time._

 _Special shoutout to Sai Og Sus, who's lucky reviewer number 700! And reviewer number 699! I have indeed seen what you've done there, and honestly? It's awesome, because I'm a self-admitted review whore and I appreciate the support. Especially from those of you who routinely review and offer feedback._

 _SPEAKING OF...DID I MENTION THAT THIS STORY HAS OVER 100,000 VIEWS!?_

 _I cannot even describe how happy this makes me. None of my other stories have accomplished this. In the span of a year and a half, this story has over 100,000 views. I never thought I'd hit this incredible milestone with a story as new as this, overcoming all of my previous accomplishments on this site. So…_

 _Thank you so much. For making this hobby of mine all the more awesome, and by helping keep this story plugging along. You all are fantastic._

 _Now, onto the chapter._

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 _Chapter 60: Circuit Breaker_

* * *

Amber forced herself to roll onto her stomach just as Oliver fired his rifle, making the bullet embed itself in the ground beside her. The Admin fought back a groan of pain as her shoulder seeped blood and white-hot agony rippled through her.

"Calebs! Call out your Marowak!" Amber shouted to one of the Cipher Grunts that had managed to get to a kneeling position, who released the Bone Keeper Pokémon with some effort. To their collective relief, all of the electricity stopped zapping them and surged into the Ground-type, rendering it useless thanks to Marowak's Ability.

"Damn it! They've neutralized the trap. Go!" Oliver barked into his earpiece, reloading his rifle as he did so. To his dismay, Cipher seemed to be calling out their Pokémon, even as Lt. Surge shot another Grunt in the throat, leaving their number down to five including both Admins. The Cipher Grunts had unleashed all of their Pokémon and were now in a fierce firefight with Lt. Surge and Oliver, who was sniping from above. Meanwhile, the Pokémon on both sides were in an all-out brawl, tearing into each other with a vengeance. Amber looked up and saw Oliver taking aim at her again, singling her out.

"Avis!" Amber shouted, and with that her loyal Xatu appeared and threw up a Protect around herself. Amber fell to one knee, panting in pain as more and more crimson leaked from her shoulder wound as multiple shots from the sniper rebounded off of the shield, though large cracks were left on the energy barrier.

"This armor should have withstood that shot. He must be using some kind of special ammo...Agh…" Amber groaned, feeling the wound and seeing that the shot went through and through. "No good. Dawson, I need a medic, or I'm not going to stay conscious for much longer."

"Yeah, I've got your back!" Dawson called back as he sidestepped a shot from Lt. Surge and leapt backwards, landing just outside Amber's shield as he sent out a Manectric and a Roselia. Avis allowed Dawson into the shield by dropping it just for a moment, though the bird let out a cry as attacks began to pound against the barrier.

"Protect the shield!" Amber ordered the remaining forces of Cipher, who hastened to obey the Admin as Dawson called out a Slowking.

"Heal Pulse." Dawson ordered the Royal Pokémon, who held out his hands and began to heal the wound in Amber's shoulder.

 _"I cannot do much, but I can stop the bleeding."_ The Pokémon spoke into Dawson's mind, which made the man nod. Amber sighed with relief as the wound slowly shut, and she stood, only to sway on her feet and fall against Dawson.

"Oh baby, I knew you'd be all over me someday." Dawson remarked before getting punched in the head. Amber took that moment to slice apart her disguise, revealing her silver armor and the weapons she had hidden on her person. The Admin pulled out an SMG with a grunt of pain, checking it over before looking down at the stunned Admin.

"Idiot...I lost a lot of blood. It'll be hard to fight, especially with all of this heat. International Police and all of these Gym Trainers? We're not exactly in a position to fight." Amber remarked, though her mouth turned into a sadistic grin as she looked up, seeing Oliver call out a Swellow, Noctowl, and Braviary while a Gallade teleported to his side in the rafters above.

"Won't stop me from killing as many of them as I can. Avis, lower the shield and kill Agent Quill." Amber said to her Starter, who nodded and released Protect, only to unleash a massive wave of Psychic that the birds above avoided, but Oliver did not. The Gallade and his Trainer were knocked off of the ceiling and plummeted to the ground. Oliver tumbled through the air, but was caught by his Swellow. The bird then dove down at Amber who laughed as the man approached her.

The Admin opened fire on the man on the bird with her SMG. The Swellow dove down to avoid the bullets aimed their way and suddenly shot towards Amber with an inhumane burst of speed, which Amber realized was Aerial Ace. The attack slammed into Avis as the Xatu teleported in front of Amber to shield her, sending the two birds tumbling off in another direction as Oliver leapt from the bird and slammed a fist into Amber's cheek, knocking her back. Oliver lunged as Amber raised her SMG to fire, ripping the weapon free and tossing it to his Gallade, who caught it and vanished from sight as Oliver turned back to Amber, who was panting with a bloodthirsty grin on her face. Oliver kicked away his sniper rifle, which was badly damaged from the massive fall it had taken.

"Congrats, Agent Quill. You're really good at annoying the hell out of us, aren't you?" Amber asked as she ran her tongue over her teeth, tasting blood. The sniper scoffed, ripping out a long knife and a pistol from his belt.

"I'm not going to play the banter game, Fontaine. I've got more than enough reasons to kill you right now." Oliver replied shortly, offering the Amber a grim smile before he fired at the assassin.

Amber rolled to the left, gritting her teeth as more pain shot through her shoulder as she hurled a throwing knife at Oliver with her good arm. The knife embedded itself deeply into his pistol, making the man swear as he threw the now useless weapon to the ground and rushed at Amber, slashing at her throat. Cipher's Angel of Death leaned backwards and kicked the man in the side before hopping away, grinning as the blood-lust in her rose.

"You know, even if my armor and that weak Heal Pulse is keeping me from bleeding out, you've really set us back. It'll take a while before this heals properly. And that blood loss isn't going to make fighting here easy...But I like a challenge. Let's see if you put up a better fight than Erika did!" Amber snarled as she lunged at Oliver, who's face contorted with fury at the remark. The two crashed into each other, exchanging a fierce series of strikes and kicks with one another. Oliver caught Amber's fist with his arm and jammed a knife into a small part of the armor next to her elbow of her injured arm, making the woman hiss in pain. Amber slammed her knee into Oliver stomach and grabbed the man by the head, punching him in the jaw and knocking him away. Amber pulled out her pistol and aimed it at the man, only to be whirled around and punched in the face by a massive and angry Gym Leader.

"I'm gonna enjoy making you scream, Miss Fontaine. Erika was my friend, and you bastards have hurt enough people. Time for this soldier to put you down." Lt. Surge growled as he released his entire team, with a massive Raichu standing in front of him with a sadistic grin. Amber struggled to her feet, her good arm shaking with effort as she forced herself up, though she still smiled at the two men and drew her pistol using her good arm.

Amber looked back and forth at Oliver and Lt. Surge before letting out a soulless laugh. "Alright then. Bring it on." Amber remarked as she shot at Lt. Surge with her pistol, only for a Pachirisu to leap in front of the man and threw up a Protect, shielding its Trainer.

"Thunder!" Lt. Surge bellowed, with all five of his Pokémon letting out cries and releasing a massive wave of lightning that darkened the entire Gym. Amber had to time to call out her Breloom, and was about to issue a command when all of the lightning suddenly veered to the right.

"Don't leave me out." Dawson remarked as Lt. Surge snarled in fury, due to the Manectric standing in front of Dawson that was drawing in all of the lightning that had just been unleashed. Dawson called out a Hariyama to join the Manectric, Slowking, and Roselia already standing by him.

"Get them!" Dawson yelled out as he sprinted forward, pulled out a sickle from beneath his cloak and leaping into the fray. The ensuing battle became a massive brawl, with attacks of all sorts flying around. Dawson's Pokémon engaged Lt. Surge while Oliver fought Amber. The Admin's Breloom attacked without mercy, launching a Sunny Day into the air before shooting Solar Beams at Oliver's birds, who retaliated with tactical dive-bombs and ranged attacks that the Breloom barely managed to continue dodging.

"Now, where were we?" Amber asked Oliver as she leveled her pistol at the man's head, only to hear Dawson swear. Amber turned around and saw that all of Dawson's Pokémon were knocked out, with Lt. Surge chuckling softly.

"That was nothing. I've fought kids stronger than this dick." Lt. Surge laughed, earning a middle finger from Dawson as he returned his Pokémon.

"Already? Dawson, how the hell do you kill anyone if you're an such an awful Trainer?" Amber demanded, with Dawson shrugging.

"Hey, I beat five Gyms back home! I'm sorry I'm not as strong as a damn Gym Leader going all-out!" Dawson yelled back at Amber, but then turned around as a squad of International Police members burst through the front of the complex. It was at that moment Amber and Dawson realized that the remaining Cipher grunts had been overwhelmed and were lying unconscious or dead on the Gym floor, leaving them to fight against everyone else all alone.

"Damn it! The plan's a bust! Avis, get us out of here!" Amber barked to the Xatu. However, it was clear Avis had her hands full as Oliver's Swellow and Gallade (who was riding atop the Swellow) were giving her issues as she soared through the air, fighting the two of them. Amber looked down and pointed at Lt. Surge and Oliver, ordering her Breloom. "Use Seed Bomb!"

"Loom!" the Pokémon replied, throwing a barrage of exploding seeds as Lt. Surge's Raichu and Electivire lunged at them. The two Pokémon backed off, and Amber turned to Dawson.

"Dawson, hold them back!" Amber ordered the other Admin, who grinned as he revived his Roselia and faced the International Police.

"That's it? You underestimate me. Roselia, Stun Spore!" Dawson barked as he drew out his signature weapon, a strange-looking and rather massive revolver with a glowing blue circle on the outside. The Roselia in front of him staggered to its feet and held out its petals, spraying the area in front of them with large burst of Stun Spore and halting the advancement of the police.

"Quick, blow it away!" Oliver ordered his Swellow as it smashed into Avis in the air, knocking away the Xatu and sending her crashing to the ground. The Swellow flapped its wings hard, blowing the powder into the air, which made Dawson grin.

"Cheers for that." Dawson remarked before he raised his pistol and fired it. A wicked boom erupted from the gun and what looked like a small blast of raw energy erupted from the gun, hitting one of the many spores in the air. The spore combusted instantly and exploded, which quickly resulted in a massive chain of explosions that consumed half of the Gym. Dawson whirled around and leapt back into the fray, kicking Lt. Surge in the chest while he was staring at the carnage.

"Don't ever count Dashing Dawson out of the race!" Dawson declared as he leapt back to avoid a punch from Oliver, who suddenly hurled his knife at the former bounty hunter from Hoenn. Dawson casually blasted it out of the air and pointed his Roselia forward, with the Thorn Pokémon firing off a barrage of Poison Sting at Lt. Surge. The man howled in pain as the attack struck his body, slicing through his skin and burning the wounds, before a Noctowl swooped down and blasted the Roselia with Psychic, knocking it out with ease.

"Aw shit…" Dawson hissed as his last Pokémon fell, with him returning it after a moment. He pulled out a sickle from his cloak and flipped it in his hands, glancing at the other fighters.

"Looks like I'll have to take them both on!" Amber snarled as she called out her Kingdra and Electivire to even the odds as Lt. Surge commanded his Pokémon forward, with Oliver doing the same and calling out a Dodrio. Amber rushed forward and ducked under a bolt of lightning to kick Lt. Surge in the face, leaping into the air as she did so and dropping to the ground, gritting her teeth in pain as she avoided a bullet to the face from the former soldier. Amber dodged a punch and delivered a series of swift kicks to the Gym Leader that did little but piss him off. Surge then grabbed the woman by the throat and hurled her across the floor, sending her crashing to the ground. Then, a bolt of lightning slammed into her, making her howl in agony and collapse onto the ground, her body twitching in pain.

Oliver lunged as Dawson and began to exchange blows with the man, his last knife clanging against Dawson's sickle. Despite his skill, the International Police member was surprised to find that Dawson was pushing him back, forcing him to defend after but a few brief moments of fighting.

"You want to know why they recruited me? Because unlike most of the other Admins, I know what it's like to take a life with your own two hands. And I know just how pointless this all is. So I'll kick your ass, save Amber's lovely ass, and then get my ass out of here!" Dawson remarked cheerily before Oliver suddenly kicked the man in the chest and threw his knife at Dawson, who dodged it with a laugh.

And then was promptly knocked to the ground by an angry Dodrio.

"Thanks partner. Now, we can-" Oliver began to say before an overwhelming wave of force suddenly washed over everyone, sending them all to the ground. Oliver staggered to his feet as Amber's Breloom helped the assassin up, with the two Trainers watching the source of the blast with awe. Avis and Oliver's Gallade were standing apart from one another, their eyes glowing like beacons as the air around them rippled. It was clear they were in a standoff of sorts, with the two being evenly matched in terms of psychic powers.

Amber grinned as she looked at Oliver before raising her pistol and shooting Oliver's Gallade in the chest.

"No!" Oliver screamed as his Gallade jerked back with a gasp, but that was all Avis needed. The Xatu flared her wings with a screech and the Gallade screamed and clutched his head before it began to twitch and shudder...And then it collapsed to the ground with blood dripping from its mouth, dead.

"Gallade...No." Oliver whispered, clenching his fists before whirling around to see Amber grinning evilly at him. "Lt. Surge, with all due respect. I'm killing her first."

Avis teleported beside Amber, seemingly smug. _"You are strong, as is your team. But I won't fail Amber. I'll die before I let her down."_

"Happy to oblige." Oliver snarled as he threw out a hand, with his Noctowl rushing forward alongside his Dodrio. Amber fired another shot at the Noctowl, who flapped its wings to dodge and fired a Shadow Ball at Avis. The Xatu teleported behind it and reappeared behind Oliver, who screamed as Psychic energy surged through him and flung him into the air. Oliver's Pokémon looked up in horror, which allowed Amber to call out commands to her Breloom, Xatu, and Electivire. Oliver's Noctowl saw the attacks streaking towards its Trainer as he fell to the ground again, with Swellow and Braviary rushing to save him. The Owl Pokémon flew as fast as it could, throwing itself in front of the barrage of attacks and attempted to divert them away with Psychic. However, it was quickly overwhelmed and every attack struck the Noctowl, who dropped to the ground with a sickening crunch that told Amber she had killed another of the man's Pokémon, even as he swooped down on his Swellow to the ground once again.

"Aerial Ace!" Oliver bellowed, with Dodrio, Swellow, and Braviary rushing forward and assaulting Amber and her team, knocking out her Breloom and forcing her Electivire to take massive damage, with even Avis having to Teleport away to avoid the bird's onslaught. Electivire released a Thunder on the Dodrio as it pecked him, knocking out the Triple Bird Pokémon and forcing Oliver to recall it.

"Dawson, you still managing?" Amber asked the other Admin as she stumbled backwards, trying to block out the pain she was in. Dawson been holding off Lt. Surge's Pokémon at bay with his pistol and with some backup from Amber's Kingdra, who looked ready to drop. However, she was pleased to see that half of Lt. Surge's Pokémon were down, with one of them looking quite dead if the circular hole in the Pachirisu's head wasn't a clear giveaway.

"Sort of. We're not going to hold out much longer, and those International Police guys are getting up!" Dawson yelled to Amber, who turned around to see that what the other Admin was saying was true. Plus, it looked like the regular police had just showed up as well. Amber turned back towards Oliver and was surprised to see him call out his final Pokémon, a strange sword-like Pokémon that held a shield in its hands.

"You ready for this?" Oliver asked the Aegislash floating beside him. The Royal Sword Pokémon simply hummed in response, which Oliver nodded to. Oliver sprinted towards Amber as his Pokémon were flung backwards with Psychic, sending them all to the ground as an exhausted Xatu collapsed next to her Trainer.

 _"I need time to recover. That took a lot out of me!"_ Avis warned Amber, who nodded and took a shuddering breath, glancing down at her mangled shoulder and the knife still embedded in her arm, with fresh blood streaming down it. Amber smiled, taking in the pain before looking to Oliver with an awful smile.

"Electivire, use Thunderbolt!" Amber commanded, with the Thunderbolt Pokémon unleashing its attack at the man running to them. Oliver stopped in his tracks and held out a hand.

"King's Shield!" Oliver hissed, with a hexagonal blue barrier springing up around him and his Aegislash, blocking the attack with ease. Amber's smile faded as Aegislash floated around, dropping the shield and rushing at Amber herself. The Royal Sword Pokémon forced the Admin back a few steps, slashing wildly at her before her Electivire stepped in, hitting the Pokémon with Thunder. The Aegislash powered through the attack and managed to deliver a Shadow Claw on Electivire. To the Admins' fury, she saw her Kingdra fall to the ground out of the corner of her eye, with Dawson swearing loudly and running back over to her as Amber returned her fallen Pokémon.

"Just Electivire and Avis left, and they're both exhausted from the looks of it." Dawson noted, with Oliver's Aegislash looming ahead of them and his birds circling overhead. Lt. Surge was slowly getting up, holding his bleeding leg and standing next to a very dead Electrode.

"Shit...Alright. Time for Plan B!" Amber yelled out as she sheathed her knife and pulled out an Poké Ball from her waist, looking down at it for a moment. Oliver and Lt. Surge saw that it had a glowing black crack running down the middle of it, and felt a strange sense of fear welling up from within them.

"Umbral Rhyperior! Slaughter them all!" Amber yelled out as she threw the ball skyward and released the beast within. A purple jet of let erupted from the ball as it opened, with the light forming into a creature that didn't...quite look right.

While it was indeed a Rhyperior, it certainly wouldn't be considered a normal Rhyperior. For one thing, the entirety of its body was now a dark purple color, mutated to a horrifying extent. The horn on its head was now adorned with twisted red grooves and spikes, with the normally reddish-orange eyes of the creature now completely white.

"What the hell is that thing?" Lt. Surge asked aloud, scowling.

"That's your backup plan!? Are you nuts!?" Dawson barked at Amber, who just shrugged.

"Sort of. Long story. But yes, Dawson, this is my ace in the hole. Umbral Rhyperior is untested, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to give this thing a trial run." Amber responded as she tapped the breastplate of her armor, which released a white glow of sorts. Rhyperior stiffened slightly, but otherwise continued to stare forward, as if nothing was out of place.

"Rhyperior. Kill all hostiles in sight." Amber ordered the creature, who didn't move an inch, save for a slight intake of air Amber barely heard.

"It...can hear you, right?" Dawson asked Amber, who nodded.

"Curious...I'll have it use a move then. Rhyperior...use Umbral Uprising!" Amber commanded the monster in front of her, with everyone else frozen in horror at the abomination before them. The Umbral Pokémon didn't respond right away, instead it continued to breath in and out deeply, ignoring the command.

"Electivire, use Brick Break!" Lt. Surge barked, not taking any chances with this new weapon Amber had called out. The Thunderbolt Pokémon rushed forward with a glowing hand, roaring as it swung down its hand and connected with the chest of the Umbral Rhyperior. The beast didn't even register the attack, despite it knocking the creature back a step. Electivire leapt back, snorting as a shiver ran down it.

"What's it doing?" Dawson asked, genuinely confused.

"Looks like you're little pet monster is defective." Oliver remarked as he pointed forward. "Swellow, Braviary. Steel Wing!"

"Oh, it's not broken. We're pretty sure that this is an attack that requires a charge up. Rhyperior, if you would?" Amber asked the creature standing beside her, a devil's grin on her face.

To everyone's collective horror, Rhyperior seemed to shudder to life, its head snapping up robotically as the two birds shot towards it with great speed. The monster couldn't react in time to stop the double Steel Wing attack that made it stumble backwards again, but the beast simply let out what the onlookers took to be a strangled roar of pain before it's eyes began to burn with shadow-like flames, a wraith of darkness suddenly enveloping its arms as well.

The beast then swung its down its arms with a furious scream, the impact shaking the floor of the entire gym. The moment the Drill Pokémon's arms hit the ground, roughly a dozen jet black portals opened up on the floor and massive black pillars of spiked rock columns erupted out of the ground with startling speed, allowing the police and Gym Trainers no time to avoid it. Each of the spikes shimmered and were razor sharp, easily slicing apart flesh and metal like they were nothing and coating the floor of the Gym with crimson as dozens were slashed and impaled.

"No!" Surge yelled out, throwing himself to the side as he watched his precious Gym get destroyed by the criminals. The Gym Leader fired his pistol at the Umbral Rhyperior, but the bullets did nothing to the Drill Pokémon, nor did the electricity surging into it from Lt. Surge's remaining Pokémon.

Oliver's Aegislash floated in front of the man and called forth King's Shield, which held back of the spikes of the attack before shattering the shield and hitting the Aegislash, throwing Oliver back and knocking out the Royal Sword Pokémon. Oliver slowly got to his feet, watching with cold horror in his heart as Amber's Umbral Pokémon destroyed everything in its path with more roaring from the beast as it summoned more and more spiked pillars, slaughtering everything it could see. The deadly spires tore through the floor, ceiling, and anything that was remotely near it, impaling both human and Pokémon alike and leaving nothing but destruction behind. The only thing audible as metal and earth was ripped apart was Amber's mirthless laughter at the sight of her latest weapon's power.

"Borlath...You've outdone yourself this time. Kanto is ours." Amber whispered as she surveyed the destruction, taking note that there were a few Gym Trainers and officers that had managed to escape with minor injuries, sending out more Pokémon to attack the Umbral Pokémon and put a stop to the carnage.

"What the hell...What have they done?" Oliver whispered as he looked across the destroyed Gym, eyeing the slaughter with growing anger and disgust. He pointed at Umbral Rhyperior, which had snatched up an Arbok by the tail and throwing it around like it was a plaything, though the Pokémon was already a dead, bloody mess.

"Kill that thing! Use everything you've got to put it down!" Oliver ordered his birds, who nodded loyally and shot towards the Ground/Rock. Oliver grit his teeth as his birds attacked from afar, knowing that they couldn't do very much damage to the beast due to their typing and knowing that if they got too close, they'd be killed without much effort.

"You all knew this was coming. And yet you still think we wouldn't have a backup plan?" Amber asked as she gestured to Oliver's birds. "Electivire, use Thunder Wave to bring them within range so Umbral Rhyperior can kill them."

"Not a chance!" Oliver barked as he pulled out two Poké Balls and returned the birds from afar, clipping the balls to his belt and swearing softly. He then noticed that Umbral Rhyperior had dropped the dead Arbok in its hands and was trembling, its entire body quaking for some reason. Then, the beast fell to its hands and knees, panting labored breaths.

"Damn. It needed more time to recover. Dawson, sound the retreat. Without Rhyperior we really don't stand much of a chance here as injured as we are." Amber sighed as she returned her Rhyperior, with the Umbral Pokémon vanishing into its ball to the collective relief of everyone. The assassin fell to one knee, panting as her wounds began to take their toll on her.

"Amber...Is my Shadow Torkoal really going to become something like that? That was horrific...That was _awful."_ Dawson asked, giving Amber a hard look.

"It's necessary. And I'll admit, amusing as hell to use. I don't know what Borlath used to stabilize the process for making these things, but whatever that venom was, its effective. Who would've thought a neurotoxin would've done the trick?" Amber asked Dawson, who scowled, but didn't have time to respond as a gunshot rang out and Dawson cried out as a bullet slammed into his leg, sending him to the ground. Amber whirled around and saw Surge sprinting towards them, his Raichu and Magnezone racing alongside them as lightning shot towards them. Oliver swooped down as well, each of his birds using Aerial Ace.

"Protect!" Amber snarled as Avis teleported to them again, conjuring a shield. The slew of attacks smashed against the shield, nearly breaking it instantly, but it was enough time for the two Admins to be teleported away by the Xatu, leaving Oliver and Surge behind with a destroyed Gym.

"I tried to warn you, Surge." Oliver began to say, his head swiveling around in case another attack was coming. He made a move to send out his Gallade, before remembering how his trusted friend had fallen thanks to Amber. Oliver felt his heart crack, nearly stumbling forward as he tried to keep his composure.

" _Gallade...Noctowl...I'm so sorry."_ Oliver thought as he took a calming breath, reigning in his emotions. There'd be time to grieve later. For now, there was work to do. He took a moment to think about his fallen teammates before returning Aegislash and the two corpses.

"Yeah, I know. Bitch killed half my team, most of my Gym Trainers, and what looks like most of the crew we had set up for this trap. Now all that's left to do is figure out what the weird Pokémon Fontaine used was. Looked like no Rhyperior I've ever seen, that's for sure." Surge remarked as he dug into his pocket and pulled out a carton of cigarettes. The man snagged one free from the box and lit one, inhaling softly and blowing out smoke a moment later. "I'll kill her. Slowly and painfully. I don't care what it takes."

"Trust me, after what Amber did to Erika and my team, you're getting in like right behind me, my friend. That said, it is weird that they attacked in such a fashion. If I didn't know any better, this kidnapping attempt felt more like they were trying to kill you rather than take you." Oliver remarked, making Surge shrug. Both men flinched as the stone pillars around them crumbled away into darkness around them, causing the bodies of the slain to drop to the ground.

"Well...I'm going to have nightmares tonight." Oliver declared as he rubbed his temples, his Swellow and Braviary nodding in agreement.

"Our plan worked and threw them off. Even if we suffered loses, that pair probably won't be able to do much for a while, even if they survive their injuries. Besides the two Admins, every other Cipher member died today." Lt. Surge said as he turned to one of the few surviving Gym Trainers. The Gym Leader opened his mouth to speak when an alarm started beeping around the Gym.

"SECURITY BREACH. RED ALERT. SECURITY BREACH. RED ALERT. SECURITY BREACH. RED ALERT."

"The hell is that?" Oliver asked, but the Gym Trainer answered.

"This Gym isn't just a Gym, as you know. It's a bunker of sorts. It's not only where we've been holding that Shadow Moltres, but we've also been protecting people and housing them in the facility underground." The Gym Trainer answered, shrugging.

"Meaning...Someone just tried to break in." Oliver responded, with Surge slowly looking at him in horror before sprinting to the back of the Gym. Oliver caught up to the man as he got to the wall and pressed his hand against it. The wall shimmered and vanished in a flash of light, revealing an elevator that they hopped into. The two Trainers descended downwards, with Surge swearing under his breath.

"Why would they try and take back Moltres is they were trying to kidnap me?" Lt. Surge asked Oliver, who shook his head.

"I think it'd be dumb to try and kidnap you in the first place. You've got an infamous reputation." Oliver replied, but he frowned after a moment. "Laura said that Cipher had plans for a kidnapping and attack on the Vermilion City Gym. But she didn't say _who_ they were kidnapping. Maybe they're going after someone else here?"

Oliver looked at Lt. Surge, and was alarmed to see the hardened soldier's face suddenly turn to horror and go deathly white.

"What is it?" Oliver asked the man, who walked over to the control panel in the life and jammed his finger against the down button, which oddly enough actually did make the lift go faster.

"I've been sheltering people in witness protection for years down here. But more importantly, this is where my home is. My wife and son are down here too!" Surge responded to Oliver, who swore softly and pulled out his pistol, handing it to the Gym Leader.

The lift arrived at its destination a few moments later, with Lt. Surge speeding out of the elevator and down the hallway. Oliver tried to keep up with the man as they turned down a series of hallways, arriving at a room decorated with stars and lightning bolts. Lt. Surge opened the door and said, "Sam, is everything…?"

Lt. Surge trailed off, staring into the room with a terrified expression on his face. Oliver peered into the room and went cold as he heard a sob coming from the blonde-haired boy in the room that had to be the Gym Leader's son…

That was sitting on the floor beside Amber Fontaine with a silver knife at his neck.

"Shh...don't cry." Amber whispered, slowly pressing the blade into Sam's neck. One of her eyes was shut, with the other barely open, as if she was about to fall asleep. Amber's armor was drenched in her own blood, but she still managed a demented joyless smile. Lt. Surge took a step back as blood begin to flow from the small cut Amber had made to his son's neck, and the assassin lowered her knife slightly, though the child in Amber's grip shivered in sheer terror.

"D-dad...it hurts." Sam whispered, his voice trembling.

"Sammy, it's going to be okay." Lt. Surge said weakly to his son before looking at Amber. "You bitch...I'm going to tear your throat out." Surge snarled, clenching his fists and nearly breaking the magnum in his hands. Dawson was sitting on the child's bed, his expression pained.

"Don't make a move, or the kid dies. Please don't do it, man. Amber doesn't give a shit and doesn't need a reason to kill your son." Dawson said to Lt. Surge, almost pleadingly. Amber chuckled softly, drawing the attention back to her.

"You think we wanted to kidnap _you_? Hardly. We just need some leverage. Bring Shadow Moltres to...to the Kanto Superdome in two weeks time, the night of the big Crimson Dawn concert. Me and Sam are going to be attending the show, because I assure you it will be one to remember. Feel free to bring as much backup as you want. You'll need it. Or come alone. Your choice." Amber replied with a evil smile, her Xatu laughing softly above her.

Before the Gym Leader could do or say anything, the killer, her Xatu, her accomplice,and his son vanished before his eyes. The soldier fell to his knees, staring forward in shocked horror before he suddenly let out a scream of fear, anger, and sorrow. Oliver put a hand on the man's shoulder while radioing in to his superiors. Things had just gotten a little more complicated.

* * *

"Nanu, you're really hitting it hard today, huh?"

"If I wanted your opinion, I would have asked, Jackal."

Commander Jack watched with mild amusement as Nanu slammed down another drink, something called the Captain's Demise. Oddly grim, considering the fact that Acerola was technically under Nanu's care and the girl was a Captain, but who was he to try and talk sense into Nanu?

"I'm just saying. Take it from a guy who tried to drown his sorrows and found the experience lacking." Jack replied, though that wasn't to say he hadn't had a few drinks already. Good thing he wasn't planning on driving today.

"You have got to be kidding me."

Jack and Nanu looked behind them to see a Olivia standing behind them, wearing a scowl of disapproval at the sight of the two men drinking in a bar together.

"I leave you two idiots alone for ten minutes and you're getting _drunk_? We have things to do!" Olivia nearly shouted, barely restraining herself as Jack offered her a lopsided smirk.

"I don't see what the problem is. Too bitter souls are sharing a drink together. What's so bad about that?" Jack asked the Kahuna, who rolled her eyes and took a seat beside them.

"What's bad is that you two are supposed to be looking into leads regarding Cipher, and you're here drinking. Like...I can't even wrap my head around this! Cipher is prowling around on this island right now! We've had confirmed reports of five sightings and two Pokémon thefts because of them. We've got to get on them now before people start dying!" Olivia yelled at the two men, who both shrugged.

"Again, you're asking a lot of me. The only reason I came with you in the first place was so I could keep busy, and not think about losing everything I ever loved." Jack replied darkly, making Olivia flinch in response. For a moment, she had forgotten what Jack had lost and knew that asking anything of the old hero was asking quite a bit, even if she was the Kahuna of Akala Island.

"Alright. Good point, sir. But Nanu! You should know better by now. You think Acerola likes seeing you do this to yourself?" Olivia asked Nanu, who offered her a dull look.

"You think I'm going to stop my occasional drinking because of her? Fat chance. She knows better than that." Nanu replied, making Olivia sigh angrily in response.

"You're hurting her when you show how much you don't care. You know that, right?" Olivia asked the older Kahuna, who shrugged.

"I know. And honestly, I don't care. I hurt everyone I'm around. It's why I'm best to be left alone. So no one has to suffer with my presence. You wouldn't understand, Olivia. Barkeep, another drink." Nanu replied as Olivia shook her head in disgust.

"Don't feel so bad, Olivia. He cares about Acerola. He just hates showing it. If anything happened to that girl, the old man wouldn't know what to do with himself. Just like me." Jack replied with a broken grin. Olivia honestly didn't know what to say to that. While she was familiar with Nanu's background, she didn't know why the man had such a dour outlook on life. And as for Jack...Well, she didn't blame him for wanting an end to his misery. If she had endured what he had, she wouldn't know how to cope either.

"By the Tapu...actually, fuck that saying." Nanu began to say, realizing how he was starting his thought off. "Anyways, as I was trying to say, this conversation is getting way too touchy-feely. How about we turn that over to you, Jack?"

"Me? Nanu, you've had too much to drink and so have I. I shouldn't be doing anything except ordering more...Speaking of…" Jack turned to the barkeep and signalled to him that Jack wanted another drink, which the man received. Olivia rolled her eyes, but ordered a water and joined the two men at the bar.

"Now that we've all got something to water our throats, I've got a question for you, Commander Jack. Now that you've reached the breaking point, that point where you question your worth and wonder why you even bother anymore...Why do you?" Nanu asked softly, leaning his head down. His eyes were unfocused, but when he turned his head towards his friend there was an alertness to them that Jack hadn't seen in a while.

Jack thought about it for a few minutes, with Olivia sitting silently beside the two old gunslingers, now sitting in a bar trying to keep the bitter memories and weight of the past off their shoulders. Jack shook his head, unable to come up with an answer.

"You should know my answer better than anyone, Nanu. After the Ruby Raiders were gone and the lovebirds left to make the Aether Paradise, I was kind of alone to deal with the fallout. Once my career was over and I quit the International Police, I kept going because of Clara and Sonya. And now they're gone...So what do I live for? What's the point in going on?" Jack asked with a bitter smile, downing the rest of his drink with a shudder.

"All I have left is to fight. I'm going to fight...because life's unfair. This world is a terrible place, and there's innocents I can help somehow. Just like with that girl the other day. Sweet little thing that just wanted to help her little Pokémon. Made me remember my oath, even if that's from my old life." Jack responded to Olivia, who looked surprised. She had heard about Jack encountering Professor Kukui's assistant, Lillie, the other day after saving her life from Team Skull, but she was surprised the girl had left such an impression on the jaded old veteran.

"I'm miserable, depressed, and just waiting for something to put me out of my goddamn misery already, but until that joyful day I'm going to fight for other people. Call me soft-hearted if you want, Nanu, but it's the truth. I'm going down swinging because its all I have left." Jack said to the Kahuna, who looked forward and didn't respond except by finishing off his drink and ordering another, swaying slightly on his chair.

"Well said, Commander. Although I'm not familiar with the...Ruby Raiders, myself. What were they like?" Olivia asked the man beside her, who sighed.

"Not a memory I want to revisit. Let's just say that before Team Skull, we had an actual crime problem with some idiots who fashioned themselves as pirates. They stole Pokémon and loved to cause trouble, and did it all with swords and Pokémon. They wore ruby-colored outfits and made my life hell. Hence the name the Ruby Raiders. While the Ruby Raiders were a nasty bunch, they weren't stupid and made some interesting enemies. And putting them down, while the highlight of my career, also became the last thing I did." Jack muttered the last part that Olivia frowned at.

"How so?" The Kahuna asked, with Jack shaking his head.

"Turns out the guy in charge…Ugh, no. I'm not revisiting this." Jack decided, making Olivia blink. Jack ordered another drink while Nanu laughed softly beside them.

"The guy in charge was a traitorous piece of shit. Before Alola was the tourist hotspot it is now, it was struggling to find a place in the industry many years ago. That is, until a business tycoon named Roran Rubinara sunk millions upon millions into kickstarting hotels, promotion, and all sorts of stuff. The guy was a hero to a lot of people and made the country the number one tourist spot in the world...And then it turned out he was in charge of a group of cutthroats, and running the show in the criminal underworld of Alola. Jack here made a ragtag team of sorts and ended the Ruby Raiders, but Roran slipped away, and used every bit of power he had left to destroy Jack's law enforcement career. That's the story in a nutshell, but there's a lot more to it." Nanu explained as he leaned back, blinking a few times. "Well...Looks like I'm not driving home."

"You weren't driving regardless, Nanu." Jack muttered, shaking his head with a rough chuckle.

"True. Very true." Nanu agreed, leaning forward and pressing his head against the table. A few moments later the Kahuna had passed out.

"Wuss." Jack muttered as he waved at the bartender. "We're done here...Put it on my tab."

"Great. Now we have to get him home and explain to Acerola why she's got to take care of this drunk prick the whole day." Olivia remarked before a massive ghost suddenly leapt out of Jack's shadow.

"It's better than making sure the Commander doesn't act out his desires and do something harmful to his health." Gretel the Dusknoir remarked, shaking her head as she floated to Jack, who laughed softly.

"Yeah, yeah...Olivia, we're taking a rain check for today. If you want Cipher shit, go find them. Can't be that hard." Jack mumbled before Gretel pulled Jack into a hug, easily lifting up the massive man.

"I do apologize for this, Miss Olivia. I'll keep him safe, if you can get Mister Nanu back home. I wish you the best of luck in your investigation. Once the Commander is back on his feet, he'll be helping out again. I assure you." Gretel promised before she sunk into her shadow, leaving the two Kahuna's behind. Nanu stirred somewhat, waking up from his brief nap with a groan as he lifted his head up, gagging slightly.

Olivia face-palmed, sighing deeply before she turned to Nanu and grabbed the man by the shoulders, pulling him towards her as she prepared to make a phone call to Acerola to pick up Nanu.

Nanu delayed that call by promptly throwing up on Olivia.

* * *

Lillie hadn't felt this happy in quite some time. And not just because she hadn't been thrown up on by a drunk old man, like a very unhappy Kahuna had been during the last scene.

She knew it was selfish of her, but she couldn't help it. Lillie was happiest when all of her friends were with her, instead of on their journeys. She loved being able to talk with Hau and get hugs from Sun, and spend the evenings learning about Aria's adventures in Unova with Wes, Vivian and Noah, and staying up reading with Professor Burnet while curled up on the couch with Nebby while he slept. She couldn't stop smiling from sheer joy, surrounded by all of these kind people who cared about Lillie because she was Lillie, and not because she was a living object to be displayed for the sake of beauty.

That was why she was going to make the most of the time she had to spend with them. She almost didn't want to sleep at night, thinking it was a waste of time she could be using to spend time with her friends. However, Professor Burnet and Kukui shot down this line of logic, pointing out that she'd just be tired come daytime and Lillie wouldn't be able to enjoy that time.

The day before Lillie's birthday, Lillie overheard Sun talking to Hau about how he needed to take drastic measures in order to find Lillie a special gift that stood out. According to Sun, he had already bought his friend two gifts, but he wanted a really special one that would really make her happy. Lillie felt guilty that her crush was going so far out of his way to make her happy, but on the other hand…

She hadn't properly celebrated a birthday since her father had vanished. Since then, she and Gladion and only had each other to celebrate each others birthdays, and could only do so much. Once Miss Wicke had joined the Aether Foundation, she had helped the children celebrate their birthdays properly, but even then...without their mother or father present for them, it just wasn't the same.

Mother had always dismissed the idea of celebrating birthdays as superfluous nonsense. Considering that she was into forties and passed for a teenager at a glance, maybe this was understandable. But still...Lillie missed the large parties her parents had used to throw, and the times of happiness that her family had shared together.

"Lillie?"

The girl in question snapped out her daze as she saw Sun and Hau looking at her with concern. Lillie smiled sheepishly and said, "Sorry. I was spacing out again. What were you saying?"

"I said that my Mom is taking me to see the psychiatrist in three days, and that after that me and Hau are going to go to Konikoni City to meet with Olivia. You know, to schedule our Grand Trial?" Sun said to Lillie, who nodded in reply.

"So if that's happening three days from now, what do you two want to do today?" Lillie asked, knowing full well Sun and Hau wanted to get her gifts. However, she wanted to see what kind of excuses they would use to try and hide the surprise.

Sun coughed awkwardly, being put on the spot. "Well, I think me and Hau are going to do some...well…"

"We're buying you presents." Hau stated, earning a glare from Sun. "Dude, I don't have all to watch you try and fail to make up a reason. She knows anyway, don't you Lillie?"

Lillie grinned and nodded, with Sun sighing softly and saying, "Fine! That's what we're doing!"

"You both really don't have to-" Lillie began to say, but Sun held up a hand, cutting her off.

"We've discussed this. You're getting presents. And we're going to have an awesome party and you're going to be happy. Deal?" Sun said in a businesslike tone that made Lille laugh a little.

"Of course, Mister Smiles." Lillie replied teasingly, making Hau burst into giggles as Sun sighed.

"I hate my name." Sun stated before he turned around and began walking over to his Pokémon, who were currently embroiled in a big game of tag.

Apparently the second and first floor of the massive Dimensional Research Lab contained a large area that resembled a grassy plain, complete with grass, trees, flowing water and plenty of room for Pokémon to frolic and enjoy themselves. This was where Sun and Hau's teams were indeed enjoying themselves, with Nebby also floating around the room with a joyful smile on his face.

"We've been doing some searching as of late, but with the storm going on outside, I can't really find a third gift that really stands out." Sun remarked before he stopped himself, realizing Lillie was frowning at him. "No, it's no bother! Don't give me those sad eyes!"

"Sun, you really don't have to go so far out of your way for me." Lillie said quietly, but was cut off when Sun stepped forward and hugged the girl, making her squeak and blush in reply.

"Yes I do. Because you'd do the same for me and Hau." Sun let go of the sputtering girl and leaned over to mutter to Hau, "What did you get her, anyway?"

"Like I'd tell you." Hau replied, smirking as Sun stuck his tongue out at the other boy.

"Anyways, it's not like I can go through the city right now as it is with that nasty storm going on outside." Sun remarked, referencing the storm that had been going on for about three hours now. As if on cue, thunder boomed overhead, making the trio flinch slightly.

"I was planning on going for a run through the city after lunch. But this rain put a stop to those plans." Sun remarked, with Hau scoffing.

"No kidding. What kind of psychopath would go running through a rainstorm like this?" Hau demanded, crossing his arms.

At that moment, Professor Kukui walked into the room drenched to the bone and wearing a tracksuit, looking slightly out of breath. All three children stared at the man for a few moments before Hau turned back around with a deadpan expression on his face.

"Okay. What kind of psychopath would go running in a storm like this, _besides Professor Kukui?_ " Hau said to the two children as the Professor walked past them to call out his Pokémon.

* * *

Meanwhile...

* * *

As the rain poured down on Akala Island, a large man dressed in blue pants and wearing a blue mask jogged down the sidewalk with a Floatzel, Poliwrath, and a Quagsire running alongside him, humming loudly to accompany the man's singing, which went a little something like this.

 _Oh my name is Crasher Wake!_

 _My singing makes my foes quake!_

 _This rain feels like a lake!_

 _Uh...I really like eating cake! Wahahaha!"_

* * *

"So, you kids having a powwow until the storm blows over?" Kukui asked as he walked over to them, watching as Winter the Alolan Vulpix ran over to Brago and began to chat with the Growlithe. Kukui narrowed his eyes slightly with he saw the two Pokémon nuzzle each other, but decided to ignore it for now and address the two Trainers and his assistant.

"We're discussing Lillie's birthday presents. Mainly because Hau has no tact." Sun remarked, with Lillie and Kukui nodding in agreement while Hau rolled his eyes.

"Well, the storm should blow over in a little while. I got loads of new move info about Water-type moves, so now now I'm able to focus on some fun stuff for a while, yeah!" Kukui boomed happily before he sat down on the ground.

"But first. I'm going to use Rest and take a well-earned nap." Kukui stated before he shut his eyes and laid down on the ground. Within moments he was snoring softly, to the bewilderment of Hau and Sun.

"He does that a lot more frequently than you think. At least this time he's not standing up." Lillie remarked with a small smile.

"Right...Well, I guess we'll head out after the storm is done then." Sun remarked with a small sigh, trying to rack his brain for ideas.

Sun wanted Lillie to have the best birthday possible. That's why he had settled on getting her multiple gifts for her birthday, instead of just one. Hau hadn't gone that route, settling on one gift. However, he did like Sun's plan for Lillie's gifts and encouraged him to find one final gift. Sun's plan was to get Lillie a bunch of new books for her birthday, and while he had found two that he thought the Princess would enjoy, he wanted to find a very special third book.

Sun had been searching all throughout Heahea City for books about the Tapu and their Ruins as his third gift. After all, it would assist Lillie with her quest to help Nebby, and he knew that it would make her happy. And that was the most important thing to Sun.

So, after bidding farewell to his crush and Hau, Sun began to wander the streets of Heahea City with his Pokémon traveling alongside him. Brago was annoyed at this, since he had been enjoying a nap with Winter before being whisked away for an endless walk through the city, but wherever his Alpha went, he followed.

"I wish there was a way I could track down more bookstores here. You'd be amazed at the lack of serious knowledge about the Tapu that isn't at some library at Malie City. Which doesn't help me, since its on the next island over." Sun grunted as he kicked a can that was on the ground.

 _"Perhaps you should reconsider your gift? Maybe give her something shiny?"_ Oliver suggested with a laugh as he swooped by.

 _"He wants to help her with the Cosmog child. That's what you said, right Trainer?"_ Penny asked Sun, who nodded. _"So something shiny would be useless."_

 _"I bet showing her your interest in her would make her quite happy as well."_ Brago remarked with a small laugh, earning a glare from Sun.

Yes. His Pokémon knew all about his crush on Lillie. The worst part was that he told _none of them about this._ They had all figured it out on their own. It was even more embarrassing because none of the Pokémon knew about the subtleties of human courtship. And while Sun wasn't much better off, he knew that there were some things you couldn't do to win a girl's heart.

"I'm not going to do that now. Not on her birthday. She needs to have the best birthday possible, and I'm not going to risk ruining it by telling Lillie about my crush on her." Sun replied to Brago, who just grinned back at him.

 _"Very well."_ Brago relented, though Sun wasn't happy that the canine was still smiling.

"How are things going with you and Winter, anyway?" Sun asked Brago, who's smile widened.

 _"Well. She was receptive to my feelings and returns them. And...It's nice getting to spend time with her again. Though I'll admit, it's a little embarrassing to try and battle her. As lovely as she is, I am no match for a daughter of the mountain snow."_ Brago explained with a small shiver, remembering how the Alolan Vulpix had beaten him soundly in a battle the other day. Not his proudest moment. Oliver snickered at Brago, who snapped at the bird with his teeth and made Oliver fly away with a laugh.

 _"Keep laughing, Oliver! Last time I checked, Penny thinks your feathers looked withered and ugly!"_ Brago yelled to Oliver, who's eyes widened in horror and anger.

 _"I do NOT think that._ " Penny said pointedly to Brago as Oliver dove down to them, ready to unleash owl fury. At Penny's words, Oliver looked at his friend in surprise and stopped in his tracks.

 _"Really? So what do you think of them?"_ Oliver asked, seemingly _very_ interested in Penny's opinion now. Sun and Brago were both laughing now, as Oliver was moving closer to Penny who was looking distinctly uncomfortable by the situation. Brago spotted something behind Sun and nudged his Trainer.

 _"Alpha, I believe I see friends of yours."_ Brago pointed with his paw behind Sun, who turned around to see Sina and Dexio crossing the street and approaching him, both of them smiling at him.

"Alola!" Sina and Dexio greeted Sun as they waved their hands. Sun smiled at the two older Trainers from Kalos and greeted them in kind.

"What are you two doing out here? I figured the storm would have chased you two back to the hotels?" Sun said to the Masked Heroes of Kalos.

"Not a chance! Besides, a little bit of rain never hurt anyone." Dexio remarked with a grin, thought Sina sighed in response.

"Didn't hurt you maybe. You're not the one who wore white today and got caught in the rain." Sina lamented, making Sun and oddly enough, Dexio blush at that mental image.

"A-anyways, my young friend, what brings you here? And with your Pokémon no less?" Dexio asked the boy, who sighed.

"I've been trying to hunt down a bookstore so I could find a special book on the Tapu. You know, to give to Lillie as a birthday present. But I'm having no luck." Sun explained to the duo, who nodded understandingly.

"That is a quandary. After all, you wish for your _petite amie_ to have the best birthday possible, yes?" Sina remarked, putting a hand on her chin with a teasing smile on her face while Sun scowled at her. _Petite amie_ meant girlfriend in Kalosian, and the only reason he knew that was because Lillie had already translated that phrase for him the first time he had heard Sina and Dexio say it.

"Are you two coming to the party?" Sun asked, curious about that and shoving aside his annoyance for now. The duo were frequent visitors to the Dimensional Research Lab and were friends to everyone. It'd be a shame if they missed out.

"Naturally! We have also procured gifts for _Mademoiselle_ Lillie. However, I do not think that any gift we get will outdo you, my friend." Dexio replied with a smile, putting a hand on his hip.

"I don't know about that. Say, have you two seen any good bookstores around the city?" Sun asked the two Trainers before quickly rattling off a list of stores he had already been too.

"Non! None that you haven't already been to. But I have an idea. I do believe there is a small series of shops and stalls and the like by the docks that are celebrating some small local celebration. Perhaps you can find a shop amongst the stalls that deals in books?" Sina suggested, making Sun grin in response.

"That's better than wandering around aimlessly. Thanks you two, I'll check it out!" Sun said to the duo before he charged off, leaving the foreign Trainers behind.

Sun arrived at the docks in record time, but then had to spend a portion of that time drinking some water and sitting down to catch his breath. After making a promise to work out more, he began to search through the dozens of tents and stalls that had been erected on the street with the ocean glistening in the background.

Sadly, a quick look through the tents and wares didn't reveal anything he thought would help him. Certainly no books, that was for sure. That wasn't to say there weren't food vendors he didn't buy from and fed to his team while they helped him search, but he didn't find a single person there that sold books. Even when he asked them about the Tapu, none of them could give him information that wasn't common knowledge.

"Man...I'm never going to find Lillie's book at this rate." Sun sighed angrily, taking off his cap and wiping the sweat from his brow. He had returned his team at this point, since the crowd had thickened and people were giving him glares for hogging the road. Sun was about to turn around and head back to the Dimensional Research Lab in defeat when a loud, cheerful voice called out to him.

"Book huh? Well, come on over here then!"

Sun turned around and saw a small stall he hadn't noticed before. It was surrounded by crates of books, though that was hardly the only thing there. The stall had the contents of what looked like an antique store there, with all sorts of baubles and trinkets draped over the table that glimmered and shined in the Alola sun.

Seated at the stall was a woman wearing a tattered tan cloak, a hood obscuring most of the woman's face. Sun walked over to the woman, smiling at her and noticing that a large tent was set up behind the woman and that there was someone rummaging around inside of the tent, at least from what Sun could tell.

"Well...You got my attention. Weird place to set up an antique stall." Sun remarked, before a shout made him jump.

"It's not antiques! I worked hard to find these, I'll have you know!" came another woman's voice. Sun blinked as a woman slipped out from the tent, with dark skin and dressed in blue jeans and a black t-shirt, but what stood out was the black and pink hair the woman had and the electric blue eyes she possessed. Sun couldn't help but feel, as the woman locked eyes with the boy and smiled, that this woman was not someone you should cross.

"Layla, you're scaring the boy." The cloaked woman remarked, earning a scoff from the other woman.

"I doubt someone like me could scare a Trial-Goer. So, boy...I'm going to educate you. My little business here collects treasures from all around the world and studies them. What we can't glean information from, we sell. Books, gems, art, you name it. Layla's got the best of all of it." The owner of the stall proclaimed, a weird grin on her face. Sun couldn't place it, but something felt off about the woman.

"So if she's Layla…" Sun turned to the cloaked woman, who laughed softly in reply.

"You may call me the Lorekeeper. My name is of no consequence to you... _Yet_." The woman replied, grinning underneath her hood. Sun saw that the woman was probably in her early twenties, with black hair and gleaming crimson eyes that bespoke incredible mischievousness.

"Yet? _That's not totally ominous or anything. Man, why do I feel like...both of these women are terrifying in their own ways?"_ Sun thought with a shiver before Rotom Dex suddenly hopped out of his backpack.

" _Zzzt! Sun, I'm sensing a new kind of Pokémon nearby, but something interfering with my functionzz! Something's going weird!"_ Rotom declared as it landed on Sun's head.

"Huh. Haunted Pokédex? That's a new one." The Lorekeeper muttered, cocking her head for a moment before shaking it. "Distracted. Anyways, little guy, I've got plenty of books for you to look at! Anything in particular you're looking for?"

"Old legends, fairy tales, stuff like that. Especially if it has to do with the Tapu in any way." Sun asked the woman, who turned to Layla with a hidden grin.

"Say anything, and I'm smiting you." Layla remarked, with the Lorekeeper turning around and pouting.

The Lorekeeper smiled and said in her cheery voice, "Well, we've got a few books on that, actually. Sinnoh storybooks, Unovan legends, and some super old stories about the Tapu and the Ruins as well."

 _"Wow! Soundzz like you've got a treasure trove of knowledge on you!"_ Rotom declared excitedly, buzzing with energy.

"I'll take that last one!" Sun said to the Lorekeeper, but Layla interjected.

"Why do you want to know about the Ruins and Tapu?" Layla asked suspiciously, crossing her arms.

"My friend's birthday is tomorrow, and she's really interested in anything she can learn about the Tapu. It's really important to her. And because of that, I'm looking for books or information to help her." Sun explained to the two women, with the Lorekeeper bursting into giggles.

"Sounds adorable. But I can help with that. Especially since you're a Trainer with power, and that always interests me." The Lorekeeper replied as she began sifting through her books while Sun looked at her oddly.

"How can you tell I have power? Is it because of my Z-Ring?" Sun asked the Lorekeeper, but it was Layla who answered.

"Seasoned Trainers, much like Pokémon, can sense power. Even if it is untapped potential, much like what we both can see in you, young one." Layla replied, her unnerving smile widening. "It's odd. Your mind is a complicated one, full of pain. But also with endless kindness and a forgiving heart. Be wary of your darkness, child, and don't let the pain consume you. If you allow yourself to wallow in your suffering, you will become just like Alola's fallen child."

"W-what?" Sun asked, thrown completely off by the woman's random burst of foresight.

"She's rambling. Ignore her." The Lorekeeper said before she pulled out a small leather book four small jewels on the front of it. "I found it! _Nā Waiʻi o Alola: He Mōʻaukala."_

"Which means?" Sun asked.

 _"The Ruins of Alola: A History."_ Layla translated, with the Lorekeeper sighing in relief.

"Thanks. I can't speak Alolan, so I had no idea what that said." The Lorekeeper admitted with a small laugh, making Layla giggle as well.

"That's why it's so funny when I give you bad translations and watch you make a fool of yourself when you try to socialize like a normal person." Layla remarked, earning a glare from the Lorekeeper.

"Giving wrong translations...Like what?" Sun asked, worried that Hau might someone acquire this idea and start messing with him.

"Oh, it's fantastic. I made my friend here say that she enjoys eating farts when she was trying to order a sandwich the other day." Layla cackled, with Sun bursting into giggles at that. The Lorekeeper rolled her eyes and handed Sun the book.

"I hate you both." The Lorekeeper remarked in a bored tone. "Anyways, since I'm feeling generous, that book is free of charge."

"Hey! That cost me money!" Layla barked at the Lorekeeper, who smirked at her.

"I know. I'm the one who paid to acquire it, and you're the one who pays me. But if you think I care, you're mistaken." The Lorekeeper said before she turned around and leaned forward, peering into Sun's gray eyes with her own red ones.

"Yes. You remind me of the other boy from back home. Except you have suffered far too much for a child. But don't let the woman behind me scare you. Just because bad things happen, doesn't mean you can't get back on your feet and forge your own destiny. Take it from someone who's been there." The Lorekeeper said as she reached up and patted Sun on the head. Or rather, gently removed Rotom Dex from Sun's head, patted Sun's head, and then put Rotom back.

"I have a feeling we'll see each other again. Sun, right?" The Lorekeeper said to the boy, who nodded. "You keep on fighting."

"And always make sure to brush your teeth before going to bed." Layla remarked, earning a confused look from Sun. "Someone has to counteract her sappy advice with something random."

"I think I'm going to go now...But thank you both." Sun said to the two women, who both nodded to him. Sun walked away from the stall, his mind racing with thoughts as he reflected on the two women. Layla and the Lorekeeper, both of whom seemed to have some capacity for insight. The Layla woman in particular...it was as if she could see right through him.

Sun shivered and continued on his way, clutching the old tome in his hands that would serve as a perfect birthday present for Lillie, unaware that the two women he had just acquired said present from were watching him as he walked down the street.

"So Zinnia...You are aware you could have just handed that boy some information to give to the Snagger girl and made their lives easier, right? Or told him any of the ways to access the hidden chambers in the ruins? Or literally any of what I have told you?" Layla asked, crossing her arms as her pink and black hair billowed in the sea breeze.

Zinnia removed her hood and whirled around with a grin, her crimson eyes gleaming with delight at the question. The Lorekeeper rose to her full height, looking up at the owner of the stall.

"You're one to talk. You're basically a god, but instead of being kind and loving you're just as sadistic as the new bad guys prowling this island are. But I can't really judge. I'm really no better." Zinnia responded, throwing her hood back on. "That said, I have things to do and not a lot of time to do it in. It's what brought me here, after all."

"Right, right. Well, you have fun doing your thing. It's just about closing time anyway, so I don't need you for a bit. Just remember to keep this arrangement between us. If anyone finds out how I'm doing this, I'll paint the Ruins of Life with your blood." Layla responded dryly as she leaned against a nearby pole. Zinnia giggled at the threat and waved her hand dismissively.

"Yeah, yeah, don't tell people their god is living amongst them for kicks. Gotcha. Now, onto the fun part!" Zinnia declared as she buttoned her cloak and sprinted from the docks, a mad grin on her face as she weaved in and out of the bustling crowd, leaving Layla behind. The 'woman' simply smiled and sighed, shutting her eyes for several moments before opening them, with her bright blue eyes now glowing with a horizontal pink slash running across them.

"Tapu Koko can worry and interfere and get hurt all it wants. Those fools wouldn't dare disrespect me on my island. And if they do…" Tapu Lele allowed itself an awful smile of malice as it spoke aloud. "Well...I'm not the merciful Guardian Deity. I'll have to show them why that is before they're removed from this world forever."

The being then blinked before sighing softly.

"I have _got_ to stop talking to myself..."

* * *

 _Alright, so lot's of things happened in quick succession._

 _Cipher got their ass kicked, Umbral Pokémon are terrifying, and Surge is now dealing with a kidnapped son, who was the intended target and not the Gym Leader himself._

 _Sun now has his present, and has run into a familiar face that some of you may recognize. Honestly, I was debating not putting Zinnia into this story because she acts a bit like Vivian, but then I realized how well she fits into the greater narrative. Plus, she's awesome and has two of the best themes out there._

 _And Tapu Lele has made its appearance, though not in the manner you think. And don't bother asking why it's disguised as a human, that will be explained in the very first scene of the next chapter. Rest assured the Guardian Deity of Akala Island will be making more appearances from here on in, which is a major complaint I've received several times (rightly so)._

 _I have a feeling many of you will like the explanation for how this happened anyway._

Q & A

 _From: DarkestShade73_

Which brings me to my last question (I just noticed this review is 600 words, lol. Maybe I overdid it). IDK what happens in USUM if you fight Lusa or not, since my 3DS have had battery problems and I've had a boatload of other things to do (besides improving my own writing) but if that does happen, what will you do for Clefable's golfdeltad Metronome spam?

 **It'll be based on the battle itself that I have when I get to that point in my playthrough of the game that I've been doing as RS has progressed. If it doesn't work out well, I'll pick and choose what moves Clefable uses. Lusamine won't be a cakewalk for Sun, I assure you.**

 _That's all for now, folks. Next chapter is Lillie's birthday and the showcase of the Truth or Dare game, which considering the combined amount of ideas I have at my disposal, will be pretty awesome. Keep in mind you can still submit ideas, but keep in mind I'm writing the chapter over the course of the next week and at this point I'll only use things I can make work with what I have already._

 _Thanks again for the incredible amount of feedback and support. Seriously, we've hit two massive milestones with this story over the past week and I have a feeling the surprises won't stop anytime soon. With that, I'm gonna get some sleep and try to resist the urge to play more Horizon Zero Dawn._

 _In the meantime, please show your support in the review section below and if you haven't already, please favorite and/or follow the story if you've enjoyed what you read. Feedback is awesome, helps the story grow, and makes me smile every time I see emails regarding notifications about the story._

 _Oh yeah, and you can submit questions too. Don't forget that. Just offer feedback in the question or I'll likely ignore it._

 _You all take care and keep being awesome._

 _Until next time, FlygonNick out!_


	61. Happy Birthday

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _Whelp, I think I made this the longest chapter in this story yet. Whelp. And it's a two-parter. WHELP._

 _So, last chapter had a lot of interesting reactions. Mostly positive, though not without some feedback that did make me decide to go back through the chapter and polish up the fight scene a bit (which I'll get to tomorrow, since this chapter took all of my time up this weekend)._

 _Fight scenes, more or less, are my main strength when it comes to writing. I figured that out a while ago, and it's definitely something I enjoyed writing last chapter. But I'll admit it openly, that last chapter was rushed and I made some errors regarding realism, which is a very major thing I keep in account when writing. However, I did want to point out some of the recurring remarks I've heard regarding characters and explain some things._

 _Yes. Amber is stupidly overpowered and definitely one of the most irredeemably evil OC characters I've ever made. Which considering Queen Arranst, Harvey Yena (technically an OC), Illuzio, and Captain Alex Jacobson, is some pretty damn good competition._

 _To the point where it's not even fair. She's deadly with or without weapons, she's intelligent, has a ridiculous kill-count and is generally cruel and sadistic, she has a very and well-balanced powerful team, has body armor that can help her withstand fatal injuries, and even not factoring that into account she's very difficult to put down, let alone kill. She has access to limitless resources as an Admin of Cipher. And now I've given her what I've described as a WOD in the form of Umbral Pokémon and made her even more OP. It's just not fair to just about any character that fights her._

 _But...that's kind of the point. Amber is essentially one of the strongest, if not THE strongest member of Cipher at the moment and one of the two main villains in this iteration of Pokémon I've created, not counting the Sun and Moon cast. A significant amount of Cipher's successes has been achieved because Amber has been able to do what she does in the past against Wes and his allies in Kanto and Unova, as well as being as deadly as she is against other forces. Amber is, for lack of a better description, that obstacle always in the way and wearing a smile because of your misery. Amber is a recurring motif that that in life there will always be someone there to bring you down._

 _For those wishing for her to get some karma thrown her way, you won't have to wait too long for that. Trust me when I say that I've thrown some hints down for what I have in store for her. Amber Fontaine is not invincible, and I've made every effort to make her strength as realistic as possible, and that the vengeance that comes her way will be very enlightening and very brutal. Again, this is explained at the post-chapter author's note when I breakdown some stuff. More will be explained about how and why Amber is the way she is later on in the story, however._

 _Rambling again._

 _Also, I've got make a quick apology to Omegastar327. I completely forgot to answer your question from a while ago, and I'm so sorry for that. So I'll answer it now._

 _From: Omegastar317_

Speaking of which, when Lusamine opens the Ultra Wormhole, (and we know she will) will we get to see the other kahunas battling the Ultra Beasts?

 **Absolutely yes. That, as of a matter of fact, will actually have its own chapter dedicated to it. It'll cover each of the UB's found in Sun extensively, and cover the battles of each Kahuna in depth. Even Hapu, since it's heavily implied that Tapu Fini battled alongside her when the Ultra Beasts attacked Alola.**

 **Oh, and one of the most badass scenes in the entire story happens regarding one of the Kahunas in the story as well. I've had this idea in mind since Chapter 10 or so. I'm pretty hyped for it.**

 _Seriously, if I don't answer your question for whatever reason, please ask it again or PM me. I sometimes just lose track and don't want people to think I'm ignoring them._

 _Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes SoulMatter, MoonlightButterfree, Cottonmouth25, BraviaryScout, Madame Rodoshe, RC-DA, Angelfir3, GeekyGamer314, SonicIKE, Sai Og Sus, Okamiden14, A Guest Reviewer, DarkestShade73, another Guest Reviewer, Gokan123, and operettaoceanic, as well as four new reviewers known as The Holy Dragon, TheWhiteKnight2K16, The Hand of Section XIII, and AnotherTrojan. Thanks for the support and feedback from last chapter, which may have actually topped my record of most reviewed chapter of all time at 21 reviews. Which is...insane. And amazing. Thank you so much._

 _Special shoutout to Cottonmouth25, MoonlightButterfree, JasperCFZ, SonicIKE, Sai Og Sus, DarkestShade73, and BraviaryScout for their suggestions that made it into the final chapter! Also, big thanks to those who submitted suggestions in general! It was fun to work on this with your ideas, and I hope I put them to good use._

 _Also, fair warning. This chapter and the next will be very angsty, and somewhat raunchy and I have two pages worth of truth or dares, describing the entire game. For the sake of the chapter not running on and on (WHICH IT STILL DID AND IS NOW TWO PARTS), some stuff just isn't gonna happen and some people are not going to get a lot of turns. Also, I'm gonna keep it to a T-Rating and have some ground rules for the game, but keep in mind that there's a few adults and a few very perverted children present in the game (Mallow [and Hau to an extent]), so things may drift into inappropriate territory._

 _Keep an open mind is all I'm saying. I hope that the build-up has been worth it. I somehow ended up making this Truth or Dare thing two parts, which I guess works out? I don't know. But I do know that I was laughing my ass off a good bit of the time writing this, and I hope you are equally as amused as I was. With a bit of scene rearrangement, it all worked out._

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 _Chapter 61: Happy Birthday_

* * *

Sun couldn't help but be ecstatic that all of the effort he and Hau put into Lillie's 13th birthday had been a success. But he also couldn't have ever imagined that the day would take the interesting turns it did.

It started out fairly standard, all things considered. Sun and his mother departed from the Tide Song Hotel, where his mother had booked them rooms for the week at, and made their way to the Dimensional Research Lab at around noon. Once there, they began working with the guests to turn the building into Party Central for everyone's favorite princess. Streamers, banners, and all sorts of balloons and decorations covered the entire inside of the building, even the main lobby. The building was tidied up and cleaned from top to bottom so that it would look its best. On top of that, there was a small mound of presents set to the side of the main lab, where the party would be taking place, which Sun admired for a moment as he took a break from his efforts.

"So, where's our birthday girl anyway?" Vivian asked as she busied herself with putting a birthday party hat on Penny's head, which the bird snapped at her in annoyance for doing.

"Going for a walk with Professor Burnet and Nebby by the beach. She'll be back just in time for the food to get delivered." Sun replied as he surveyed the room, grinning in excitement. He was honestly impatient for Lillie to get back, just to see her expression when they saw the party that they had thrown together.

"Which cannot come soon enough." Hau muttered, rubbing his stomach. Upon hearing said stomach rumble, Lana burst into giggles from a nearby chair.

"Hey, my family is providing the catering for this thing. We're not miracle workers and there's a lot happening this week." Mallow remarked from her place on the couch, lounging as if she owned the place.

"I'm just glad I happened to have today off." Kiawe remarked wryly as he plugged in a vacuum and turned it on to help finish tidying up. Brago snarled angrily at this, leaping at at Kiawe and sinking his teeth into the loud cleaning device while everyone watched in mild horror. Sun pulled the frantic canine away, laughing at the sheer oddity of the situation.

* * *

"So, enjoying your birthday so far, Lillie?" Burnet asked as she and the girl in question leisurely made their way down the sandy expanse, with the Alolan sun shining down on them from above, reflecting off of the ocean and making it shimmer and sparkle with a radiance that Lillie never truly appreciated until she started going on walks with Professor Burnet. They were calming and allowed the girl to get a breath of fresh air, when she usually cooped herself up in the lab and read as much as she could.

Or at least, she used to until she started doing field work with Professor Kukui. Now she had plenty of fresh air and not nearly enough time to read. Pretty ironic, in a way.

Lillie nodded in reply to the Professor's question, smiling up at her. "Yes, I am. We got to have breakfast at my favorite cafe and we've seen a lot more Pokémon than we usually do on these walks. They're always so enjoyable and relaxing."

Burnet chuckled, resting a hand on the girl's head and playfully messing it up, making Lillie duck away from the older woman with a rueful smile. Burnet then spoke and said, "If only you'd start going running with me and Kukui."

"Professor, I'm woefully out of shape. You know this."

"All the more reason to work on your cardio now! Besides, how are you supposed to impress a boy like Sun if you can't manage more than a light jog for a minute?" Burnet asked Lillie, who's cheeks turned pink at the mention of her crush.

"Professor...What's the best way to get to a boy's heart?" Lillie asked Burnet, who burst into laughter.

"Oh, boy. Lillie, that's a question we could spend all day debating. For someone like Kukui, it was complicated. He found a way to get to _my_ heart, after we'd known each other a while. We were mutual friends for years, but then I arrived in Alola and we encountered each other more frequently. I'll admit he was charming and handsome, but if he hadn't taken initiative, I wouldn't have considered our friendship to be more than that." Burnet explained to a confused Lillie.

"Initiative?" Lillie asked, with Burnet nodding.

"Yes. Taking that first step forward and making it clear that you wish for something more out of your relationship with someone. That they mean more to you than what you were once before. Kukui made that step by using Pokémon moves to create a massive flower out of ice, fire and electric-based attacks out over there." Burnet explained, pointing to a small dock area not too far away. "It shimmered and crackled and was so beautiful. He told me that he had been smitten with me for years, but couldn't find a way to reach out to me. Kukui decided to take his own step forward, and showed me something that made my heart resonate with his. From then on...Well, we dated and the rest is history."

"Wow...So for everyone its different. Hau would probably be smitten with anyone who gave him a Malasada." Lillie remarked dryly, with Burnet bursting into giggles.

"You bet. Hugh told me he developed feelings for Aria after he beat her in a battle when she was just starting out as a Trainer, and promptly kicked his butt for making a mean joke at her expense. As for Sun...Lillie, there's so many ways you could do this." Burnet explained carefully, unsure if she wanted to tell Lillie what to do. Eventually she made a decision.

"Sun cares deeply about you, Lillie. I only need to see how you and he interact to know that you're special to him and that your friendship is strong. However, how deep your bond goes is something you need to find out. You need to do something to make yourself stand out and show him that no other girl should be considered for his heart besides you. In Sun's case, he would most likely react positively to a gesture of trust from you. You and Hau were his first two friends he ever had in his life, as I recall you saying. Show that he didn't make the wrong decision in friends, and show him _that you can be more_. How that happens is up to you."

"I...see." Lillie murmured, deep in thought. Burnet wasn't done, however.

"Yes, boys are a tricky thing. Thankfully, Sun doesn't seem like the shallow type. From what Laura's told me, he's only recently started noticing girls anyway. Though…" Burnet smirked as Lillie blushed slightly. "I recall you saying that he called you the prettiest girl he knew. I don't think you have anything to worry about. I think you should just confess your feelings to him, Lillie. Sun won't think any less of you for it."

"I'll think about it...Professor, look! There's a Altaria over there!" Lillie suddenly called out, pointing forward with a smile and surprising Burnet as she looked out over the water. She followed Lillie's pointing and indeed saw a blue draconic Pokémon with cloud-like fluff surrounding its wings and chest. It slowly flapped over to a figure on the shore, clad in a tan cloak and with black hair.

"Strange. That's definitely not a Pokémon you usually see in Alola. Must be a tourist or something." Professor Burnet muttered, increasing her pace. Lillie forced herself to keep up with Burnet, who had reached the figure, who appeared be a woman garbed in a strange outfit hidden by the cloak. Professor Burnet's eyes caught a strange dragon-like anklet wrapped around the woman's right leg, with a gleaming jewel in the dragon's mouth.

"Good afternoon, Alolans. Can I help you with something?" the woman asked, glancing over at them, her crimson eyes twinkling in amusement.

"Is that a Key Stone? The one's used for Mega Evolution?" Professor Burnet asked the woman, who chuckled softly in response.

"Not bad. Yes, Professor Madeline Burnet, that is a Key Stone wrapped around my ankle. I acquired it a while back, after I...lost my own. I try to do some good with it, but I'll also admit I haven't had to use Mega Evolution in long time" The woman remarked, looking towards the ocean.

"It's funny, you know? All the time spent in Hoenn, I never stopped to appreciate the beauty of the world we live in. I was so focused on saving it from total obliteration, but I never stopped to smell the roses...Whelp, that's boring me. So, again. Can I help you both with something? Or do you just like walking up to people and speaking to them randomly?" the woman asked, turning to face Burnet and Lillie properly, her smile smug for some reason.

"We're just going on a walk along the beach because its my birthday. I don't think asking someone who sticks out as much as you do what you're doing is so far out of line." Lillie stated quietly, earning an odd look from the stranger before the woman smiled at her.

"I like your style, kid." The woman remarked before Professor Burnet spoke up.

"Well, you seem to know who I am. But who are you? It's not often I meet a Trainer who can wield Mega Evolution, especially with a Dragon-type from another region." Burnet said to the stranger, who laughed quietly in response to the inquiry but looked skyward, remaining silent for a few moments before replying in her same playful manner.

"Who am I? I'm the Lorekeeper! Exactly..." the woman looked down, thinking about it before she shrugged. "...oh, screw it. Just call me Zinnia." The woman explained, shaking her head in bemusement. "I honestly have no idea why I bother to try and hide my identity. Not many know who I am and those who do don't matter. It's been a long time since the meteor incident anyway."

"I...Okay?" Professor Burnet replied, obviously confused. Lillie turned to the Professor to speak, but at that moment her bag suddenly wriggled violently and an adorable Cosmog popped out, letting out a happy cry as it flew into the air and began soaring down the beach in a desperate bid at freedom.

"Nebby! Get back into the bag!" Lillie cried out as she jumped for the Cosmog, who was floating just out of Lillie's reach. The girl quickly looked around to see if anyone else was around to see Nebby, and had looked up at the Cosmog again when she saw Zinnia roll her eyes and leap into the air. The Lorekeeper easily jumped six feet and snagged the mischievous creature in her arms, where it wriggled unhappily.

"The things I find here in Alola get weirder and weirder. First floating, haunted Pokédex and now floating cloud Pokémon?" Zinnia mused, though she turned to her Altaria and said, "No offense, of course."

"Tarria!" the Dragon/Flying-type sang in response. Zinnia grinned as she held out Cosmog in front of her, where Nebby let out a cry. Lillie ran up to the woman, her hands over her heart.

"Please, ma'am! Can I have my Pokémon back?" Lillie asked the woman, who just shrugged.

"Sure. Not like I want it." Zinnia remarked with a smirk, setting the Cosmog down on top of Lillie's hat. Nebby let out a happy cry before Lillie snatched him up in her arms.

"You! Always getting into trouble! You know what would happen if _they_ found you." Lillie scolded Nebby, who let out an insolent cry in response. Lillie looked back at Zinnia and bowed to the woman, saying, "Thank you ma'am. He's such a troublemaker, and I appreciate you catching him for me.

"Again, it's fine. Don't worry about it." Zinnia remarked, though she did lean closer to Lillie and said, "That's a really strange Pokémon though. Where'd you get it?"

"I...I can't say." Lillie said haltingly as Professor Burnet walked over to them, putting a hand on the girl's shoulder. Lillie almost sighed with relief, knowing Professor Burnet would help deflect questions about where Nebby came from.

"Mmm...Sounds like something fun. But I swore off worldwide drama. Especially after that whole Mega Evolution thing turned out to be more painful than helpful." Zinnia remarked, wincing slightly before she suddenly perked up and snapped her fingers.

"That reminds me. Have either of you seen or heard about some kind of magical Heliolisk roaming around Alola?" Zinnia asked Lillie and Burnet, who both shook their heads. "Then I guess I'll have to keep looking."

"Magical Heliolisk? Isn't Heliolisk a Pokémon from Kalos?" Lillie asked, receiving a grin and a nod from Zinnia.

"That's right. Well, the one I'm hunting down isn't a normal one. In fact it's not a normal _anything_ , and it's merely using the guise of a Heliolisk to escape me because it knows I'm going to kill it." Zinnia explained with a smile, with Lillie gasping and Professor Burnet frowning angrily.

"So you're hunting down a Pokémon _for sport_?" Burnet said harshly, with Zinnia suddenly bursting out into laughter, which threw both of the woman off completely. Who was this lady?

"Oh man...You Alolans are a riot. Absolutely not. I'm not hunting it for sport. I'm hunting it because it's an unpredictable monster that defies reality. It's not supposed to be here. The best way to describe it is a freak of nature. I call it the Anomaly. A being that's exceedingly powerful and not something I'm comfortable with roaming around. I've spent the past few years tracking it, which leads me here to Alola. It's better than working a real job and I get to explore the world and learn things normal, boring people wouldn't." Zinnia explained as the wind suddenly picked up, with Zinnia brushing her bangs out of her face.

"Interesting. Can you tell me more about this...anomaly? If this thing is dangerous to others, perhaps we can help track it down at the Dimensional Research Lab?" Professor Burnet asked Zinnia, who smirked in response.

"Last time scientists got involved in something they didn't understand, they tried to doom another world because they couldn't solve their own problems. I'm fine doing this solo, but thanks anyway. But if you do run into something like that, do try and stay away from it. This thing is known to be incredibly violent. Especially if you call it out on the whole, 'it's not supposed to be here thing.' I nearly cornered it in Johto, but it blew up a building and got away through a small rift it created." Zinnia said to the Professor, who slowly nodded.

"I wonder if it's related to the Ultra Beasts and the Ultra Wormholes in any way." Burnet mused, with Zinnia tilting her head in curiosity.

"Ultra Beasts? That must be what Layla was going on about. So there's something to it after all." Zinnia mused, a smirk coming to her face. She then shook her head. "No. I'm not going to get involved. Though I'll admit I'm interested."

"Interested in what? The Ultra Beasts? What about the anomaly you're searching for?" Lillie asked Zinnia, who waved a hand dismissively.

"Don't mind me any. Just thinking out loud. You two keep on doing your thing and I'll keep on doing my thing." Zinnia said to the two other women, throwing her hood up again. With that, the woman turned around and began walking away, but not before looking back at the girl with a small smile.

"You remind me of that boy I met the other day, little one. Sun, I think his name was. He was interested in legends and lore, much like myself." Zinnia remarked, with Lillie gasping at the name.

"Sun? He's one of my closest friends! How...how did you meet him though?" Lillie asked, curious as to how such an odd woman met her crush. Zinnia grinned wolfishly as she crossed her arms.

"Why the interest? Is he your boyfriend or something?" Zinnia asked, with Lillie blushing furiously at the question. "I'll take that as a yes, or that you care for him. You really shouldn't be so transparent."

"W-what's your point?" Lillie asked, getting a little annoyed. Zinnia hopped forward and patted Lillie on the head, positively beaming.

"My point is that I'm different than most people and have a knack for knowing and seeing things where normal people do not. So I'll let you in on a secret. The Guardian Deities of these islands are not the kind protectors you all think they are. Yes, they may protect you from time to time, but some of them…Just want to see you suffer." Zinnia turned back around and continued walking, leaving the two women behind with matching looks of bewilderment on their faces.

Until Zinnia turned around again and shouted, "Oh yeah! And Happy Birthday!"

* * *

"Alright...lights are off. They should be here any minute."

"Good. It's kinda cramped hiding like this."

"Whoever's touching my butt...can you please stop?"

"Oops. Sorry Lana."

"Eep! Um...It's okay, Hau! A-accidents happen, r-right?"

"Yeah. I'll just move over here and…"

BAM!

"Ow!"

"The hell, man?"

"My legs!"

"Hau, now you're touching _my_ butt!"

"Yikes! Sorry Mallow!"

"I mean...You don't have to stop! I was just saying."

"SHHHH!"

The doors opened, revealing Professor Burnet and Lillie standing in the light of the elevator. The two stepped in and turned on the lights, revealing everyone crowded in the room with a fully decorated lab around them.

"Surprise! Happy Birthday Lillie!"

Lillie took a step back in shock, with Professor Burnet grabbing the girl and pushing her forward. Lillie held her hands up to her mouth, trying to process the fact that her friends had all done this…

For her.

Lillie was suddenly embraced by Sun and Hau, who dragged their friend forward and quickly began to chat with her while Professor Kukui and Professor Burnet watched on with happy smiles.

From there, the party began in earnest. Snacks were eaten, Hau completely destroyed the half the catering in a horrifying manner, and the organizers of the party enjoyed the fruits of their labor, taking joy in seeing the sheer happiness on the face of the birthday girl. Though they also got much amusement from Nebby bouncing all around the room while a beach ball, happily crying out while Lillie just watched on laughing. It was generally a happy afternoon of just spending time with friends while celebrating the birthday of a precious girl that had come into their lives.

Soon enough, it was time for presents. Lillie was a bit upset at the mound of presents she had piled in front of her, but eventually calmed down and began going through them. Several people were holding onto gifts, deciding to hand Lillie their presents instead of keeping them in the pile.

"This one's from Hau…" Lillie remarked, picking up a small box. The girl tore off the wrapping paper and pulled out a strange idol of sorts that fit in the palm of her hand, which reminded Sun of the Island Challenge Amulet in a way. It resembled a totem pole of sorts that looked like a Snorlax, complete with wings and painted a gold color with white eyes. Lillie looked at the small wooden statue in awe, her eyes sparkling at the gift as she looked at Hau.

"I hand-made that as a good luck charm for you. I've always thought that gifts that you make yourself are the best so-" Hau was cut off when Lillie suddenly flung herself out Hau and hugged him tightly, with Hau blushing bright red at the suddenly display of affection.

"I love it, Hau. Thank you so much." Lillie said as she separated from her friend, holding the little idol in her hands and looking down at it. Hau laughed sheepishly before glancing at Sun, who was grinning with approval at his friend.

Professor Burnet and Kukui had both chipped in to buy Lillie a fresh supply of Repels, Potions, and the like for her travels around Alola to help Nebby, which was easily more than Sun and Hau both used. On top of that, the two Professor's promised that they were working on getting her a special gift, but that they couldn't get it to her yet. Regardless, she was happy that the two Professors had spent so much money on her despite the fact that they constantly protected and cared for her already. Both Kukui and Burnet hugged Lillie, who wiped her eye as tears threatened to spill from them.

Hugh, Vivian, and Noah bought Lillie gift cards, due to a total lack of ideas. Aria's gift, however, caught Lillie completely off guard. Lillie unwrapped the box Aria handed her and was surprised to see that it was a red and black headphones as well as the Lono3, the newest line of music and video playing devices created by Aupuni Industries back in Kanto. This wasn't what surprised Lillie, however…

"These...These headphones are signed by Zoey Cairdelly. Lead singer of Crimson Dawn…" Lillie whispered, looking up at Aria. Sun was surprised at that bit of information, but grinned when he remembered that Crimson Dawn was a heavy-metal band that Lillie adored as of late.

"Funny thing about that. You see, back in Unova, we ran into Zoey back in Castelia City and me and Wes became good friends with her. I started talking with her again when I got here, and she said she wants to have a chat with you. I told her all about the sweet little girl here in Alola who's her biggest fan and would love to talk to her favorite singer." Aria said with a grin as Lillie suddenly let out a squeal of sheer joy, fangirling hard before hugging Aria.

Moving on, Lana had made Lillie her own fishing pole, along with a lure that looked exactly like Nebby. Lillie burst into laughter upon seeing this, exchanging hugs with Lana. Mallow's gift was a cookbook of traditional Alola recipes, as well as some that Mallow and her family had come up with on their own. Sun found out that Mallow worked part-time at her family's main restaurant in Konikoni City, since apparently they owned several all across Alola. Coincidentally, that was where Lana lived as well. Kiawe's gift to Lillie was a fire-starting device shaped like a Alolan Marowak's head, which Lillie appreciated for its practicality.

Sina and Dexio both chipped in together to get Lillie her own mask, just like the ones that the two heroes wore. When asked by Hau why this was, Lillie blushed and admitted that she thought their costumes were cool and that she had wanted a mask of her own. The mask itself was mostly white, lined with faint lines of pink and blue. Lillie slipped the mask on and grinned at the crowd of people in the room, who mostly praised her while Sina burst into tears about how Lillie would carry on their legacy when they were gone.

Dexio reminded Sina that Lillie lived in Alola, not Kalos, and promptly shattered her dreams.

Laura Smiles had bought Lillie a bright pink backpack, which was designed for Pokémon Trainers and for comfort, but also looked stylish. Lillie happily accepted it and, while wearing her mask still, did a small twirl with it on.

"Trainer Lillie would like to battle!" Hau declared, scaring Lillie and making her fall onto Vivian in surprise.

"Lillie whited out." Kiawe remarked dryly, making Noah and Lana giggle at the remark while Lillie stuck her tongue out at the Captain. And then...

It came down to Sun's gifts.

"Is there any particular reason you all had Lillie unwrap my gifts last?" Sun asked Professor Kukui and Burnet, who both grinned at the boy. Sun shook his head, but looked over at Lillie as she looked down at Sun's trio of gifts.

"They all look like books. I guess I'll be adding to my collection." Lillie said happily, picking up the first one and unwrapping it. Lillie grinned at the title, which she read aloud.

" _Pokémon Care and...Training for Beginners_ ," Lillie read aloud, looking at Sun with a little bit of confusion.

"Just because you're not a Pokémon Trainer doesn't mean that learning about how to take care of Pokémon properly isn't important. You deal with them all the time, and there's a lot of stuff covered with Pokémon Training that being a Breeder or Researcher can't really cover. And besides…" Sun offered Lillie a wide smile. "After you helped me beat Sina and Dexio way back, I think you'd do amazing as a Pokémon Trainer, Lillie."

"The boy's right, you know. You were a natural out there." Sina agreed as she leaned against Dexio, who was grinning at Lillie.

"We didn't stand a chance against you and Sun. I believe you have a lot of talent, my friend." Dexio agreed as Lillie set the book down with a thoughtful expression on her face. She unwrapped the second book, which to her surprise was a book full of music and songs that could be learned on the flute and that were well-known songs that Pokémon enjoyed hearing, including the famous Poké Flute melody that soothed Pokémon and could make them fall asleep.

"I was originally against giving you a music book because you know so many songs, but then I learned that there's actually certain types of melodies and music you can play for Pokémon that have benefits to their health, and can calm them down the stuff. I thought you might like it." Sun said to the girl, who was smiling now.

"I never knew that about music! I wonder if my parents knew about music that's beneficial to Pokémon?" Lillie wondered aloud before grinning at Sun, happiness blooming across her face. "Thank you, Sun."

"You still have one left. And I think that's the best one of the three." Sun said to the girl, who looked down at the rather large book and slowly tore the paper off of the front, revealing the old tome that Sun had acquired from Zinnia and Layla the day before, adorned in old leather and jewels that Sun later learned represented each of the four Guardian Deities of Alola.

 _"Nā Waiʻi o Alola: He Mōʻaukala...The Ruins of Alola: A History._ " Lillie read aloud in an awed whisper, brushing a hand against the cover. She looked up at Sun, a questioning look in her eyes.

"I found two weird ladies selling books and antiques at a stall by the docks. They gave me that book, after I told them I was interested in finding a book about the Tapu. I already skimmed through it, and it has a lot of old stories about the Tapu and some of the stuff done at ruins in the past, including some of the battles with the Ultra Beasts. I figured the book would help you with Nebby-" Sun began to say before, much like earlier with Hau, Lillie threw herself at Sun. This time, however, Lillie had burst into tears.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you! Now I don't have to wait until Kahuna Olivia has time to escort me to the ruins or go all the way to Malie City! Sun, I might be able to find something to help Nebby get home! Thank you so much, Sun...thank you. Thank you!" Lillie sobbed with what seemed to be relief and happiness as she clutched the book close to her chest and moved away from Sun. Nebby floated over to Lillie as she said this, with the girl hugging the Cosmog close to her, overwhelmed by the gifts she had received, as well as the amount of kindness being shown to her. Lillie found herself enveloped in a massive hug by Sun, Hau, Mallow, and Professor Burnet while the others just watched on with smiles as Lillie just repeatedly thanked everyone as tears of joy streamed down her face.

* * *

It had taken a while for Lillie to calm down after the presents were moved to her room. The girl in question was now sitting next to Sun and Kiawe on the couch while Hau stole the last of the BBQ cooked meatballs, with Mallow glaring daggers at the boy.

"You're being a Munchlax, Hau!" Mallow growled at the boy, who scoffed.

"What? Partying makes me hungry. Besides, it's not like we're doing anything else." Hau shrugged, stuffing a piece of cake into his mouth.

"Actually...I was thinking we could fire up some party games and stuff. You know, get this party back on track and have some fun now that Lillie has calmed down from happiness overload." Mallow said as she exchanged smiles with Lillie.

"Party games are kind of a kid thing, Mallow." Hau said to the Captain, who's smile suddenly turned evil.

"Not _my_ party games. Especially not when you have the Queen in the house. I'm going to go set my game up...I'll see you all in a bit!" Mallow said with a giggle and a dangerous glint in her eyes, with the Captain walking out of the room. Lillie shivered as Mallow departed, with Sun looking at her in concern.

"Sun, we need to talk privately for a moment." Lillie said to her friend, who nodded. Sun followed Lillie to a small study, which looked like it belonged to Professor Kukui of all people based on pictures of Kukui posing with old friends and colleagues, which included the current Kanto and Johto Champion, Lance, as well as Crasher Wake. Sun guessed that even the eccentric man had to read every now and then, meaning he needed a place for peace and quiet. After staring at a picture of Kukui as a boy, standing next to a boy with messy white hair and a black tank-top and baggy grey pants, a weird bug Pokémon crawling in the other boy's hair, Sun returned his attention to Lillie.

"Sun, I have a feeling I know what party game Mallow plans on playing." Lillie said in a grave tone, crossing her arms as Sun looked at her with a confused expression.

"What game would that be?" Sun asked.

Lillie sighed and said, "Truth or Dare. She's notoriously brutal at the game and she has no shame. Poor Lana will tell you all about it, because she's been friends with Mallow for a long while, but the last time they played it, things got bad."

"How bad?" Sun asked, dreading the answer.

"Apparently Kiawe had to run down an entire route naked while holding a pineapple on his head. Lana was forced to do an entire Trial while speaking in limericks. Worse yet, Mallow got both of those events on film to prove it and I've seen both." Lillie said quietly, shivering in mild horror.

"That's just...sadistic. Can't we just tell her that no one wants to play it?" Sun asked Lillie, who shook her head.

"Lana's tried that three times now, and it doesn't work. Mallow just has a way of convincing people to go along with it, and it always ends in disaster. I got involved last time she was here and even with just playing Truth or Dare with the people here at the lab it turned into trouble. Two computers were blown up and Professor Burnet had to take a week off work." Lillie explained to a slowly paling Sun.

"So what do we do? Mallow's a massive teaser as it is. It doesn't matter if its truth or dare, she's going to embarrass us as much as possible." Sun pointed out to his friend, who nodded in agreement.

"Yes, she'll definitely do that. So...I propose we make an alliance of sorts." Lillie said, her smile becoming adorably mischievous.

"Go on." Sun said to the birthday girl, smiling now.

"I propose that we work together to get Mallow out of the game as early as possible, as well as ensure that neither of us forfeit the game no matter what gets thrown our way. That way, she gets shown up at her own game, and maybe...just maybe, we can stop this madness once and for all. And we'll never have to play Truth or Dare again!" Lillie explained as Sun listened.

"I'm game." Sun agreed with a nod, but Lillie wasn't done.

"That means that you'll have to truthfully answer whatever they ask you to, and do whatever dare you're ordered to do. So please, Sun...Just go with it. I'll be doing the same. I'm going to embarrass Mallow at her own game!" Lillie proclaimed, with Sun extending a hand out to Lillie.

"Even if she has you do something super embarrassing like singing a weird song or g-getting um, n-naked?" Sun fumbled with the word, a blush creeping into his face that he couldn't help. Lillie blushed a bit as well, but nodded fiercely.

"If it's what it takes to beat Mallow, then I'll do whatever I have to. I'm getting tired of being teased all the time. Especially since she found out how close me and you are and how much I enjoy your hugs." Lillie's blush intensified further, which made Sun laugh.

"Sounds good to me. We'll have to brainstorm some ideas to really get her. Maybe set up some ground rules so things don't get really bad. But... just so long as you remember the kind of crap Mallow and the others like to pull. They're gonna try and have me and you admit about or do things to each other. We're going to have to promise each other that no matter what happens during the game, we're still friends." Sun said to Lillie, who beamed and shook her friend's hand, sealing the deal. Sun then pulled Lillie into a hug, which sent a flare of warmth through the girl's body. Lillie returned the hug, closing her eyes happily and relaxing for a few moments before the door was suddenly kicked in by Mallow.

"It's time." Mallow laughed evilly, eyeing Sun and Lillie as they broke apart, blushing furiously. "Jeez, you two are gonna make this too easy. Defending the my crown as the TOD Queen will be easy as pie. Blueberry pie with cinnamon crumble and with lemon-filled crust!"

Mallow exited the room and slammed the door, with Lillie sighing softly.

"That tears it. I don't care what that girl throws at me, I'm going to beat her. If I'm going to become a stronger person like you and Hau, then I'm going to have to learn to become brave. And such a task starts from something small, like winning a party game hosted by a rambunctious Trial Captain!" Lillie said declared quietly, pumping her fist with a determined glint in her eyes. Sun privately thought it was adorable, but decided not to comment. Instead he wrapped on arm around Lillie's shoulder, grinning at his friend.

"That's the spirit." Sun said happily, separating from Lillie and opened the door for her. The girl exited the room with her crush close behind, the two friends preparing themselves for what was to come by discussing the best ways to embarrass the Grass Captain at her own game.

* * *

"What do you mean we're out of food!?" Hau screamed, falling to the ground and clutching his head with horror.

"I mean that we're out of food. There was way more people here than I thought there was." Mallow said in a dull tone from the lounge that they were now all sitting in. Hau hung his head while Sun pat his friend on the back, though he met Lana and Lillie's gaze and nearly joined them in silent laughter at their hungry friend's plight.

"Anyway, is everyone finally here?" Aria cut in from her spot on the floor, where she was lying down in Hugh's lap.

"I believe so. What are we doing, by the way? No one really told us." Sina asked as she joined Dexio on the floor. At that moment, Rotom Dex popped out of Sun's backpack with a happy buzz and floated above the rug in the room where they had all gathered. Sun, Hau, Lillie, Aria, Hugh, Noah, Vivian, Sina, Dexio, Mallow, Kiawe, Lana, Laura Smiles, Professor Burnet and Professor Kukui.

 _"Hello, ladiezz and gentlemen! Welcome to the 92nd game of Truth or Dare, brought to you by Alola'zz one and only Captain Mallow! Here as your Master of Ceremonies and glorified bottle for this game izz meee! Rotom Dex!_ " the Pokédex cried out happily as a small roulette wheel suddenly popped up on its screen, showing the names of everyone present in the room.

"Truth or Dare, huh? Sounds fun." Vivian remarked as she sat down on the ground next to her boyfriend, Noah, who was watching Rotom Dex with amusement.

"I imagine we'll have some ground rules though?" Noah asked, with Lana, Lillie, and Kiawe nodding furiously and all standing up.

"No sexual or graphic dares that involve nudity." Kiawe stated, drawing everyone's attention. "I'm not going through that again."

"Also, no dares or truths that will cause a massive argument, hurt people's feelings, or result in blackmail material showing up on AlolaNet tomorrow." Lana said pointedly, with Mallow whistling a familiar tune innocently.

"And each person gets one pass for any truth or dare they want. And no re-using dares or truths already done in the game!" Lillie added, with Mallow sighing deeply and nodding.

 _"Izz that all?"_ Rotom asked the others, who more or less shrugged. _"Alrighty then! Let the game'zz begin!"_

Rotom spun its wheel and the first one landed on Mallow, who laughed in delight. The wheel spun for a second time, which landed on Hau.

"Interesting. Alright, Captain Mallow. Truth or dare?" Hau asked the green-haired girl, who stood up and posed dramatically.

"Dare!" Mallow shouted, her expression giddy due to her being the first pick of the night. "Hit me with your best shot, Hau!"

Hau smirked and rubbed his chin, thinking. "My best shot huh?"

"Oh, this is going to be good." Lana whispered to Kiawe, who grinned and nodding in agreement.

"Mallow, I dare you to order me more food."

You could hear a pin drop in the room, with everyone staring at Hau with a dull expression on their face. Mallow's expression was unreadable as she looked down at the floor, but a soft growl from the teen alerted the room that Hau had made the girl quite mad. Especially when she looked up with blood-lust in her eyes.

"...Let me at him! I'm going to rip his arms off!" Mallow snarled as she lunged at Hau, only for Kiawe to grab the girl by the arm and yank her down to the ground.

"I'm thinking pizza. Haven't had that in a while." Hau remarked casually, earning a scream of fury from Mallow while Lana and Kiawe exchanged a fist-bump. It appeared that Sun and Lillie weren't the only ones to make alliances to defeat the TOD Queen.

"Mallow, you should know better than to lose your cool because of a bad dare. I still have scars on my arms from the last one, so just order him a pizza." Kiawe said to the other Captain, who sighed and pulled out her phone. One pineapple pizza ordered later, a supremely smug Hau was reaching over and hi-fiving Hugh while Mallow fumed.

"Next!" Mallow grunted, spinning the bottle while Rotom Dex floated above it. To Mallow's delight, the bottle landing on Lillie and her.

"Truth or dare, Princess?" Mallow asked the birthday girl, who inhaled and exhaled to calm her breathing. She was going to beat Mallow at her own game!

"Dare." Lillie said firmly, with Mallow's grin becoming absolutely evil.

"I dare you to take off your dress." Mallow stated, with Professor Kukui and Burnet giving the Captain a glare each. Considering they treated and cared for Lillie like their own daughter, this was understandable. They didn't want to see Lillie being humiliated like this.

"That's really uncalled for, Captain Mallow. I thought we agreed that we weren't going to do anything like that!" Burnet said to the girl, who chuckled darkly in response.

"Unless Lillie's one of those shy and kinky types like Lana over here," Mallow said, making Lana blush and cover her face, "Then she'll just be baring a bit more skin than usual. Nothing explicit about that at all if she's got something on underneath it. Besides, she has a pass she could use."

"Actually, I'm fine with it, Professor Burnet." Lillie said with a small shrug, earning a surprised look from Mallow. To everyone's surprise, Lillie slipped out of her trademark dress without further ado, but Mallow let out a yell of rage upon seeing that Lillie was just wearing a fancy white nightgown underneath her regular outfit it that was somewhat similar to her usual dress and preserved her modesty well.

"You wore another dress underneath your regular dress!?" Mallow hissed, amazed and horrified that two newcomers to her game had managed to outsmart her within the opening round. Lillie grinned shyly at Mallow as she gently set her first dress on the ground, sitting on the floor while Sun was smiling at her with pride. Even if she did have the foresight to wear extra clothes in preparation for the game, doing something like that still had to be unnerving.

"Don't scare me like that!" Hau said to Lillie, pressing his shirt against his nose to stop the nosebleed that had come. Lana slowly shook her head with a small frown while Sina, Aria, and Vivian snickered at the boy.

"Alright, next turn!" Mallow said aloud with Rotom beeping and twirling in midair. Eventually it landed on Noah and Hugh. The two friends smirked at each other.

"Truth or dare?" Hugh asked the other teen.

"Dare. Bring it." Noah said bravely, with Vivian laughing softly beside him.

"I dare you to punch Professor Kukui in the abs as hard as you can." Hugh said with a smirk. Sun took a moment to process the fact that the crimson-eyed teen had asked a frail, sickly leukemiac Trainer to punch a man like Kukui in the abs, but decided not to comment on that. Noah shrugged and stood up as did Kukui, who grinned in anticipation. Noah punched Kukui in his rock-hard abs with a yell of effort before drawing back his hand, hissing in pain.

"What the hell? It's like trying to punch solid granite!" Noah yelped as he shook his hand, with Kukui chuckling softly.

"Seriously, I bet you could grind cheese on those abs." Vivian remarked, with Professor Burnet nodding in agreement.

"Yes, you can actually. We've tried it. However the smell tends to linger something awful." Burnet remarked, with the group bursting into laughter as Noah and Kukui sat back down. Rotom activated its roulette, which landed on Lillie and Professor Kukui.

"Truth or dare, Lillie?" Kukui asked, with Lillie thinking about it.

"Truth." The girl replied, with Kukui smirking.

"Alright then. Describe the best day you've had since arriving here." Kukui said, with Mallow frowning at the essential freebie Kukui had given her. Lillie didn't mind though, because she smiled.

"Honestly, it might just be today. I don't deserve all of this effort and gifts and your time, but...Being able to spend time with my friends and those who care about me is just overwhelming. I'm so happy. I'll never forget the kindness you've shown me" Lillie said quietly, with Sun and Aria wrapping an arm around the blonde girl's shoulders with matching grins while everyone else just smiled at the birthday girl.

 _"Zzzt! So much happiness! Fantazztic! Now, let'zz see who goezz next!"_ Rotom declared as it spun again. This time it landed on Professor Burnet and Laura Smiles, with both women smiling at one another.

"Alright, Madeline. Truth or dare?" Laura said with a cheeky grin.

"Truth. I'm not so stupid as to take a dare from you. I imagine my husband will appreciate it if he doesn't get the same treatment poor Hala got a little while ago." Burnet said with a rueful smile, earning a wince from her husband.

"Wait, what happened to Tutu?" Hau asked, confused.

"When I found out that he likes to taint children's minds with profanity, as well as impressionable young Pokémon, I hunted him down and kicked him in the testicles." Laura explained, with all of the men wincing in discomfort. "Needless to say, I'm not a fan of that kind of language around children of any kind. Now, onto my truth for you...describe Professor Kukui in the bedroom." Laura Smiles said with a small smirk, with Professor Burnet sighing softly while Sun, Lillie, Hau and Lana all began to blush. Professor Kukui was smiling, amused at this. He wouldn't be for long.

"The...ahem, few times we do make love are very passionate and incredible. However, getting him to actually focus on something like sex instead of something stupid or work-related is a lot harder than you think." Professor Burnet remarked dryly, remembering a conversation from the other night.

* * *

" _Johnny Kukui, will you focus for two seconds? I didn't get dressed like this for nothing, you know! I spent a lot of money on the whips too!"_

" _Honey, think of the science! We have to know for sure how their sleeping patterns work in conjunction with the move Rest."_

" _By Arceus, you're ridiculous sometimes, you know that?"_

" _Madeline, he sleeps in the bed with us, okay? Don't make me choose between you and the rock wolf."_

* * *

"Johnny, I love you to death, but you have the attention span of a Patrat." Burnet said to her horrified husband, who was cut off from replying when Sun interjected.

"Wait, wait...Your first name is Johnny? That's so normal though!" Sun asked the Professor, who grinned.

"Duh. What name sounds more Alolan than a name like Johnny Kukui? Think about it. Totally a surfer's name." Kukui responded to Sun, only slightly breaking the fourth wall. That's literally the only reason behind why I decided Kukui should get that name.

Regardless, everyone else was somewhat bothered by this revelation, and not in the fun way. Rotom decided now would be best to go onto the next dare, which was Lillie and Lana. Lillie went with truth, which Lana smirked at.

"Who's the hottest guy in the room?" Lillie paled at the question the bluenette was asking her, before slowly blushing pink.

"I um...Well...S-sun…" Lillie mumbled, but Lana wasn't satisfied with that.

"I didn't quite hear you. Could you speak up for the rest of the class?" Lana said with a teasing smile that Mallow was proud of.

"S-sun…" Lillie said in her usual volume. The boy in question felt really embarrassed at that, but was also quite happy about hearing this from his crush. He'd have to ask her about that the next time they were alone.

"~I still can't hear you, Lillie!~" Lana sang aloud, with Lillie's inner calm snapping like a twig

"It's Sun, alright! Are you happy!? I think Sun is...hot?" Lillie whispered the last bit of that sentence in horror before sinking down to the ground, unaware that she had stood up. Lillie quickly glanced over at Sun, meeting his eye. Lillie sighed with relief in seeing nothing but a bit of humor in Sun's eyes at the situation. If anything they were even now. Sun had admitted to her long ago that he thought she was the prettiest girl he knew, which still made her heart flutter with happiness.

"Wow. So that's what it felt being so nosy. I now know what it feels like to be Mallow." Lana said with a small shudder. "Feels gross. 2/10 would not recommend."

"No one asked you, Lana." Mallow said with an annoyed expression. Ignoring the squabble, Rotom spun the wheel again, which landed on Aria and Vivian.

"Ah, me and the Heroine. Truth or dare?" Vivian said with a sharp grin, with Aria rolling her eyes.

"Truth."

"Who's hotter? Wes or Hugh?" Vivian asked the new Snagger, who suddenly blushed bright pink and looked up at the ceiling, determinedly not meeting anyone's eyes.

"I hate my life...Wes. Wes was hotter." Aria answered, not seeing the annoyed expression on Hugh's face.

"I accepted that long ago." Hugh muttered, with Vivian deciding to pour salt into the wound.

"What about him made him so hot?" Vivian asked, with Aria sighing deeply as she looked down, her blush darkening.

"He was really h-handsome...and he had great body too. Plus, he taught me everything he knew about being a Trainer. I just liked his personality in general too, I guess. He was a dependable and likable guy, and he knew just how to make people smile. I began to develop feelings for him early on, and…" Aria trailed off with a small cough, knowing that she had said way too much. Hugh leaned against Aria and gave her a small hug, which she smiled a bit at. Sun wondered if thinking about her former mentor and friend in such a fond way brought up bad memories for Aria.

"I knew you'd say something like that, and I'm still amused. Life is good." Vivian remarked as she waved at Rotom, who spun his wheel again. This time it landed on Dexio and Sina, the former being terrified and the latter being very excited.

" _Oui! Mon tour!_ So Dexio, truth or dare?" Sina asked her partner happily. Dexio sighed and resigned himself to his fate.

"Truth. That's harmless, right?" Dexio muttered the last part to himself. Sina cackled with glee, bouncing up and down on the floor.

"What is your worst fear?" Sina asked Dexio, who's eyes widened in horror at the question.

"Pass. I'm not giving you that kind of ammunition against me, my friend." Dexio said firmly, crossing his arms as Sina giggled in delight.

"Alrighty! Next one is...Mallow and Hau!" Rotom announced, with Mallow growling softly in annoyance.

"Heh. Pick your poison." Hau said cockily, with Mallow's eye twitching slightly.

"Truth."

"Hmmm...Describe your last breakup and why you think it happened." Hau remarked, with Kiawe face-palming with a groan.

"Oh boy, here we go." Kiawe muttered, ignoring the glare of fury from Mallow, who frowned and looked down.

"Well, me and Bobby broke up after he beat the Grass Trial. We had been seeing each other for a little while at that point, and I thought after the Trial we would be able to spend the evening together and just hang out in the jungle, or maybe go out. It took way longer than it should have to convince him to spend some time with me, but...by that point he had really soured my opinion of him. It shouldn't be a struggle to decide something like that, right?" Mallow asked the others, who more or less agreed with a few nods. "He tried to salvage it with apologies and even tried to convince me to camp out with him and cuddle under the stars, but the thought of doing that bothered me at that point and I refused to even consider it. He got mad, left, and we haven't spoken since." Mallow said with an annoyed frown on her face. Her expression became more thoughtful, however.

"As for what went wrong...I don't know. At first, things usually start out pretty good. But after a while, I kinda just start losing interest one way or another, no matter how cute the guy is or how well we get along. I just stop becoming comfortable whenever I get more...intimate. It's weird, but I know I'll find the one meant for me. I've got to keep looking!" Mallow declared, pumping her fist into the air. "In the meantime, I'm going to help all my friends find love while I search for my own!"

"Well said." Noah remarked with a small chuckle, with Mallow giving the older Trainer a thumbs up. Rotom spun the wheel and it landed on Mallow and Sun.

"Rotom, what the hell?" Mallow growled at the device, who giggled in response.

"Good job Rotom. Truth or dare, Mallow?" Sun asked the Captain.

Mallow puffed out her chest and boldly answered, "Dare! Bring it."

"I dare you to dye your hair the same color red as Kiawe's." Sun said to the girl, who went sheet-white at the words.

"Pass. I'll die before I stoop down to Kiawe's level."

"...T-that actually kind of hurt, Mallow."

"Kiawe...are you _crying_?"

"No! You... _you're_ the one who's crying, Lana!"

 _"Zzzt...Do you want me to spin the wheel again, or…?"_

"Just do it!" Kiawe yelled at the device, who yelped and spun its wheel and found that it landed on Dexio and Sina, the former of whom grinned manically while his female partner paled.

"Truth or dare?" Dexio asked innocently, with Sina sighing softly.

"Truth, I suppose."

"Considering most of everyone here knows our secret identities, I must admit to some curiosity to something I've wondered ever since we became the Masked Heroes of Kalos. Umm…" Dexio trailed off, a small blush creeping into his face that worried Sina. "Have you ever...um, posed while wearing the mask entrusted to you-?"

"Of course I have. We've been doing this for years, Dexio."

"If you'd let me finish…" Dexio said with an annoyed sigh, with Sina blinking in response. "Have you ever posed _inappropriately_ while wearing your mask?" Dexio finished, with Sina suddenly blushing a very dark shade of red at the question that made her really wish she had said mask right then and there.

"Of course not-" Sina said in response, but Rotom suddenly buzzed loudly and swooped down in front of the Trainers for Kalos.

 _"Oh really? Because according to my sensorzz, you're lying through your teeth! You wanna try that again, Mizz Sina?"_ Rotom asked the girl, who suddenly looked down at the ground while everyone stared at her in and Dexio, wondering what the hell was going on.

"Fine. Sometimes...I like to pose in front of the mirror wearing my mask." Sina responded, with Dexio giving her a look. Sina curled into a ball, her face somehow going a shade of red darker. "Just my mask. And nothing else. Happy?"

"Shocking. Professor Sycamore enlists the help of weirdos, one of whom pose nude while pretending to be heroes." Laura Smiles remarked while the Captains and children exchanged looks of surprise while each sporting blushes. Dexio patted Sina on the head and whispered something into her ear, which made her recoil back in surprise.

"Wait, you do it too!?" Sina yelped, with Dexio throwing his hands up into the air in frustration.

"That was said to make you feel better! I didn't want my dirty habits getting out!" Dexio yelled, slipping into Kalosian and going on a rant. Sina did the same, and as a result no one knew what the two were saying. Well, except for Lillie, who was watching the two in mild horror.

"Lillie, you can speak their language, right? What are they saying?" Sun asked his friend, who shook her head.

"I'm not going to touch this one." Lillie responded, though she did catch Professor Burnet talking with Professor Kukui.

"Honey, you don't pose like that, do you?" Burnet asked her husband quietly, which unfortunately wasn't quiet enough for everyone in the room to latch onto the conversation. Hau and Sun clutched their eyes, screaming at the mental image.

"Kukui, please for the love of Arceus, don't tell me you wear weird masks and pose nude." Laura said to the man, who scoffed.

"Don't be ridiculous Laura. Since when I have ever owned a mask? And besides, that's highly inappropriate for a man of my standing and age." Kukui responded, with Laura sighing in relief. Though...

 _ **"They must never know."** _ Kukui thought darkly, crossing his arms and looking down at the floor. Suddenly the doorbell rang in the distance, with Hau and Mallow hopping up to retrieve Hau's pizza. The boy came back wearing a massive grin and began chowing down, sharing the pizza with Noah, Sun, and Lillie. By that time Sina and Dexio had calmed down and the game was underway once more. It landed on Kiawe and Noah, with Kiawe deciding on dare.

"Um...Huh. Got it. Kaiwe, I dare you to log onto Festival Plaza and declare that you think dancing is for girls." Noah said with a grin, with Kiawe groaning in despair as he hung his head.

"P-pass…"

"Wow, seriously? Kiawe, you're such a weenie." Mallow said to the older Captain, who scowled at Mallow. The wheel was spun once again, and to everyone's delight it landed on Lillie and Sun.

"Alright Princess. Truth or dare." Sun said to Lillie, who grinned adorably at him.

"Dare." Lillie said, earning several smirks in the room.

"I dare you...to wear all black at the next big party we go to." Sun said to Lillie, who frowned and looked away at that.

"But I…" Lillie trailed off, unsure. Ever since she could remember, she had worn her fancy and elegant all-white dresses. Even though they were a reminder of the mental conditioning she had been subjected to and were a testament to her mother's influence, Lillie couldn't feel comfortable wearing anything else. They gave her comfort, and reminded her of times when she could feel the love her mother had for her. However…

Lillie wanted to be brave. And sometimes, it meant doing things despite being scared. Little steps, after all.

"Okay. I'll do it." Lillie said to Sun, who smiled at his friend.

"You should've just asked her out to the big Tapu Lele party happening six weeks from now. That would've been way more interesting." Vivian noted, making Sun and Lillie glare at the violinist. The wheel was spun again, with the wheel landing on Noah and Lana.

"Hmm...I'll go with truth." Noah said to the Water Captain, who thought about it.

"Well, you and Hugh beat my Trial the other day. But I couldn't help but wonder, how does someone with a life-threatening illness train and explore with his Pokémon?" Lana asked the pale young man, who smiled in response.

"Interesting question. Well, it amounts to me being very stubborn. I ran away from home after my first batch of treatments, once my illness started really making its mark on me. My only Pokémon was a Machop who had been given to me to be my strength, because I was so weak. I credit my survival in general to my Starter, who kept me going and fought to protect me since I was so defenseless. Together, we expanded the team and slowly but surely conquered Kanto's Gyms through sheer force of will. I refused to be held back by some sickness. If I died, then so be it...But I would achieve my dreams of being a Trainer or die trying." Noah said in reply, with the others listening intently to the young man's tale.

"Yes, I've put my health at risk many times. I'd have a much more comfortable life being in the cities, receiving treatment and hoping for a cure to someday come. With recent advances in medical treatment, I wouldn't be surprised if it happened in a few years. But for now, I'm not going to wait. I'm going to keep fighting. That is how I'm able to train despite being so sick, Captain Lana. The will to live, and truly live. I'm not afraid to die when I'm doing what I love and am surrounded by a team that loves and respects me, despite my physical weakness." Noah finished, with Vivian placing a hand over Noah's and clasping it in a rare show of affection for her boyfriend.

"That's...dude, that's really cool." Hau remarked, with Noah laughing in response.

"Glad you think so, man. So who's next?" Noah asked Rotom Dex, who buzzed in response.

 _"You're gonna make me cry, Noah! Zzzt! Just kidding! I'd hate to short-circuit when all thizz drama and fun iz going on."_ Rotom declared, spinning its wheel. It landed on Laura Smiles and Professor Burnet. Laura went with truth, and Professor Burnet thought about it for a moment.

"I was curious about something, since you don't talk much about yours and Sun's past. But do you or he have any family here in Alola, or is it just you two?" Burnet asked Laura, with Sun looking at his mother in surprise as she sighed quietly.

"From what I remember, my ex-husband's mother and father still lives on Ula'ula Island somewhere. Sun's grandparents have never met him, though, and are estranged from my ex-husband." Laura replied, with her looking at Sun sadly. "I don't know how to reach out to them, though. I'm not sure it's wise to either. I don't want to risk word getting to that man about where we are."

"I understand Mom...I think I still want to meet them." Sun said quietly, looking away. So, he had grandparents here in Alola? He wasn't sure how he felt about that. He needed a bit of time to think about it. The wheel spun again and landed on Aria and Kiawe, who was dared to smack Hugh in the bare chest with her Snag Machine arm. Needless to say…

"Agghhh! Holy sweet mother of Arceus, that stings!"

It hurt. A lot.

The next rotation was Kiawe and Vivian, the latter of whom was grinning at the Fire Captain.

"Truth or dare, Kiawe?" Vivian asked the dancer, who grinned confidently.

"Truth."

"If you had to spend the night in a broom closet with one of the people here, who would it be and why?" Vivian asked the young man, who chuckled in response.

"Easy. Professor Kukui!" Kiawe responded, shocking everyone. "After all, we could discuss Pokémon battling and all sorts of interesting things. I'd like a chance to learn from him. Besides, it definitely beats hearing about Mallow's feelings, that's for sure."

"Go to hell."

"Already there, Mallow. Already there...i wish I was kidding." Kiawe said with a laugh, though he suddenly stopped smiling and pulled out his phone, which was buzzing. Kiawe opened it and began speaking to however was calling him. "Hey boss, what's...Oh. Really? Karen called out?...No one else can come in this late? I...understood. I'll be there soon."

Kiawe hung up his phone and stood up, sighing softly. "Sadly, this is where I'll have to say goodbye. We had an incident at work and we're understaffed right now, so I'm heading in. You all have a goodnight."

Kiawe looked over at Lillie and said, "And Happy Birthday again, Lillie. May the coming years bring you happiness."

"Thank you Kiawe. You have a good night! I hope work goes well!" Lillie said to her friend as he left the room, waving goodbye to the others. With that, their number was reduced by one.

 _"Next!"_ Rotom declared, with the wheel landing on Laura Smiles and Mallow, with both women grinning at each other.

"I'm thinking truth." Laura said to Mallow, who cackled with glee.

"I want you to tell me the most adorable thing you've seen Lillie and Sun doing." Mallow asked the woman, with the two children in question both gulping in horror.

"Why are all my truths and dares used to get information on Sun?" Laura said jokingly, but she smiled regardless. "Well, it'd have to be the first morning Lillie stayed at our house on Melemele Island. I found her and Sun cuddling on the couch, fast asleep. Best part was that Sun was sleeping right on top of Lillie's boobs, so-"

"Okay Mom, that's enough!" Sun interjected, blushing dark red while everyone else laughed at him and Lillie for their embarrassing moment. Things didn't improve for the two children, either, as Lillie and Aria were up next on the wheel.

"Truth or dare, Lillie?" Aria said with a grin. The girl took a shuddering breath, but remembered her promise to herself. She wouldn't back down, no matter how nervous she was.

"Truth."

"Describe the moment Miss Smiles just talked about from your own perspective, using as much detail as possible." Aria instructed Lillie, who flinched and looked down.

"M-me and Sun were staying up late, reading together on the couch. I started getting really tired, and rested my head on Sun's shoulder for a moment before falling asleep. The next thing I know, I hear Miss Smiles laughing and I'm holding Sun close to me, with his face buried in m-my...breasts." Lillie said the last word in a whisper, with Hugh and Vivian on the floor laughing. "I tried to wake Sun up, but he just starting...moving around, which made things worse. Finally I yelled, woke him up, and that was that. He apologized for what happened even though I'm just as at fault and we're still friends."

"Did you _like_ having him do that, Lillie?" Mallow asked with a perverted grin. Lillie frowned at her friend, crossing her arms.

"I satisfied the requirements of the round. Rotom, if you would?" Lillie said with a huff, with the Pokédex giggling before spinning the wheel, with it landing on Noah and Aria.

"Let's see now…Truth."

"Since you had feelings for Wes, did you ever ask him out? And if so, how'd that go?" Noah asked the Snagger, who face-palmed while blushing bright pink. Hugh rolled his eyes, though he was smiling slightly now.

"Yes, I asked him out. I'm not proud of how I reacted when he shot me down though. I got really mad because he said that he wasn't looking to date, because his last girlfriend ruined a lot of things for him. That was the first time I had ever asked someone out, and being rejected didn't sit well with me. So I got into a bad argument with him and went to sulk at our hotel. He went to the bars, ran into one of the most famous singers in the world right now, and ended up becoming friends with her. Needless to say, I'm not proud of how I acted that night." Aria explained in a quiet voice, with Hugh giving her a sympathetic look. After all, he knew what it was like to be shot down by someone you had feelings for. The wheel spun again and landed on Lillie and Mallow, with the Grass Captain giggling happily.

"Truth or dare, Lillie?"

"Truth!"

"Gah, can some of you weenies pick dare already?" Mallow complained before she suddenly smirked sinisterly. "Lillie, I want you to tell me which of the videos on that website I showed you that you enjoyed the most."

Lillie coughed awkwardly and looked away from the Captain, though Kukui and Burnet were confused.

"What website is she talking about?" Kukui asked Mallow, who chuckled.

"Well, our little Princess had some questions about boys and I introduced her to the wonders of the internet, beginning my work of corrupting her mind with as much filth as possible." Mallow said happily while anger flashed on Burnet's face.

"You showed her an adult website? Really? Mallow, not everyone is much of a pervert as you-" Lana began to say before she was cut off.

"Number 21 on your playlist of videos was interesting, Mallow. Next." Lillie answered to the collective surprise of everyone, which Lillie took notice of. "Again, I was curious about some things and it'd be weird asking either one of you two. As much of a disgusting pervert she is, Mallow actually taught me a lot about the subject with her dirty mind."

"Your welcome!"

"I wasn't thanking you. I was just stating a fact."

 _"Zzzt! Next up is...Vivian and Sun!"_ Rotom Dex declared, with Sun grinning at the violinist while Kukui and Burnet glared at Mallow.

"Truth or dare, Vivian?" Sun asked the young woman, who grinned back at him.

"Dare!" Vivian declared, with Sun laughing in a manner that Mallow approved of. She also approved of the dare, considering it involved her.

"I dare you to take a bite of the Mallow Special." Sun said to Vivian, who looked confused. Meanwhile, Mallow was eagerly digging into her backpack and pulled out a Tupperware container filled with green goo of sorts.

"I have some leftovers from the other day! I'll be more than happy to share some!" Mallow said happily, though she frowned after a moment. "Wait, why is this a dare? Is something wrong with the Mallow Special?"

At the silence of everyone else, Mallow's expression fell. Wordlessly she passed a spoon and the container to Vivian, who looked down nervously at the food offered to her. Opening it, the violinist flinched at the smell that suddenly hit the room. Vivian coughed, waving her hand and waving away the smell before quickly getting a spoonful and shoving it into her mouth. Vivian's expression turned to pain and the woman quickly swallowed, gagging several times before hunching over, shivering.

"Was it...bad?" Mallow asked quietly as Vivian groaned.

"I think I would rather gargle battery acid than do that again. Oh...I don't feel so good, Noah." Vivian groaned, falling onto the floor.

 _"...Let'zz skip Vivian for now and continue!"_ Rotom declared cheerily, ignoring the horrified looks everyone was giving a rather upset Mallow. Needless to say, when it landed on Lillie and her, Mallow felt a bit more cheery.

"Truth!" Lillie picked, smiling as Mallow scowled.

"Fine...What's Sun's best quality?" Mallow asked, making Lillie frown.

"Mallow, you really have nothing better to ask me than more stuff about Sun?" Lillie asked the Captain, who happily nodded in response. "Fine then. I think Sun's best quality is that he's able to see the best in people. Even at their worst, he supports people no matter what they're going through. I can't help but admire him for that."

Mallow nodded, satisfied at the answer she received while Sun rubbed the back of his head, blushing slightly at the praise from Lillie. The spinner landed on Aria and Dexio, who both grinned.

"Truth or Dare?"

"Dare me, sucka." Aria said cockily, with Dexio chuckling.

"I dare you to predict something in the future for me and Sina! You have a very helpful gift, and I can't help but be curious in what lies in our perspective futures." Dexio explained as Aria rolled her eyes, but got up and walked over to the two Kalosians. Aria grabbed both of their hands and the group waited in silence for a few moments before Aria tilted her head back, her eyes glowing green for several seconds before she slumped over, shivering as if ill.

"Never...stops...hurting." Aria grit her teeth as Hugh scrambled over to her and helped her to her feet. Aria was helped back to her original spot and given some water, and after she downed a bit of it she explained what she saw to Dexio.

"I saw...a chapel of sorts. With a massive tower in the background, but the focus in on a massive party going on. Everyone's wearing their best clothes, the food looks great, and its all set up for a wedding." Aria explained, with Dexio frowning at that.

"Strange. I know of no one who would be getting married in the foreseeable future." Dexio remarked, glancing at Sina, who shrugged in response.

"Well, that's because the people who're getting married isn't anyone that you're friends with...The people getting married is the two of you, Sina and Dexio." Aria said with a small smirk on her face as the two foreign Trainer's eyes widened in surprise. Dexio slowly looked at Sina to see what her reaction to that was, but was amazed to see that she was smiling at him with a bright pink burning her cheeks.

"So yeah, congrats on the revelation. Hope you two finding out that you both like each other was worth me going through intense pain. Jerks." Aria said to the two Trainers, who were staring at each other transfixed.

 _"Sina, y a-t-il quelque chose que tu veux me dire?"_ Dexio said quietly to his partner, who looked away from him. Dexio looked down for a moment before he looked back up at her. _"As-tu caché aussi tes sentiments, mon cher ami?_

 _"Qui."_ Came Sina's reply, surprisingly quiet for such a lively and energetic woman. Dexio nodded, satisfied at the answer, before he suddenly leaned forward and kissed Sina full on the mouth. Sina gasped at the sudden contact, but slowly shut her eyes and leaned into the kiss while everyone watched on in surprise.

"Well...That took a turn." Aria stated aloud with a wide grin as Sina and Dexio broke apart, gasping for air and both sporting heavy blushes.

"It looks like you both have some things you need to sort out." Vivian remarked idly as Sina sighed and leaned against Dexio, shutting her eyes.

"I've been waiting years for that." Sina breathed happily as Dexio wrapped an arm around her, pulling his friend close.

"My friends, I believe me and Sina have some things to discuss. Thank you for allowing us here for the day. It was quite fun, and the day we see each other again will hopefully not be far from now." Dexio said to the others as Sina stood as well, stretching for a moment. Both of the Kalosians bid Lillie a Happy Birthday and departed from the room, leaving everyone else sitting in silence. At least until Aria broke it.

"And once again, Aria the Matchmaker has two satisfied customers." Aria said, leaning back and lying down on the ground. "I'll give them both two weeks before I admit to those two that I lied about the vision of their wedding just so that they would admit their feelings for each other."

"Wait, you did what?" Hugh asked the Snagger, who gave them all a massive grin.

* * *

"Well, it's official Torch. I'm bored."

Demi wandered through the Shady House with her Quilava, but found that despite the size of the mansion and the many odd people and things within, there really wasn't a whole lot to _do_. Which sucked for Demi, considering it was pouring rain outside and she didn't feel like going outside.

"I just don't get it. This unease with the rain...why is it so bad? Why can't I just go out there and deal with it?" Demi asked as she passed a window, where a glance had shown her a few of the Team Skull Grunts wrestling the three Skull Brothers on the front lawn of the house, with Plumeria watching them with Kayla and Kevin standing beside her. Demi had declined Plumeria's offer to teach her how to fight, instead choosing to stay in the Shady House and do some chores instead, considering what a dump the house was. Plumeria praised the girl for taking initiative, which none of the other Grunts seemed to want to do.

"Hey, Demi!" The girl's attention snapped upwards, where Kevin was standing above her. The Grunt walked down the stairway and held out a fist, which she punched. "How's it going? Why aren't you outside with the others?"

"Not feeling like it. It's hard to explain. What are those?" Demi asked, pointing to the stack of papers in the teen's arms.

Kevin shrugged in reply, grinning underneath his bandanna. "The Boss told me to update the Wall of Infamy, so we know the best marks to hit, yo. It's usually the same ones, but every now and then we get some new folks to harass. Follow me, sis, and I'll show you where it is."

Demi shrugged and followed the teen, returning Torch as the two made their way to the dining hall, which Demi had cleaned just two hours prior. It had taken a lot of work to move some of the broken furniture and trash that littered the room, but it definitely looked a lot better now that someone had taken some time to clean.

"Huh...So this is what this room looks like without the debris. Weird. Anyway, here's where we usually keep the papers and stuff." Kevin said as he walked over to a massive billboard that was oddly enough, completely clear. The teen snagged a step ladder and begin using tacks to pin a series of pictures to the wall, complete with descriptions of what they had done and what the reward would be upon their capture.

"What are you two doing?" came a low voice from behind them. Demi whirled around and saw Gladion standing in the entryway, a hand on his hip and looking rather exhausted. Demi looked away from the boy, remembering the harsh words he had said to her the other day.

 _"I don't understand him...Why does he want to be miserable so much?"_ Demi thought as Gladion looked at Kevin, who was continuing to staple the pictures to the wall. Kevin hopped down from his ladder and looked at Gladion and Demi, who weren't meeting each other's gaze.

"I feel like I'm interrupting something...so I'm gonna bail." Kevin said before either teen could say anything. He did turn to Demi and said, "I'll be outside with the others, if you feel like coming to hang out with us."

"M-maybe later." Demi said to the teen, who nodded and wandered out of the room, leaving Gladion and Demi alone. Demi turned around and began scanning the Wall of Infamy, with Gladion watching her for a time.

"I'm surprised you're not outside." Gladion noted, with Demi snorted derisively.

"I told you a few days ago. The non-stop rain is really messing with me. I don't want to go outside in that...It's scaring me." Demi whispered to herself, shivering slightly. She then shot a glare at Gladion while pulling her bandanna down, showing her angry expression. "Why do you even _care_? Trying to find another way to be a dick to someone just trying to be nice?"

"I don't...It's just that…" Gladion trailed off, looking away. He had come to the Shady House to speak with Plumeria and get new orders from Guzma, which was fairly standard. However, when he saw Demi walking with Kevin, he followed without hesitation. Why though? He had already taken that step and pushed Demi away, so why...Why did he feel the need to follow her? He turned to look at her with a small sigh escaping him, the teen walking over to her.

"I don't know. So...They're finally updating the Wall of Infamy?" Gladion asked Demi, who looked back up at it.

"Yeah. Lots of unfamiliar faces, but they're unsurprising. All of the Captains and Kahunas are on here. I don't recognize this Hapu lady or the Commander Jack guy, though his name sounds familiar. But I...Wait what!?" Demi yelled out, catching a familiar face on the board. Several familiar faces on the board.

Sun, Hau, and Lillie.

Hau was an obvious target. He had beaten Team Skull several times and was the grandson of the Kahuna of Melemele Island. No big stretch to see why the gangsters considered him a target. Sun had beaten Team Skull even more times and he was new to the islands of Alola as well, which probably made things more insulting to Team Skull. But…

Why would Team Skull be after Lillie? The girl was so sweet and innocent, she couldn't have done anything to provoke Team Skull. Demi then remembered some of the conversations Lillie had with her back on Melemele Island, where the girl had warned her that people were after her and Nebby. Demi had promised the girl that Demi would make anyone who tried to hurt the girl run away with burns. They had hugged after that.

"I really do miss them." Demi sighed as Gladion joined her, looking over the wall. He suddenly froze, and Demi noticed he too was staring at Lillie's picture.

"How...Why is Team Skull looking for her!? I thought she was safe!" Gladion rasped, his voice thick with horror and, Demi noticed, genuine worry.

"I don't know why they're looking for Lillie. I just know my friend's in danger." Demi replied, not noticing the sharp look of alarm Gladion had given her. Instead, she was looking at the picture of Lillie and was frowning as something began to bother her. She then looked at Gladion, noticing the glare he was giving her, and rolled her eyes before looking back at the picture of Lillie on the Wall of Infamy.

"You know...Looking at it, you remind me of Lillie, Gladion. You two could be brother and sister." Demi noted, taking in the fact that the two shared the same hair color, skin complexion and eye color. Their faces even looked a bit similar, actually...Demi looked at Gladion and saw that the boy had gone deathly pale, his eyes wide. She then processed what he had said before, and began putting a few pieces of the puzzle together.

"How _exactly_ do you know Lillie, Gladion?" Demi asked the boy, who shut his eyes for a moment, as if considering his options. He then opened his eyes…

Before suddenly punching Demi in the stomach and making the girl drop to her knees, choking in pain. Gladion suddenly threw the girl to the ground and pinned her to the ground with ease, his face bared in a look of absolute fury. Demi tried to move her head, but quickly found that Gladion had a knife pressed to her neck.

"You're going to tell me everything you know about Lillie. Right. Now!" Gladion hissed at the girl, pressing the knife into her throat just enough for a tear of crimson to drip onto the carpet.

* * *

 _Well that escalated quickly!_

 _Next chapter we'll see the conclusion of Lillie's birthday, with some more fluff and with some stuff being explained with Gladion and Demi! And maybe something else..._

Q & A

From: RC-DA

 **Alright, I'm gonna explain my logic to some of the things that you've expressed concern about in your review. If this doesn't cover it, then feel free to PM me to discuss this further.**

 **You're absolutely right in the fact that as bad as Amber was injured in this past fight, she shouldn't have been able to fight as well as she was. I plan on making some revisions to the last chapter to make her injuries and actions more realistic, because despite how tough Amber is, she shouldn't be able to take down anyone in a fight in her condition.**

 **Back during their battle, Kukui thought Amber was knocked out and that he would be able to escape with the children while she was incapacitated. Yes, it was a lapse in judgement on his part, but he wasn't going to kill someone in front of a bunch of already traumatized kids. Also, considering the kind of person Professor Kukui is...I honestly don't think he has it in him to kill an opponent that's defenseless like that. Hence why the scene played out the way it did. Not everyone has the resolve to kill someone.**

 **Amber shooting Oliver's Gallade was done because it was a moment where everyone was more or less awed by the psychic deadlock taking place. It wasn't a thing where no one could interfere. It's that Amber was the only who was awful enough to take a cheap shot at an unmoving and distracted target while everyone was watching two Psychic's slugging it out, again showcasing that she doesn't care what she has to do to beat her opponents no matter how underhanded and genuinely awful it is.**

 **Avis, Amber's Xatu, is one of the main reasons she's survived as long as she has. Amber doesn't have much of a sense of self-preservation, while Avis is always there to bail her out of trouble, as seen in nearly every fight Amber is in. Avis abuses the hell out of her most useful moves, Protect and Teleport, and maintains a mental link with Amber so that Amber can think orders to Avis, and Avis relays the orders to her team. That's what makes Avis so dangerous, is that she fights completely in-sync with her Trainer and doesn't need to be a powerhouse to win. She just needs to keep Amber and her team alive long enough to turn the odds around in their favor, as seen when Avis and Oliver's Gallade were in a deadlock with Psychic.**

 **And yeah, while Xatu isn't the most powerful Pokémon around, when you have a very high-leveled anything, it's going to be a force to be reckoned with. Amber's entire team is in the upper 50's and lower 60's, with Avis being the strongest.** **However, I've also read stories where Trainers have had unconventional Starters that are the cornerstone of their team (Des the Camerupt from "Pedestal" comes to mind. Hell, isn't Ash's Pikachu strong enough to take down one of the Golem Trio?) Anyways, I hope that clears up why things have happened the way they have. Again, if you have further questions, let me know and I'll answer as best as I can.**

 _Feel free to drop a review telling me what you think, and favorite and/or follow if you haven't already! Oh yeah, and questions as well. Just don't forget to drop feedback with those questions!_

 _I'm going to go...Get lunch maybe? Or probably work on more of the TOD stuff. I kinda went overboard with that. I hoped you all liked it though!_

 _Take care and stay awesome!_

 _Until next time, FlygonNick out!_


	62. Demi's Deal

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _Hey, this chapter is JUST AS LONG AS THE LAST ONE. I really don't learn my lesson, do I?_

 _So, let's have a discussion regarding feedback._

 _I go on and on and on about how important it is, but seriously. It makes this story better._

 _Take Chapter 61 for instance. I got a review explaining several things wrong with a certain aspect of it. I thought about it, looked over the section in question and agreed that it could be made better, and made some changes to improve it. As a result, Chapter 61 is a bit more realistic and Amber acts like how someone who sustained the awful injuries she did in the chapter should act. Barely able to move, let alone fight well._

 _I got a review last chapter, telling me that Sun and Lillie hugged way too much and that the fluffiness was a bit too much last chapter. I thought about it, looked it over, and decided that Sai Og Sus (NAME DROP) was right and decided to take out a Sun/Lillie hug in the chapter that wasn't necessary for the moment (taking the number down from three to two, which I agree was excessive.)_

 _The point to this is that constructive criticism is important as hell. And as much as I love people singing the praises of this story (because who doesn't enjoy being complimented?) feedback that tells me what I can improve on or what is messed up is what helps the story get better, and helps me get better at writing. So, thanks to those who aren't afraid to let me know when I'm being daft. And thanks to those who praise the story and me in general. I'm losing track of the plot here, aren't I?_

 _Last chapter was long but funny as hell to write. I'm hoping to continue the magic this chapter, where TOD concludes and the plot continues. And yes, for those wondering, Professor Mohn will be explained a bit next chapter. Also, I take back what I said a little while ago. The Tapu Lele speaking and looking like a human bit will be explained next chapter as well. That happened with the scene shuffle I had to do when TOD became a two-parter, so everything got mixed up._

 _Sina and Dexio's sudden relationship reveal was also a talking point from last chapter. I've planned their reveal for a while, but figured it'd be a fun way to close out the first part of TOD. Don't worry, we'll get a bit of time to see them sorting our their feelings soon._

 _Speaking of people wearing masks, I just want to say that Lillie getting a mask from them may just turn into one of the best running gags of all time in this story. That's all I'll say for now, because I'm literally laughing as I write this._

 _Beware of the cuteness, because it's returning with a vengeance this chapter. Only two Sun/Lillie hugs though. After this, there's going to be a bit of a lull in fluff for them for a little while._

 _Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes Madame Rodoshe, GeekyGamer314, MoonlightButterfree, Cottonmouth25, BouncingFish (huzzah, you've returned!), Angelfire3, RC-DA, Okamiden14, SonicIKE, DarkestShade73, TheOneWhoSaysMeep (welcome back!), BraviaryScout, Gokan123,Sai Og Sus, and Ways (greetings and welcome back!), as well as a new reviewer known as Defender31415. Thanks for the support and fantastic feedback. I've also realized I have kinda just started a thing where I welcome back those who haven't reviewed in a while, since I kind of just assume people have stopped reading the story if I haven't heard from them in a while. So yeah, welcome back and I hope you're enjoying the chapters and stuff._

 _Special shoutout and thanks to those who had Truth or Dare suggestions chosen for the chapter, which includes Cottonmouth25, MoonlightButterfree, JasperCFZ, SonicIKE, Sai Og Sus, DarkestShade73, and BraviaryScout. Thanks go to out to all of those who submitted ideas that didn't get picked either. It was fun reading through them, and thanks for taking part in the fun._

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 _Chapter 62: Demi's Deal_

* * *

Demi hissed in pain as the cold metal cut into her neck, but had to take a few moments to recover from Gladion's punch to her gut to reply.

"I don't know why...I ever liked you." Demi spat at Gladion, which caught the boy by surprise.

"What?" Gladion stated, completely confused.

"You are such...a hardass. No wonder Team Skull can't stand you. You treat everyone like shit, like you don't even know how to act around other people...I feel like an idiot for thinking that there was any kind of good inside you." Demi grunted with anger pulsing through her voice, with Gladion looking down at the floor at the girl's words in shame. He then shook his head and reapplied pressure to Demi, forcing her back to the floor.

"Stop distracting me! I want answers! How do you know Lillie?" Gladion growled at the teen, who hissed in pain.

"We were friends before Brooklet Hill. Now get off of me or else!" Demi panted, with Gladion scowling at the words.

"Or else what?" Gladion asked the Team Skull Grunt. Demi surprised Gladion when pressed her neck into the blade with a yell. Gladion jerked back and moved the blade away from the girl to prevent her from slashing her own neck open further. Regardless, the drip of blood was now a trickle.

"Or else that. You think I really care whether or not you hurt me, Gladion? I don't have a family, my team is gone except for Torch, and I'm hardly of any use to Team Skull while I'm here because of this rain thing happening! But...I don't think you have it in you to kill me anyway, so just get off of me so we can talk about this like actual people!" Demi nearly yelled at Gladion, who scowled and considered the girl's words. Wordlessly he hopped off of Demi and stepped away, with the girl struggling to her feet. Eventually she just sat against the wall, gritting her teeth in pain as she clamped a hand over her neck.

"Talk." Gladion commanded the girl as he pointed the knife at Demi, who sighed deeply, thinking about what to tell the boy. Instead, she decided to turn the tables and get some answers herself.

"How about you tell me what she means to you? Because based on that reaction to just me knowing her, she's important to you. So maybe fill me in, so I know what I can tell you about her, because I'll be damned if that girl gets hurt because of me." Demi said to the fierce teen. Gladion shut his eyes and crossed his arms, sheathing his knife at last and thinking hard about Demi's words.

"She's your sister, isn't she?" Demi guessed, with Gladion's eyes snapping open in surprise. "It's not like its hard to figure out. You both look similar and Lillie mentioned her older brother a few times in passing, but not by name. It makes sense, in a way. But I think there's a lot more to the story I don't know here."

"And you'll continue to not know it. There's a reason I stay away from her even though I know she's safe. Team Skull follows me and Guzma tracks my movements, and with thugs like Team Skull, there's no telling what they'd do to Lillie if they came across my little sister. If she ran away from home, it's best she stay hidden for now and lay low so she isn't captured. So I stay away, because it's best for everyone." Gladion responded, but Demi scoffed in reply.

"Why? To get stronger? That's total crap." Demi replied, with Gladion giving her a hard look that showed he was reaching some kind of threshold to his levels of stress. "The only thing you're doing with this solo act thing is hurting every single person who cares about you. Or _wants_ to care about you. Is that really what you tell yourself when you push people away and treat them like garbage? That you're protecting them by making sure no one gets close to you?"

"You don't know what _she's_ capable of! She's become a monster!" Gladion spat, a deranged pall falling over the boy that actually scared Demi. Gladion was almost losing it now. "You think I _like_ having to do any of this?! That I've had to spend over two...entire...years, all by myself trying to tame a beast that hated me for waking it up and reminding it that its entire purpose was to be a _weapon_!? Not knowing who I could trust because any one of them could stab me in the back and doom the world to whatever hell that _woman_ has in store for it!? And that's not counting what she'll do to me if she gets ahold of me and Null! If Mother somehow got ahold of Lillie, it'd be even _worse_!"

Gladion was almost screaming by the end of his trade, and looked close to tears. Demi had no idea what to make most of what he was saying, but could see the true fear in his eyes. He didn't look like a hardass that thought everyone was beneath him, right then.

He looked like a terrified boy who didn't know what to do anymore. Gladion truly believed that his actions, no matter how miserable they made him, were necessary to stop something awful from happening. Demi could almost feel her anger at Gladion fading as she beheld what truly lay beneath the edgy exterior Gladion had created around himself.

" _Is that it then?_ " Demi thought, thinking back on all of their previous interactions together. It always came down to Gladion wanting to become stronger. Was this it? To save those precious to him by any means necessary? To save the world from some unknown threat?

 _"No...his Mother. He's been all alone for over two years, trying to train Type: Null so he can fight his mother? What could his mother be doing to make Gladion so scared for not only the life of him and Lillie, but the entire world?...He's had to bear this burden all alone. No wonder he's such a hardass."_ Demi thought, feeling sympathy for the teen in black who seemed to almost collapse inward, his strength seemingly leaving him.

"Yes...Lillie is my little sister. And...and I don't care what I have to do to protect her. She's the only family I have left." Gladion said quietly, looking down at the floor. "You say you're her friend, but you're also in Team Skull. I don't know why they're looking for her, but I have to ask you...please don't tell Team Skull, and especially Guzma, about Lillie. She's not a Trainer, and they would tear her apart. I'll do whatever it takes to keep her safe. _Anything_."

" _Team Skull tearing Lillie apart? Not likely. Especially if Sun is there to protect her. He'd die before Lillie got so much as a scratch."_ Demi thought, though she didn't vocalize the thought. Instead, she said, "So why'd you run away from home? Where even _is_ home for you? I've always wondered where Lillie came from. She almost never talks about her life before she started staying with...well, the people she says with."

"I...We live here in Alola, but not on any of the main islands. I can't really tell you more than that, because if people start digging, _they_ get curious. And bad things happen when that woman starts sniffing in people's business." Gladion replied, crossing his arms and looking deeply uncomfortable.

"Alright then. Let's make a deal." Demi said to Gladion, who looked over at her with a concerned expression on his face. "I'll promise not to tell any of Team Skull about Lillie. Not where she is, what she does, nothing. It'll be like I never met her. I'll even try to contact her so I can try and warn her about Team Skull stuff should it come up. But in exchange...You drop this renegade crap, tell me what the hell is going on with you and Lillie's past, and stop treating me like shit and more like a friend. And...let me decide whether or not to _help_ your melodramatic ass, since what you're talking about sounds important."

"Where do you get-" Gladion began to say, but Demi cut him off.

"Because if you keep going down this road...You're going going to fail at whatever it is you're doing. No one can succeed with anything all on their own. Whatever you're doing, if its this important...You've got to let someone help you shoulder this burden, Gladion. _Because it's literally tearing you apart_." Demi told Gladion, with the boy blinking in response to the statement before scowling for reasons Demi couldn't know, but Gladion did.

* * *

 _"You're hurting. And despite what you say, wish for someone to help you. You're just very stubborn. That is why you traveled with Sun. Because he understands."_

* * *

Type: Null's words rang out to Gladion, who grit his teeth at the memory. Was he really wrong? Is this what Null had meant? Would having someone like Demi really help make his quest easier? She would definitely be a distraction, and she was a member of Team Skull. He didn't know what to do…

* * *

 _"Foolish. You'll never stop her if you can't learn to understand yourself."_

* * *

"What? So you want to help me now? After what I just did to you?" Gladion asked, not believing the words of the dark-skinned girl as he recalled the words of his partner, stinging his pride because he was starting to see the truth in its words. He was surprised when Demi nodded in response to his statement.

"It's called forgiving people and showing some empathy, Gladion. Maybe try it some time, instead of being an asshole." Demi stated dryly, making Gladion jerk back in response. Demi knew that she was just being salty because of how Gladion treated her the other day and because of how he had overreacted a few minutes ago, but on the other hand...Being sassy was fun, and this guy deserved to be knocked down a peg, even if his attitude was understandable now that she knew a little of the story. Gladion looked down, looking a bit ashamed of himself.

"I'm...I'm sorry." Gladion mumbled, crossing his arms. He seemed to be in deep thought, as if struggling with himself over something. Demi really couldn't believe that someone like this guy existed. After about two minutes of silence, Demi saw Gladion's hand clamp down on the crook of his elbow, with the boy wincing in pain for a moment before he dropped his arms down to his sides, sighing raggedly as he struck one of his poses. "Fine. We have a deal. I don't know why you'd want to help me at all, but if it protects Lillie, I'll do whatever it takes. She has to stay safe no matter what." Gladion said quietly, with Demi smiling a little at that.

"I guess I can forgive you, if you promise to cut that crap out…" Demi said to the teen, before adding. "At least I can say that you're a good big brother." Demi said to the boy, who shook his head.

"No, I'm not. In hindsight, I should've taken her with me, instead of leaving her with that woman. I can take some comfort in the fact that Lillie's with people who can protect her from Team Skull, at least while I train Null to take down my mother's pet monsters." Gladion replied, with Demi throwing up her arms.

"See!? If you just told people what was going on, and stopped being a jerk, they'd help you and you wouldn't have to stress so much! I barely even know what's going on and here I am making deals with you to keep your little sister safe." Demi said exasperatedly to Gladion, who crossed his arms, still looking down at the ground. He honestly had no idea what to do and Demi had the upper hand here. All she had to do was shout, bring Guzma downstairs, and tell him the location of Lillie. Or any of the Team Skull Grunts, who wouldn't hesitate to look good in front of the Boss. Gladion couldn't kill her even if he wanted to, and he had no way to ensure her silence other than her word. And that wasn't even going into what Demi was saying about giving him some assistance.

Instead of exploiting this information to further herself in Team Skull, Demi was offering to hear him out and maybe help him. But on the other...He genuinely didn't know if he could handle having her help. No matter what he did, he hurt people. Gladion had hurt Demi multiple times in his anger and frustration, and yet here she was, with an offer to protect Lillie because they were friends. Just like with Colress, Gladion had to put his trust in another and hope for the best.

" _I can't afford any distractions, but...Maybe this once, I can't help but deal with this one. We'll see how it plays out, even if I don't understand her motives."_ Gladion thought before he asked Demi a question.

"Why?" Gladion asked Demi, looking up at her. The girl could see the confusion on his face as he asked, "Why forgive me? Why help at all? I don't understand. You're putting yourself in harm's way for no reason if you plan on helping me!"

"Because, Gladion...All it takes is a little bit of understanding, you know? You want to know why I was so nice to you, even when Kayla and Axen were jerks to you and you kept pushing me away time and time again? Because _you_ saved my life, not _them_. _You_ offered to take me with Team Skull when you saw I couldn't fend for myself and I was scared, regardless of whether or not _they_ approved. You showed me that even if you were a jerk, you were capable of being kind and helping someone at their lowest point. And I've _never_ forgotten that, even after all the times you treated me like dirt when I was trying to be a friend. I might be a failure to everyone I know...but one thing you can say about me is that I'll always be loyal to those who are kind to me. So I gave you way more chances than I should've because, honestly, I can tell you're a good person in a bad spot. And it turns out I was right. So yeah, I'm willing to forgive you. But you've got to earn that forgiveness."

"Loyal to those who are kind to you...And yet look what you've done to Hau. What he did and said to you is nothing compared to what I did." Gladion pointed out, with Demi flinching as she realized he had a very valid point.

"That...It's complicated. Someone like you couldn't hope to understand what romantic feelings are. Hau became the first person I ever really confided in. I thought he understood, and then...I guess he didn't. I turned all of my anger at myself towards him. I guess we're not so different after all, Gladion...Next time I run into him, I'm apologizing. Maybe we can work something out." Demi said quietly, with Gladion scowling at that.

"Do whatever you want. Just leave me out of that conversation. That boy gets on my nerves." Gladion remarked, with Demi laughing quietly at that.

"Well, I feel the same way towards you, Edgelord. I might be willing to hear you out and forgive you, but if you try hurting me again, I'm stealing that knife from you and castrating you with it." Demi said to Gladion, who flinched at the threat. The boy's expression changed to a more thoughtful one after a moment.

"Fine. Just don't tell Team Skull or anyone about my sister. What...what do you want to know, Demi?"

Demi held up a hand and said, "First, we need to get out of here. You know, find somewhere we can talk in private, because I doubt we'll be alone in here for much longer because of the yelling and crap. I'm genuinely surprised we haven't been interrupted yet."

"That may have to do with the fact that Plumeria told the Team Skull Grunts that if anyone bothers you while you're cleaning, they'll be helping you with it." Gladion replied, making Demi chuckle at that.

"Well...I _do_ have to finish cleaning the bathrooms. But I guess since you interrupted me, _you_ can help me!" Demi said with a sudden smile, making Gladion blink twice before scowling.

"Absolutely not." Gladion replied, but Demi shook her head.

"Consider this repaying me after you punched me and threatened me at knife-point. Now come on, we've got stuff to discuss." Demi said as she walked over to a closet and reached inside, pulling out a mop and handing it to Gladion, who's right eye twitched. Demi gathered the rest of the cleaning supplies and walked down the room, with Gladion muttering darkly under his breath as they made their way through the house.

"So...How are you friends with Lillie, again?" Gladion asked Demi in a low voice, with the girl looking over at him with a grin. Not only was Gladion her bitch for a few minutes, but now he was obligated to at least try and act like a civil human being around her. Definitely an improvement, all things considered.

"I met her at Hau'oli City, and we became good friends pretty quickly. Me, Sun, and Hau are all friends with her. She's the sweetest girl I've ever met, and adorable as hell." Demi explained as the two of them made their way down the hallway, but Gladion caught onto only one word in that entire explanation though.

"Hau!?" Gladion nearly spat, with rage instantly flaring up within him. "That _idiot_ knows my sister?"

"Knows? The guy's had a _crush_ on her since the moment he met her." Demi laughed in reply, making Gladion's eyes nearly glaze over as sheer anger filled his body. Demi almost felt bad for him as his entire body began to shudder before a scream that shook the entire town erupted from the teen.

"WHAT!?"

* * *

Meanwhile…

* * *

Hau shivered.

"Why...Why do I feel like someone who doesn't like me just found a reason to inflict severe bodily harm on me?" Hau asked as he watched Professor Kuku walk into the room carrying more snacks, which drove the thought from his mind as he hopped to his feet. Hau sat back down as the game began to start back up, after a short break to get refreshments considering the game was running past an hour now, though Sun was talking with his team in the corner of the room discussing strategies for the battle against Olivia.

"Dude, come on! We've got a game to play!" Mallow called to Sun, who rolled his eyes and walked back over to the circle of people. Surprisingly, his team walked over to him and sat down beside him and Lillie. The girl in question reached forward and pet all of Sun's Pokémon, receiving a happy bark from Brago.

"Oh come on, what, are they joining the game now?" Hau asked, eyeing Oliver with distaste. Oliver slowly turned his head towards the boy in question, blinked and then slowly rotated his head 360 to stare back at him before shrugging.

 _"I have no idea what's going on. Care to enlighten us, Sun?"_ Oliver asked his partner, who just grinned. However, when he opened his mouth, Rotom suddenly chimed in and explained the rules of the game anyway.

"Just gonna say, I'd love to see Sun's Pokémon play Truth or Dare." Laura remarked with a small laugh while Sun looked at his Pokémon.

"Up to you three. We can discuss more strategy and stuff tomorrow. Having fun on Birthday Girl's special day is more important right now." Sun said to his team, making Lillie smile despite herself.

 _"I won't back down from a challenge. I'm in."_ Brago said surprisingly.

 _"I won't turn down a chance to dare Hau or the Professor...heh. I'll play as well."_ Oliver said with an evil gleam in his eyes that made the two Alolans in question shiver in fear. Everyone looked to Penny, who sighed and nodded, a sign that she would play as well.

 _"Adding three new players, while subtracting Sina and Dexio from the game!"_ Rotom yelled out, buzzing for a moment before beeping. _"Spin time! It hazz landed on Brago and Laura!"_

"Truth or dare, Brago?" Laura asked the Growlithe, who thought about it.

 _"Dare. I'm ready for anything."_

"I dare you to balance this rice ball on your nose." Laura said as she snatched a rice ball from the platter that was nearby, holding it out to the canine. Brago stared at the rice ball before sighing and leaning forward, picking it up and carefully balancing it on his nose.

"How the heck is that dog so cool and yet so adorable?" Lana asked, with several of the others chuckling. Brago grit his teeth in annoyance.

 _"I'm a warrior. Don't any of you forget that."_ Brago growled through his teeth, carefully keeping the rice ball on his nose. Lillie giggled as Rotom spun the wheel again, with it landing on Vivian and Aria.

"Alright. Truth or dare?" Aria asked her friend, who considered it for a few moments.

"Truth. I doubt you could come up with anything that'll get under _my_ skin." Vivian said with a confident grin, though that faltered as Aria returned her grin with a more sinister one.

"Oh really? Then...I guess you wouldn't mind describing the first time you had sex with Noah?" Aria asked the violinist with a small laugh.

The reaction was immediate. Vivian's entire body went rigid and her face flushed a deep shade of crimson. The violinist slowly curled into the fetal position while sitting upright, her eyes slowly looking downward at the mere thought of that. Noah watched his girlfriend with amusement, wrapping an arm around her.

"She got you good, Vivs. You want to tell them about it? I mean, our first time wasn't too bad, was it?" Noah asked Vivian, who buried her face into his shoulder and let out a muffled scream. Hau was giggling the entire time.

"Who would've thought someone so pretentious would end up being so... _flustered_ when it comes to stuff like having a boyfriend?" Hau said as he continued to laugh, earning a red-faced glare from Vivian, who then looked at Aria who was still waiting for her answer.

"I...We…" Vivian began to say, but the words died in her throat. She then sighed and hung her head before standing up.

"I quit. Let's go back to the hotel, Noah." Vivian said quietly, walking towards the door.

"Jeez. I guess reminding you about it has gotten you into the mood, huh Vivian?" Aria teased her friend, who's blush turned a notch darker and earned a frustrated scream from Vivian who then bolted from the room.

"She's so adorable when she embarrassed." Noah remarked as he stood up, stretching. "I guess that's it for me as well. I'll see you all later." Noah then turned to Lillie, saying, "And again, Happy Birthday, Lillie. I hope it's been a good one."

"It has been. Have a good night Noah!" Lillie said to the older Trainer, who gave everyone a wave before leaving after his girlfriend. Rotom Dex removed the couple from the game, but not before Sun had a question for Aria.

"Hey, that reminds me. If you lied to Sina and Dexio about their wedding, then what did you really see in your vision of the future?" Sun asked the Snagger, who shrugged.

"I saw them, me, Lillie and you speaking to some weird green and black dog thing in some city I haven't been to. I didn't make much sense of it." Aria explained with a small frown. Sun nodded, and Rotom spun the wheel, which landed on Hau and Sun.

"Alright, Capri Sun! Bring it on! Dare me!" Hau said as he hopped to his feet, giving Sun a wide smile that the boy didn't return. Instead Sun just slowly shook his head before a cruel smile crept onto the boy's face.

"I dare you go without malasadas for an entire month."

"..."

"..."

"...Pass."

Sun hi-fived Hugh and Lillie while Hau collapsed onto the floor, mimicking Vivian and curling into the fetal position. Lana patted the boy on the head while Rotom Dex spun the wheel again.

 _"Zzzt! Alrighty, next we've got Professor Kukui and Hugh!"_

"Truth or dare, Professor?" Hugh asked the man, who grinned.

"Truth."

"Why do you go without a shirt all the time?" Hugh asked the man. Everyone except Professor Burnet perked up at that, since they had all wondered about that themselves at some point.

Professor Kukui laughed and crossed his arms, grinning at Hugh. "Hugh, I live in a series of tropical islands with hot weather almost every single day, _and_ I work outside training just as many days of the year. Why would I bother wearing a shirt if I don't have to?"

"That is...A very valid point actually." Hugh admitted, with several other people nodding in agreement.

"That doesn't mean you can't just put on a shirt every now and then. Especially when you're _inside_. You just like to show off your abs." Lillie muttered under her breath. Rotom spun its spinner, which landed on Oliver and Lillie.

"Truth or dare, Oliver?" Lillie asked the bird.

 _"Truth."_ Oliver decided after a few moments thought.

"Okay...um, tell us your honest thoughts about everyone in the room." Lillie said to the bird, who hummed in reply.

 _"Well...I have respect for Aria, considering the strength she and her Jolteon showed when battling Celebi. As for the Snagger girl's friends...I really can't say much of, since I don't know them that well. Nor the Captains, except for the fact that I don't like the red-haired one that isn't here right now."_ Oliver explained, ruffling his feathers. _"However, I'll talk about my teammates. Brago tends to be way too serious and stuck up for his own good, but I enjoy having him on the team and like his company. As for Penny, she's very fun to play with and I consider her my closest friend. I also think her feathers are very nice."_

Brago nearly dropped his rice ball from laughing, while Penny looked away in embarrassment. Sun could have sworn the bird was blushing, but he couldn't tell.

 _"As for the humans, well...I have great respect for Lillie, thanks to her treating me and the others with kindness, as well as looking after my Trainer when he is feeling sad. When she commanded me in battle, I obeyed Lillie without question because I sensed the strength she holds within her, which equals Sun's in scale. I also think that Lillie would make a wonderful mate for Sun."_ Oliver stated, with Lillie and Sun both blushing furiously while everyone laughed. _"I'm of the opinion that Hau is a happy idiot that can't take anything seriously, and that's why he loses all the time to my Trainer."_

"Screw you too."

Oliver snapped his beak in Hau's direction, making the boy let out a squeal in horror while flinging himself at Lana, who was giggling at the display of fear from the boy. Oliver nodded and continued. _"As I was saying...Sun's mother is a very kind and powerful human that I hold much respect for. Professor Burnet also earns that respect, as someone who tries to understand the mysteries of the Great Father, Arceus, though not as much because of her association with Professor Kukui."_

"Hey, what's wrong with me?" Kukui asked the bird, who gave him a glare.

 _"You and that Kahuna hated me, that's what!"_ Oliver almost snarled at Kukui, with the man blinking in reply. _"I might not the most gentle or well-behaved Pokémon, but that doesn't mean I have to be shunted aside so the perfect Rowlet's all got to go to Trainers! Do you know how long I waited to be chosen? To create the bond you and the Kahuna speak so highly of? Since the day I was brought into his care...Nearly my entire life. And when I met Sun, I...I had to take action. I could sense something with him. Something special. He was the Partner I wanted. Together, we'll do great things and become strong enough to protect the ones we care for from those who wish them harm. And I was right..."_ Oliver turned to Sun, his expression truly happy, his words stated as pure fact. _"Because with Sun, I'm more than I ever was. He chose me, and I chose him, and that's all that matters. Sun cares for me and my teammates, and treats us with kindness and love and has helped us all become strong. Because of that, I would lay down my life for his."_

Sun just stared at Oliver, too stunned for words. He knew had had a pretty good relationship with all of his Pokémon, but considering how Oliver acted sometimes, Sun wondered just how strong their bond truly was. It appeared that, in Oliver's eyes, Sun was the ideal Partner for him and he wouldn't have it any other way. Sun put a hand on the bird's head and scratched him gently, receiving a happy sigh from the bird in question. Rotom spun the wheel again.

 _"Next up! Sun and Mallow!"_ Rotom cried out, with Sun and Mallow exchanging grins.

"Truth or dare, Sun?" Mallow asked innocently, with Sun thinking about it. He couldn't play truth all the time, because that wouldn't make showing up Mallow at her own game nearly as fun. So with that…

"Dare."

"Finally! I dare you to kiss Lillie!" Mallow yelled triumphantly, with Sun and Lillie both blushing bright pink while everyone in the room smiled. The two children turned towards each other before looking away. Laura, Aria, Mallow, and Professor Burnet all pulled out their phones to snapshot the moment.

"S-sun, I…" Lillie trailed off, unable to speak. Sun took a shaky breath before he scooted towards Lillie and grabbed her hand.

"Lillie...remember what we talked about before the game started?" Sun said to the girl, who slowly nodded.

"Remember. We have to think smart and be brave if we want to beat Mallow." Sun said, glancing over at the girl in question, who scowled.

"So, you two are working against me! That's fine! I'll retain my crown as the Queen of Truth or Dare all by myself!" Mallow proclaimed before her evil smile returned. "But now...You two better pucker up."

Lillie gulped and turned back towards Sun, but was surprised to see the boy grinning at her. Lillie's heart leapt into her throat as her crush slowly leaned towards her, bringing the two children closer together…

Before Sun suddenly brought Lillie's hand up to his mouth and kissed her on the back of her hand, wearing a massive grin on his face.

Lillie stared at Sun in shock, before realizing what he had done and breaking out into a grin. Meanwhile, everyone else had lowered their cameras with sad sighs, knowing that their desire to see the two children finally kiss had been dashed because of Sun outsmarting Mallow once again. After all, she had never clarified _where_ Sun had to kiss Lillie. Speaking of Mallow...

"All of my hate!" Mallow screamed, clutching her head as Sun and Lillie laughed at Mallow. The girl became the third person to fall to the floor into the fetal position, only this time Lana was poking Mallow's head while wearing a wide smile.

"Mallow, I don't think I've ever seen you this salty. Maybe that's what you can add to the Mallow Special so that it doesn't cause intense gastrointestinal distress followed by a nice cleansing puke." Lana said cheerily while Mallow began to smash her forehead into the floor.

 _"Zzzt...As much I enjoy the pain and suffering of otherzz, I think I'm going to spin the wheel again."_ Rotom said aloud, earning a surprised look from everyone. Meanwhile, Sun was looking at Lillie, who he thought would be smiling. After all, they had outsmarted Mallow yet again, didn't they? So why did she look so...disappointed?

 _"Did she want to kiss me?"_ Sun wondered, thinking about it.

 _"Next! Spinning wheel...Next up is Penny and Hau!"_ Rotom yelled out, making Hau chuckle.

"Alright, Penny. Truth or dare?" Hau asked the bird, who considered it.

 _"Truth seems the smart option. So I'll go with that."_

"Ha! Do you like Oliver?" Hau said triumphantly, making Penny blink slowly while everyone looked at her. Oliver turned towards the female bird and began staring at her directly, making it very obvious that he was paying close attention to her answer. Penny was thinking of a... _tactful_ way to answer the question.

 _"I do like Oliver. He's the first trained Pokémon I've ever made friends with and he's the reason I'm here at all. I wouldn't have tried to battle Sun in the first place if he hadn't been so nice and convinced me that being a trained Pokémon would make me grow into a better Pokémon. And...I'll admit I care about him. He's the only other bird on the team and I've known him for a while."_

 _"Zzzt! Inconclusive answer!"_

 _"Shut it, you blasted specter!"_ Penny snapped at Rotom before looking away, embarrassed at being called out by the device. _"However, on terms of having feelings for Oliver, which I believe is what this question is trying to determine, then the answer is a maybe. We are still young, even by the standards of Pokémon. I'm still learning and growing, as is he. I enjoy being around Oliver and I hope we can spend many years battling alongside each other to see what fate has in store for us."_

Nearly everyone was smiling at the statement, which wasn't exactly a declaration of love but it was an interesting insight into the thoughts of the most normal Pokémon on Sun's team. Oliver hopped over to Penny and seemed like he was considering saying something to her, but decided not to, instead choosing to sit beside his fellow bird. Sun suddenly pulled all three of his Pokémon into a big hug, dislodging Brago's rice ball and making Oliver screech in surprise.

"You all are the best." Sun stated happily as he let go of his Pokémon. The wheel spun again and it landed on Hau and Oliver, which made the boy in question go pale in horror.

 _"Truth or dare?"_ Oliver asked with a look of pure evil in his eyes.

"Well, either way I'm screwed. Dare." Hau said with a small sigh. Oliver let out a small chuckle that made everyone shiver.

 _"Well, since I can't hurt you, I can only torment you. I dare you to call out Cascade, your Brionne."_ Oliver said to Hau, who blinked in confusion. Wordlessly he pulled out his Starter's Poké Ball and called her out. The Brionne appeared in a flash of light, striking a happy pose as she held out her hands with a wide smile-

 _"You're soul is mine!"_ Oliver screeched as he lunged at the Brionne, who let out a scream of sheer fear so high-pitched it cracked the windows and made everyone wince in pain. Cassy leapt into Hau's arms while Oliver just cackled with glee, falling onto the ground breathlessly while everyone watched on in annoyance. Hau just glared at Oliver while Cassy quaked in terror in Hau's arms, blubbering incoherently.

"Sun, your Starter is a monumental asshole." Aria said dryly while Sun returned Oliver, Penny, and Brago, deciding they were done with this game for the night. Laura Smiles gave Aria a dark look for cursing but relented because she knew the statement was absolutely true. Hau returned Cassy after he got her to finally stop crying, making a promise to get Oliver back for this.

"I agree. So, who's next Rotom?" Sun asked the device, who beeped and spun its wheel.

 _"Well, let'zz see...Lillie and Mallow!"_ Rotom yelled out, with Lillie gulping in fear while Mallow grinned evilly.

"Truth or dare?" Mallow whispered to Lillie, who took a shuddering breath. She needed to do this. Face the beast head on, with no fear.

"Dare."

"Heh. Let's try this one again, but worded differently. I dare you to play out the remainder of the game in your underwear." Mallow said to a horrified Lillie, who wrapped her arms around herself. Silence enveloped the room, as everyone knew Lillie probably didn't think far enough ahead to outsmart Mallow twice on basically the same dare. Burnet and Kukui glared at Mallow again, and just when Lillie opened her mouth to reply to Mallow-

"Pass."

Everyone looked to Sun, who had spoken. Mallow blinked twice and said, "What do you mean, 'Pass'? It's not your turn."

"I'm using my pass on Lillie's dare. There's no way I'm going to have her do that here in front of everyone." Sun said firmly, glaring down Mallow while Lillie just stared at Sun with relief. She had been just about to use her pass, but Sun had taken the bullet for her and protected her from a dare that would have left her very, very embarrassed.

 _"Zzzt! I'll allow it!"_ Rotom declared, floating over to the boy he assisted.

"Sun, you really ruined a lot of hard work here." Mallow growled at Sun.

"I don't care! I'm not about to let a friend debase herself for your twisted amusement, Mallow!" Sun yelled at the girl, who suddenly grinned.

"Your dedication to your girlfriend is adorable, Sun."

"She's _not_ my girlfriend!"

 _"Zzzt! We've got a game to play, people! Next up! Professor Kukui and Hugh!"_ Rotom cried out, with the Professor hopping to his feet with a grin.

"Seeing so much boldness has inspired me. Hit me with your best dare, Hugh!" Kukui said enthusiastically, which made Hugh smirk. Hugh leaned over to Aria and whispered in her ear, making the girl burst into giggles before Hugh returned to his seat, grinning up at Kukui.

"Alright Professor. I dare you to yell out the most vulgar swear you know." Hugh said to the man, who suddenly paled. Johnny Kukui slowly looked over to where Laura Smiles was sitting. Laura frowned at the man and made a theatrical display of cracking her knuckles, which made Kukui flinch when they popped. He had to restrain himself from shielding his family jewels out of sheer instinct.

"I...um, I'll p-pass." Kukui said weakly, sitting down on the ground. Professor Burnet put a hand on her husband's shoulder, giggling softly.

 _"Zzzt! Now it's Professor Kukui and Sun! Look at that!"_ Rotom cried out happily. Professor Kukui returned to his feet, striking a confident pose as Sun also stood up, mimicking the Professor with a grin of equal confidence.

"Truth or dare, Professor?" Sun said a bit louder than what was probably necessary, though he oddly enough sounded like Professor Kukui. Needless to say, Kukui decided to take that opportunity to act even more like a total dork than usual.

"Ha! Alright, cousin, there's no way I'm backing down from _this_ challenge! I'm gonna Close Combat this thing and get ready to Howl to the moon! Woo! Hit me with the best truth you got, yeah!" Kukui bellowed, crossing his arms.

"Oh, don't you worry! I've got one great truth for you!" Sun yelled, equally as loudly with a wide grin on his face.

"Good! Then bring it, oh yeah!" Kukui shouted, enthusiasm pounding through his voice.

"Consider it brung, Professor! Because you're gonna get hit with the hardest truth there is! Oh yeah!" Sun roared, pumping his fist while everyone watched in horror. Hau was simply shaking his head in disgust.

"It's almost creepy how accurate his impression of Professor Kukui is." The Kahuna's grandson muttered under his breath.

"...Hau, I'm scared."

"We're _all_ scared, Lillie."

Kukui changed his stance and pointed at Sun, his grin widening. "Then hit me with your best shot, Sun!"

"You ready for this!?"

"Oh yeah I'm ready!'

"You sure Professor!? I don't think you are!"

"I'M SO READY! HIT ME WITH THE BEST TRUTH YOU'VE GOT, SUN!"

"ALRIGHT! HERE IT COMES!"

"YEAAAAAH! GO FOR IT SUN!"

"Are you the Masked Royal?"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...Fuck this shit. I'm out."

Professor Kukui got to his feet, walked over to the door and exited the room before Laura could hop to her feet and suplex him through the window for cursing in front of the children. Professor Burnet burst into giggles as she stood up, shaking her head.

"I haven't seen him that let down since the Go-Rock Quads canceled their Alola tour last year. I think I'm going to go help him mend his broken pride." Burnet said to the others, waving to them. "That said, it was nice playing with you all. Lillie, I'll be up for a while so don't worry about locking the front doors once the last guest leaves. I've got it."

"Okay Professor Burnet." Lillie said to the woman with a smile. Madeline Burnet walked over to Lillie and knelt down, pulling her into a hug which Lillie returned fiercely, trying to convey her gratitude for everything the woman had done for her in just one gesture. With that, the woman departed to comfort her husband, leaving their number down two.

"Man, that was...brutal." Aria remarking, reaching over to Sun and fist-bumping him. Suddenly the world went white for Aria, as present and future met.

* * *

 _Sun was sprinting down forest path, drenched to the bone as lightning lanced through the air and thunder roared in the heavens with rain pouring down from him from above. Sun didn't care though. He didn't want to care. He was done being hurt. He was so, so tired of carrying the weight of the past and of sins that were not his own crawling down his back. The boy finally, mercifully broke through the trees and found a cave, which he stumbled into. He ignored the cuts and scrapes he received and instead chose to walk as far as he could into the cave, plunging himself into near-pitch darkness._

 _In the darkness, Aria heard Sun speak._

 _"I can't take this...it's too much." Sun whispered as he collapsed against the cave wall, his eyes almost black with despair as he fell to the ground, curling up into a ball. Aria could almost feel it, within the air. Something bad had happened. Something absolutely terrible, that finally pushed the boy past the point of no return. All of the fear, pain, and stress had culminated in Sun being reduced to a state where she could feel the misery radiating off of him. What scared Aria most was, much like the vision she had before regarding Sun, the boy didn't have his team with him and there was a storm raging fiercely outside._

"The two visions...The one I told Lillie about and this one. They're linked." _Aria thought as the vision continued. Aria turned her attention back to Sun, who looked up slightly as the sound of pounding footsteps became audible. Out of the nearby forest burst out Dartrix and a Trumbeak, followed by a Growlithe and a drenched Lillie covered in dings and scraps with her dress torn in many pieces. The girl quickly bolted into the cave and she smiled with relief at seeing Sun, and took a moment to catch her breath. Once she did, she looked back up at Sun and then that smile faded as she saw how bad of a state Sun was in. The boy slowly rose to his feet, his eyes darkened with sorrow as he glared down Lillie and his team._

 _"Didn't you hear me back at the Pokémon Center? I said... **Get. The hell. Away from me.** Or you'll die just like they did. Because that's what I do to people. They get hurt because of me. I'm a monster, Lillie. Just like my father."_ Sun finished in a hopeless whisper, shutting his eyes and making the world go to black.

* * *

Aria gasped and fell to the floor, shaking in pain as she struggled for air. Hugh was at her side right away, with Aria trembling in his arms as he pulled her close.

"That...something...happened. It's bad. Something bad is about to happen." Aria coughed, trying and failing to get to her feet. Laura walked over and helped the young woman to her feet with Hugh's help, considering Aria was having trouble breathing and couldn't stand properly.

"She needs to go to a hospital." Laura said to Hugh, who shook his head.

"She's been like this before. She just needs to get some rest." Hugh said to the Laura, who sighed.

"Then you better watch over her. Come on, let's move her." Laura said as she and Hugh began to move Aria. Sun hopped to his feet, but Laura looked at Sun and shook her head.

"You kids keep having fun. We've got this handled. Sun, when you're done here, just go back to the hotel. Be safe on the walk back. And again, Happy Birthday, Lillie. I hope you enjoyed your special day." Laura said warmly to the girl, who beamed at Laura Smiles and hopped to her feet as well, walking over to the group of three Trainers. After giving each of them a hug, the trio departed, leaving just Sun, Hau, Lillie, Lana, and Mallow.

"And then there were five. Wow, five people gone just like that. You all wanna give up now?" Mallow asked, grinning at the others.

"Nope. We're going to bring you down." Sun vowed, exchanging a smile with Lillie. Mallow rolled her eyes and Rotom spun its wheel, which landed on Lana and Mallow. Lana gulped while Mallow chuckled darkly.

"Truth or dare, bestie?"

"Truth."

"Describe the most inappropriate thing you've ever done." Mallow said with a wide smile, knowing exactly what that was. Lana blushed bright pink and assumed the fetal position, though she thankfully continued sitting upright.

"I...Um. Fine. Sometimes...When there's no one around and there's no more Trials going on for the day...Sometimes I like to...go skinny-dipping in the water at Brooklet Hill." Lana said quietly, her face slowly growing redder the more she spoke. Lillie and Sun both gaped at that revelation while Hau just stared at Lana, his mind trying to picture the scene she had just conjured up for him and-

"Gah! My nose!"

"Really Hau?"

"How am I supposed to help that!? Lana's the one who swims naked!" Hau called out through his nosebleed, making Lana squeak in protest.

"You didn't have to yell it like that!" Lana muttered, wishing for the sweet embrace of death right then and there. Instead, Mallow helped Sun clean up the blood on the carpet while Lillie judged Hau really hard. Rotom spun the wheel, with it landing on Hau and Lana. Hau, once he had stopped bleeding, went with Dare.

"Alright...um...Hau. I dare you, to...um…" Lana trailed off, unsure. "I can't think of anything."

"You could dare him to go on a date with you. You know, like you wrote about in you're diary." Mallow suggested, with Lana whirling around and tackling Mallow to the ground, glaring at her best friend.

"Stop calling me out on the fact that I have a crush on him! It's annoying!" Lana yelled at a laughing Mallow before she suddenly stiffened, realizing what she had just said. Lana got off of Mallow and looked down at the ground, not realizing that Hau was staring at her in dumbfounded surprise.

" _Well...at least I was right. Still, that's gotta be embarrassing."_ Hau thought as his mind tried to process this information. So. Hau had a crush on Lillie, who had a crush on Sun. Sun had a crush on Lillie. Meanwhile, Lana had a crush on him, and he…

* * *

 _"Dude, you do know there's plenty of girls out here in Alola, right? Plus, you're super nice. And cute, mind you. You would have no problem getting a girlfriend in these islands if you set your mind to it."_

* * *

Hau didn't know what to think. Lana had become a very good friend of his, and was not only a strong Trainer but a Trial Captain as well. Plus, she was admittedly pretty cute. Not as cute as Lillie, but still really cute. Hau thought about, and recalled something he had been told the last time he was in this position.

* * *

 _"Instead of focusing on just one girl, you should broaden your horizons. Keep your eyes out for other ladies that interest you and are interested in you and…I dunno."_

* * *

Hau shut his eyes, thinking about what Demi had told him on the beach back in Hau'oli City. She was right, of course. Even if they weren't friends anymore, Hau could still take her good advice. Lillie hadn't shown any interest in him and Demi was out of the picture with Team Skull...Maybe he should just move on. He didn't think his feelings for Lillie would fade any time soon, but that didn't mean he couldn't give other people a chance.

Hau nodded to himself, smiling at Lana.

"Alright. I'll do the dare." Hau said, with Lana's head snapping up in surprise.

"W-what dare?" Lana asked quietly, not meeting Hau's eyes.

"Taking you on a date. Sounds pretty generous, really. Mallow's going soft." Hau shrugged as Lana stared at the boy, with Lillie and Sun exchanging grins. Lana's blush faded somewhat as she sat up normally, just confused.

"But...Hau, I…" Lana trailed off, unsure of how to vocalize her feelings.

"I'll admit, I'm a bit thrown off by this, but that doesn't mean I'm going to treat you any less differently, Lana. You're my friend! If you like me, then why wouldn't I at least give it a shot? I'll go on whatever date you want me to. Whatever happens, happens!" Hau said cheerily, with Lana staring open-mouthed at the boy. Hau chuckled at the surprised look on the girl's face. Lana was even more surprised when Hau got up, walked over to her, and hugged her.

"Seriously?" Lana said quietly, not moving at all. "This is happening. I'm not dreaming?"

"Yep. I'm not gonna let the past drag me down, like it does with Team Skull. Gotta keep facing forward, you know? So why not give you a chance?" Hau asked the girl, who slowly began to blush again. Regardless, she returned Hau's hug and the two held each other for a moment as Rotom discreetly took pictures of the scene, with Mallow doing the same a few moments later. The two friends separated, with Lana smiling with sheer happiness while Hau looked pleased with himself.

"Any ideas for your date, Lana?" Lillie asked the bluenette teasingly, glad to not be the one getting it this time.

"Nope. I'll have to think about it." Lana said with a dreamy sigh, shutting her eyes. Hau giggled at the girl's reaction, putting his hands behind his head with a wide smile on his face. Sun gave his friend a thumbs up while Lillie fist-bumped Hau, who returned the surprising gesture with a laugh.

 _"Next up...Zzzt! Mallow and Hau!"_ Rotom declared, with the two children grinning at each other.

"Dare me, bitch!" Mallow whispered, leaping to her feet.

"Hmm…" Hau thought about it, before a thought slowly wormed its way into his mind. He tried banishing it, but it kept coming back. Hau shrugged and decided to just go with it.

"Mallow, I dare you to make out with Lana." Hau said to the girl, who jerked back with a horrified look.

"W-w-what!? But she's a _girl_! That's...I mean…" Mallow looked down, a blush creeping onto her face and shocking Sun, Hau, and Lillie. Lana was likewise flustered, but not nearly as bad as Mallow was. She looked almost _scared_ , which really threw them off.

"You already used your pass. Either you make out with her, or you lose your crown. Simple as that." Hau said firmly, his silly grin not leaving his face. Lana gave Hau a questioning look, but the boy shrugged in response.

* * *

Meanwhile…

* * *

"Hmm…"

"What is it, Kahuna Hala?"

"I don't know, Tim. But for some reason, I think I'm going to call Hau tomorrow and tell him that I'm very proud of him."

"But sir...He already knows you're proud of him. Anyone can see that!"

"I'm aware of this. But I'm also proud of who he is becoming! I'm not sure why...But I believe he has just done something I would very much approve of. Call it a grandfather's intuition!"

"Sir, permission to speak freely?"

"Go ahead."

"You're weird, sir."

"I'm aware of this. Now let's get to the store. It's far too late for me to be shopping, but I need my pudding, damn it!"

* * *

"So...make with the making out." Hau said with a laugh while Lana and Mallow exchanged a quick look. Lana sighed and opened her mouth to say something to Mallow, but found that her friend had leaned forward and kissed her on the mouth. Lana just froze, not making a single movement other than stare at Mallow in horror.

Mallow on the other hand…

"She's...really getting into it, huh?" Lillie said with a small cough. The girl looked at Sun, who she was a little annoyed to see what watching the two Captains make out with a fascinated look on his face while a small leak of blood dripped from his nose. Lillie turned to look at Hau, and almost punched the supremely smug look off of the boy's face.

Lillie turned back to Lana and Mallow, the latter of whom was still making out with Lana even though Lana wasn't doing anything back. The Grass Captain was sporting a heavy blush and had her eyes closed. It wasn't too much longer before Lana finally had enough and shoved her friend away with a yell. Mallow fell to the floor, panting heavily and looking dazed.

"Hau, you're some kind of twisted, I swear." Lana said to her crush, who laughed as he fell onto the floor. Lana turned back to Mallow, who was slowly collecting herself, though she was now wearing a horrified expression.

"Um...Mallow? You okay?" Lana asked her best friend. Mallow looked at Lana and then blushed dark red, looking away from her friend. After a few moments of silence, Mallow got to her feet, grabbed her bag and bolted from the room with a small scream, slamming the door as she left.

"...What was that about?" Sun asked, just as confused as everyone else.

"I have no idea." Lillie replied, at a loss.

"Me too. I don't know why she was so upset. She's made me and Kiawe do way worse." Lana stated, though she looked at Hau who was slowly sitting up, giggling.

"You think if I messaged her on Festival Plaza and linked her that 'I Kissed A Girl' video from a few years back, she'd get mad?" Hau asked the others, who looked at him with very unimpressed looks. "Figured. Rotom, if you would?"

 _"Spinning! And...Sun and Lillie!"_ Rotom yelled out, with the two friends grinning at each other.

"Dare me, Birthday Girl!" Sun called to the Princess, who laughed softly at the declaration.

"Alright. I dare you to throw hot sauce on Oliver." Lillie said happily, with Sun going pale at the thought. Oliver would be incredibly angry at him if he did that...but on the other hand, he didn't want to quit the game, even though Mallow was gone. Wordlessly, Sun walked over to the nearby table where there were a few bottles of condiments. Sun grabbed the hot sauce and pulled out Oliver's Poké Ball, calling out the owl.

 _"Already? Wait...what's going on?"_ Oliver asked, confused at the sight of the children from before. Oliver rotated his head to look at Sun, who quickly unscrewed the bottle of hot sauce and dumped it over Oliver, who's eyes widened in horror before-

SPLAT.

 _"...Sun...I'm going to tear you apart now."_

Sun returned Oliver just as the bird lunged at him with a predatory screech, bloody murder in his eyes. Lillie walked over with a very amused smile on her face as she and Sun began to clean up the mess of hot sauce on the ground.

"I'm going to have to work on having him forgive me all day tomorrow, Lillie." Sun sighed as they returned to their seats, where Hau was still laughing at Oliver's misfortune.

"I'd start by giving him a bath." Lana said with a small chuckle, though Sun wasn't amused. Lillie reached over and patted the boy on the head, receiving an annoyed grunt from the boy despite the fact he was smiling.

 _"Zzzt! Alrighty, we've got Lana and Hau!"_ Rotom declared, with the two friends exchanging a smile.

"Alright. Truth or dare?" Hau asked the Water Captain.

"Dare!" Lana said, emboldened by the fact that her feelings for him were out in the open and that he had agreed to go on a date with her. No, it didn't necessarily mean he returned her affection, but he was giving her a chance and it was more than enough for her.

"Alrighty. I dare you explain to me something. Every time you do the Water Trial, you're not bothered at all by the rain, even though you usually wear a white shirt. Why is that?" Hau asked the girl, who blinked, having not expected the question.

"I...I just wear a one-piece bathing suit underneath my clothes whenever I have to go to Brooklet Hill. I learned early on that rain will always fall on Brooklet Hill during a Trial, and that's really embarrassing to deal with usually. Especially when Mallow's there, making fun of the fact that she can see my bra through my shirt and-" Lana trailed off, shaking her head. "Anyway! It's kind of embarrassing to admit, but it's just a way to make things easier...Oh, you have got to be kidding me."

Sun and Lillie looked over at Hau, who was sporting another nosebleed. The boy laid down on the ground and tried to get it under control. Rotom, naturally ignored this and continued the game.

 _"Nezzzzxxt up! Lana and Sun!"_ Rotom declared, with Lana sighing inwardly.

"Dare again. I trust you won't do anything too evil, Sun." Lana said as she moved her eyes from Hau to Sun, but in doing so she shrank back at the sinister grin on the Kanto-native's face.

"I wouldn't say that. I dare you to read aloud to us the first page in your diary that has Hau's name on it." Sun said to the Water Captain, who went pale. She reached over to her bag and pulled out a small green notebook with a badly damaged water-shaped lock on it. Lana quickly flipped through the book and found the appropriate entry, before she shut the book with an 'eep' and quickly stowed away the book.

"I pass. Actually, on the off chance you pull a Mallow and find a way around that and dare me to read aloud my diary again? I quit." Lana declared, standing upright and sighing deeply. "Well. I guess it couldn't be helped. But at least we beat Mallow, so I'll consider that a win. But I'll be damned if anyone but Mallow reads this book. The secrets it contains would ruin me."

"Yay...we did it everybody!" Hau declared happily, falling back onto the ground.

Lana looked down at the dazed Hau and said, "Do we need to check him into the hospital? I think he's a bit out of it from all the nosebleeds."

"Nah. He hates hospitals anyway. Just splash some water onto his face and make sure he gets back to the Pokémon Center." Sun said dismissively as Lana helped Hau to his feet. Hau wrapped his arms around Lana, who blushed but didn't mind this in the slightest.

"I'll make sure he gets there alright before heading home myself. You both have a good night! And Happy Birthday Lillie." Lana said to her friend with a smile. Lillie held the door open for the two departing Trainers before she closed the door. After a moment's thought, she locked it.

"So...it's just us." Lillie said to Sun, walking back over to him and sitting across from him.

"Yeah...So, you want to just end this here? It's only us now." Sun asked the girl, who smiled adorably at him.

"And pass up the chance to see which one of us would win this? Either way, Mallow loses. I think we should keep going." Lillie said with a happy smile. Sun nodded in reply, waving to Rotom Dex.

"Rotom, go offline." Sun ordered the device, who buzzed before shrugging and landing on the ground. The device powered down and Sun stuffed it in his backpack before he looked over at Lillie. The two friends sat in silence, watching each other for a while.

"Truth or dare, Lillie?"

"Dare!"

"I dare you...to undo the braids in your hair!" Sun said to the girl, who blinked in surprise. Slowly, carefully, she reached up to her head and began to carefully undo the skillful braids that she had learned to do several years ago...

* * *

 _"Look at the way your hair twirls and twirls in its braid. Such lovely, blonde locks. You look so beautiful with your hair like this, darling."_

 _"Really Momma?"_

 _"Absolutely! You'll be even more beautiful than me or your father at this rate, dear."_

* * *

Lillie ripped herself out of the memories, forcing back the tears as she undid the last of the braids, allowing her hair to come fully free. Lillie moved her hair aside and looked at Sun, who was smiling at her.

"Wow. It's different, but I like it." Sun said to Lillie, though he noticed her downcast expression. "You okay?"

"I just...I've always done my hair in a braid. Ever since I started doing it, no matter what, I've had my hair done like this. Always. She loved styling my hair. Even when she started turning dark, she said that braiding my hair reminded her of happy times." Lillie whispered, looking down at the floor. The girl then sighed before looking up at Sun with a sad smile. "I'm okay. I'm remembering the good times, while hoping the future will be better."

"Okay...Your turn."

"Truth or dare, Sun?"

"Truth."

"Who's the most important person to you right now?" Lillie asked Sun, who blushed brightly at the question. He could just give any answer to her, now that Rotom Dex was no longer able to lie-detect stuff. Speaking of which, he had no idea that the device could do that in the first place and planned to ask it about that later. But for now...what should he tell her?

And then he seriously thought about it. And knew what answer he should tell her.

"It's you. Happy?" Sun said to the girl, who beamed at him even as she blushed bright pink.

"Are you just saying that to make me happy?" Lillie said to Sun, who shook his head.

"I mean, I can lie now that Rotom's gone. But why bother? You've helped me through some serious stuff, Lillie, and you've been an amazing friend. You and Hau are like…beyond friends. The closest friends a person can have." Sun tried to figure out a way to explain it.

"So we're your best friends, then?" Lillie said to Sun, who nodded.

"That fits. You though...You understand me better than Hau does. We connect a bit better, I guess. So you're the most important person I have in my life right now, Lillie. And I'm going to do whatever it takes to help you get Nebby home. And I'll keep you safe, no matter what it takes." Sun promised Lillie, who's smile dipped a bit.

"Thank you Sun. I...can't tell you how much I appreciate that." Lillie said quietly, her smile returning a few moments later. "Your turn."

"Truth or dare, Lillie?"

"Truth!"

"Okay. Earlier, when I evaded Mallow's dare by kissing you on the hand...Were you disappointed?" Sun asked the girl, who blushed dark red at that.

 _"Oh my...How I can answer this without selling myself out like Lana? But on the other hand, I don't want to lie."_ Lillie shut her eyes, thinking hard on this. Finally…

"Yes. I was disappointed."

"R-really?...um, why was that, Lillie?"

"That wasn't the question. My turn, now. Truth or dare?" Lillie said, her smile turning mischievous.

"Truth." Sun replied, with Lillie's smile fading and her expression becoming neutral.

"I think after everything I've revealed tonight, it's only fair you do the same. What happened to the baby Pokémon you had before you came to Alola?" Lillie said in a firm voice, sending raw terror down Sun's spine. His mind cracked and his soul shivered as the memories began to creep back into his mind.

"I...I can't, Lillie." Sun muttered, crossing his arms and looking down at the ground. He wasn't expecting this. How could she spring this on him like this? He thought they were friends...

"Yes, you can. Hau told me what you said to him back at the Brooklet Hill Pokémon Center. Something terrible happened to you before you became a Trainer. Back when...Back before your father attacked you and your mother." Lillie said to the boy, who flinched.

"Sun...what did he do to you? What did that man do to hurt you like this? Please...tell me. Tell someone." Lillie pleaded with the boy, who slowly shook his head.

"I...I...What makes you think my father did anything?" Sun said quietly, not meeting Lillie's eyes.

"'I can't even think about what he did', were your exact words, according to Hau. You heavily implied that you took care of an Egg in the past, but something happened to it. You said you couldn't let another innocent die. What happened, Sun? Was it your father?" Lillie asked Sun, seeing the boy literally tearing himself apart to avoid even thinking about it. It was so strange, seeing the brave and heroic boy being reduced to such a state by a few mere questions.

"Sun...I'm asking because I'm worried. You're under a lot of stress, and keeping it bottled up is terrible for you. Trust me, I know. Please...you can trust me. I can help you." Lillie said quietly to Sun, who shook his head furiously.

"N-no...I can't even think about it Lillie. Do you know what it's like? Having to hold onto something like this? It's better off as a memory...Something I don't have to think about. It's for the best." Sun said quietly, hyperventilating and making Lillie worry horribly about him. Sun looked at her then, and Lillie nearly gasped at what she saw. Sun's eyes were...different.

Normally, Sun's eyes were a lovely shade of gray that reminded Lillie of the clouds in the sky after a rainstorm. They usually were filled with kindness and made Lillie...feel _safe_ , she supposed. However, the eyes she was looking into were not the same she was used to. They were much darker, now. Resembling more like storm clouds brewing in the sky, preparing to unleash a thunderstorm.

" _I...I'm doing to Sun what other people do to me when they push for answers about my past. This is hurting him, but...He can't keep holding onto this pain. A pain so deep that even the mere thought of it threatened to drive Sun to madness."_ Lillie thought to herself, feeling guilt well up within her. And then, Sun spoke.

"I...I...I quit." Sun said, hanging his head. Lillie blinked in surprise at the response, remembering that that they were playing a game a few moments later. Sun looked down at the ground, shutting his eyes and sighing deeply.

"Sun...I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry. If anyone should be, its me. I don't want to hurt anymore, Lillie. But I can't think about this right now. There's too much going on. It hurts too much. I need more time. Please, just drop it for now. I promise...Someday I'll tell you all about it. You will be the first person who knows about Nova." Sun said to the girl, who blinked.

"Nova?" Lillie asked, but Sun flinched.

"Another time. So...I guess you win. Congrats." Sun said weakly, giving Lillie a small smile. Lillie smiled widely, realizing that she had indeed won the game of Truth or Dare.

"You want to take a picture together to send to Mallow and rub it in?" Sun asked the girl, his smile becoming a bit more genuine. Sun and Lillie scooted together and took a selfie together, sending it to Mallow. Oddly enough, even after a few minutes of waiting, Mallow didn't even open it.

"I wonder what's wrong with her." Lillie muttered, closing her phone and rising to her feet.

"Who knows? We can ask her tomorrow." Sun said with a small shrug. Lillie nodded and began helping Sun tidy up the lounge that had been used for the Truth or Dare game. Lillie was in thought the whole time, though. About what had happened today. Her birthday. Meeting Zinnia at the beach. Receiving the gifts and being overwhelmed by the kindness of her friends. And finally winning Truth or Dare and avoiding embarrassment, showing herself that even someone as weak as her could be brave when she needed to be. But…

Lillie looked at Sun, who was dumping some of the trash into the nearest bin, and wondered about what he had said and done. She knew that Ashton, Sun's father, had done something to Sun to make him like this. To have done something so terrible that it caused Sun actual pain to think about it…

 _"That's what Mother wants to do to Nebby. I...This gives me another reason to protect Nebby with everything I have."_ Lillie thought to herself, nodding with a small hum. This caught Sun's attention, and he smiled at her determined expression.

"You good, Princess?" Sun asked the girl, who smiled at him.

"Just fine. We're about done here, anyway. I guess this is...goodbye then." Lillie said quietly, kicking at the ground awkwardly. Truthfully, she didn't want Sun to go. She was worried about him, and she had really enjoyed his company tonight.

"Well, I can at least walk you to your room." Sun offered, with Lillie nodding with a smile. The two children left the lounge and made their way down the hallway as Sun slipped his backpack on his back. In no time at all, they were stopped outside of a nondescript door.

"Well...here's my stop." Lillie said quietly, stepping away from Sun and smiling at him.

"Yeah. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" Sun said just as softly, reaching past her and brushing her hair out of her face. Lillie's smile widened at the gesture, with Sun laughing quietly.

"Goodnight, Sun. Thank you for being my friend." Lillie said to the boy, who's smile turned to a grin.

"Goodnight Lillie. It's an honor to be your friend." Sun said to his friend, taking a step back. The girl saw Sun's expression falter a little after a moment, and Lillie noticed his smile had faded. It seemed as if he was suddenly conflicted about something. Lillie was about to ask Sun what was wrong, when he suddenly stepped forward and leaned towards her...

And kissed her on the cheek.

Sun pulled away from his friend after a few moments and Lillie's green eyes were as wide as saucers, staring at Sun in surprise as they both began to blush bright pink. The two children stared at each other for a few moments, enveloped in a deafening silence before Lillie spoke up.

"Sun...what was that, exactly?" Lillie asked in a whisper, with Sun laughing softly in reply, embarrassed at his own daring. He didn't believe he had actually managed to kiss Lillie.

"Well...You seemed really disappointed about that dare earlier, and I mean...um...S-sorry, that was probably way too forward, wasn't it? Sorry Lillie. Maybe I should've asked first." Sun apologized, looking away from his friend. To his surprise, Lillie flung herself forward and hugged Sun tightly, nuzzling his neck.

"It may have been a bit forward, but that doesn't mean it wasn't welcome." Lillie said quietly with a shy smile, her face feeling like it was on fire. Especially the mark on her right cheek, where Sun's lips had touched her skin. Lillie's heart was pounding rapidly, like it was about to beat out of her chest. Sun had just kissed her! Her very first kiss ever was from her crush! The boy that had inspired her and protected her had just kissed her!

"So you're not mad?" Sun asked Lillie, who giggled as she tightened her embrace.

"Nope. I most definitely liked it! Now hug me back!"

"...Okay. But only because you asked nicely."

"But, um, Sun...This won't...change anything between us, will it?"

"Not if you don't want it to. No matter what, you're still my best friend."

"I...Sun, I…"

"What? Lillie, is everything okay?"

"Y-yes. Everything's fine. I just...Never mind."

"You know you can talk to me about anything, right?"

Lillie looked up at Sun, seeing the concern in his eyes. They seemed to have returned to their normal color of cloudy grey, but Lillie was still worried. They had both gone through some awful things, but while Lillie was managing better these days thanks to the support of her friends, Sun seemed to be clinging to the pain, unable to let it go. The pain was festering, thanks to Cipher's arrival on the islands and the worry that they would hurt those he cared about once again. Lillie was concerned, because she knew what happened when you couldn't let go of the hurt inside of your heart.

Her own mother was proof of that.

"I know, Sun. And the same applies to you as well." Lillie replied quietly, closing her eyes and just enjoying the feeling being held by her crush. She was kicking herself mentally for not telling Sun about her feelings for him, but she just couldn't find the nerve to do it. Regardless...Her getting a kiss from him definitely seemed to support Professor Burnet's point. Maybe she was worth loving after all, even if she wasn't the beautiful and perfect girl her mother wanted her to be.

Sun hummed in response, not really wanting to answer her. He knew he could definitely trust Lillie with the worries that troubled him, and that she understood on some level what he was going through. But on the other hand, he didn't want to burden her further. Hadn't she suffered enough?

Sun compromised by resting his chin on the girl's head and whispering, "You know, we should probably be heading to bed sometime soon."

"Do I have too? You're really warm. I...I like being held like this. By you." Lillie replied, her voice muffled in Sun's shirt, embarrassed at the admission, but she really didn't want the moment to end.

"As much as I like hugging you, I do have to go. I need to head back to the hotel before it gets too late and Mom starts worrying." Sun replied with a small laugh. Lillie sighed and pulled away from Sun, though she held onto his hand and pulled him to the door to her room, instead opening it.

"No you don't. You can say goodnight to Nebby, and then you can go." Lillie insisted, with Sun laughing softly in reply as she walked with him into the room. Lillie was admittedly stalling for time, not wanting her time with Sun tonight to end. Mainly because she was repeatedly stuck on one moment of the night so far.

" _I can't believe he kissed me. Sun kissed me!"_ Lillie's thoughts sang, with the girl nearly wanting to throw herself at Sun and hug him again. She had restrain herself, though. Meanwhile, Sun was taking stock of Lillie's room.

Not so surprisingly, it was painted all white. Several nicknacks and the like were neatly set up on a nearby nightstand, which included several photos. One of which was Professor Kukui and Professor Burnet standing with Lillie at the beach, the three of them smiling widely as Nebby squirmed in Lillie's hands. The next was one of Sun, Hau, and Lillie in Hau'oli City, the photo Rotom Dex had taken and surprised them with. And the final one was, oddly enough, lying facedown on the nightstand. Sun tore his gaze away from the pictures and looked over at the large bookcase in the room, filled with various titles. The books Lillie had received from Sun were sitting neatly on top of the pile of gifts she had received earlier, ready to be read as soon as she was able to get to them.

Lillie nearly skipped over to Nebby and gently unwrapped him from his position in the thick and comfortable-looking pink blanket and pulled the Cosmog into her arms.

"Pe...pew?" Nebby mumbled tiredly, opening a single eye.

"Tell Sun goodnight, Nebby." Lillie said happily to the Cosmog, who shut his eyes regardless and went back to sleep. Lillie shook her head in mock dismay while Sun reached forward and pet the small Pokémon on the head.

"Goodnight Nebby. Sleep well, little guy." Sun said to the Cosmog as Lillie carefully set him back on her bed and wrapped him up in the blanket again.

"So. Anything else you want to stall me with?" Sun asked with a chuckle. Lillie crossed her arms, thinking about it. After thinking about it, she smiled.

"A hug?" Lillie asked, opening her arms.

"Lillie, you're going to overdose on hugs after all the one's I've given you today." Sun said with a small laugh, but despite his words, Sun stepped forward and pulled Lillie into another hug, which Lillie returned fiercely.

"Happy Birthday, Princess. Goodnight." Sun muttered into the girl's blonde mane, with Lillie laughing softly in delight. For some reason, she secretly delighted in hearing Sun call her the nickname that oddly had followed her from one life to the next. She didn't mind it though, because it was used as a term of endearment instead of a title that demanded perfection and beauty at all times.

"Thank you for everything, my brave knight." Lillie replied softly, with Sun surprised at the remark. Sun smiled after a moment as Lillie separated from him, grinning with joy at how the day had gone. She had spent time with those who cared about her, and had all but received confirmation that her crush returned her feelings. All she needed to do was find the courage to express herself to him. But that would require a bit more courage, and that may take a little bit longer. She was alright with that. They had all the time in the world to sort things out, didn't they?

"Goodnight Sun! Thank you for everything today!" Lillie said to her crush, who grinned back at her.

"You're welcome. See you tomorrow!" Sun said to Lillie before he turned away, knowing that if he didn't leave now Lillie would stall him even more. Besides, he had other things to think about.

"I kissed her...She seemed to really like it. If that doesn't prove that she likes me back, then I don't know what would. Once we're done with this psychiatrist thing tomorrow, I'll tell her. I'll tell her how I've been feeling about her." Sun decided, his smile growing in size. He had no idea what would happen then, but all he knew was that he wanted Lillie to know. He wanted to become closer to the girl who had become so important to him.

Meanwhile, Lillie collapsed onto her bed with a happy sigh, waking up Nebby for the second time and receiving an annoyed sigh from the Cosmog. Lillie laid there for a moment, shutting her eyes and allowing the moment to sink in. All of the moments of today, weighing down on her right now.

She was happy. Truly happy, for the first time in years. For the first time in what seemed like forever, she didn't feel like she wasn't good enough. That she was a bother. That she wasn't worth it.

"Best. Birthday. Ever." Lillie whispered to herself as she got up, crawled into bed, and pulled the blankets around her and pulled Nebby close. The sleepy Cosmog let out a tired cry before huddling closer to Lillie. The girl fell asleep with a smile, her heart filled with happiness knowing that despite her imperfections, she was loved all the same.

* * *

 _So, Sun finally took the first step. While it may not be a confession of his crush on her, Lillie knows that her feelings may just be returned after all. Yeah, it's obvious to us, but for two very awkward and sheltered children who are close friends with each other, it's not quite so apparent._

 _What happens next for the two children as they try to figure out their own feelings and just admit them to each other already? Who knows? Stay tuned! This is probably the most fluffiness we'll see for a good little bit, which balances out what's to come. Heh._

 _Next chapter is Sun's visit to the psychiatrist, and the beginning of Sun's journey to battle the Kahuna of Akala Island!_

Q & A

 _From: GeekyGamer314_

Is the pink backpack that Sun's mother got for Lillie the same one that Lillie wears in her Z-powered from later?

 **Yep. I figured Lillie could get that earlier in the story, since it's stated she gets her Z-Powered Form outfit in Malie City. However, I thought it odd that she'd buy a backpack for her outfit when it was clear she wasn't very enthused with it when she bought it. *shrug***

 _From: Cottonmouth25_

Could it be? There is another who ships Dexio and Sina? I thought I was forever alone! I could cry!

 **Oh, I absolutely ship them. I've had plans for Aria to have a vision of their future wedding since chapter 38 or so, but couldn't find a way to do it that didn't feel forced. And then I had some ideas change and...Well, it worked out. I'll expand on them later, don't you worry.**

 _From: Angelfir3_

You explained that Ambers team is made up of 50s and 60s level Pokémon, right? How high of a level are these Pokémon compared to the other top tier trainers in your story (champions and such)?

 **Amber could maybe beat some Champions but struggle against others. Without Umbral Rhyperior, she battles at a Champion level, though this is more due to the fact that she gets very involved in battles, shooting her guns and attacking alongside her team. In a straight up one-on-one battle, she'd probably lose to any of the Champions, except for probably Iris due to her being a new Champion. With Umbral Rhyperior, however, she could probably beat Steven, Wallace, and maybe Lance.**

 **Use that as a measurement of how'd she fare in a battle with characters like Kukui and Oliver and Hugh and so on. There's a lot of factors at work when keeping into account a character's strength as a Trainer.**

 _From: Okamaiden14_

Although i do have to ask, how long do you plan on making this story? It's already at chapter 61 and its only now reaching rouughly the halfway point of pokemon sun and moon. Also will you include any elements from ultra sun and ultra moon? Like ultra necrozma, the alola photo club, and mantine surfing?

 **This story will be 200 Chapters, baring anything crazy happening. Yeah, we're reaching halfway point in the game's story (sort of), but we've got a long ways to go before we get to RS's halfway point, which I believe is a short while after the Electric Trial.**

 **As for USUM elements, I've already included a few here and there, but as for things like the Pikachu Village, Alola Photo Club, and Mantine surfing...Maybe. I can absolutely see where I can throw in some references to them, but they're not getting a lot of focus. Necrozma will be featured in some manner, but as to whether or not it gets to the point of becoming Ultra Necrozma is something to be decided later.**

 _From: DarkestShade73_

 **If you'll recall from the Delta Episode, Zinnia left both Aster and her Salamencite in the care of the Player Character. However she does have her Key Stone still during the battle you have with her, which I actually just remembered as I'm writing this. Anyway, needless to say I needed to give her another Mega Evolution to use, and Altaria seemed like a good choice.**

 _This chapter took way too long to do, and I'm honestly glad TOD is done. I'm happy to get back to the journey to battle Olivia, which I promise will be a very interesting encounter._

 _If you enjoyed this chapter, please leave your thoughts in the review section below, and if you have questions feel free to ask them! Also, if you could favorite and/or follow the story if you haven't already, that'd be fantastic. I'm gonna try and get a few hours of sleep now, since I've stayed up way too late editing._

 _Take care and stay awesome._

 _Until next time, FlygonNick out!_


	63. The Stains of Time

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _Why am I the only one who appreciates how good the Saints Row series is?_

 _Sorry, that's my current rant for this week. Anyways, I've managed to not only beat the rest of Horizon Zero Dawn, but also the South Park TFBW DLC that came out and Shantae: Half-Genie Hero (and the Risky Boots DLC as well). All fun games that I totally recommend._

 _Also...Pokémon Let's Go Pikachu and Pokémon Let's Go Eevee were announced this past week. A very interesting move and something that people are either excited as hell for or are actively condemning like its a remaster of Ride to Hell: Retribution._

 _My thoughts? I'm pretty excited for it. Kinda sucks the battling mechanics for wild Pokémon are just the Pokémon GO catching mechanics, but there's standard battling for Trainer Battles and if the main game is relatively the same, except with all of the shiny new innovations and the fact that your Pokémon follow you around and can be actively seen and encountered in the overworld, then I say this is a positive step forward for the series. A way to get the Pokémon GO crowd into the main games, much like how the Alolan Regional variants were created to do just that in Sun and Moon._

 _Seriously, if the battling mechanics for wild Pokémon are the only thing stripped away from the core game, I think I'll still enjoy the hell out of it. It looks fantastic and colorful and fun. And yeah, you can just trade your Pokémon from Pokémon GO to the Switch and catch 'em all that way but...Would anyone who really cares about the game actually do that? No. So calm down about all that, and just enjoy the fact that the series is continuing to take some risks and evolve. No pun intended._

 _Hell, my own father is seriously considering getting a Nintendo Switch just to play those games since he's such a huge Pokémon GO fan. And yes, that's absolutely something I'm not kidding about. His favorite Pokémon is Pikachu and he's insanely good at Pokémon GO._

 _I'd love to hear your thoughts about the two new games though. If you feel like it, shoot me a PM or let me know your thoughts in the review section below._

 _#TeamEevee_

 _I know I'll be wanting to think positively about Pokémon...Especially since I finally started my Pokémon Moon Nuzlocke. My current team? **I don't have one,** since I've Game Over'd twice. Once because a level 5 Pikipek knocked out Oliver and the second was because Ilima wrecked my entire team._

 _Moving on...Shoutout to those who have reviewed since the last update, which includes MoonlightButterfree, Cottonmouth25, Madame Rodoshe, BraviaryScout, Angelfir3, operettaoceanic, SonicIKE, GeekyGamer314, a Guest reviewers, Okamiden14, Ways, Gokan123, and Sai Og Sus. Thanks to all of you who support this story with your feedback!_

 _Anyways, this was a really difficult chapter to write. Mainly because I'm trying to have certain things happen before another thing happens, and that requires a bit of cramming. But I'm managing._

 _Also, just a disclaimer. I am not in any way an expert on psychology. I have my own experiences, what I remember from AP Psych in high school and my Abnormal Psychology class in college, and the internet to draw from for this chapter. Keep that in mind while reading this one, because I know I'll have something misinterpreted or not be accurate in some way._

 _Now that that's out of the way…_

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 _Chapter 63: The Stains of Time_

* * *

"So...I guess it all began when my father disappeared."

Gladion and Demi sat in one of the storage rooms within the Shady House, illuminated only by a single flickering light bulb above them. Demi sat cross-legged on a crate with Torch napping in her lap. Meanwhile Gladion leaned against the wall, with Type: Null sitting beside him with Golbat watching the hallway for anyone coming this way.

"Your father...disappeared?" Demi asked, taken aback. Gladion's green eyes were half-shut, his expression solemn has he looked at her for a moment before nodding. He continued speaking with his voice low, though Demi could almost hear how hard it was for him to talk about this.

"Yes, my father. You see, I lived at the Aether Paradise for most of my life, except for some of the early years when we lived in Kalos. My mother is Lusamine Jardin, former Kalos Champion and President of the Aether Foundation. My father is Professor Mohn Jardin, co-founder of the Aether Foundation and publisher of several leading theories regarding the dimensional passage and subset of dimensions referred to as the Ultra Space." Gladion explained to the girl, who was even more confused.

"Ultra Space? What's that?" Demi asked, with Gladion sighing in aggravation. Clearly he didn't like being interrupted.

"Long story short, its an inter-dimensional realm that links to many worlds, universes, and dimensions. In Alola, there are distortions within the region and there have been scattered reports of strange wormholes appearing and odd radiation coming from Trial Sites. My father was the most prominent scientist researching the Ultra Space, and he helped many create the bedrock of studying in the first place...But then he disappeared one day."

"As to what happened exactly, I'm unsure. My mother never stated outright what was left behind, but I do know that it involved a creature known as a Nihilego and a Pokémon that was left behind in the lab my father vanished from. Something he called Cosmog." Gladion explained, looking upwards at the ceiling and not able to see Demi's look of surprise.

" _That's Lillie's Pokémon! But...does that mean Cosmog has something to do with the Ultra Space? Is that where it came from?"_ Demi thought, but she was ripped out of her thoughts as Gladion continued.

"My Mother's grief was...overwhelming. Our family was torn to pieces as she slowly began to lose her mind, whether that be from the pain of losing our father or something else we're unsure of. My... _friend_ , never told me. Over the years, Lusamine Jardin began slowly transforming from a loving, dating mother to a controlling, cruel sociopath. Mine and Lillie's every move was monitored every moment of the day and controlled by Lusamine. My mother gained much amusement out of making us her puppets, dressing us up and doing every little thing she wanted. Poor Lillie...She idolized Mother. They were so close before the accident happened...I can't imagine what this is doing to her." Gladion said quietly, shaking his head, sorrow thick in his voice.

"Anyway, things continued in that fashion for a long time. We were prisoners in that gilded cage, reminded every day that we were nothing without our loving mother. We were beautiful, but only if we followed in her footsteps and continued being perfect children. Without her, we were weak. Helpless. Unlovable. She drilled it into our heads that we didn't matter to anyone else but her. And we believed her, for so long."

"Our every move was ordained by her. We couldn't leave the island, we couldn't explore and play on our own. We stuck to our schedules and acted like robots, performing whatever our mother wanted...And we hated it. We had no say in anything we did. Eventually, however, things came to a head when I…No."

"No?" Demi asked, confused.

"I'm not telling you about my first act of defiance. I have a feeling it'd make you upset." Gladion remarked, shaking his head. "I'll say that after several acts of rebellion from me, I began digging. With the help of a friend at the paradise, I began to unravel some of what my father had discovered about the Ultra Space, and learned that my mother's mental state was worse than I had realized. She was driven…driven to complete a goal so terrible that it could spell doom for all of Alola."

"After that, I ran away from home. I stole Type: Null from the laboratories downstairs and left the island, making landfall here on Akala Island, where I spent a few months trying to tame Null. That...didn't happen as soon as I wanted it to, so I was forced to get my motel room and slowly work on getting Null to warm up to me. This all started almost two and a half years ago." Gladion explained, with the monster in question lowering its head.

" _After what was done to me, I was...confused. Enraged. Rebellious. My mind was hazy and in pain. Gladion was patient, however. Even when I lashed out at him, he never once returned the favor, unlike those that created me."_ Type: Null said in a soft voice, with Gladion resting a hand on the Pokémon's helmet.

"Eventually, I fell in with Team Skull to cover my tracks and slowly began to build my strength and resources. Null eventually came around, and we began our partnership. I made it clear that my main goal was to release it from its mental restraint."

"Restraint?" Demi questioned.

"The helmet. That thing definitely isn't natural. It's keeping Null's powers in check. Holding it back. I want to remove it, so that Null has its full strength. It's the best way of becoming stronger. Pokémon usually become stronger and grow with battles, so that's why we emphasize strength and fighting as much as we do. So that we can become strong enough to do what we have to do." Gladion explained to the girl, who nodded in understanding.

"However, thanks to the efforts of my friend, its become clear to me just how hard my task is. According to her, the entirety of the staff at the Aether Foundation have been brainwashed against their will. All it takes is a simple command from my mother, and they become hostile soldiers who obey her every command. The odds are stacked pretty heavily against me. To get to my mother, I have to fend off the entirety of the Aether Foundation, who are composed of mostly-skilled Trainers with years of experience battling. And then my mother herself, who's a former Champion. And then the Ultra Beasts she could no doubt summon any moment she feels like... _That_ is what I am up against. You all wonder why I act so uptight? Why I'm so angry? So upset at the slightest thing? It's because I'm fighting against the woman who raised me to stop her from unleashing Armageddon...And I'm terrified I can't win." Gladion said quietly, but his words were powerful enough to make Demi flinch at his tone.

"And so...here I am. Stuck in the basement of the Shady House, telling you my story. I can't tell you the whole thing, but that was a lot of it. Now you understand why I am the way I am. What I've suffered through. And why I have to get stronger by any means necessary." Gladion said to the Team Skull Grunt, who put her head in her hands.

"Gladion...what is your mother planning on doing?" Demi asked quietly, with the teen sighing deeply before replying.

"My mother's plan...is to unleash the powers of the Ultra Space on Alola, so that she may free the Ultra Beasts within. Those monsters...with them unleashed, who knows what they could do to Alola? The stories tell of fearsome beasts with powers that rival the Tapu. If she could tear open a portal or gateway to the Ultra Space, she could unleash limitless monsters with incredible strength onto Alola. The devastation would be unfathomable. That's why I...why I'm so stressed. Because I'm worried I might not be able to become strong enough to stop her in time. Null is our best shot at taking down the Ultra Beasts. It was designed to combat them directly. A Beast Killer." Gladion said as he lowered his head, with Type: Null sighing quietly. Demi remained quiet, for a time. Her head was down, and her long black hair blocked his view of her face. And then…

"Gladion...Can I hug you?" Demi asked, her face not visible to him. Gladion blinked in surprise, not expecting that to be her reaction to hearing his tale.

"What? Why?" Gladion asked, confused and completely thrown off. Where did this come from?

"Because...Damn it. How do you expect me to react!? No one should have to go through that by themselves!" Demi looked towards him and Gladion was shocked to find the girl was close to tears.

" _Why...why is she so upset? Why does she care so much?"_ Gladion thought, taking a step back at the obviously upset teen in front of him. Instead, he vocalized, "None of this happened to you. You're acting ridiculous."

"God...This just makes me so frustrated. How can something so awful happen to such a good group of people! I've read all about the Aether Paradise! Professor Mohn and President Lusamine did so much for Alola! The Aether Foundation are practically heroes to everyone in the country, but they're being brainwashed and don't even know it! And you and Lillie...it's so messed up! It's so...Is life really just that unfair, Gladion?" Demi whispered, shaking her head.

Gladion was completely speechless. This wasn't pity. This was genuine unhappiness at the suffering his family had gone through. Demi rested her chin on her knees, eyes closed and trying to keep her composure.

"Is doesn't matter if it's fair or not. It's the truth. And that's all I can afford to tell you right now. So...Is that enough to guarantee your silence?" Gladion asked the girl, who nodded.

"More than that. I can't believe all this is going on and you've been trying to do this all on your own. How have you not snapped yet? I couldn't handle the pressure." Demi asked Gladion, who seemed to subconsciously rub his arms for a moment while a strange look crossed his features that vanished a few moments later.

"Who's to say I haven't, yet? This has been...incredibly difficult for me. Doing this all on my own, trying to survive against everything. Making Null understand my intentions for it was the hardest thing I've ever done. And that was only achieved about eight months ago. As soon as I did that, we began the Island Challenge in hopes to find other ways to increase our strength and gain experience working together as a team. However…" Gladion looked towards the hallway, where Golbat was keeping guard. "After the first Trial, I found Golbat, who was just a Zubat then. He was hurt badly, and probably wouldn't have lasted the night. I took him into my care and by the time I had him treated and his wing on the mend, he didn't want to leave me."

"You know, that kind of just proves my point on how you're a good person, you just suck at showing it." Demi remarked, a small smile on her face. Gladion scoffed at that.

"I'm not heartless, Demi. I just...I just want to fix this. But if I tried explaining everything to people, who knows what could happen? If word got back to my mother, I wouldn't be able to survive it. She's _insane_. She has the full power of the Aether Foundation at her command, and if that's not bad enough...She's harnessed Cosmog's power and has some control over the Ultra Wormholes. She can summon the Ultra Beasts directly to Alola if she wanted to. Who knows how much of that strange power she has in reserve? She could use everything she has to send Ultra Beasts after me, and I'm not ready yet. Null would die, and I'd be…" Gladion shivered, shutting his eyes.

"That's why I'm telling you now. Don't help me. It's for your own good. It's better if I do this alone, or with only the bare minimum amount of people and Pokémon involved. Don't you get it?" Gladion asked Demi, who looked back up at him with blazing eyes.

"I don't give a shit! Gladion, I don't care if you want me to or not. I'm going to find some way to get you and Lillie through this." Demi said to the young man, who scoffed at her declaration.

"Even if it means stabbing Team Skull in the back? Because trust me. They don't want me to get stronger. They much prefer me being their errand boy to back them up." Gladion said to Demi, who sighed and thought about it.

"I'm not turning my back on them, just because I want to help you. You're Team Skull's Enforcer, and I'm a member of Team Skull. I'm sure I can work something out. And as much as I like them...They haven't honestly done anything to try and change things in Alola. I don't get them. It's like...I don't know. Like their drive to change things is being directed into making as much noise and pain as possible." Demi said aloud, with Gladion nodding in agreement.

"I agree, it is weird. But that said, I've never put much stock in Team Skull's goals. They pay me just enough to keep me motivated to help them every now and then. Whether or not they succeed anytime soon in their plans to cripple the Island Challenge or rule Alola or...hell, I don't know...Try and get the Masked Royal's autograph is none of my concern."

"Wait, what was that last one?"

"Yeah, a lot of Team Skull are obsessed with the Masked Royal. Though considering I know who the man _really_ is...heh. It's probably one of the few things I can say without a doubt that I _love_ about Team Skull." Gladion said, looking away from Demi so that she couldn't see the very amused smirk on his face. Gladion just couldn't find it in him to tell Guzma that his arch-rival was in fact his favorite celebrity, no matter how much Gladion hated him. Gladion regained his composure and looked back at Demi, who was standing now.

"I'll figure something out. But...Dude, seriously. I want to help you. If this is something that could affect Alola, and my friends, then it can affect Team Skull too. And even if it didn't...How could I just stand back and watch you do this all alone? What kind of person would I be?" Demi asked Gladion, who just shook his head.

"Empathy is one thing, but it still shouldn't matter so much to you."

"Again. You. Saved. My. Life. And you're just trying to save your family, and you've gone through endless amounts of...You know what. Screw it." Demi threw her arms into the air in exasperation, which Gladion took as a sign that he'd finally broken her will to try and help him. She'd let him do this on his own, with no distractions and-

Demi stepped forward and extended her hand to Gladion, an intense glare burning through her eyes. The teen stared at her hand for a moment, nonplussed, but sighed and reached for the offered hand and shook it. She was nearly as stubborn as he was! But if this was what it took...then so be it.

"I'm helping you, one way or another. And if you don't like it...oh well." Demi hissed at Gladion, with the two of them jumping as the sound of rough laughter echoed through the room. Both teens looked at Type: Null, who was hunched over and awkwardly chuckling at them.

" _Gladion...You are really funny sometimes. Demi, your help is welcomed. My Partner is too stubborn to realize it now, but in time he'll appreciate you stepping up and assisting him. Now, hug and make up."_ Type: Null remarked, gesturing with its green claw towards the two teens. Gladion turned towards Demi and was quickly slammed into by the girl, with the her hugging him tightly. Gladion stiffened in response, feeling distinctly uncomfortable, even as the Team Skull Grunt rested her chin on Gladion's shoulder, sighing heavily.

"You're stupid. And frustrating. And...I'm so _sorry_...Gladion, I really am. And I really hope that someday, you realize that you can trust me." Demi murmured, with Gladion standing still in shock as the girl hugged him tightly. Gladion's first instinct was to shove the girl away, but he repressed that urge. Instead, he just remained still, listening to Demi's heavy breathing and feeling his face burn with embarrassment, his heart beating rapidly in his chest.

Type: Null watched the display for a few moments before allowing itself a smile within its helmet that no one but it knew existed. It knew that Demi's words and intentions were sincere. After all, Type: Null could tell when people were lying, and it saw no deceptions from the girl. And so the beast watched the two teens with a secret smile, knowing that maybe, just maybe…

Its partner was learning.

* * *

"I said I'm sorry!"

" _See, I hear you apologizing. But what I don't see is you. Scrubbing. Harder!"_

" _You're such a prissy bird. How are you the strongest on our team again?"_

" _Through sheer ego, that's how."_

Sun grumbled something unkind under his breath as he scrubbed Oliver's feathers for the seventh time. In retrospect, leaving hot sauce to soak into his feathers overnight wasn't the smartest idea, but Sun had forgotten about Oliver's predicament until he had released his team to eat breakfast.

And then Sun promptly got wrecked by his Starter, getting thrown into the nearby dresser by a Leafage before being pecked repeatedly, at least until Laura's Pidgeot stepped in and knocked out the furious owl.

Sun explained the situation to his mother, who couldn't stop laughing at the odd circumstances behind this. Oliver wasn't quick to forgive his Trainer, and had demanded to be cleaned and bathed until the smell of hot sauce had left his plumage.

Which was easier said than done.

After ten baths, Oliver finally deemed himself clean and it took another hour for Sun and Oliver to properly dry and groom the bird to the point where he would consent to be in his Poké Ball. Laura Smiles, of course, didn't lift a finger to help and instead snuck pictures of the whole scenario and sent them to everyone she could.

Lillie was especially amused, considering it was her dare that had caused this situation.

Even longer after that, Sun and his mother made their way to uptown Heahea City, where the psychiatrist worked. The Smiles family entered a rather small office building and were soon waiting in the lobby.

"So, who are we seeing anyway?" Sun asked his mother as she began to read through a newspaper.

"Doctor Thomas Cabela. He's specializes in child-psychology and mental disorders. I've spoken to him already about you and explained some things to him already, but this appointment is for him to get to know you and perhaps help you work out some of the things you've been feeling lately." Laura explained to Sun, who slowly nodded.

"I just...I don't know."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I just hope he can figure out what's wrong with me." Sun said quietly, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms. Laura put a hand on her child's head, and then pulled him into a one-armed hug.

"Dear, there's…" Laura paused, glancing around with a confused look on her face. "Do you hear something?"

Sun strained his ears and heard a very loud voice in the distance speaking. After a few moments, Sun recognized the voice and promptly leapt to his feet.

"Oh god, Mom, hide me!" Sun yelled to his mother, who without hesitation pointed Sun to a nearby potted plant. Sun ducked behind it while Laura stood in front of it, arms crossed and ready to deal with whatever threat had scared her son-

"Do you know who I am?! I am the Fossil Man! And I thank you for this prescription!" the voice boomed before a man in dirty overalls and wild blond hair, carrying what looked like a large rock in one hand while holding a note in the other, burst into the lobby. Sun remembered the insane man from before his Grass Trial, having encountered him with Gladion. He had no desire to repeat the experience.

"Sir, I ask you once again. Please consider getting serious mental help-"

"Lolnope! I'm off to Dream Park! After all, I've got Fossils to breathe life back into! My dreams will help save the world and all of my hopes will come true!" the Fossil Man proclaimed to the baffled worker that stepped out of the door the Fossil Man had just left from.

"Right...Well, if that's the case then please leave. You're scaring my other patients." The man stated, with the Fossil Man shrugging.

"They just don't understand my brilliance." Fossil Man remarked, shaking his head.

"Sir, I respectfully disagree. No please leave." The worker insisted, with the Fossil Man letting out a booming laugh.

"Fossil Man don't care! Fossil Man don't give a shit!" the man proclaimed before he suddenly slumped down, sounding a lot more calm. "I need this though. So much. Thanks Doctor Cabela."

"Anytime. I'm on call if you need anything, Fossil Man." Doctor Cabela responded before pointing to the door. "Now out."

The Fossil Man shook hands with Doctor Cabela and whirled around, marching towards the front door. He stopped to look at Laura Smiles, who was glaring at the man and inwardly preparing to give him an ass-kicking he wouldn't forget.

"Greetings! I am the Fossil Man! And-" The man was cut off when Laura held up her hand.

"Get out of this building. You're scaring my child. If you refuse, I'm going to rip your arm off and beat you senseless with it." Laura said in a low voice, with the Fossil Man blinking twice in response.

"And...um, threat acknowledged. Farewell, Scary Lady." Fossil Man said, bowing slightly to Laura before leaving the building. Miss Smiles saw the man begin speaking to a nearby lamp post before suddenly punching it and then sprint down the street.

"That man has some problems." Scary Lady stated, taking her seat again. Sun slowly got out from behind the plant and sat next to his mother.

"So _how_ do you know that guy?" Laura asked Sun.

"Me and my...uh, associate Gladion ran into him while on our way to the Grass Trial. We barely escaped him that time. Is it bad that I'm really reluctant to go to this appointment now, considering the Fossil Man goes here for treatment?" Sun asked his mother, who chuckled.

"Not really. But still, you should give it a chance." Laura said with a small laugh to Sun, who sighed. A few minutes later, the same man who had spoken to the insane Fossil Man stepped out into the lobby, wearing a small smile. He was dressed in brown slacks and a white dress shirt and had tanned skin, with a small black mustache on his face.

"Sunshine Smiles?" the man said, with Sun flinching at his name and standing up. The man shook Sun's hand as he approached, grinning at him.

"My name is Doctor Thomas Cabela. Please, follow me." Doctor Cabela said to the mother and son before leading them through a hallway and into a cozy room decorated with nick-nacks and motivational posters. Sun and Laura sat down on a rather comfortable leather couch that sunk in slightly while Doctor Cabela sat down in his high-backed chair that resembled something of a throne.

"Um...Nice to meet you, sir." Sun said awkwardly, unsure of how to start this. Doctor Cabela chuckled softly, shaking his head.

"Now Sun. I don't want you to think of me as a psychiatrist. I want to think of me as a mental patient who killed a psychiatrist before you got here." Doctor Cabela said cheerily to the boy, who's face went pale.

Sun rose to his feet and walked out of the room. Doctor Cabela chuckled while Laura rolled her eyes and went after her child, who didn't appreciate such humor at such a stressful time.

* * *

Aether Paradise:

* * *

"That's insane and I don't believe you."

"I mean, it's true. And frankly, at this point, I don't care if you believe me Faba."

"You both are nerds."

Miss Wicke watched the two men as they squabbled, privately thinking the entire thing was hilarious. Poor Faba couldn't quite handle the fact that while Colress wasn't as famous as he was quite yet, he was far more prolific. Colress was a genius in every sense of the word. And he was smarter than Faba, which the Branch Chief couldn't accept.

Colress grinned at Miss Wicke and said, "Nerd I may be, but I'm also a scientist and a man who hasn't had a good morning if he isn't halfway through creating some sort of fantastic invention or major discovery."

"And I'm just all around amazing and am single-handedly keeping this entire Foundation from falling into the ocean." Faba proclaimed, placing a hand on his chest.

"You two are awfully chipper considering that Totem Araquanid died this morning." Wicke remarked tiredly, shifting in her seat as she dainty sipped her tea.

"It was a shame, but there was nothing we could do for it. The Z-Power that was constantly in effect around the creature couldn't be snuffed out, no matter how hard we tried. It's fate was inevitable." Faba said with a frown, shaking his head. "We tried our best."

"We'll have to send the body to Kahuna Olivia. She'll ensure it gets a proper burial, like all the Totems of the past have." Colress remarked as he leaned against the table, shutting his eyes.

"Could the energies of the Ultra Space truly be that potent? The Trial Sites...are they the key we seek? Or is it something else?" Colress muttered, shaking his head. Too much, too little time. He couldn't focus on all of this happening at once, or we would go mad. Well, madder.

"You're stretching yourself thin, trying to dwell on that, Colress." Wicke said to the man, who chuckled at the remark.

"Hardly. That said, it's a relief to have the Purification Chamber nearly done. I haven't had a task this intriguing since the whole thing with Tapu Lele." Colress said with a small grin, making Faba grit his teeth.

"And we're back at this! I just...Why would you go out of your way to assist it in that manner?" Faba demanded of Colress, who just shrugged.

"It's not every day a Guardian Deity seeks you out, strikes up a friendly conversation with you, and then asks for you to help it stay entertained. It's the most fun I've had on a project in a while!" Colress admitted, with Miss Wicke silently agreeing with him. The Tapu of Alola were all very secretive beings, with some of them being more so than others.

"Still, creating a device that allows a Pokémon to take the form of a human whenever it wants is pretty interesting. And giving it a translator on top of that? You're really endearing yourself to the Tapu, aren't you?" Wicke asked Colress, receiving a soft chuckle from the man.

"Well, it wanted to get some kind of amusement and caught wind of my exploits through the minds of the Pokémon on the island. How it did this, I'm uncertain, but it just reminds me that overpowered Psychic-types continue to surprise me. I just gave it what it wanted, and as far as I know that's been the end of it. Tapu Lele has come by my lab once to thank me and to inform me it started a travelling antiques and book shop." Colress explained to Wicke, earning another angry sigh from Faba.

"It has no practical use though! Why would any Pokémon besides an incredibly bored god want to be able to blend in with humans like that?" Faba demanded, growing increasingly agitated.

"I don't know. Why do we need to build a Purification Chamber that not everyone will benefit directly from? Why do I have to make very expensive translator collars not everyone can buy? Why is creating a literal invisibility cloak so awesome?" Colress asked Faba, who clutched his head and growled furiously in response.

"But...No one _needs_ invisibility!" Faba yelled, stamping his feet. To Colress' credit, the man got up from his seat and began to make himself coffee, not paying Faba any mind, which was honestly the best policy when it came to the man. Miss Wicke decided to take a sip of her tea, which proved to be a mistake.

"No one needs invisibility? Well…no one needs a whiny stuck-up little bitch either, and yet here you are." Colress responded coolly without looking over his shoulder, making Faba throw his arms up into the air and walk out of the room while Miss Wicke choked on her tea.

* * *

"Alright, now that we're all nice and comfortable again." Doctor Cabela said with a smirk, earning a small glare from Laura and a weak smile from Sun. "What seems to be the problem?"

"The problem? The...the problem is that I can't seem to escape the past, no matter what much I want to." Sun said to the man, who's smile went away. Before Doctor Cabela could say anything else, Sun continued.

"The problem is that my Dad is a monster who tore our family apart. The problem is that I was nothing more than a tool for him. The problem is that Cipher's in Alola right now and it's only a matter of time before they find me. The problem is that they're here! They're here and they're going to hurt people I care about and-" Sun was stopped mid-rant by Doctor Cabela raising a hand. Sun looked down, realizing he had completely lost control of his emotions. He was nearly yelling just a moment ago. Was he really this upset, just by talking about the thoughts that plagued him every day?

"Calm down, Sun. Please." Cabela said to Sun before slowly cocking his head. "Odd. Your eyes are much darker, now. Keloliʻana Heterochromia Iridum? No, this is with both eyes. I'm mistaken." Cabela muttered, shaking his head.

"What is that? That thing you just said." Sun asked, with the Doctor waving a hand dismissively.

"It's nothing, my boy. Now, let's get down to business. I've already talked with your mother regarding some of your...history. How and why you came to Alola. The circumstances regarding your father. Some of the events that took place back in Kanto. And the reason you're here with me. You think there's something wrong with you." Cabela said quietly, with Sun slowly nodding.

"It's just...too much. I feel this crushing sadness, but I don't know what to do about it. I hate thinking about what my Dad has done, but there's no escaping it. I'm scared. I'm angry. It...hurts, Doctor Cabela. I'm so lost right now." Sun admitted softly, looking down at the ground.

"Well...I'll be the judge of that. I will say before we begin, Sun, that I thank you for taking time to come see me today. It's hard to get treatment for problems like these, and it takes a great deal of bravery to confront your inner demons, so to speak." Cabela said to Sun, smiling at him. "Now...tell me about yourself, and what you think about what you've gone through. What you've been feeling. Leave nothing out."

And so...Sun talked. And talked. And talked. He explained his life before Alola. Being groomed as the next COO of his father's rapidly expanding company, even as a young child. Being constantly reminded that he had to follow his father's dreams, and not chase his own. What happened with Nova-

No. That didn't happen.

His mother learning the truth after the fall of Nimbasa City. Laura filing for divorce and his father being kicked out of their estate in Celadon City. Ashton returning with a squad of Cipher Grunts, murdering Laura's Persian and attacking them with Damien, only for Mister Oliver to arrive in the nick of time to save them both.

Sun's arrival in Alola and encountering Lillie, Nebby, and Tapu Koko that fateful day on the bridge. His strange partnership with Oliver the Rowlet and befriending Hau and Vivian, and embarking on his journey, and everything since then. The emotions he felt, all of the things he did, Sun waxed on about his quest in Alola for the better part of two hours, stopping right after Lillie's birthday party and their walk over here. Doctor Cabela didn't stop the entire time, though he did give Sun an odd look when Sun admitted he gave Hau his Eevee Egg because of...reasons. When pressed for those reasons, Sun refused to give an answer.

Sun explained everything he knew. How he felt his fears and pain every single day, weighing him down and threatening to blot out his happiness. How he felt like it was all building and building, and that he could never quite get the moment of his father's ultimate betrayal from his head. It was where all of the hurt had built upon. The sight of his hero, his idol, his father...tearing down their family with a simple command with that awful look of fury on his face.

Yet despite what he told the man and his own mother, he refused point-blank to tell them _everything_. There were some hurts he refused to acknowledge, and other feelings he didn't want to discuss with some stranger and his mother, who already suffered through things just as bad as he had. He refused to explain things such as the beginning of his sadness, just after his father's betrayal and the guilt that burned within him, knowing that there was something he could have done to prevent all of the pain and suffering that had happened to the world since they departed Alola.

Sun finished his story and felt rather...empty. Not better. Just oddly tired and irritated. He had explained some things, but not the worst of it. The blackest, darkest bits of pain, suffering, and something else Sun couldn't recognize that clung desperately to his heart. Sun crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes while Doctor Cabela continued to jot down notes on what Sun had said.

"So...am I crazy? Depressed? Both? Or just overreacting?" Sun asked the psychiatrist.

"Sun, you're not crazy, and it's not wrong to feel the way you do. As for what's wrong with you, I believe that you're simply suffering from a blend of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Situational Depression." Cabela explained to Sun and Laura, the latter of whom hugged her child after a moment had passed.

"Situational Depression, while not a technical term for someone in my field, still applies to what you're going through. You are depressed, Sun. It's common to have feelings of sadness and hopelessness and of frustration. This is a form of depression just caused by a stressful event. Your father revealing his true intentions and attacking you and your mother. The events that have happened since all compound into this stress, making it so much worse." Cabela explained to a silent Sun, who simply nodded.

"This is not a major form of depression, thankfully. It can be treated without medication and through therapy, as well as healthy coping mechanisms. However, it is the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder bit I mentioned earlier that worries me." Cabela said to the pair of them, with Laura jumping in.

"You think he's suffering from PTSD?" Laura asked Doctor Cabela, who looked at the woman.

"Weren't you, after what your husband did?" Cabela asked Laura, with the mother slowly nodding in reply. Sun looked at his mother.

"Mom...Why didn't you talk to me about that? You were...you were hurting just as bad as I was." Sun said quietly, with his mother sighing softly in reply, though she was smiling at her son.

"Because you needed me to be strong. You were so upset, after your father attacked the house. You refused to eat, to leave your room, to even see me. I was so worried about you that I didn't have time to think about how bad _I was_ until Oliver calmed you down and then had a discussion with me. I...recovered, in time. Not completely, but enough to regain control of my life." Laura said to Sun, who slowly nodded in understanding.

"As you may know, Sun, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a very serious thing and there is no concrete cure for it. It all comes down to how severe the trauma was and how deeply it ingrained itself in you. Repeated instances of trauma make the situation worse." Cabela said, with Sun thinking back on that-

* * *

" _D-dad, stop it! Stop! You're hurting her!"_

" _It's for your own good, Sun. I...I'm not letting this ruin you like it did me!"_

* * *

Sun instinctively flinched, catching his mother's attention. "Sun? Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah...Just thought about something. It's fine though. It didn't happen. It doesn't matter anymore." Sun said to his mother, who still seemed worried. She turned towards Doctor Cabela, who surprisingly shook his head.

"Another thing I'd like to bring up, in our limited time today, is something a bit off-topic but still related to our topic in a way. It's a noted trend that those who suffer from some sort of depression oftentimes have parents who suffered from it. Laura's already explained to me that she was fine until Ashton came along. However, that still leaves Ashton himself. Did Sun's father suffer from depression?" Cabela asked Laura, who nodded in reply.

"Ashton had many problems growing up, and for most of his time in Alola he suffered from what he later had diagnosed as major depression. He attempted suicide twice during his time in Alola, I believe, before I managed to convince him to get help after we starting dating in Kanto years later. He spent a year away from his growing business to spend time with Sun and me and get treatment. He got a clean bill of health and seemed a lot better after that." Laura explained to Doctor Cabela and a shocked Sun.

"Was Alola really that bad to him?" Sun asked incredulously, amazed that such a colorful island filled with such kind and friendly people could turn his Dad to attempting something as awful as suicide.

"Your father had a very difficult upbringing, Sun. He was forced to become a Trainer against his wishes, and was kicked out of his home and went through the Island Challenge against his will. The day he left Alola was the happiest day of his life." Laura explained to a downcast Sun.

"But if he hated being a Trainer so much...then why did he spend so much time training? Why is he such a strong Trainer? Doesn't that make him a hypocrite?" Sun asked his mother, who shook her head.

"He recognized the need for him and his team to be strong, in a world that was so dangerous. Ashton trained so that he could protect those precious to him. Protect me and you. That I've never doubted." Laura said to Sun, who looked away.

"Maybe. But he wasn't shy of using that strength to hurt us." Sun said very quietly, looking at Doctor Cabela. "So what do we do now?"

"Now...That's a good question. There's several ways we could go about dealing with this. Obviously, waiting it out simply won't do, considering Cipher has a presence on this island and continues to threaten world peace. You'll be stressed for a long while yet if we go down that road. Medication, even light doses, is of course a viable option, but not one I'd like to explore quite yet. I believe that you should continue working on opening up about your feelings, Sun. Talking about past hurts is a proven way to help get through them. Sharing the burden and allowing someone else to carry it with you does so much good. But most importantly...Learning to let go will be the key here." Doctor Cabela said to Sun, who slowly leaned back in his chair.

"Let go?" Sun said quietly.

"Letting go of the past... Of your suffering. Focusing not on the sorrow, but the joy of life and the comfort of others. Wallowing in your pain, intentionally or not, will only result in your suffering breaking you until there's nothing left to break. It will continue to eat away at you until you make peace with it. As of right now, you are struggling to keep your emotions in check. You're hurting, and until you learn to begin letting go of that pent up emotion and pain you hold in your heart, you'll continue to feel pain, Sun." Cabela said gently, a smile on his face despite the words he was speaking. "But I've heard many good things about you, and talking with you reminds me of several other patients of mine. Patients who overcame their problems and rose above them. You will too, in time. Just learn to let go."

"Okay...If you think that's best. It might take a while though." Sun admitted, with Cabela laughing reply.

"That's what repeated sessions are for. We're just about out of time, now. So we'll meet again in two weeks, on Saturdays from here on out. I'll admit this is the most interesting situation I've encountered in some time. But I look forward to seeing the two of you again." Cabela rose to his feet and walked over to Sun, who had also stood. Cabela extended a hand to Sun, which Sun shook.

"If you'll wait in the lobby for a few moments, Sun. I need to have a discussion with your mother in private." Cabela said to Sun, who nodded and opened the door, exiting the room. The two adults waited a few moments before Doctor Cabela spoke.

"I believe something else is at work here, Laura." Cabela said to Miss Smiles, sitting back down in his chair. "I think Sun is repressing memories of trauma as a coping mechanism. That incident with the Eevee Egg...Something isn't quite right there. Sun seems to have convinced himself that the events didn't happen and that they don't matter, despite the fact that these events still upset him. All of these blows to his psyche, Laura. These incidents that chip away at his hope and his drive to keep going despite the horrors he's been subjected to...One of these days, he's going to hit a breaking point. And it's urgent we get him to open up about these experiences and come to some sort of closure with them. Otherwise, he will get far, far worse before he ever gets better." Cabela said quietly, crossing his arms.

"What should I do?" Laura asked, hands over her heart.

"Make it clear to Sun that he can tell you anything. There's just a chance, however, that he may not tell you because he doesn't believe the problem is worth bringing to your attention. He believes that his own concerns aren't worth adding on to other people's stress-loads, which is common with those who are burdened with depression and anxiety. Find a way to get through to him, whether it be you or someone else he is close to." Cabela said to Laura, who slowly nodded.

"And one more thing…" Cabela added, a sad smile on his face. "Sun may be a very mature and capable child. But he's still just a kid. And as we all know, children have very interesting minds that make connections rational adults don't. I also think that Sun may blame himself for the events that have befallen his friends and you over the course of the past year or so." Cabela explained to Laura, who blinked in surprise.

"How could that be? There's nothing he could have done about what Ashton did to me and him. Or what Amber did to Erika or any of the other stuff!" Laura said, baffled by this.

"No, there isn't. But children tend to blame themselves for things that happen beyond their control. Divorces are hard, and in your case it was especially difficult. Sun was very close to his father, and may believe that he could have done something to stop him from going so far. Maybe even convince him to leave Cipher and run away from them with you. Who knows for sure. But I do know that Sun is sure to harbor some guilt at what's happening in the world, because he felt like he knew his father best." Cabela said to Laura, who took a few moments to consider his words.

"I'll work on it with him. All of this. I will get him through this." Laura promised herself more than Doctor Cabela. "I think we'll be fine for a while, anyway. Sun's about to face Olivia, and knowing him he'll manage to overcome the odds yet again. He's happy on his Island Challenge." Laura said with a smile, making Cabela laugh.

"I hope so. Again, let me know if anything comes up. You have my card." Cabela said with a small nod. The two adults shook hands and Laura found Sun sitting in the lobby. With a tap on the shoulder, the two walked out of the building and began walking down the sidewalk, a silence between the two of them. Laura in deep thought about what she could do to help her child, while Sun was in thought as to what to do about it all.

 _"I went there so that I could feel better. But I don't. If anything I feel_ worse _because I didn't tell them everything."_ Sun thought, sighing internally. Sun and Laura stopped outside of the Dimensional Research Lab, where Laura pulled Sun into a hug. Sun was confused at this sudden act, until he heard his mother speak.

"You're going to get through this. You're going to be okay, Sunshine." Laura said quietly, nearly crushing Sun in her embrace. Sun sighed inwardly, but returned the hug regardless. Laura let go of Sun and the boy took a step back, offering his mother a smile.

"I know I will. I just...have to figure that part out." Sun said in reply before thinking about something. "If my next appointment is in two weeks, then that means we'll be on Akala Island for a little while."

"Well...You'll be. My last day off of work was today, so I'll be heading back to the hotel to pack and head home." Laura said to her child, who sighed in response.

"That...sucks. I was hoping you'd get a chance to watch me battle the Kahuna." Sun said to his mother, with Laura giving Sun a sad smile.

"I'm not going to be there for you every step of your journey, Sun. I'm not going to be there for you for a lot of things in your life. But you don't need me to be. Because I'll always be there, rooting you on, in spirit. I truly believe you'll make a difference out there, my son." Laura said to her child, putting a hand on his head and ruffling his hair, a proud smile on her face.

"You've gone above and beyond what anyone would have thought you could. You're taking a terrible situation and making the best of it. You're standing on your own and living your dreams, and becoming a very strong young man. You're becoming a role model to Lillie and a good friend to Hau, as well as a reliable Trainer to those who need you. I couldn't be more proud of you than I am now, and you'll continue to make me proud as you go through your Island Challenge." Laura said to Sun, who grinned at his mother.

"Then that's what I'll keep doing. It doesn't matter if its Team Skull or Cipher, or even Dad! I'll keep on winning and getting stronger so I can become the best Island Challenge Champion of them all!" Sun said with a laugh, Laura giggling as well.

"Just don't go mad with power. We need someone to keep Hau in check." Laura said jokingly, with Sun laughing at the jab at his best friend. Sun stepped forward and hugged his mother, who hugged him in turn.

"I love you, Mom."

"I love you too dear. Don't ever forget that."

* * *

Sun made good time to the Dimensional Research Lab, where he found his friends sitting around chatting with each other. Lillie was in deep talk with Aria about something, so Sun walked over to Professor Burnet and Professor Kukui, who were staring at the screen.

"Dimensional shifts are strong today. Strongest they've been in a while. We might even see a rift." Burnet muttered, a curious smile on her face. "Mohn would be proud of us, I think. The fact that we can detect shifts like this are the very thing he worked so hard for."

"He would be ecstatic. And he'd also demand we go out to eat to celebrate the occasion." Kukui joked quietly, earning a slap upside the head from Burnet.

"Who's Mohn?" Sun asked the couple, who both exchanged looks before glancing at Lillie in the corner. The girl had looked up at the mention of the name, and was watching them with an unreadable expression on her face. Sun looked back at the two Professors, who exchanged a look before answering.

"Professor Mohn was one of the leading authorities on the study of the Ultra Space, and was the co-founder of the Aether Foundation. On top of that, he's heralded as a hero alongside his wife for helping stop the Ruby Raiders over twenty years ago, ending their reign of terror on Alola." Kukui said with a fond smile. "He was also a friend of ours. Well, Burnet's mostly, but I liked the guy well enough. He was a big fan of the Masked Royal in his early days, you know!"

"But...you act like he's gone now. Did he... _die_?" Sun asked the pair, who both looked away at that. Kukui looked back at Sun and put a hand on his shoulder.

"He didn't die. But no one knows what happened to him, exactly. And we'll probably never know, either. All that we can do is keep working as hard as we can to understand the mysteries of the Ultra Space in his memory." Kukui responded rather strangely, to which Sun just shrugged. If they didn't want to talk about it, then he wouldn't pry.

"How'd your visit to the shrink go?" Hau asked, bounding forward from behind him, scaring Sun badly and making him jump. Sun recovered after a moment and responded.

"It's a work in progress. I'll tell you more on the road. I'm really not feeling it right now." Sun said to his friend, who nodded in reply. Sun saw the look of worry on Lillie's face out of the corner of his eye, and looked away. He was in no mood to worry her more than he had already. He vaguely remembered his decision yesterday to explain his feelings to her, but…

 _"No. Not today. Not after talking to that man and bringing back up all those memories and pain. When I'm in a better spot, and we're alone, I'll tell her."_ Sun promised himself, knowing that he was procrastinating yet again and making excuses. But he didn't care.

"Not feeling it? Sun, you should be hyped!" Kukui boomed, reaching forward and pulling both boys into a crippling hug. Lillie and Hugh stepped forward, amused at the Professor's antics, while Aria hung back with a small smile.

"You've finished all three of Akala Island's Trials! You know what that means! Woo! Here comes the big match against Olivia - the island Kahuna! It's the biggest and baddest Trial of them all here on Akala - the Grand Trial!" Kukui yelled as Hau and Sun exchanged grins.

"That really makes me want to get on the road." Hau admitted, to which Sun nodded.

"I'm already stocked up and ready to go. How about you?" Sun asked Hau, receiving a thumbs up in reply.

"Thanks to me. Hau wouldn't stop trying to buy food. Kaha is finally old enough to eat solids now, so Hau's having to buy different stuff now." Lillie chimed in, giving Hau a look that made the boy laugh nervously.

"Well, I guess that means you two are heading out then. So, good luck! Olivia's house is past Diglett's Tunnel. It's in Konikoni City! But watch out for Team Skull!" Burnet said to the two boys, earning a nod from both.

"We'll be there to cheer you on. Thanks to Kukui, it'll be just a teleport away. He's even got a hotel booked for us all to hang out for a while." Hugh remarked cheerily, grinning at the Professor.

"It helps when you're as fantastic as me." Kukui boasted as everyone but himself sweat-dropped.

"I still have some things I want to talk to Professor Burnet about, so I'll stay here for a few more days." Lillie said quietly, glancing at Sun worriedly as the boy nodded, accepting of the fact that Lillie still had her own life as an assistant, as well as her goal of helping get Nebby home. Part of him wanted to tell her about what was discussed at Doctor Cabela's office, but on the other hand it was...well, very personal. He wasn't ready to talk about it, just like he wasn't ready for a lot of things. Sun may be struggling, but he'd find a way to get through it.

"You're still going to watch us battle the Kahuna, right?" Sun asked Lillie as he snapped out of his thoughts. The blonde-haired girl smiled and nodded, earning a grin from Sun.

"I'm off to check out Diglett's Tunnel next then! It's a whole cave made by Pokemon, right?" Hau yelled out, grinning excitedly. "Sun, you're coming with, right?"

"Duh. We're both heading the same way." Sun remarked with a small laugh, with Hau grinning widely and putting his hands behind his head. Rotom Dex took that moment to pop out of Sun's backpack and buzz excitedly around his head.

" _Zz! Digglet Tunnel? Man, I'd sure like there to be a place named after me!"_ Rotom cried out, landing on Sun's head. The boy shrugged in response while the others laughed.

"Maybe you'll get your own award named after you, Rotom. After all, you are the latest innovation in Pokédex technology, helping bring Pokémon and humans together." Professor Kukui said to the device, who buzzed happily in response but didn't reply verbally.

Sun turned back to the others and said, "You all take care. I'll see you soon."

Lillie ran forward and hugged both of her best friends, who returned the embrace happily. After a few moments the trio separated and they parted ways, with Sun and Hau making their way out of the building. Hau began his trek down the sidewalk, but something in the sky caught Sun's eye.

A rift.

Sun's jaw slowly dropped as a strange shimmering vortex, not unlike the one Shadow Celebi arrived to their time in, was opening up in the sky above. Waves of energy began to pour out from the line of light in the sky, causing the air itself to shiver and then…

It was gone.

 _"Freaky…"_ Sun thought, curious as to what he just saw. It had appeared and was gone in the span of less than a few seconds, and left Sun bewildered.

"Oi! You coming?" Hau called to his friend from the street, oblivious to what had just happened. Sun looked at his best friend and nodded, jogging over to him. With that, the two friends made their way to the tunnel about half an hour's walk from the lab.

"I wonder what else besides Diglett are in there?" Sun wondered aloud, with Hau shrugging.

"Who knows? I just know I'm excited to get to the next city! Lana and Mallow both live there and it's supposed to be really cool!" Hau said excitedly, hopping up and down on his feet. Sun couldn't help the smile that came as a result of Hau's eagerness, and followed his friend into the cave itself the moment they arrived at the entrance…

Unaware that a very surprised man dressed as a local tourist was watching him and Hau go into Diglett's Tunnel. The man quickly pulled out a silver cell phone and tapped in a few keys before pressing it to his ear. Two rings later, the Cipher Grunt quickly spoke.

"Sir? This is Scout 6 reporting in. We have a Code Nova on Akala Island, heading into Diglett's Tunnel. The Prince has been sighted. I repeat, we have a Code Nova. The Prince has been sighted."

* * *

 _It couldn't last forever, now could it?_

Q & A

From: Madame Rodoshe

lso I like part where Demi figured out that Gladion is Lillie's older brother, but man Gladion sure was furious! Hau is in love with his sister. Wonder how Gladion react if Sun likes Lillie?

 **Honestly, he reacts** _ **worse**_ **in this stance because he doesn't find out until it's too late to do anything about it, hehehe.**

From: operattaoceanic

My questionBased on Aria's vision about Sun, did he just killed someone? I mean, he did mentioned it just now.

 **Give it some time, and all will be clear.**

 _From: Guest_

Enjoyable chapter to read, honestly, especially when Sun broke Kukui's pride lol. By the way, if Aria lied about her future vision of Sina and Dexio, how didn't Rotom detect the lie?

 **...Well shit. Kinda forgot about that, didn't I? I'll come up with something next chapter.**

 _From:_ _Okamiden14_

200 chapters?! Thats... a lot. I wish you the best of luck with it. Also do you have plans to implement the battle tree into this story? It'd be pretty cool to see sun go against some of the greats like red/blue, wally, cynthia, etc.

 **That was honestly one of my biggest challenges with the Cipher storyline, is finding an excuse for certain characters to be in Alola while things are happening all around the world. However, I figured something out and it works now.**

 **As for the question itself, yes. The Battle Tree will be featured in the post-game to an extent, and we'll even see a bit more of it before that. There's definitely going to be a twist on it.**

 _Alright folks, that's all for now. The next couple chapters are the biggest yet for the story, with back-to-back shockers and some really fun twists! Plus a Kahuna battle, which I promise will be interesting indeed!_

 _Until then, please let me know what you thought of the chapter in the section below. Also, please support the story via favorite and/or following the story, as well as leaving questions (with feedback) in the section below._

 _Take care, stay awesome, and I'll see you all later._

 _Until next time, FlygonNick out!_


	64. Meeting of the Masterminds

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _Lot of interesting feedback from last chapter. Things will only get more interesting as things progress._

 _For those wondering, obviously Gladion didn't explain everything to Demi last chapter. One, because he doesn't know the full story himself. Two, he doesn't fully trust her. And three, talking about the past is painful, as you saw with Sun. That said, it'll definitely be interesting to see where their newfound partnership goes from here, especially since Demi is still loyal to both her friends and to Team Skull._

 _I'd also like to bring up a bit of feedback I got in regards to Colress. See, I've decided to flesh out Colress a bit more and give him a main character slot in this story because he has ridiculous amounts of potential. He can make awesome inventions, he's just a cool character in general, and he's a skilled Trainer. Also, have you seen the guy in USUM? He's awesome!_

 _That said, the concern that Colress is turning into a Mary Sue is a valid one, thanks to some of the inventions he's come up with, the latest being a device that allows Tapu Lele to disguise itself as a human. I do have a response to this, though._

 _Just because Colress' invention can do something incredible, doesn't mean its all that hard and ground-breaking. For example, the human disguise Tapu Lele is using relies mostly on the Guardian Deity's own psychic powers to function and keep the illusion looking real. Think of it as a hologram surrounding it, that can be disrupted with an attack similar to Zoroa and Zoroark's Illusion Ability, with Tapu Lele using its powers to simulate picking up objects and manipulating the world around it like a normal person._

 _Also, on another note...Is there any real limit to what Colress can't do? I ask that seriously, because the games are the ones responsible for making Colress as awesome as he is. He's capable of becoming invisible, making Pokémon lose control of themselves, harnessing the power of a legendary ancient dragon into a weapon, separating legendary alien Pokémon from another dimension, and correcting whatever the hell was going on during the Rainbow Rocket episode (the particulars escape me right now). Oh, and casually sending Ghetsis back to his dimension._

 _Colress is literally the most interesting man in the world. I don't think there's a single thing I could do to Colress to make him any more awesome, and nothing I've had him do in the story doesn't seem the least bit plausible to me. But I will be dialing back the absurdity of his inventions for a while, mainly because I'm running out of ideas for them at the moment. Anyway, I hope this helped make things a bit clearer._

 _For those who wonder if USUM have had some influences on the story, here's a nice big influence to help answer that question decisively. Just not in the way you'd expect._

 _Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes MoonlightButterfree, Anasazi Darkmoon, Cottonmouth25, Sai Og Sus, SonicIKE, Angelfir3, operettaoceanic, OmegaStar327, BraviaryScout, Okamiden14, skyguys05, Gokan123, JasperCFZ, Ways, as well as a new reviewer known as KyubiMaster9 (your name does sound familiar though). Thanks for the feedback and support!_

 _Enjoy!_

* * *

 _Chapter 64: Meeting of the Masterminds_

* * *

The disguised Cipher Grunt awaited the response from the Admin on the other end of the line, and was surprised by the light chuckle he recieved.

"Interesting...Very interesting. As much as I'd love to pursue this newest development, we'd be stupid to get distracted by it now. Especially with Operation: Kingslayer happening so soon in Kanto and needing all personal on standby for it. So...We'll make note of this and prepare a team for extracting the boy in a few days. He's not going anywhere, so there's no rush or need to cause a fuss. Was there anything you could discern from your observation?" the Admin asked the Grunt, who replied swiftly.

"It looked like he was traveling with a boy his own age. The Prince may be undergoing Alola's Island Challenge, if that pendant on his backpack means what you said it did, sir. Your assessment in him staying around for a while seems likely." The Grunt replied, a small sigh coming from the Admin.

"Good. Continue your work in hunting down the Tapu of this island. It has to be here somewhere. Worst case scenario, we'll capture the Kahuna and force her to talk. My patience for my former home is wearing thin." The Admin said with an annoyed tinge to his voice, cutting the line right then and there. The Cipher Grunt sighed and continued down the way, wondering just what the other man had in mind for the Tapu, the Kahuna, and the child who had eluded the grasp of his father for far too long.

* * *

"I'm so excited! You think she'll really make time for this?"

"Lillie, of course she will. Trust me, she's really nice and not stuck-up like some celebrities are."

Aria and Lillie were sitting in front of one of the video phones inside of the Dimensional Research Lab, with Aria sitting in front of the camera and Lillie sitting next to her. Aria was going to introduce Lillie to the lead singer of her favorite band, Crimson Dawn, who happened to be a good friend of Aria's. Lillie felt a little bad taking up the time of someone she admired, especially considering the time difference between Alola and Kanto meant that it was early in the morning there, but Aria was adamant it was fine.

"So, what's she like?" Lillie asked Aria.

"Shy, at first. Awkward too, socially, though you'd never know it looking at her. Once she warms up to people and gets more comfortable, she can be really friendly. Wes dated her for a while, you know." Aria remarked, with Lillie gasping in surprise.

"Really? That's...how have I not heard of that?" Lillie asked, frowning. After she had hopped on the Crimson Dawn bandwagon, she had researched the group thoroughly. The lead singer of her new favorite band dating a hero like Wes should have been something she knew.

"They kept their relationship on the down low, since Wes was constantly dealing with Cipher's shit. She was in Unova because of personal reasons and on break from touring, so once she crossed our path, we became good friends with her. Well, I did once I stopped being jealous of the fact that Wes was smitten with her... and that she and him had the relationship I had wanted from him." Aria said awkwardly, rubbing her arm.

"Oh, um...That's too bad." Lillie said quietly, looking away.

"I got over it. We're friends, now. And besides, now that me and Hugh are dating I can forget all of the awkwardness and move on." Aria said with a grin before the computer started beeping, showing that someone was trying to contact them. Aria reached forward and tapped the button on the device, turning on the camera and allowing them to see the person trying to contact them.

On their screen was a strikingly pretty woman with short black hair, red highlights streaking through it. She wore a pair of silver glasses over her gentle brown eyes, and the rest of her face delicate and otherwise beautiful. What stuck out to Lillie was how young this woman looked. Even though Lillie knew Zoey Cairdelly was in her late twenties, she looked only a few years older than herself.

"Hey Aria. Hooooow's it going?" Zoey yawned, waving tiredly at the two girls on the other end of the camera. Lillie felt her nerves multiply tenfold, and nearly fell off the chair in an attempt to flee from the camera, but Aria held her in place.

"Pretty good. You look exhausted though. Late night?" Aria joked, with Zoey smiling dryly at that.

"Ha ha. You try getting interrogated by International Police until 1 AM and then wake up to talk with a fan from halfway across the globe. Not that I mind, but another few hours of sleep wouldn't have gone amiss." Zoey yawned again, shutting her eyes and rubbing her face. "Sorry, sorry. So, is this the girl you talked about? She's adorable, Aria!"

"Yep. She's a sweetheart too. Lillie, this is Zoey. Zoey, this is Lillie." Aria said to her friend, who broke out into a grin.

"Lillie...Got it. I'll commit it to memory." Zoey said quietly, still smiling. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Lillie. How's your day going?"

"G-good, Miss Zoey-"

"Just Zoey, please. I'm going to have my fans act so proper around me. Talk to me just like you would to Aria." Zoey said kindly to Lillie, who smiled a little and nodded, her excitement bubbling forward now.

"I'm doing very well! I'm spending some time with Professor Burnet and Aria before we go out to dinner tonight!" Lillie said happily, though she yelped as Nebby suddenly flew into her arms with a cry. "Oh, and this is Nebby. Nebby, say hello to Zoey."

"Pew pew!" the Cosmog cooed, waving its appendages.

"You two are like, the most adorable things I've ever seen." Zoey laughed softly, leaning back in her chair. Aria was surprised to see the girl was dressed like she would be for a battle, rather than her elegant dresses of red and black.

"Hey Zoey, is something up? You just woke up, right? Did you sleep in that?" Aria asked her friend, who shrugged.

"Yeah. Like I said, I got questioned by the International Police last night. They're preparing for the another attack in Kanto, and since it's my show that's the target, we're working hard to make sure Cipher can't do a thing." Zoey explained, with Lillie's eyes widening.

"They're...Cipher is going to attack again? After what they did to Celadon City?" Lillie whispered, her hands going to her heart. What would Sun say if he found out?

"Wait, there's going to be _another_ attack?" Aria asked, leaning towards the camera with a worried expression. Zoey nodded, sighing softly.

"Apparently Cipher's been making more waves in places they shouldn't be. Lt. Surge had his son kidnapped by Amber and was told to meet with Cipher at the Kanto Superdome the night of my next concert." Zoey replied, grimacing. Aria frowned worriedly, with Lillie looking up at the Snagger.

"Obviously they're targeting your concert because you're famous, and especially because you helped us fight them back in Unova. What's the League planning on doing about it?" Aria asked, crossing her arms.

"As of now, nothing concrete from what Lt. Surge told me. Poor guy is going to anyone he can for help, so I've been trying to keep him involved in the plans." Zoey responded tiredly, leaning forward.

"What about Lance?" Aria asked, crossing her arms.

"Lance is under a lot of pressure right now, especially since Lorelei vanished from her home in the Sevii Islands. As famous as she is, it's got people scared." Zoey explained to the other two girls, adding, "Plus, Brock's Gym in Pewter City was attacked not even two days ago. He managed to drive them off, but he got stabbed in the process by some Cipher goon. He's back on his feet with extra security protecting the Gym, but we all know that won't stop Cipher if they really wanted to take him down."

"What's the status of Amber? Has she been active at all?" Aria asked the singer, who smirked.

"According to Lt. Surge, she was badly injured during their raid of his Gym. Considering how much blood he said that woman lost, I would be shocked if she could even stand right now. But she's not dead, sadly." Zoey responded with a shrug, though Aria sighed in response.

"Right. What about Borlath?" Aria asked. Zoey's face darkened and Lillie could see the anger flash in the singer's eyes at the mention of the man.

"No word on that bastard. He's laying low, but he's definitely active. Probably playing puppet-master, like he always is. A lot of the Admins, save for Amber, have been staying out of things. I'm not sure though, since the International Police haven't been keen on keeping me informed anymore. I only know what I know because of Agent Quill." Zoey said to Aria, smiling after a moment. "Which reminds me, the International Police and the League are setting up a trap to get Cipher when they attack, even though Cipher is of course expecting this. And the International Police want you to come to Kanto to help deal with this attack. They think having a Snagger on hand when Cipher comes will help even the odds."

Aria scowled at that. "Just because I have the Snag Machine doesn't mean I'm going to drop whatever I'm doing and fly across the world to fight Cipher on my own. I'm not Wes."

"I know that and you know that, but the people running the show are stupid and don't get that. That said, they're going to have their operatives in Alola ask you. Agent Quill was nice enough to let me know in advance, since he doesn't approve of their tactics of getting your help." Zoey explained as she began to fix her hair.

"Agent Quill?" Lillie asked, confused.

"One of the more helpful members of the group. Actually gives a damn about the people he's protecting. And basically, every member of the International Police has a call-sign, sort of like how every Admin in Cipher has a code-name. They rarely use their real names, for the sake of anonymity." Aria explained to the little girl, who slowly nodded in understanding.

"They also started using masks to hide their faces when they know cameras are going to be around." Zoey chimed in, smirking a little. "It's silly though, since anyone who's dealt with them knows who is who."

"Yeah, but then again, those idiots don't need an excuse to be dramatic." Aria muttered, shaking her head.

"Alright, I think we've had enough talk of this dark stuff! So tell me about yourself, Lillie! What's your favorite song?" Zoey said with a smile, which made Lillie smile in turn. Aria, however, frowned and stepped away, deep in thought.

Was it time? She hadn't done much in her newfound role as the bearer of the Snag Machine. That mostly boiled down to Cipher's only recently discovered activity in Alola be minimal at best. They had a base somewhere on the next island, and a small amount of personnel present and that was it. They couldn't afford to do too much yet.

The rest was down to her still recovering from her nearly being ripped apart by the Passage of Time during her nightmarish journey to the future. Despite all of this, was it really time for her to step up to the plate and stand against Cipher in a more direct fashion? Could she really fill Wes' shoes and help stop the criminals that had caused so much destruction and pain?

Aria looked down at Lillie, who was talking to her favorite singer and leaning on the edge of her seat. Her green eyes were practically gleaming with happiness as she chattered excitedly with Zoey about how her latest song made her feel a little more brave when she listened to it, and Aria couldn't help the small smile that flickered across her face.

" _Yes. Yes, I'm ready. I have to be. Regardless of me not being at my best, I've got to make a stand. If we can catch Cipher off-guard, we can maybe end this once and for all. And I'll be damned if I let them kill another friend while I'm still able to do something about it. I've got to remember what we're fighting for."_ Aria thought as she looked down at the machine encasing her arm, flexing her hand and clenching her fist after a moment.

She was determined. And that would see her through to the end.

* * *

"So Rotom, I've got a question."

 _"Go for it, Sun. Zzt!"_

"When Aria lied at Lillie's birthday party to Sina and Dexio about the fake vision she had, why didn't you call her out on that?"

" _Well, how else were those two going to admit their feelingzz for each other? I wanted to see where Aria was going with all of that first before yelling at her. Needless to say, I made a decision to stay quiet. And it wazz a good decision too. Love prevails! Now all we have to do is have the same happen for you and Lillie and-"_

"Enough! I get it. You're the love doctor or whatever. Let's just...keep walking in silence."

 _"Zzzt...You asked."_

Hau and Sun made good time through the cave, though considering they were walking down a narrow passage for about twenty minutes with no letup, that wasn't saying much. However, they did spot several people of interest ahead of them. Namely Olivia and two people dressed in white uniforms. Olivia spotted Sun and Hau approaching and turned around to greet them, with the white uniform-wearing people walking off as the two children came close.

"Hmm? Sun and Hau, wasn't it?" Olivia said with a small smile, eyeing the two children.

"Yes ma'am. What brings you to Diglett's Tunnel?" Sun asked Olivia, who chuckled.

"This and that. This cave really is something, y'know?" Olivia remarked as she eyed the surrounding tunnels that had been carved throughout the cave. "It's overflowing with these Pokémon called Diglett and they are getting really out of hand. Mediocre Trainers can't even get through!"

"Sounds like a real bother." Hau remarked, frowning a bit as he put his hands behind his head.

"You're telling me. So, how's your Island Challenge going? Let me see which crystals you two have gathered." Olivia asked the two boys, who showed her the gems that they had received from Lana, Kiawe, and Mallow respectively. Olivia nodded in approval as the boys put away their gems where they belonged.

"Ooh, look at you two working hard! Nice work! I see you two have even passed Mallow's Trial. It's about time you boys had some fun with me!" Olivia said with a wide grin, though her smile faded and she blinked twice. "As in a Pokémon Battle. Not in any other way."

 _"Zzzt. Nice save."_ Rotom Dex remarked from atop Sun's face.

"Right. Anyways, I'm looking forward to seeing you two showing me your skills. And since it seems the Diglett have calmed down, we can all begin progressing once more." Olivia said to them, glancing down the tunnel. "If you boys are as strong as you appear, you should be able to make it through this cave. At the end of it, you'll find Konikoni City. That's where my shop is. I'll see you there!"

"Plus that's where Lana and Mallow live. Which...reminds me. Miss Olivia, have you seen Mallow recently?" Hau asked the Kahuna, who frowned. "She hasn't been answering her phone and Lana hasn't seen her since the other night at Lillie's birthday party."

"No, I haven't. I'll look into this, and see what's wrong. Do you know what may have caused this?" Olivia asked the two boys, who exchanged a brief glance.

"Hau dared Mallow to make out with Lana during a game of Truth or Dare-"

"That'll do it. Those games are absolutely terrible. Last time I played, I had to get drunk and...Well, you boys are too young to hear about that." Olivia said, a faint blush creeping into her cheeks. "But I think I understand the picture. Mallow got embarrassed and stormed off, correct?"

"Yep. She seemed really upset, but none of us knows why." Sun said with a small shrug, though Hau shook his head.

"Maybe it's because she kissed a girl and she liked it-"

"Hau, I swear to Arceus…"

"Fine…~ _the taste of her Cheri_ _chap-stick_ ~." Hau sang under his breath, earning a kick in the shin from Sun while Olivia and Rotom Dex giggled .

"You two are adorable. I'll see what I can do to sort out the problem with Mallow. I'll see you both later at my shop." Olivia said before she sauntered off, leaving Sun glaring at Hau.

"You're awful."

"I get it from my Dad. Who got it from his Dad!"

"...Right. Well, let's keep moving." Sun said, deciding on a whim to call out his team. Hau did the same, picking up Kaha in his arms and cuddling the baby Eevee for a moment before walking alongside Sun through the cave.

Hau took the lead, using the trek as a good way to train his team and finally begin work on levelling up Kaha. Hau would let the Eevee down whenever any wild Pokémon appeared in front of them before ordering Duke or Cassy, his Pikachu and Brionne respectively, to dish out damage and knock out the offending Pokémon.

Things progressed in this manner for a while. Brago, Oliver and Penny jumped in from time to time and battled wild Pokémon they came across, but for the most part Hau took charge and trained his team to make up for lost time. After all, he didn't train his team nearly as often as Sun did.

At one point, though, Sun found a series of boulders beside a metal staircase blocking a part of a tunnel. After some debate with Hau, Sun called a Ride Tauros to their location and destroyed the boulders with the Bull Pokémon's help. Sun traveled the nearly-cleared path and found a Fire Stone at the end of it, gleaming in the dim light of the tunnel and showing off a burning flame within the Evolution Stone. Sun walked back to Hau and showed the stone to him, smiling somewhat.

"Whoa. Fire Stone. Dude, you know what? We both have a Pokémon that can evolve from that!" Hau said excitedly, picking up Kaha off of the ground and hugging the little Pokémon, who cried out happily. Brago nodded in affirmation, sitting down on the ground.

" _He's right. I can feel something within me when I gaze at that stone."_ Brago noted quietly, staring at the Fire Stone in Sun's hands.

"Growlithe evolves into Arcanine, right?" Sun asked Hau, who shrugged. Rotom buzzed from atop Sun's head, floating in front of him.

" _Zzzt! That's a yes there, buddy! Growlithe evolves into Arcanine upon being touched with a Fire Stone! And for Hau, Eevee evolves into Flareon when a Fire Stone is applied to it."_ Rotom said to the two boys, who both grinned. Sun looked down at Brago, holding out the stone to the canine.

"Hey Brago, as awesome as it would be to evolve you right now for the battle with Olivia, I'm going to leave the decision up to you. Do you want to evolve right now?" Sun asked the canine as he knelt down to Brago. The Growlithe shut his eyes and thought about it, his tail wagging slowly behind him being the only thing that betrayed his excitement at the thought of evolution.

Finally…

" _No. Not yet."_ Brago said firmly, looking up at a surprised Sun. " _I feel there is more I can do to grow in this form. However, there will come a time soon when I will be ready to evolve and achieve my true form!"_

"Alright. Just let me know whenever you're ready. Okay?" Sun said to the dog, reaching forward and scratching his head. Brago smiled at that, unable to help how good it felt to have his head scratched. With that, the group continued on their trek through the cave, fending off a few more Diglett and Zubat. After about another hour, Sun and Hau spotted two older Trainers dressed in white uniforms. Hau spoke up as the two boys drew closer to them.

"Oh hey, it's those people we saw earlier." Hau remarked, eyeing the people ahead of them, who were speaking loud enough for their words to echo back to them in the cave.

"Phew! With Olivia in charge, we've _finally_ managed to make some headway against those Diglett." The female of the two workers in white said, wiping her brow. The male spotted the two boys and smiled, stepping forward and doing the traditional Alola greeting.

"Oh! Alola!" The man greeted them, grinning at the two children. "We're members of the Aether Foundation. We work to support Pokémon conversation. We're here trying to assist in a problem the locals have been having in this cave regarding the Alolan Diglett residing here. It seems like Team Skull was responsible for the Diglett in this cave getting so riled up and bringing them all up to the surface."

"Team Skull?" Hau questioned, a rare scowl coming to his face.

The female sighed angrily, putting a hand to her forehead. "Oh, Team Skull is this group of troublemakers, you see…They seem to delight in interfering with Trainers and their Pokémon."

"Yep. And they love messing with wild Pokémon too. Diglett normally live in elaborate systems of underground tunnels that take years to dig out. We're here to ensure that they return to their tunnels and let people pass through here without having to fight so many Pokémon."

"Some of the Diglett are still stuck on or near the surface, though, so be careful!" the female warned, a note of concern in her voice. The two Aether Foundation employees walked off down the tunnel, leaving Hau and Sun alone.

"Interesting. Why would Team Skull need to mess with a bunch of Diglett?" Sun wondered aloud, with Hau shrugging.

"Because they're awful people? It's a no-brainer, Sun. Let's just keep moving!" Hau said as he walked ahead of them, with Sun sighing and walking behind him. Oliver and Penny flapped up to Sun and looked at him worriedly, with Brago looking up at his Alpha with concern. They could sense how unhappy their Trainer was when left to his own devices, not distracted by battles or his friends.

" _Alpha...Is there something wrong?"_ Brago asked quietly, with Sun looking down at the canine in surprise. Sun realized that his own team knew next to nothing about his depression and his worries regarding Cipher.

"No, course of not." Sun said immediately, with the canine growling in reply.

" _Do not lie to me, Alpha. You are unwell. I can almost feel your sorrow from here."_ Brago said to the boy, who looked away from Brago.

"No...I'm not alright. I'm sorry, Brago. I just don't want people to worry about me. I'll be fine. I just have to figure this out." Sun said quietly, looking down at the ground. Sun was surprised when two balls of feathers flung themselves at Sun, and realized after a moment that Penny and Oliver were both doing their best to hug him. Even Brago pressed himself against Sun, sending warmth through Sun's leg.

" _We're supporting you, no matter what, Sun."_ Oliver said quietly, flapping away from his Trainer. " _And we'll make short work of this Kahuna too!"_

" _That's an opinion. Still, you are not alone, Trainer. Regardless of what stands in the way or your happiness, we are there for you."_ Penny said as she swooped past them, though she was surprised to see Sun smiling sadly at the bird and fighting back tears. The boy wiped his eyes, sighing softly.

"I don't deserve a team like you all. Thank you…" Sun said quietly, a small smile on his face. He and his team quickly caught up with Hau, who looked at Sun questioningly. Sun smiled at his friend, receiving a grin and a thumbs up in response from Hau.

Sun and Hau continued to make their way through the cave, beating a few Trainers here and there and finding a few items along the way. Sun also found a Zygarde Cell, which he absorbed. After a total of four hours, they saw the cave begin to lighten up somewhat, which they took to mean they were nearly out of the tunnel. The boys quickened their pace, though they stopped when they heard a frantic yell.

"H-hey, back off!"

Hau and Sun exchanged a glance and quickened their pace, only to find an unsurprising sight. Team Skull standing in front of a girl who was clutching a Poké Ball in her hands with a scowl on her face.

"You creeps can't take a hint! This is my Pokémon! Go catch some Diglett if you want some more!" the girl shouted at Team Skull, who both put their hands on their hips.

"No way, yo. Ain't happening like that, you feel me?" the female said, her voice thick with venom. "You got beat, fair and square. We'd have hightailed it out of here with your little friend if it wasn't for those Diglett creeping up on our style and making a mess of things!"

"Ugh, who even are you creeps!?" the girl asked, taking another step back. She then spotted Sun and Hau and waved frantically to them. "Hey guys! Some help, please?"

"With pleasure. It's always fun to take these jerks down a peg or ten." Hau said as he jogged over to the girl, with Sun right behind him. Both Sun and Hau stood in front of the girl, with Brago growling at Team Skull while the two gangsters took a step back in surprise before taking two steps forward.

"Ahh, no way…Always got some fools trying to play the hero, man." The male Team Skull Grunt sighed, throwing his hands apart and redirecting his annoyance at Sun and Hau. "Just when things were startin' to heat up, up, I got surrounded by Diglett and beat up, yo! "

"Ha! Noob!" Hau laughed, grinning at the other teen who shook his head, shrugging.

"Yo, and since when can Diglett use Beat Up!?" the Grunt yelled, still throwing his arms apart like he was trying to swat an invisible fly. "I'm so mad that now I want to beat up on some fools."

"Bring it." Sun replied, stepping forward and holding out a hand. "Brago, you ready?"

" _Always!"_ the Growlithe replied, crouching low and baring his teeth. To their credit, Team Skull wasn't deterred. The male bowed himself up and drew out a Poké Ball, tossing it up and down for a moment.

"Don't be mad 'cause you were the fool who was dumb enough to be here right now." The Team Skull Grunt said, stepping forward with a hidden scowl.

"Sun! If you think I'm going to let you get to play with Team Skull without me, you're wrong buddy!" Hau said with a grin, placing Kaha on his head and stepping forward.

"You guys be careful. These thugs are stubborn!" the girl behind them called. Sun noticed that she had the oddest accent to her voice, which made him realize this girl wasn't from Alola at all.

"What's your name, anyway?" Sun asked the girl, who blinked after a moment.

"Jen. Uh, nice to meet you. Thanks again for the help!" Jen said with a small smile, pointing ahead of them. "Now thrash those dorks! They've been chasing me around these tunnels all afternoon! Seriously, no means no!"

The male Team Skull Grunt laughed, shaking his head. "Ain't my fault I wanted some of dat ass. Ah well. I'll settle for taking all of your Pokémon and bailing from this dingy cave. And you!" The Grunt pointed at Hau. "You want some? That's how we say hello! Nice knowing you, punks!"

"Duke, show these fools who's boss!" Hau said, pointing his Pikachu forward with a grin. Duke joined Brago on the battlefield while the female Team Skull Grunt sent out a Fomantis, with the male sending out a Salandit. Brago glared down the two Pokémon, who both flinched as Intimidate hit them and lowered their attack.

"Yo, don't cower down like a Skitty, yo! Wreck their shit!" the female yelled at the two Pokémon, who both flinched again.

"Seriously, who _are_ these clowns?" Jen asked, watching Team Skull with her wide bright purple eyes.

" _Zzzt! They call themselvezz Team Skull. I call them free EXP!"_ Rotom declared from atop Sun's head, earning scowls from the two thugs.

"That's it! We're throwing down!" the male grunt bellowed, throwing out a hand. "Sweet Scent, yo!"

"Quick Attack on Fomantis!" Hau called out, with Duke nodding and sprinting towards the Sickle Grass Pokémon. The Fomantis had time to screech in surprise before Duke smashed into it, knocking it to the ground.

"Flame Charge on Fomantis!" Sun called out as the Sweet Scent filled the area, making Sun smile despite himself. It really did smell good! Regardless of that, Brago willed forth fire around himself and crashed into Fomantis, knocking it out.

"I call bullshit, yo! That's double-teaming!" the female Grunt nodded.

"Then what the hell do you call what you pricks did to me?! It was two-on-one the whole time!" Jen shouted at Team Skull, who both shrugged.

"We're not good with numbers." The male Grunt acknowledged, shrugging.

"Well, I'll educate you. One minus one is zero. Duke, Electro Ball!" Hau shouted, with the Pikachu leaping into the air with a cry. Duke whirled around in midair several times before launching a ball of electricity at the Salandit, who flew backwards with a hiss and hit the ground hard.

"Come on, yo! Get up!" the male Grunt yelled. The Salandit rose to its feet, only to see Brago glaring it down.

"Take Down!" Sun commanded the canine. Brago grinned and charged forward, his body glowing white before he slammed into Salandit with enough force to send it crashing into a rock, where it hung suspended before falling to the ground in heap. Brago winced as a small bolt of red energy suddenly flashed around him, recoil from the attack he had just used. Both Team SKull Grunts recalled their Pokémon.

"Agh! Are we headed to the grave, yo? Will our bones be laid bare, yo?" the male Team Skull Grunt asked, throwing down some money on the ground.

The female also threw down money, shaking her head. "The gloom that enfolds us like fog...we can't seem to shake it off."

"Well, maybe you guys should maybe stop being jerks? Seriously, that's just rude." Sun said to the two Grunts, who angrily pointed at him.

"Yo, step off! Enough with the beating up, yo!" the female Grunt barked, taking a step back.

"Yeah! We may not be trying to take over the world or nothing, but we're still hard as bone out here!" the other Grunt yelled, his face growing a bit red in anger.

"Right. Well, we beat you. Now go...do whatever it is you do when we beat you in a battle. I'm guessing practicing rap battles." Sun said to the two grunts, who both nodded.

"Yeah, you right." The female Grunt said with a shrug. Both of the gangsters bolted, sprinting down the path. Hau waved goodbye, a big grin on his face.

"See you on the flip side!" Hau yelled to them, earning two middle fingers as the two teens vanished from sight.

"Seriously...Those guys suck." Jen sighed as Sun turned and actually looked at the girl. She had long brown hair tied in a ponytail and had on a plain grey T-shirt and ripped blue jeans, a black backpack slung over her shoulders. She was probably only a year or two older than them. Hau took a moment to look over the girl before he shrugged.

" _Cute, but...not my type."_ Hau thought after a moment, smirking. Regardless, the girl held out her Poké Ball and called out an unconscious Petilil.

"Any chance you guys have a Revive on you?" Jen asked, sounding a bit tired now that the excitement had died down. Hau handed the girl a Revive, which she used on her knocked out Pokémon. The Petilil's eyes snapped open and Jen broke out in a grin, hugging her Pokémon tightly.

"You're alright." The girl sighed with relief, picking up her Pokémon and turning around to face the boys. "Seriously, thanks you two. Like I said before, I'm Jen. This is my Partner, Petilil. Though we haven't been together all that long, heh."

"No problem. I'm Sun and this is Hau. And our teams." Sun said to the girl, offering her a small smile. Brago sat down at Sun's feet, his tail turned to Sun, grinning as Duke hopped onto Hau's shoulder.

"Man, Sun, when I fight with you...It's like even my Pokémon feel more at ease! You really are some kind of Trainer. That's it!" Hau exclaimed, surprising Sun and Jen. "I've just gotta give you something!"

Hau dug into his backpack and handed him a pack of what looked like vitamins. "This a Max Ether. Max Ethers will restore all the PP to one of your moves, you know? Pretty great, right?"

"Yeah. Thanks man." Sun said to his friend, grinning at him.

"H-hey, I hate to bug you guys, but I've got a quick question." Jen spoke up, earning a glance from the two boys. She seemed nervous, but continued anyway. " Are you guys going through the tunnel to battle Olivia in Konikoni City by any chance?"

"Yep. Why, you need any escort there or something?" Sun asked Jen, who nodded. Sun had figured that if the girl had struggled against Team Skull, she probably wasn't very strong.

"I was trying to head to Konikoni City to get home. Obviously that kinda didn't work. If it isn't too much trouble, I'd just appreciate a bit of backup in case those jerks show up again. I'm not really a Trainer, so if Team Skull shows up again, I'll kinda have a bad time." Jen admitted, sighing softly. "Petilil is pretty young, so she's not strong enough to stand up to Team Skull and just...please?"

"Sure. I don't see why not." Sun said with a shrug, with Hau nodding, but then frowning as he looked over at the exit of the cave that was nearby. Hau put a finger to his chin, in deep thought.

"What's up, man?" Sun asked his best friend, who grinned.

"I think you should go on without me. I've got to train some more so that I don't have a repeat performance against _this_ Kahuna, you know?" Hau said to Sun with a wince. Sun understood Hau after a moment, realizing the other boy referencing his previous defeat against Hala.

"Sounds good. I'll get Jen home and then book us a room at the PMC." Sun said to his friend, who grinned at him in reply.

"Sounds like a plan. Now, I'm gonna have some more fun with those Diglett! See ya!" Hau said, bounding off with Cassy leaping onto the other boy's shoulders. Jen stifled a laugh as Hau face-planted thanks to the sudden shift in weight.

"I'm okay!"

"Right. Anyways, thanks for the assist. I appreciate it." Jen said gratefully, with her Petilil letting out a cry of agreement.

"No worries. Let's get out of this cave and get to where we need to be." Sun said to the girl, and with that the two continued onward and made their way out of the cave, though this time Sun couldn't shake the feeling he was being watched.

As the boy and his newest and temporary companion exited the cave, a Heliolisk suddenly crawled into view and stood atop one of the many rocks in the cave, staring at the boy who was departing and then turned its gaze to Hau as he began to battle against the wildlife. The seemingly-normal Heliolisk tilted its head for a moment before it nodded, as if deciding something…

Before it flickered and was gone, not leaving a trace that it was ever there to begin with, except for the haunting laugh that rung throughout the cave long after the creature had vanished.

* * *

"Dawson, I said back off!"

"You should be in bed! Or in the infirmary!"

Amber continued to slowly make her way down the hallway, bracing herself against the wall as she progressed with Dawson leisurely following her. Walking was absolutely hell for her and Amber's vision was blurring slightly as she stumbled down the hall, but she damned if she'd be babied while there was important things going on that required her to at least be there.

Dawson rolled his eyes and, surprisingly, turned on his heels. "Whatever. If you need anything, crawl to the nearest break room. I'm going to catch up on 'Wheel of Calamity.'"

Amber stopped in her tracks, looking at him. "That show where people get routinely injured in a series of humiliating and implausible ways?"

"That's the one."

"Only sadistic retards watch that show, Dawson."

"...I don't see where you're going with this, Amber. Did you want to watch it with me?"

"Not just no. But _hell no."_

"Just checking. Stay sexy, ma'am. I'll be thinking of you." Dawson said with a wink before he walked down the hallway, barely dodging the throwing knife Amber hurled his way. Amber nearly fell to the ground, but caught herself.

"Can't wait until I'm good again. I hate this feeling. Being weak." Amber thought, gritting her teeth as she recalled memories she didn't want to ever think about again. On that merry note, Amber managed to make her way to the boardroom where most of their meetings took place and threw open the door, collapsing into a chair while Borlath watched in mild concern.

"You're stubborn. But I appreciate your support, Amber." Borlath said with a small smile, with Amber shutting her eyes and trying to recover from the ordeal of walking, hating every moment of it.

"When I'm recovered, I want you to promise me I'll be on the front lines of whatever the hell our next operation is. I hate that I'm sitting out of this one. I've wanted to slit Zoey's throat for ages now." Amber muttered to Borlath, who shook his head.

"For an emotionless killer, you're surprisingly petty." Borlath noted dryly, with Amber scowling at him with fury in her eyes.

"Getting off topic, here. I'm not staying out of this just because I'm not at my best." Amber shot back, with the black-haired Admin smirking in response.

"Amber, you shouldn't even be standing. Losing as much blood as you did almost killed you." Borlath replied, with the man glaring at the other Admin, who was smirking in amusement at him. Regardless he slumped back in his chair and looked out over the Celadon skyline, running a hand through his hair with a ragged sigh.

"So, your thoughts on this latest development? Team Rocket will gaining a lot more power in Kanto, thanks to our newest arrival." Amber asked as she glanced down at her right arm, which was wrapped up in a sling. The Admin moved with a grimace she shifted her sitting position. Even with the advanced medical equipment and practices at their disposal, the damage Amber had taken during the Vermilion City Gym raid was still severe. She was lucky to have not lost the use of her arm, considering how much damage Oliver had done to it with his modified sniper rounds. Regardless, despite several Heal Pulse treatments, she would be unable to use her arm for at least a few weeks, and was effectively barred from partaking in any active attacks or missions on Borlath's orders.

"My thoughts are inconsequential. It's happened. I'm going to have to live with the fact that someone I absolutely despise will be working with us from here on out." Borlath replied curtly, sitting himself up in his chair more properly.

"Fair enough. I'll be on standby, ready to slit his throat whenever." Amber remarked casually, with Borlath smiling at the thought.

"I'd rather do the deed myself. But again, I appreciate the support." Borlath said to Amber, who nodded in reply. The two Admins sat in silence for a while before the door opened and Grand Master Greevil walked into the room, looking likewise exhausted. He was followed by the cloaked Admin that Borlath still hadn't actually talked too or had seen the face of. It was eerie, but the man wore a balaclava and a hat that all but concealed his identity. All Borlath knew was that he hailed from Alola.

Still, apparently the man had made a recent and major discovery in the region and would be pursuing that discovery once their next big mission was done with. The Kanto Superdome attack would require all hands on deck, so to speak. Which was why this meeting was taking place.

"Borlath, you need a vacation." Greevil remarked as he hopped into his seat.

"Maybe. You're starting to look a bit ragged yourself, Greevil." Borlath remarked, taking note that the man had rings around his eyes and seemed unwell in general, his usual aura of arrogance seemed diminished somewhat. Greevil's usual smirk slipped away, and Borlath saw a rare glimpse of the old man that the Grand Master of Cipher really was.

When Greevil responded, his words were subdued. "Today was Eldes' birthday. I...haven't been able to stop thinking about them both all day. My sons. It's times like this I am reminded that for all of my pursuits and power, I was never the best father to my children. I have few regrets in my long, long life, Borlath. Wealth, power, control over the fates of thousands of people. I've had it all...But one of my biggest regrets is that I ever exposed my boys to the dark world we chose to create. There's so much I could have done differently with them. Maybe I could have stopped when Cipher was run out of Oore by that child. Maybe I could have called it quits when our plans in Sinnoh fell through. Sending both of them to Unova while Wes was on the warpath, thinking they could end that fool once and for all."

"So many maybes...And here I am, looking back at them all with some regrets. I despise the weakness that I'm showing, even now, but at the same time I cannot forget them today. The chances that I'll find them alive decreases every moment, and it makes my heart...break. Does that make sense to you?" Greevil asked quietly, his voice filled with a deep sorrow that made Borlath feel sorry for the older man. The fate of Eldes and Ardos, the two sons of the Greevil, were unknown to the older man. Both had vanished in Unova after battling with Wes some time ago. One had been lost to the Passage of Time, and had not been seen since. As for the other...well, Greevil didn't need to know exactly how he had perished.

Borlath nodded slowly in response, acknowledging Greevil's words. "It's not usually until those we love are gone that we truly miss them. When I lost my family, I didn't know how I would go on. You've managed well thus far, Grand Master. Don't fail us now, when we are relying on you the most."

Greevil smiled slightly, crossing his arms. "Odd that you try and bring this selfish old man comfort, Borlath. I know you hate me."

Borlath grinned at the older man, slouching somewhat in his chair as his eyes flickered from blue and gold to two crimson orbs. "That may be. But I know what it's like to lose those you hold dear to you. My motivations for joining Cipher may not be as selfish as the other Admins, but I'll die before I allow Cipher to falter at this stage. I need you and you need me. We're useful to each other. And that means I need you to be at your best. Especially if we're to succeed at this gamble you've placed us in."

"Yes, yes." Greevil agreed, nodding. "Our next operation will be immensely important and must go as planned. Perfectly, with no slip ups. A show of force that will bring the League to its knees, and show the world that Cipher cannot be stopped now. Especially thanks to our newest ally joining the ranks of Team Rocket. Speaking of, they should be coming up here any moment now." Greevil explained to the other man, who simply nodded. As if on cue, there was a knock at the door.

"Enter!" Greevil commanded, with the door opening and two Team Rocket Executives walking into the room wearing matching smiles. One of them was a tall and slim man with blue hair wearing the standard Team Rocket uniform, a rash and violent man known as Proton. The other was a woman with fiery red hair, wearing a stylized white dress, who was the third-in-command of Team Rocket, Ariana.

"Grand Master Greevil...Senior Admin Borlath...Admin Amber. Please, allow us to introduce your newest ally and a man we all have been searching a very long time for. A man who we remain loyal to just as much today as we did ten years ago when Team Rocket fell here in Kanto." Ariana said before she and Proton opened the doors widely, allowing a man to enter the room.

The man was mostly dressed in a rather worn black trench coat, carrying a battered briefcase with him. Six Ultra Balls were clipped to his waist on a belt, with the man wearing a black turtleneck sweater underneath and a black fedora on his head. His pale face seemed to be chiseled out of granite, as if he had become hardened to the suffering of the world, and had jet-black hair and hard black eyes, like coals, except for the gleam of malice that shone within them.

The man brushed past the two Executives and made his way to the other side of the table, walking past the cloaked Cipher Admin and sitting down at the table. Proton and Arianna took up positions behind the man, acting as his guard and not sitting down themselves. Borlath stared at the man with a frown on his face while Amber sized the new arrival up. Greevil, however, was the first to speak in the silence that follow the man's interest.

"Would you like something to drink? You've come far, and I have come to understand you've been away from the comforts of civilized society for a very long time." Greevil asked the man, who smirked and spoke, his voice smooth yet holding an undercurrent of authority.

"I'll save that for after this meeting. I quite wish to see what the fuss with Cipher is all about. My Executives have had a lot to say about you, telling me that they only tracked me down thanks to your efforts." The man said, taking off his hat and setting it down on the table before continuing.

"Greevil, you have formed and led a group that has done what no other in the history of our world has done before - Completely dominated a region and kept hold of that power indefinitely. Unova is powerless before Neo Team Plasma, thanks to your maneuvering, and Kanto is struggling against the might of Cipher and Team Rocket."

The man turned to Borlath, his smile widening. "And you...The man who goes by Borlath. I'd say you were just as instrumental in Cipher's success as Greevil himself. Financing a revolution of the darkest kind and annihilating an entire city populated by millions. Bringing down a truly fearsome foe by breaking his will, and betraying all of your friends in the pursuit of your own agenda...As daresay you're more of a murderous bastard than I am."

Borlath's scowl was enough to drop the temperature several degrees in the room as he said, "I am _nothing_ like you. Even if my methods have questionable results, I will never consider myself anything like you and Greevil."

Greevil rolled his eyes, shaking his head. "Now, now, children. Play nice. Giovanni hasn't come all this way to trade wordplay. We came to discuss business. Ending lives, establishing power, and dismantling the Pokémon League so that we may rule Kanto with an iron fist."

Giovanni chuckled darkly, leaning forward in his chair as his calculating eyes gleamed. The former leader of Team Rocket and Viridian City Gym Leader smirked as he regarded the three Admins and Grand Master in the room with him.

"So what are you here for, exactly?" Amber asked, breaking the silence. "I mean, you're strong. And capable. But what is your goal here, Giovanni?"

The man's response was a light chuckle, leaning back in his chair. "I have heard of you as well, Miss Fontaine. Had you been in my employ several years ago, Team Rocket might not have been toppled by a mere child."

"Speaking of that child, he's thankfully not active in the Kanto region right now. Nor is his equally-annoying friend. It's the only reason we're going ahead with Operation: Kingslayer right now." Borlath remarked, his frown lessening for a moment. "But continue."

Giovanni gestured to Proton and Arianna before speaking again. "The reason I have come to this ruined city, into the Beedrill's nest as it were...is to reclaim my position as the leader of Team Rocket. The group has done well in my absence, and seeing as how Cipher is on the cusp of world domination I would have been a fool to ignore the signs. My own strength has increased as well, and everything has moved into the perfect position for me to take back my former mantle." Giovanni said smoothly, with Greevil smiling at that.

"Interesting. Your underlings would accept your leadership without question?" Greevil asked, with Giovanni nodding. Proton and Ariana both nodded in agreement.

"All of Team Rocket is loyal to Lord Giovanni. We'll happily step aside and allow him to take the reins." Ariana said swiftly, her smile not wavering in the slightest.

"I can't wait to see the look on their faces." Proton said quietly, murderous glee evident in his voice.

"Hmm. Well, if that's the case, this we welcome you into our fold here at Cipher, Giovanni. You'll be given command over some of our forces that work in conjunction with Team Rocket, and of course over the Team Rocket forces themselves. I believe together we'll be able to make Kanto, as well as the rest of the world, tremble at our feet!" Greevil said with a dark laugh, bridging his fingers while Borlath watched on silently.

"That we will. Tell me, though...What are your plans for the Kanto Superdome? My Executives have told me about the personnel and resources you've been pooling into a massive attack on the stadium. A concert happening at the location, I believe. What is the point of this?" Giovanni asked, his calculating eyes gleaming with interest.

Greevil went on to explain their plan in-depth, with Amber watching from her the entire time. She could almost feel the power and respect the leader of Team Rocket possessed, but couldn't help a dull smile of amusement as she saw both Greevil and Giovanni shake hands, sealing their pact.

" _They're overconfident. I understand why, but even I'm wary of the plan Greevil has in store for us."_ Amber thought as she shut her eyes, glancing down at her mutilated arm in distaste before she clenched her other fist. She need her arm to heal, and quickly too.

Because if those fools thought the Kanto Pokémon League wouldn't fight for all they were worth, then they were wrong.

* * *

 _Next chapter is going to be very, very fun. So will the next one. Chapter 66 is going to be absolutely glorious. You'll find out why next week with Chapter 65._

 ** _Also, no. Jen is not a love interest rival or anything like that for Sun or Hau or Gladion, before anyone asks or brings it up. I like my pairings for those characters way too much for that love triangle nonsense and there's enough going on as is. Jen's just a new minor character I made for...reasons that will become apparent at some point._**

Q & A

 _From: Sai Og Sus_

And a deeper dive in Aether's history. You know, it does raise a question. If Mohn is regarded as a hero, why on earth not one person realize that the farmer on Poké Pélago is him? Or does the pélago not exist in your tale?

 **People don't recognize the creator of the Poké Pélago as Mohn for the same reason Lusamine nor any of the Aether Foundation didn't make the connection either (which has always bothered me) when they heard about him. I'm just assuming that he was presumed dead after vanishing, and he has probably changed in appearance over the course of a few years living in the isolated islands just off of the main islands in Alola. I don't think anyone would recognize him as Mohn, and he certainly doesn't remember who he is, so that doesn't help. If anyone did recognize him, he'd likely tell them that they're mistaken.**

 **Mohn will definitely make an appearance in some capacity, and the Poké Pélago does exist. I just haven't gotten to it yet. It'll be covered in the next arc to some extent, I assure you.**

 _From: Sai Og Sus_

Also, the Cipher is here already? That's earlier than I expected. Then again, Ula Ula is mostly centered on the Skulls.

 **I established Cipher being in Alola several chapters ago. They have a base on Ula'ula Island somewhere and have a small amount of their forces in Alola, because Greevil thinks that Alola won't take much effort to take over. He also has his newest, as of yet unnamed, Admin in charge of the Alola operation.**

 _From: OmegaStar327_

Now, onto my question. Will Sun catch another Pokemon before the next island?

 **Yes. Sun will be catching his fourth teammate before leaving for the Aether Paradise.**

 **As for your complaint about not recognizing the point of Cipher's inclusion in the story, I actually thought I had stated it before. Regardless…**

 **Cipher's inclusion in the story was done for several reasons. Some of which I won't reveal for some time. But the primary reason was because Sun and Moon have no central conflict or clear antagonists, like every other game in the series before them. An objectively bad group of people that you battle throughout the game.**

 **Team Skull isn't a threat at all, and the Aether Foundation isn't a threat until the end of the game and aren't actually threatening much of anything, its just what they're capable of that is worrying. Also, they're actively helping Pokémon the entire time in the games, for the most part anyway. I needed a reason for there to be some kind of struggle over the course of the first three islands, some kind of fight in this story to carry the plot. Hence Cipher, and the world I created with its cast of characters, villains, and themes that makes this story stand out from the dozens of other Sun and Moon novelizations.**

 **I hope that explains things. If not...Well, I'm sorry.**

 _From: Okamiden14_

Same as usual, amazing chapter. Do you plan on adding any new mons to sun's team in the near future? Or is a new addition to the cast gonna be at thing later on in the story?

 **In the very near future. Sun will be getting his next** **Pokémon** **within the next two months real time. I've tried to spread out Sun's team additions over the course of the story so that they're spaced out and even, and considering this story will take several years to tell properly, I think it's smarter to do this. Sun will have a full team by the time he battles Team Skull in Po Town.**

 _That's all for now. The next couple of chapters are gonna be very, very fun._

 _Please show your support with reviews, favorites, follows, and questions. Thank you again for the love and support because it seriously makes my day and makes this strong grow._

 _Take care and stay awesome._

 _Until next time, FlygonNick out!_


	65. Kingslayer Part 1

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _So yeah, I decided to take a week off of writing and get my head back into the game. Honestly, after a rather rough week and after getting some admittedly several frustrating reviews that I had to write essays to respond to (which I later revised into more civil responses), I'll admit I wasn't feeling the inspiration for the story._

 _Which is bad, because the next five chapters are the most important yet for the story and losing inspiration is a very slippery slope._

 _Anyways, I've gotten to the point where I had to take a long hard look at myself and this story and come to the conclusion that I'm done going out of my way to make people happy. Because breaking my neck explaining things in-story or altering plans to suit other people's wants for a story they aren't writing just stresses me out and people are going to complain and nitpick over what they don't like anyway._

 _So I'm going to write the story how I want it. To make myself happy and create the story I have envisioned._

 _Sorry if that comes off as frustrated or whiny, but I'll admit that it sucks that I should be absolutely pumped for this chapter, but I'm honestly forcing myself to write because I ask myself "Even if this chapter blows people away, people are going to complain that so-and-so isn't plausible or doesn't make sense" and then I'll have to justify that in the Q & A, which I'm regretting doing._

 _I fucking love the feedback I get, don't get me wrong. But that doesn't mean it doesn't frustrate me sometimes and honestly get me down._

 _Back on track._

 _Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes snipmaster149, Cottonmouth25, Ultimate blazer, Angelfir3, operettaoceanic, RC-DA, Technetium2, SonicIKE, Sai Og Sus, MoonlightButterfree, BraviaryScout, Okamiden14a Guest reviewer, Ways, and Gokan123. Thank you for the support and feedback, because it's awesome and so are you._

 _The song "All Things Must Die" is by Jeff Williams and sung by Casey Lee Williams, and is fantastic. Giving proper credit, because both parts of this chapter include the songs lyrics._

 _Here's a two-parter!_

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 _Chapter 65: Kingslayer Part 1_

* * *

 _Ashton looked into his own reflection, seeing dark gray eyes staring back at him. Endless sorrow shimmered in the steel-gray orbs, a window into his very soul. The large man was dressed in his finest black suit, his short spiked black hair perfectly combed. Not a single bit of him was out of place._

 _Save for the silver revolver in his hands, resting lightly in his lap._

" _ **Worthless...You think you've come so far, haven't you?"**_ _some part of him whispered, hauntingly._ " _ **All of your money, all of your power, and the wonderful friends you've made...Mean nothing. You should have died back in Alola, so you couldn't hurt anyone else!"**_

 _Ashton knew he had a problem. A crushing sadness and bitter fury at the world due to the miserable childhood he had endured in Alola. A tropical paradise for some and a nightmare for those who didn't feel like indulging in the outdated traditions of the past. No, you were either a warrior and a fighter that proved themselves, or you were dead weight. Those who had the misfortune to come from an Alolan background had to partake in the Island Challenge, while those who came from elsewhere could opt out of it. Those of Alolan blood that were born on the islands had no choice._

 _How Ash had wished he was one of those lucky ones. No...He was thrown onto the path he now walked, and all those years later he couldn't help the bitter feelings of self-loathing and hate bubbling forward until moments like this, where he was at the precipice of ending it all._

 _His most recent dealings were what had sparked off this latest wave of misery and despair. Joining Cipher officially and becoming an Admin for the group was something he never anticipated would leave such a scar on his soul. Talking Greevil into continuing his evil ways was child's play._

 _The man and his two sons, Eldes and Ardos, were without much in the way of money and resources after their fall from grace at Citadark Island. Ashton had met them outside of the Orre Colosseum and began negotiations for an alliance._

 _Ardos had been quick to convince. The man had a penchant for mayhem that was only rivaled by his father. Any chance for Cipher to reclaim their foothold of power was a step in the right direction as far as he was concerned._

 _Eldes, however, was far more hesitant. He seemed to have only followed in the footsteps of his father and his brother only due to them just being family. He actually seemed to have a heart, and cared for the morality of what he had done. He was worried about what an alliance and financial backing for Cipher would do to the world. However...Ashton wasn't a master businessman for nothing. In the end, Eldes was convinced, though it took many years to get him to join his brother as a leader within Cipher. Ashton rather liked the man. At least more than his father and brother._

 _Greevil, after seeing his two sons convinced of the righteousness of reforming Cipher elsewhere and with serious financial backing, agreed to join Ashton in this scheme._

 _Ashton knew the capabilities of Cipher. The strength they could possess. All they needed was the right push, the right investments, and the right leadership. In time they would reclaim power and then Ashton could move the pieces how he liked, while Greevil controlled the group as their leader. No one would be any the wiser, and while there would of course be collateral damage, it would be well worth it in the end when he achieved what he desired._

 _A better world._

" _I'm a fool…" Ashton murmured, his grip tightening on the revolver. He had seen the beginnings of what Cipher had in store for the world, and he knew it was be terrible. They had perfected some of the most awful kind of experiments and science that made Ashton's skin crawl. And yet he funded more experiments for them._

"This has gotten out of hand...The world would be better off without me. My hopes and dreams for the world are forged from the spilt blood and lives of the innocent. This wasn't what I thought it'd be...I tried to become a hero for this world, only to become something far worse by unleashing these villains upon it anew. I'm a monster...And deserve to be put down like a monster." _Ashton thought with a bitter smile, slowly raising the pistol to his temple and shutting his eyes, only to hear a sharp intake of breath behind him._

" _Laura…" Ashton muttered, not removing the comforting feeling of steel from his head._

" _Ash...Why didn't you tell me things were this bad?" Laura asked from the doorway, her voice a whisper. If Ashton had been facing her, he would have seen the tears running down her face and seen the abject horror in her eyes._

" _Because you and Sun have to be kept away...I don't know what I'd do if I lost you both to the madness I've gotten myself into. Honey, you have no idea what I've_ done _. The depths I've sunken to. This is how it needs to be. This world...and the two of you would be so much better off without me." Ashton replied, slowly rising to his feet with the gun still pressed to his head. "I've had to deal with this sorrow for a while now, you know that. And my recent actions have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that the world would better off with me pulling the trigger."_

 _Laura shook her head and said, "Do you truly believe that? You have so many people who are counting on you. Who care about you. I don't care what you've done, Ashton, because there's so much you can do!"_

" _..."_

" _Ash, you're doing so much to help the world right now. Your investments in all the right places to help people. Your company on the verge of taking off into something truly special. And your son...How would Sun feel, knowing his father had taken his life without any consideration for how he feels about this?" Laura asked Ashton, who sighed shakily._

" _He'd be better off...Laura, I don't want Sun to grow up with a father like me. I thought I was doing better, for the longest time, but I'm not. The pain has only festered, bubbled under the surface until it's burst out. I'm tired, Laura. I'm tired of hurting." Ashton said quietly, tightening his grip on the pistol._

" _Then what about me? Ash...I love you. I would do anything for you. We can get you help. We can help make the pain bearable, honey. Please don't give up." Laura begged Ashton, who grit his teeth as the maelstrom of emotions raged within him. He didn't answer verbally though, which Laura sigh raggedly._

" _If that's the case...then come with me. I want you to see something. If you're still set on this...I don't want you to suffer. I want what's best for you. But come with me, and let me show you something that I think can make you reconsider." Laura said firmly to Ash, who slowly turned towards his wife and dropped the gun to his side._

" _You'd let me go...Just like that?" Ashton asked, with Laura looking away._

" _I love you, Ash. So, so much...But you've been hurting for a while and sometimes there's nothing anyone can do about someone that far gone. But I'm going to try and save you from yourself, dear. Come with me." Laura beckoned Ashton forward, and the man numbly stepped across the room, where his wife grabbed his free hand and pulled him down the hallway. The couple made their way through the mansion, with Ashton in a daze of sorts as he wondered where Laura was taking him. Finally she led him outside to their backyard, with the heat of the day washing over him as he stepped into the sunlight._

 _Laura continued to drag Ashton away from the house before she finally stopped right at the edge of a cluster of trees at the edge of their garden, and what Ashton saw made a small laugh escape his throat._

 _Sun was curled up in a ball and sleeping in the shade of the trees, resting against Damien's belly as the Pokémon slept alongside the four-year old boy, his unkempt black hair blowing slightly in the breeze. Ashton felt the tears welling up in his eyes at the sight and couldn't look away, a broken smile flickering onto his face._

" _I was wary at first about letting Damien watch Sun by himself, but I have a feeling that Pokémon would rather die than let any harm come to our little boy." Laura said as she slipped her arms around Ashton from behind, pulling him into a hug. Ashton made a noise that could have been a chuckle or a sob, but it was the fact that he dropped the revolver from his hand and into the grass which Laura took note of._

" _That stupid mutt loves Sun as much as we do. Damien promised me that he would protect Sun no matter what. It's...funny, now. Such a grumpy Pokémon that acted like such a buzzkill so long ago would be happy to be used as a pillow for our little boy." Ashton said in a tone full of wonder as Laura rested her chin on her husband's shoulder._

" _See? This is what you would have missed out on if you had taken that awful step forward. Dear, you have so much to live for. So much to offer the world. You have made mistakes, yes. I may not know what exactly, but...You can make things right. I know you will, because I love you and have faith that you will succeed. But you...Please, honey. Let me help you. We need you. The world needs someone like you. Someone willing to do whatever it takes to help make the world a better place. You have power, Ashton. You have the resources. And you have the heart of a hero…"_

 _Ashton stood there for a time, watching his little boy sleep alongside Damien in the garden. Laura never moved from her position behind him, silently supporting him as he tried to make a decision about his future._

"I don't know...Can I fix my mistakes before they get worse? Can Cipher really be the key to my dreams for this world?" _Ashton thought as his gaze turned towards the beautiful cloudless sky. Ashton watched the Pidgey flock overhead before he looked back down, seeing Sun stir a little bit beside Damien. The Pokémon cracked an eye open, and Ashton smiled a little._

" _Ever-alert, as always. I can always count on you to protect my precious ones, my old friend." Ashton murmured to his Partner, who offered him a small smile before shutting his eyes again. Ashton turned his gaze back to his child, so pure and innocent and so full of potential. Ashton loved the boy without reserve, and it really struck him that if he ended everything...He'd never get to see that child again. He'd been hurting that sweet little boy with the gray eyes that mirrored his own. He would do whatever it took to ensure the child's happiness, even if it meant his own was effected._

" _As much as it hurts...I have to keep going." Ashton whispered, twisting in Laura's grasp and returning her embrace. "Help me. Please. I want to be there for him. For you. I can't do this by myself, Laura. I can't shoulder this burden alone."_

 _Laura pulled away from the man and kissed her husband deeply on the lips. After a moment she pulled away with a teary smile._

" _We will get you through this. No matter what happens I will always love you, Ashton. Sun will too. You care so much about everything. Us. Damien. The world as a whole. If you left it all behind, the world would be a much darker place. We need you. Don't ever forget that, my love." Laura whispered as she hugged her husband again._

 _Ashton never forgot that moment. When he was at his weakest, it was his wife and child that had reminded him of what he fought for. Why he sought out Cipher in the first place._

 _The world was a terrible, evil place full of people who wanted to subjugate others to their dark will. Ashton had the power to stop those people and create a better world, with the resources at his disposal._

 _While he would waver, he knew that giving in would ensure the world's demise because someday, somehow...Someone would succeed in bringing the end. Ashton would be the one to stop all of the bloodshed for good. He would put a stop to the violence and hurt, even if it took sacrifices._

 _Because at the end of the day...If his wife and child could live in a world free of strife, then it would all be worth it. To protect them from the greater evils of the world they lived in. So he would have to live with his choices and his suffering, the wounds from his old home that had never quite healed…_

 _And endure._

* * *

"Dude, seriously. Just ask her out! Not that complicated."

"It's not that easy, okay!"

"Psh. Right. If I had a girl that was as into me as your friend is, I'd be all over that shit."

"I am going to ask her out! I just...need to find the right time to tell her my feelings."

"If you keep procrastinating, someone's gonna beat you to the punch."

"I know! It's just...ugh. Can we change the topic?"

Sun was surprised that his newest traveling companion was someone he got along with right away. The brown-haired, purple-eyed girl known as Jen was a fairly down-to-earth girl that, while not a Trainer, still knew a bit about the Trainer lifestyle. She was an immigrant who had just moved to Alola, having gotten citizenship not even two weeks ago. She was originally from the Almia region to the north, which explained the rather odd accent she had. Aside from the that she was completely...normal.

Jen shrugged, though she was smirking. "Sure. Not much fun poking at someone else's love life anyway. So, how'd you get your Pokémon?"

Sun looked up at the two birds circling above them, chattering about something or another. The Kanto-native grinned and said, "Well, Oliver was my Starter. He actually attacked me while I was picking my first Pokémon out and well...Yeah, I kinda went with it. He's been great, aside from the odd times were he doesn't listen to me and just acts like a jerk."

"Sounds like a handful. I'm glad Lilith doesn't act out. Do you, girl?" Jen cooed to the small Petilil, who cried out happily in response.

"Well, then there's Penny. I caught her about a week after Oliver. She and Oliver talked beforehand and I guess Penny liked what Oliver had to say about me, because we battled and she joined my team." Sun explained, grinning as the two birds swooped down to their level. "She's really well-behaved and is super driven. Plus she helps keep Oliver in check."

 _"I'm right here, you know!"_ Oliver chirped in an annoyed manner.

 _"We're aware. It's not like we can't hear you from Melemele Island or anything."_ Penny remarked, earning a glare from Oliver and a snicker from Jen and Brago. Sun was just smiling, feeling that darkness within fade a bit as he continued to wax on about his team.

"And then Brago...Man, that's a story. So, I ran into Brago while he was fighting some insane Cipher assassin lady named Amber."

"Pull the other one."

"No seriously, I mean it."

"Right, right. And there's a eldritch abomination masquerading around Alola as...I don't know. A Heliolisk or something."

"Well, we actually fought that assassin lady after she shot Brago. After we got some help from Professor Kukui, we took him to the hospital. When I had my Grand Trial against Kahuna Hala some time later, he apparently snuck out of the hospital despite being hurt and watched me battle. He was so impressed he joined my team." Sun explained as he reached down and scratched Brago behind the ears, making the canine incline his head slightly and shut his eyes in pleasure.

 _"Yes...I was very impressed. Pokémon will show respect to those who show respect to us in turn, and we follow those who have strength. We see the strength in you, Sun, and that is why we follow you. You've earned our loyalty through your kindness."_ Brago replied with a small sigh.

"How so?" Jen asked Brago, who grinned ferally at the girl, which made her shrink back.

 _"He could have fled with his friends, but he stood beside me to fight. He could have left me behind to die, but he instead captured me and saved my life. Despite the suffering he has endured, he has remained kind. And that is something I respect. He is our Alpha. Our leader, who will ensure we obtain our greatest strength and potential under his care."_ Brago explained as they continued to walk, making Jen hum thoughtfully.

"That's really cool. I think it's great that your Pokémon have such a high opinion of you, Sun." Jen remarked, grinning at the boy.

"They're pretty awesome themselves." Sun replied as the boy waved to a nearby police officer walking by. "So what about your Petilil?"

"Oh, her? She was a gift from my Mom when I got here. I never had a Pokémon before and my Mom figured I'd be lonely in this new region so...I got Petilil. She's been great so far, haven't you?" Jen said sweetly to her Pokémon, who cried out happily in response. "I think she's pretty young, but that's fine. I don't want to be a Trainer anyway, I think."

"Then what do you want to do?" Sun asked the girl, who shrugged.

"No idea. I'll figure it out someday, but considering I'm still getting used to my new home, I couldn't care less for now." Jen replied with a smile, which surprised Sun. But then he thought about it and realized that not everyone had that sort of pressure of those who were Alolan-born or had families that pressured them into one profession or another.

Night had fallen by the time Sun and Jen saw Konikoni City, a glistening collection of buildings adorned with lights that lit the sky like a beacon from the distance. Sun and his newest companion made their way to the city, eager to be out of the wilds and within the comfortable grip of civilization once again.

Sun was once again blown away by the diversity in the culture of Alola, where many of the cities had been founded and settled by those from different regions, showing off a unique blend of ideas from other parts of the world and those formed in Alola. Despite the size of the city, it gave off a vibe of tranquility and peace, with the ocean slowly humming and crashing gently against the cliffs nestled beside the city. Oriental-themed buildings rose out of the stone pathway that wound through the city, which began through the archway that Sun and Jen walked through.

"Wow…" Sun muttered, taking in the sights. Merchants were peddling wares at their stalls while lanterns illuminated the streets. A sitar somewhere strummed gently, creating a relaxing background noise that made Sun smile despite himself. The boy returned his Pokémon and looked at Jen, who sighed quietly beside him.

"It's good to be home. Even if it hasn't been home for long. You know?" Jen asked Sun, who nodded in understanding.

"Yeah. I know what you mean. I only moved here a few months ago, and it was so weird getting used to everything. My friends helped me get over that." Sun said to the girl, who slowly nodded.

"Mmm...I should probably try and go out try to make some more friends, huh?" Jen said quietly, smiling a little.

"Well, you've already got one. I'm sure if you asked, Hau wouldn't mind being your friend too. People in Alola tend to be really friendly. Or incredibly insane. But hopefully you won't run into the Fossil Man anytime soon."

"The Fossil Man?"

"Don't ask."

"...okay?"

With that, Sun and Jen made their way through the city. To their surprise, they spotted a familiar blue-haired girl chatting with one of the vendors while holding a fishing rod over her shoulder. Lana spotted Sun and smiled at him, giving him a brief wave. After bidding the vendor farewell, she ran over to Sun and hugged him before stepping away.

"Alola to you both." Lana said, waving her hands in the traditional greeting. Sun did the same, with Jen repeating it a few moments later.

"So, you finally made it. Where's Hau?" Lana asked, a noticeable bit of disappointment in her voice at not seeing Sun with her crush.

"He wanted to train more in Diglett Cave. He's skimped out on his training a bit, so he's making up for lost time. Pretty good idea, honestly. I have a feeling Olivia is going to be brutal." Sun said to Lana, who smirked knowingly.

"She's definitely not one you want to trifle with. Olivia is a master Rock-type specialist. Working with such a disadvantageous type is difficult, but Olivia has made it her own calling. She'll be your toughest challenge yet." Lana said seriously to Sun, who nodded.

"That said, I'm pretty confident. My team hasn't let me down yet. Plus I've got Oliver, who hasn't lost a battle since that Amber thing happened. We're going to keep that streak going." Sun said with a grin, which made Lana smile as well.

"Confidence is good. Just don't let it get to your head. But you know that. So, who's your friend?" Lana asked, looking at Jen, who looked a bit nervous.

"Um, I'm Jen. I think I've seen you around here, but I didn't know who you are." Jen admitted, shrugging with a small smile. "I just moved here to Alola, so I'm kinda trying to figure stuff out. I met Sun and Hau in Diglett Tunnel after they saved me from some dorks called Team Skull."

"New huh? Well, allow me to officially welcome you to your new home! If you want, I can show you around a bit and give you the grand tour." Lana offered, which Jen thought about. Sun decided to chime in and help the new girl out.

"I'd recommend it. Lana is one of the Trial Captains of Akala Island, meaning she knows a lot about the island and its customs and stuff. Plus she's really respected in the community as well. And she's an awesome friend." Sun said to Jen, smiling slightly as Lana blushed bright pink at the praise. The bluenette wasn't quite used to cute boys complimenting her so much.

"Alright. Um, thanks for all the help today Sun. See you around?" Jen said to Sun, who grinned and held out his fist, which Jen smiled at and punched lightly.

Lana turned to Sun and said, "Lillie and her friends should be here in two days. Oh, and Lillie mentioned to me that there's going to be a big televised concert that night in Kanto that she wants all of us to watch together. You should call her when you get the chance!"

"I plan on it. Also, what concert?" Sun asked, confused.

"Crimson Dawn, her favorite band, is performing live at the biggest stadium in Kanto. Kind of weird that a concert is televised in such a manner, but Kanto does things like that sometimes." Lana shrugged, smiling again. "I'll see you a bit Sun."

"Thanks again for helping me, Sun. See you around!" Jen said to Sun, grinning at him. Sun bid the two girls farewell and made his way towards the Pokémon Center, ready for a good night's sleep and to begin preparations for his Grand Trial.

* * *

 _Two Days Later…_

* * *

"Hey Lillie?"

"Yes Aria?"

"Once you help Nebby get home...Well, what do you plan to do after that?"

Lillie looked at Aria with a confused look on her face, though she thought about it as they walked through Konikoni City after arriving at the city an hour prior. She honestly had no idea what she wanted to do. She looked down and frowned, disappointed that she didn't have any goals after saving Nebby. Could she go onto bigger things? Maybe try and save Mother and the Paradise?

Hugh offered the girl a sympathetic smile and put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't stress about it." Hugh removed his hand and said, "She asks because we were talking about what we should do next. I think if everything goes well tonight, I'm going to see if I can get Aria approved for the Island Challenge. If she can harness Z-Power, it'll be a massive help against Cipher."

"I imagine it would be. Aria's really strong too, so she'd likely be able to use it well." Lillie mused, with Aria chuckling in response and giving the blonde girl an affectionate one-armed hug as they rounded the corner. They were on their way to meet up with Professor Burnet and the others at the Pokémon Center in a little while, though Lillie had requested to see more of the city. Aria and Hugh had agreed to watch over Lillie and explore together, hence their current trek.

"Well shucks, Lillie. I'm glad you think I'm strong." Aria remarked after a small pause, though she looked over at Hugh. "Hugh, look behind us. Try to be casual about it"

Hugh did so and frowned as he spotted two figure dressed in black approaching them from behind, though they suddenly split apart and ducked behind different buildings.

"Looks like we're being followed...How'd you notice?" Hugh asked Aria, to which the woman shrugged in response.

"Saw them as we rounded the corner. Do you know anyone who stalks people while dressed in black?" Aria asked Hugh, who rolled his eyes.

"International Police. I didn't get a good look at them, though. One of them had purple hair, that's about all I could tell." Hugh said to Aria as the trio stopped.

"Do they want you for the...um, concert tonight?" Lillie asked Aria quietly, earning a small nod from the Snagger.

"They probably want to meet in a less conspicuous place. Let's help them out and speed this process along." Aria said to Hugh and Lillie, and began walking towards the edge of town where there were boats floating next to the docks.

"Send out Samson. Just in case." Aria muttered to Hugh, pulling out a Poké Ball of her own and sending out Sophie the Jolteon. "Sophie, we're meeting with International Police. If something goes wrong, get Lillie to safety."

 _"You got it."_ The Jolteon replied as she looked at Lillie, who reached down and pet the Jolteon on the head. Aria smiled at the little girl as Hugh called out his Samurott, who snorted as it walked alongside them. The group made it to the docks a few minutes later and didn't have to wait long for the two figures dressed in black to finally arrive.

One of them was a man in his early 40's, dressed in a trench coat. He had black hair and brown eyes, and had two Poké Balls clipped to his belt. His eyes seemed to dart all over the place, as if he was wary of being watched or seen.

The other figure was a young woman around the same age as Aria, if not a few years older. She had long lilac-colored hair with eyes of the same color. She was dressed smartly in a black and white suit with black shoes and gloves. Six Ultra Balls were clipped to her belt, and she seemed to have a more relaxed expression on her face. Aria could tell she was incredibly strong, though.

"Thank you for taking this somewhere more private. Wes taught you well." The man spoke with a strange accent that none of the trio recognized. "However, our time is brief and we should get to the point."

The young woman beside the man nodded in agreement. "Very true. My name is Anabel. This is my subordinate Looker. We are with the International Police, and were hoping that-"

"You could use me in the big fight against Cipher at the Kanto Superdome tonight?" Aria said, cutting Anabel off. The woman blinked twice in surprise before she sighed, shaking her head.

"We've got a leak!" Looker hissed, taking a step back with his face showing one of abject shock. Anabel shot the man a sharp look and he calmed down, and then turned her attention to Aria.

"Someone's in for a reprimand...Anyway, yes, Miss Cooper. Our operatives in Kanto are gearing up for a large-scale battle tonight. We were hoping you would be willing to join the fight and help even the odds. You'll of course be compensated for your time and for putting yourself at such risk" Anabel explained, crossing her arms. "Given your history with them, I don't see a reason why you wouldn't want jump at the chance to put Cipher down once and for all."

"What makes you think you'll be able to do that much damage to them? And why would they attack a concert anyway? Yeah, Zoey's a enemy of theirs but it doesn't make any sense to go through so much trouble." Aria asked Anabel, who crossed her arms and sighed after a moment.

"I'd rather not go into specifics with others not directly involved present." Anabel said pointedly, looking at Lillie.

"Hugh, take Lillie to the Pokémon Center, would you?" Aria asked her boyfriend, who frowned and opened his mouth to protest, though Aria cut him off and said, "I've got this. Don't stress."

Hugh sighed angrily, but didn't argue. Instead he stepped forward and kissed Aria on the lips for a brief moment before he began walking away, with Lillie staying put for a moment, looking back and forth between the two Trainers. She looked up at Aria and suddenly hugged the young woman tightly.

"Please be careful, Aria." Lillie said quietly, stepping away from the Snagger.

Aria grinned in response and replied, "Always. Keep an eye on things for me, would you? I'm counting on you, Lillie."

The girl seemed surprised at this, but managed to smile back at the older girl and nod. "I won't let you down! Good luck!"

Lillie jogged off after Hugh, and Aria's smile faded. She turned her attention to Anabel, who she was disconcerted to see was staring at Lillie as she departed.

"I feel...What was with that girl? I felt something _familiar_." Anabel muttered, putting a hand to her head.

"Everything okay, ma'am?" Looker asked, concerned. Anabel shook her head, drawing her hand away and letting it fall to her side.

"I'll be fine. Back to the point of this discussion. The concert takes place in three hours, at the Kanto Superdome in Saffron City. We believe Cipher is targeting it due to the popularity of the band in question and the fact that it's at the biggest stadium in the region. Zoey Cairdelly's history of being an enemy of Cipher doesn't help things." Anabel explained to the Snagger, who scoffed.

"Yeah. Plus Zoey is a huge role model with kids, since she's always spouting stuff about never giving up and rising against adversity and all that. Killing an icon like her on live TV would get press coverage for ages. So what aren't you telling me?" Aria asked, crossing her arms.

"After the abduction of Samuel Surge, the son of the Vermillion City Gym Leader Lt. Surge, we believe that Cipher will attack the venue and those attending the concerts for another televised act of terror. Amber Fontaine informed us of their plans beforehand, and said she would return Samuel in return for the Shadow Moltres we captured after the Celadon City attack. We believe Cipher did this in an attempt to force Champion Lance intervene at the Kanto Superdome and capture him, though for what purpose we're unclear of." Looker explained to Aria, earning a scowl from her.

"Is he planning on actually going?" Aria asked, with Anabel shrugging and Looker sighing.

"Perhaps. The Champion's intentions are not known to us, no matter how much we wish to know. We do know, however, that Cipher is very confident that they will succeed. We plan on exploiting that overconfidence by overwhelming them and killing as many of the Admins and Grunts at that stadium as we can." Anabel continued as she walked past Aria and stood at the pier's edge.

"How confident are you that you guys aren't just walking into a slaughter?" Aria asked, earning a hard look from Looker. "Apparently your last operation didn't go too well, since a little kid got kidnapped."

"This time we have quite a bit more on our side than before. Some of our best agents will be on hand to battle Cipher, as well as several Gym Leaders and others. Besides...At the venue, the League is playing their trump card. Cipher won't know what hit it." Anabel said as she turned to Aria, a smirk on her face.

"Trump card?" Aria asked, looking back and forth between Anabel and Looker. The man chuckled softly and put a hand on his hip.

"You think Cipher would get away with terrorizing Kanto without attracting some of the greatest Trainers in the region? Things will get very nasty for them tonight. Our question is whether or not you are willing to join us in saving the world from Cipher's wrath. And if so...are you ready to fight?" Looker asked Aria with a smile. Aria held out her right hand, which was encased in the Snag Machine, in response. Both Looker and Anabel looked at her expectantly, but were both surprised when the Snagger shook her hand…

Only for a thin black blade to suddenly spring out from the side of the device, extending just far enough to appear an inch in front of Looker's face. Anabel smiled as she admired the weapon extending from the Snag Machine, eyeing the razor sharp and jet-black metal blade with curiosity.

"Interesting...I never knew the Snag Machine supported features like that." Anabel remarked, looking at Aria as she moved her hand down and retracted the blade from her hand with another flick of the wrist.

"It didn't, at least at first. But Wes made bombs for fun. Wasn't too hard for him to figure out how to incorporate some improvements into the Snag Machines design. And he taught me everything he knew about this thing." Aria replied, matching Anabel's smile with one of her own.

"So you are ready then?" Looker asked, smiling now. Aria nodded and Looker held out his hand, which Anabel grabbed with her own as an Alakazam suddenly teleported into existence beside them. Aria reached forward and clasped their hands, and with that the trio vanished with the Alakazam far away from Alola, to a place gripped within the fires of a revolution of the darkest kind…

* * *

Lillie arrived at the Pokémon Center with a worried Hugh walking alongside her. The older Trainer didn't vocalize his concern for his girlfriend, but Lillie could see it on his face.

"Aria will be okay, right? She's so strong...Cipher won't hurt her, will they?" Lillie asked Hugh, who looked down at the girl with a small smile.

"Anyone can get hurt anytime, anywhere. Aria's one of the toughest people I've ever met. But she's going into the first large-scale battle she's been in since our final fight against Cipher and Neo Team Plasma in Unova. Anything can happen, even if you're as good as she is. But I have to have faith in her and those she fights with. If anyone can put Cipher down for good, it'll be Aria." Hugh said with a note of pride and affection in his voice. It then struck Lillie how close the two of them were, and it reminded her of the relationship she and Sun had. They absolutely believed in one another, despite their failings and faults.

Speaking of…

"Sun!" Lillie called out, seeing the boy reading by himself at the cafe. Her crush looked up and smiled at her, giving her a small wave. Lillie happily sat down across from Sun while Hugh went to get something to drink, allowing the two friends to talk.

"How was your trek through the Diglett Tunnel?" Lillie asked her friend, who shrugged.

"Interesting. Met a new friend, fought Team Skull. The usual." Sun replied with a shrug, putting away his book. Lillie saw it was a book about Pokémon Training.

"Sounds about right." Lillie said with a smile, opening her bag and seeing a sleeping Nebby. Lillie scooped up the Cosmog and set him into her lap, which woke the small creature up.

"...pew?" Nebby mumbled, leaning against Lillie sleepily.

"Aww. Little guy tired from traveling today?" Sun asked with a small laugh.

"Not really. He goes back and forth between being incredibly hyper and sleeping for long periods of time." Lillie explained to Sun, who nodded slowly.

"Considering how little we know about him, that might just be how Cosmog are. Speaking of knowing little about things, what's the deal with this concert thing in Kanto?" Sun asked Lillie, who frowned, considering how to explain this to Sun.

"Well, my favorite band is performing tonight in Kanto, but...I found out Cipher is planning to attack during their performance." Lillie said quietly to Sun, who paled in response. "But I've also heard that a lot of people are going to be there to stop them. If everything goes well, then Cipher is going down for good tonight!"

Sun calmed down a bit at that and seemed thoughtful. Hugh sat down with a bottle of lemonade and a bottle of Moomoo Milk, the latter of which he passed to Lillie, who thanked him.

"Maybe we'll finally be done with this tonight...Worrying about them. I guess I just have to have faith and hope for the best." Sun said quietly, to which Hugh nodded.

"Just stay determined, Sun. Nothing lasts forever, and that includes Cipher. I'll be watching that concert tonight with the hope that Greevil and his buddies get put in the goddamn ground." Hugh said with a small scowl. There wasn't much either child could say to that, so they contented themselves with waiting for this concert to happen. To their surprise, Hau and Lana walked through the door about two hours later, chatting happily together. Lillie couldn't help but smile at this sight, as she was happy one of her closest friends was giving such a nice girl like Lana a genuine chance at winning his heart.

"Hey you three! Howzit going?" Hau asked cheerily, putting his elbows on Sun's head and using him as a armrest, which only mildly annoyed the boy.

"Not too bad. Hoping tonight goes well." Hugh remarked, with Hau looking confused.

"What's going on tonight?" Hau asked, with Hugh sighing slightly.

"It'll be explained in a bit. The concert's happening soon." Hugh said as he looked over at the large TV in the lobby. The Pokémon Center was mostly empty at the moment, but that of course could change at any moment. The group of Trainers and Lillie made their way to the TV area and sat down, keeping an eye on the television and waiting in preparation for whatever was to come.

"So, Lana…" Sun said, trying to calm his nerves as he waited for Cipher's next act of destruction. "Any word on Mallow?"

"No. I've called her several times over the past few days and she hasn't picked up. I've even gone by her house, and her parents told me she's been training whenever she isn't doing her duties as a Captain. She's really worrying me." Lana said quietly, looking down at the floor.

"I actually saw Mallow on my way into the city. She saw me and ran away though. I lost her when I tried to follow her." Hau said sadly, with Lana sighing angrily.

"What's with her? She's never been like this!" Lana remarked, though Hugh quirked his head slightly in confusion.

"Mallow? The Grass Captain, right? She seemed pretty happy the other night when she was trying to mess with everyone. Did something happen after we left?" Hugh asked the children. Lana explained her kiss with Mallow and how the girl bolted from the room afterwards, with Hugh frowning.

"Odd. I'd say give her some time. Something is obviously bothering her, but maybe she wants to figure it out on her own. Either way, just let her come to you." Hugh said to Lana, who slowly nodded.

And with that, the group saw Adrian Battlestorm appear on the TV and inform them that the channel was cutting over to a live-feed from a concert in Kanto, where a band was preparing to perform and two opposing forces would clash to determine the fate of the region.

* * *

"I hate crowds."

"But...Miss Amber, where's my Dad?"

"Relax, kid. He'll be here. And then you'll go home with him. Simple as that. We just need his help."

"Okay…"

Amber hated crowds and she hated children more. Maybe it was something about their innocence, but Amber really despised the fact that she had to sit this one out. Instead she sat within the crowd near the middle row of the massive Kanto Superdome, which was sold out and filled with thousands upon thousands of screaming and excited fans, awaiting the beginning of the Crimson Dawn concert. Amber was clad in black jeans and a t-shirt with a leather jacket over her shoulders. Her normally light-blue eyes were now gold, thanks to contacts provided for her, and her normally red hair was blonde. Given her rather infamous reputation, she needed to be disguised.

Beside her sat the son of Lt. Surge, Sam. The blond-haired child had been easy to manipulate, and was calmly sitting besides the assassin and waiting to be reunited with his father. As long as Cipher got what they wanted, she was content to give the child back to his father. Borlath had ordered it, and she didn't care either way, so she decided to at least be civil with the child and not terrify him.

Amber felt a presence touch her kind and head Avis, her Xatu, whisper into her head. " _Everyone's in position. We've confirmed that Moltres is here, but we're not moving yet. Various International Police agents spotted within the crowd. No Elite Four presence yet, but we think they're hidden."_

"Stay alert. I'm counting on you to back me up here, since I'm...at a disadvantage." Amber nearly growled, infuriated that she was without any weapons save for her Pokémon and only had one usable arm. It was so strange for the assassin, but given her injuries, she had to play her part as a secret weapon within the crowds. Hopefully she wasn't needed and they could complete the extraction and capture without too much trouble and create as much fear as possible.

Suddenly the lights shifted on stage and the entire stadium went dark, and with that the crowd began to cheer. Amber could make out the silhouette of someone walking onto center stage with a guitar in hand, and Amber nearly smiled at the thought of ripping out the throat of the person in question. A spotlight shone down from above, illuminating the band known as Crimson Dawn, with Zoey on center stage.

"Hey there, everyone. Glad you could make it." Zoey said quietly to the thousand and thousands in attendance, who were going absolutely nuts at this point. Zoey waited a few moments before she began speaking again.

"Tonight we've got the debut of some songs we've been really excited to show you all. Some come from a bit of a darker place, but given the events of the past year or so I think that's expected." Zoey continued, with a hush falling over the crowd.

"Unova has fallen...And Kanto is in trouble. It's hurting. People are scared. Innocents are dying left and right, and even the Legendaries are no match for the evil of Cipher. Better yet...Team Rocket is helping them." Zoey remarked with a somber expression on her face, sitting on a stool behind her. The woman was dressed in a feathery black dress with crimson spikes jutting up and down the sides of it, with an electric guitar shaped like the tail of an Ampharos in her hands.

"But that being said...I don't feel like letting those morons get free reign of another region. You know?" Zoey said to the crowd, earning a few cheers. "I was there at the final battle. I saw what Cipher can do, and yeah it's scary. Really scary, but...Just because I'm scared, doesn't mean I'm not going to stand up and give these idiots one hell of a fight if they come for me."

Zoey's words had turned from calm to simmering fury, her eyes gleaming in the stage-light as the crowd watched on.

"No matter how bad things get, you can't ever give up hope that things will get better. We've all hit that low point, the lowest of the low. But you have to keep going...Unova still fights to this day. And so do I, and many of my friends. And to you...To those watching around the world and the beautiful people of Kanto, I say this. Don't give up. Like a good friend of mine says...Stay determined, no matter what. We have to stand together, no more than ever, and resist. Fight back and continue to be brave! Cipher and Team Rocket will not be forever. They too, will be cast down! Because... _All things must die_." Zoey said gently. Softly...like a siren's whisper as the gentle tinkling of a piano began to play in the background.

(Begin "All Things Must Die by Jeff Williams)

Amber rolled her eyes at the speech the woman gave, but couldn't help but respect the way that the entire crowd was held spellbound by her words, with her transitioning into her latest song seamlessly. While her eyes glanced through the crowd, she could see several people standing up and making their way towards the stage, and Amber smiled maliciously at what was to come even as Zoey began to sing, her voice carrying a haunting beauty to it.

 _Day by day it's nearer,_

 _step by step you grow._

 _Closer to your ruin._

 _Soon your time to go._

 _Life is just a journey._

 _Yours is near its end._

 _Bloody evolution..._

 _This world transcend._

Amber shut her eyes and scowled at the not so subtle message being serenaded to her by the woman on stage, clenching her fist at the indignation of it all. Despite it all, the woman couldn't help but feel as if the words held a strange meaning to them. A greater purpose. As if they were...prophetic, in a way.

 _Black out the sky…_

 _All...things...must..._ _ **die**_ …

"Showtime." Amber whispered, opening her eyes.

Zoey suddenly flashed the crowd a wild grin, which was suddenly wiped away as several explosions suddenly ripped through the stadium, including the stage. Amber grabbed Sam's hand and yanked him out of his seat, with the crowd around them going into a terrified frenzy as silver-armored soldiers suddenly flickered into existence, opening fire with guns into the crowd and releasing monstrous Shadow Pokémon to attack everything in sight.

Crimson Dawn were surprised, but they reacted quickly to Cipher's attack. Everyone on stage called out their Pokémon, with a massive Blaziken standing beside Zoey as she glared down several Cipher Grunts making their way to the stage.

"You assholes really don't have anything better to do, huh?" Zoey demanded as she pointed forward. "Jace, Blaze Kick!"

"Blaaaze!" the Pokémon cried out, sprinting towards the Grunts approaching with their Pokémon. The Blaze Pokémon rushed forward as a Shadow Zangoose, Porygon, and Golduck lunged forward with shadowy auras wrapped around them. With a flurry of burning kicks, the Pokémon were dispatched with ease and the Blaziken jumped back to join his Trainer who had taken several steps back.

"Where are they!?" Zoey demanded as she glanced around her as she called out an Ampharos as well. This was all well and good, because several strangely dressed figures wearing masks made their way onto the stage, though Zoey knew who they were. Cipher's Admins, all responsible for terrible crimes and several of which she had met personally in Unova.

"Let's see...Venus, Dakim, and...No idea who you are." Zoey said with a growl to the third figure, who flapped his cape away and drew a large pistol.

"The name's Dawson, my lovely adversary. The Dashing Rogue of Hoenn has arrived to steal your life and your heart. Preferably the second before the first, because otherwise it sounds creepy." Dawson remarked before Dakim backhanded him.

"Focus Dawson." Dakim growled before turning to Zoey. "Your death has been a long-time coming. While we wait for the Champion to arrive, let's have some fun!" Dakim said with a dark laugh, pulling out two Ultra Balls and calling out his Pokémon. To Zoey's horror, the Pokémon were two strange beings made of rock and steel respectively. Venus laughed and called out another strange creature of her own, which was made of ice and also had a shadow-like cloak of darkness surrounding it like the others.

"Regirock...Regice...Registeel. All turned into Shadow Pokémon." Zoey hissed, trying to hide the horror in her voice. She held out her hand, where a glimmering bangle shimmered in the stage light. "Gotta buy us time. Jace! Showcase the power of our bond! Mega Evolve!"

A flash of pink light enveloped the Blaze Pokémon and within moments, the Mega Blaziken stood tall and glowered at the Golem Trio that had been tainted by the dark science of Cipher. Dawson hung back awkwardly, tipping his hat towards the other two Admins.

"I'll leave this to you two." Dawson remarked, turning around and firing off a shot that went through a nearby security guard that had managed to get through the stage. The shot punched a burning hole in the man's chest and made him crumple onto the stage. Dawson glanced to his side and saw Amber guiding the boy they had kidnapped onto the stage, albeit in a headlock to keep him still.

"Where's my Dad!? I don't want to be here! It's scary!" Samuel screamed and thrashed, only for Amber to grab the child by the neck and hiss into his face.

"Shut it! Or else I'll send you back to your father in a coffin!" Amber snarled, to which she received a sob in response. Dawson was a bit more sympathetic and yanked Samuel away from Amber, though he kept a firm grip on the child's neck.

"You're terrifying. Go help the other Admins." Dawson said to Amber, who gave him a flat look. "Right, forgot who I was talking to. Go kill people then. The International Police finally made it to the stage."

Amber whirled around and scowled as she spotted three men garbed in body armor with a Stoutland and two Arcanine flanking them. Amber scowled and took a step back, loathing the fact that she couldn't engage them directly. However...

"Dawson, deal with them. I think I'll follow your advice and mess with that damned songbird." Amber said as she made her way back to the battlefield, which was a mostly destroyed stage. At this point, the stadium was filled with dead patrons and Pokémon, with International Police and the odd Trainer battling in the stands. Dawson sighed and called out his Pokémon, though he also began firing shots at the dog Pokémon attacking him, dealing much more damage in one shot than any of his Pokémon could do to the well-trained Pokémon of the International Police.

Zoey and her band were fighting for all they were worth, but it was obvious they were overwhelmed by the Legendary Golems. Jace the Mega Blaziken delivered a brutal Sky Uppercut to Registeel only to get hit by a Hyper Beam from Regice for his trouble, the blast sending the Blaze Pokémon crashing onto the ground next to Zoey, where it reverted to its normal form and passed out.

"Damn it...Where are they!?" Zoey demanded, taking a step back as her Ampharos threw out a Protect shield around the three of them. Zoey looked back at her fellow band-mates and yelled "Bail guys! Teleport out!"

"We're not leaving you, Zoey! Not until the others arrive!" one of the them shouted back, even as a Flamethrower from a Shadow Talonflame erupted from above them, only to be blasted out of the sky by several bolts of lightning. Zoey and everyone else on stage looked at the offender and saw that it was a very pissed off soldier.

"Where's. My. Son?" Lt. Surge growled as his remaining team crouched beside him, awaiting the command to attack again. Venus and Dakim laughed and pointed their Shadow golems forward as Zoey jogged over to Lt. Surge, the shield around her and Ampharos fading away.

"Bail now! Backup has arrived!" Zoey barked at her band, who reluctantly teleported away with a Kadabra, leaving Zoey with Lt. Surge.

"Give me back my son!" Surge bellowed at Dawson and Amber, who both shrugged.

"Give us Shadow Moltres and you have a deal." Amber responded dryly. Lt. Surge scowled and pulled out a phone. After tapping a few numbers and muttering something into the phone, a fearsome screech erupted from outside the stadium. After about thirty seconds, a massive burning bird suddenly landed on the side of the open stadium, flaring its wings and letting out a fearsome screech.

"There! You got your damn Shadow Pokémon back! Now give me Sam!" Lt. Surge yelled at the Admins, who exchanged looks before shrugging as one.

"No, I don't think we will. Much more fun to let you squirm." Venus responded, with Lt. Surge beginning to walk forward with hate burning in his eyes. "Kill his Pokémon and the singer girl. We can capture and torture him later."

"I was hoping to do this alone. But...Now." Lt. Surge said as he crossed his arms. Before any of the Admins could respond to that, a massive Braviary suddenly slammed into Dawson and knocked him to the ground. Samuel Surge let out a scream as the bird flapped its wings hard and sent Amber crashing to the ground and grabbed the child in its talons.

"Sammy!" Surge yelled out, a note of relief in his voice.

"Stop them damn it!" Amber shouted to the others, with Dawson sighing and taking aim with his pistol. He fired off a shot and to his annoyance, a floating sword and shield suddenly flickered into existence behind the Braviary and created a barrier to protect them from the shot. With that, Samuel Surge was dropped into the arms of his father, who hugged his child tightly and broke into tears of relief along with his child. The Aegislash and Braviary hovered near the father and son before the Aegislash suddenly whisked the two of them away by using Shadow Sneak, carrying them away from the fight.

"Idiots! The one time I can't fight and you blow it!" Amber shouted at Dakim, Venus, and Dawson. They were interrupted when a familiar voice cleared their throat, drawing their attention to a nearby figure wearing body armor and a bowtie at his neck, a sniper rifle aimed at the four of them.

"Hey fuckers. Remember me?" Oliver asked casually as he shifted his aim to Dakim and fired a sniper round directly into the man's forehead. It somehow rebounded off of the man's mask, but made him stumble backwards with a snarl of pain.

"Regirock! Registeel! Kill him!" Dakim bellowed, throwing his arms up as Venus did the same with her Shadow Regice. All three Legendary Golems surged forward with robotic cries, only for a several of explosions to engulf to the two Pokémon and send the three of them crashing to the ground, barely conscious as it became apparent a series of attacks had hit the trio at once.

"Not on your life!" yelled out a small, old woman that was suddenly standing on the other side of the stage, surrounded by Pokémon. At Agatha's side was Bruno and Karen of the Elite Four, both of whom looked livid and had their teams ready to attack again.

That was, until they heard the sound of malicious laughter echoing through the stadium.

"Fantastic! Now we have the heavy-hitters out on display! But in the end...It's all pointless!" cackled a voice from above. Everyone looked skyward to see Greevil and Giovanni descending from the sky atop something that could only be described as a _monster_.

At the most basic level, it could have been described as what was once a Noivern. However, thanks to the same monstrous venom that had corrupted Amber's Shadow Rhyperior, the Sound Wave Pokémon owned by Greevil had been mutated to a point nearly beyond recognition. The color of its body had morphed from black and purple to grey and black, with face turning an awful shade of reddish-brown. It's soulless eyes were ringed with insanity, its body covered in wriggling spikes that had no right to be there. The beast let out a echoing scream of fury that made everyone on stage clamp their hands over their ears. This helped Greevil catch the advantage when he issued a command, pointing at the trio of Elite Four Trainers.

"Umbral Peak!" Greevil commanded the Umbral Noivern as he and Giovanni landed on the ground. The beast reared its head back and released an incredible wave of sound that made the three Trainers drop to their knees and scream in agony, their Pokémon twitching and howling in pain before they began to drop like flies, fainting one by one until none of them were conscious.

"What...what the hell is that thing?" Zoey whispered as she beheld the Umbral Noivern with sheer horror in her voice.

"Something a lot worse than a Shadow Pokémon."

Zoey looked to her left and saw Oliver standing beside her, panting slightly at having barely escaped the attack thanks to the reappearance of his Aegislash. "That thing reminds me of the Pokémon Amber used back at Vermilion."

"She has an Umbral Pokémon too? Shit...it's like Jojo all over again. Please tell me we have more backup coming to help us out." Zoey sighed as Giovanni stepped forward and admired the carnage before him. Oliver saw the man in question and scowled.

"Giovanni? Damn!" Oliver swore and placed a hand to his temple. "Quill with a Code Black. Giovanni is here and cooperating with Cipher! Move ahead with the plan!"

At this point, the battling that had gone in the crowds was mostly one-sided, with the International Police and regular security struggling against Cipher's superior Pokémon and weaponry. However, upon Oliver's signal, dozens of agents began to teleport into the stadium, along with several of the Gym Leaders from the Kanto region. Oliver spotted Anabel and Looker within the stands, making their way towards his position, though the Shadow Moltres that had suddenly landed within the front row made that job much harder. The Shadow Pokémon screeched before bathing the seats in flames and incinerating Cipher and International Police alike in a shower of fire.

"You think introducing more of you fools matters!? No!" Greevil screamed as the sound of screeching filled the air. To the collective shock of everyone, two more massive birds suddenly filled the skies, one a beautiful sky blue and the other a shocking yellow.

"All Three Legendary Birds...all three Legendary Golems...What else do you bastards have up your sleeves!?" Zoey demanded, though she was eyeing all of the Legendaries with worry. Especially since the trio of Elite Four members and their Pokémon had yet to rise from the ground.

"We're not so foolish as to completely tip our hand. This is a show of force." Giovanni said smoothly, putting a hand in his pocket while making a careless gesture with the other. "A display of the power of Cipher and Team Rocket. Which reminds me…"

Giovanni snapped his fingers, which seemed to be a signal of sorts because Team Rocket members began to literally appear out of the shadows within the stadium, with two squads appearing on stage and backing up the two masterminds as they stood opposite Oliver and Zoey, with a massive battle taking place in the stands as Cipher, Team Rocket, and the Legendary Birds prevented anyone else from getting to to the stage, with the International Police getting pushed back despite their efforts, with several of them falling to the combined attacks coming their way.

"Now…Let's kill two annoying thorns in my side." Greevil said as Amber stepped over to Greevil and the mysterious cloaked Admin suddenly appeared from the shadows beside them, an Ariados chittering softly beside him. Oliver and Zoey scowled as the Umbral Noivern let out a scream of fury, flapping its wings above the Grand Master. Just behind him, Dakim and Venus had revived their Legendary Golems and were joining in the carnage, laying waste to the International Police and anyone foolish enough to storm the stage.

"Umbral Peak! Bring them to their knees!" Greevil shouted as Umbral Noivern swooped down to the ground and landed, rearing back its head and opening its mouth. Oliver shouted out the command for King's Shield while Zoey had her Ampharos use Protect, creating a strange shimmering sphere of green and gold that surrounded them and their Pokémon. However, as the Umbral Pokémon released its attack for the second time, it appeared that not even two protection-based moves could hold back the sheer power the beast possessed. Both shields began to crack under the pressure they were were under, with Oliver gritting his teeth. Zoey quickly revived her Blaziken, but was genuinely stumped on how they could get out of this.

"Nothing like a televised execution to get the blood pumping. Poor Borlath is probably kicking himself for missing this right now." Greevil laughed as he watched the barrier break before their eyes. Giovanni chuckled darkly, though he shook his head.

"Likely not. Hmm…" The mob boss looked skyward and his face broke into a grin as he unclipped a ball from his belt and called out a Persian.

"The guest of honor has arrived. Protect." Giovanni ordered the cat Pokémon. The Persian nodded and created a barrier around itself, Giovanni, and Greevil just in time for a Hyper Beam to slam into the barrier and explode violently around them. The Umbral Noivern roared in pain after taking the attack head on, but only showed minor damage at the direct hit.

Greevil's smile widened as he saw a man with fiery red hair dressed in a strange outfit with a cloak leap from atop a Dragonite, an Aerodactyl and a Dragonair in the air just above him. The man's eyes were narrowed with barely contained fury, but his tone was level as he spoke to them.

"So...Here we are. You did all this to finally get me into a direct confrontation. I'm here in your trap." Lance said, the Champion's voice as cold as permafrost. "You really did leave me with no choice. Either I stayed away from this madness and risked a great deal of lives to your carnage, as well as the support of the International Police and other allies...Or I risk the Kanto and Johto regions losing their Champion to your scheme."

"Yes. I'm quite proud of our plan. Now, you will be coming with us. You see that even with the backup you brought with you, you're still very outmatched." Greevil said with a chuckle as his Umbral Noivern hovered above him. Lance allowed himself a few moments to stare at the horrific abomination of nature before looking back at Greevil.

"I am definitely outmatched here. But you're wrong when you say the backup I've brought isn't enough to even the odds...and that my backup was just _this_." Lance remarked, his face creeping into a small smirk that Greevil scowled at. And then there was a massive screech from behind him, and the Grand Master whirled around to see Shadow Moltres vanishing from the front row and getting sucked inside of a glowing purple Timer Ball. The ball clattered to the ground and shook once...twice...three times…

Click.

"Snag confirmed. Who's next?" came a voice from the shadows. Greevil grit his teeth as Aria Cooper walked out onto the stage proper, decked out in a black combat outfit with her Snag Machine gleaming in the moonlight. The young woman held out her hand and the Timer Ball flew into her outstretched grip, and the Snagger pocketed the ball containing Shadow Moltres with a wink.

"Well done. You brought a stupid girl that was half of what Wes was to our biggest victory yet. I'm shaking in my boots!" Greevil laughed as he snapped his fingers. Dakim and Venus stepped forward as Aria flexed her fingers, preparing to battle the two Admins. "Reclaiming Moltres will be a simple task."

"Psh. I'm no Wes, but last time I checked I've shown up three of your Admins. I'm willing to up that number to five. Besides, I think you should be worried about the guys above you, ya old bastard." Aria shot back, with Greevil's head suddenly looking upward. The man felt an awful chill of raw fear crawl through his body as he spotted a Charizard and a Pidgeot descending from above, with a young man on each.

"No... _No!_ Borlath said they weren't supposed to be in the region!" Greevil screamed as Amber and Giovanni watched the approaching duo silently, with Giovanni's expression twisting into a terrible expression of fury. However it was the strange masked Admin who replied.

"You'd be astounded how quickly travel through the regions can be. Obviously we were outplayed." The masked man remarked lightly, a small laugh escaping him. "I suppose we really will see whether or not Cipher's power is unmatched now."

"Open fire!" Greevil screamed at the Cipher Grunts around them. The Grunts in question raised their weapons skyward and ordered their Pokémon to attack, but were intercepted by a barrage of attacks from the International Police and Gym Leaders that were storming the stage with defiant looks of fury on their faces now that the Shadow Moltres was gone.

Brock from the Pewter City Gym unleashed a Steelix and a Forretress and used them to help protect the others from Cipher's gunfire as it turned to them, issuing out commands like Iron Defense, Harden, and Protect as he called out more and more Pokémon.

"You think we're going to let you run roughshod over our homes! Think again!" Koga bellowed as his daughter Janine landed beside him, two Crobats and two Weezing hovering protectively by them and firing off purple streams of toxic liquid at the Grunts as they tried to protect their leaders. Misty stood atop her Gyarados barking out commands, with the massive beast firing a deadly Hyper Beam into the stream of Grunts and receiving a slew of attacks that brought it down for its trouble. Misty tumbled off of the beast and was caught by Lance's Aerodactyl, who landed on the ground with a screech and soared back into the fight.

Meanwhile the two flying figures, a Charizard and a Pidgeot made it to the ground and the two young men riding atop the Pokémon stepped in front of the Champion, staring down the group of Cipher Admins and the leader of them all.

The more intimidating of the pair had a rather stoic expression on his face, and wore a simple white T-shirt and blue jeans and white and red sneakers, with a cap on his head of the same color scheme. His almost emotionless gray eyes bespoke an unbreakable calm as his pale brown hair blew softly in the wind, with six Poké Balls of different types on his belt. His Charizard let out a bellow of fury and a twenty foot plume of fire erupted from the lizard's mouth, a showcase of its raw strength on display for all to see. Meanwhile a Pikachu rode on the young man's shoulder, looking around at the destroyed concert with a look of horror on its face.

The other man had brown spiky hair and wore a short-sleeved black dress shirt with brown slacks, with six Poké Balls of various types clipped to his belt. A cocky smirk was on his face as his brown eyes glanced over those assembled before he made a casual hand gesture in greeting.

"Hey there. Don't think we've ever been properly introduced. The name's Blue. And this chatty bastard next to me is Red. And the two of us are going to end this crap once and for all." Blue said with a grin as his Pidgeot landed next to him, letting out a fearsome cry as the massive bird flapped its wings, sending a powerful wind across the stage.

Red silently stepped forward with a blank expression on his face as the Pikachu on his shoulder leapt onto the ground, it's cheeks sparking wildly in preparation for the showdown to come.

* * *

 _Stay tuned for Part II! Where it's gonna be the Kanto Gym Leaders, International Police, Anabel, Looker, Zoey, Oliver, Aria, Lance, Red and Blue vs. Greevil, Giovanni, The Masked/Unknown Admin, Umbral Noivern, Umbral Rhyperior, the Legendary Golems, Shadow Zapdos and Shadow Articuno, Venus, Dakim, Dawson, Amber, and the combined forces of Cipher and Team Rocket and much more!_

Q & A

 _From: snipmaster149_

Did sun ever get the zygarde cube?

 **Yes. He got the Zygarde Cube from Sina and Dexio back in Chapter 38. However, the cube is split in half due to the monumental task of collecting and reforming a Legendary required to help combat a deadly criminal syndicate, so the task is shared between him and Aria. The two of them are reforming Zygarde together. The only reason he hasn't progressed to the 10% stage is because I haven't gotten to that point in my playthrough myself.**

 _From: RC-DA_

I'm a bit confused about Eldes decision to stay with Cipher though since he showed disdain for it in XD. Also I noticed that you call it the oore region, isn't it spelled orre? It doesn't really matter much, just something I noticed. One more thing, I've got a feeling that Damien has an advantage over Oliver, especially since Sun's father started in Alola and Damien was his starter, and description of it doesn't really match the other one. Other than that, you claim the next chapters are going to be awesome, so make them the best ones ever, of all time.

 **That was a spelling mistake that I somehow didn't notice until recently. So...yeah, my bad.**

 **Hopefully this chapter cleared up this question that you've had for a while now. Ashton convinced Eldes, Ardos, and Greevil to continue the scheming of Cipher. Eldes took more effort than the other two, but Ashton managed to convince Eldes that continuing Cipher would help the world in the long run, which eventually swayed him. Especially after Ashton explained what he wanted from Cipher in the long run, since it appealed to Eldes humanity.**

 _From: Technitium2_

Anyway, to the question that's totally inconsequential but I'm very curious about: is Zoey's design based on Ruby Rose? Because I feel like it's based on that gun-scythe-toting leader. If it is, I welcome all RWBY references.

 **Very good eye.**

 **Zoey is actually one of the very first OC's I created for this universe, years and years ago when the RWBY Trailers were being released. Character-wise she's generally reserved and fairly soft-spoken, though she has a bit of a mean streak when riled. Design-wise, she was inspired by Ruby from RWBY. Save for the eyes being a different color and being just a little taller.**

 **Sadly, for this story, she has a very minor role and won't be used all that much. However...That may change depending on the future.**

 _From: Sai Og Sus_

I really hope you justify his defeat against Red. That man deserves it. Also, didn't Giovanni become a Gym Leader again in BW2? Are you going to ignore it or expand it more?

 **I'll try and justify it, but again, trying to cover up all of the plot holes the game leaves is getting exhausting at this point. Considering child prodigies are defeating veteran villain bosses in every game, it's honestly not a long shot to say that Red was just that good and Giovanni underestimated him. I also don't think anyone really has a problem with that being the real reason, since Red is one of the most powerful characters in the entire series.**

 **And as for the Gym Leader thing...I'm ignoring that because it makes no canonical sense. It was done just to justify having him in the game so he could be battled, fanservice and nothing more. That's it. Why would they let him become a Gym Leader again? That's a bit silly.**

 _From: Sai Og Sus_

Now I understand that Tapu Lele's device is similar to Zorua's ability but considering how you have established that Psychic are powerful enough to manipulate minds, can't she do the same to Sun and Lillie? Make them see her as a human? Unless you have your own excuse like how it is exhausting for her or something.

 **I've explained this in depth via PM, but I'll explain it here.**

 **Psychic-types are powerful, but they have limits. Even Legendary Psychic-types, while capable of incredible things, have limits. Warping the perceptions of theoretically dozens or hundreds of adults is way more taxing than it would need to do it for. However, Tapu Lele could distort a human's vision and perception in that manner if it wanted to. It's just easier for it to use Colress' inventions to mess around because it's an immortal deity that's bored as hell.**

 _From: MoonlightButterfree_

You might have already explained this and I missed it, but I don't remember seeing anything about what happened to Wes. Is that something that's going to be address later down the line or is he just not in this?

 **Wes vanished shortly after the fall of Nimbasa City, having lost the will to keep fighting due to watching the city die without being able to stop it. Wes was then defeated by Ghetsis and Perfect Kyurem and had one of his Pokemon killed (some of this was explained earlier or heavily inferred), and then he just...broke. Aria couldn't convince him to keep fighting, because after everything he had suffered through, he had had enough. So he vanished and hasn't been seen since.**

 **However...I do have plans for this. And he is in a location that some of you may know.**

 _From: Okamiden14_

Im running out of ideas to ask or say man. Good chapter, but i do have to ask, will rainbow rocket make an appearance? Along witht he other evil team leaders like lysandre, archie, maxie etc.?

 **Hey, you made a legit account. Awesome! And you don't have to ask a question every chapter. It's just a thing I did so if people have questions, I can answer them.**

 **And as to that question...sort of. However I can say the other leaders involved with Rainbow Rocket will not be appearing in the story, sadly.**

 _From: Guest_

I've noticed pedestal has beenough a huge influence on your writing and I was just wondering if your name derived from the story since one of nicks followers was named flygon and of course nick.

 **That is a very, very big leap in logic.**

 **No, to answer your question. My Pen-name comes from the fact that my favorite** **Pokémon is Flygon and that my IRL name is Nicholas.**

 **I won't argue that "Pedestal" is a fantastic story and that it has inspired me in general for a while now, but that's not just with this story. Also, I've read several stories on this site that have inspired me, which is no different than a game or piece of music inspiring me. To have my name be inspired from some really obscure character from a story I enjoyed doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me.**

 **Plus, I discovered that story years after I started writing on this site, though I will admit my name was originally FlygonN instead of FlygonNick. I decided to just add the three extra letters a short time later, since it sounded better to me.**

 _That's all for now. Thanks for the support, feedback, and reviews stuff. If you haven't already, please support this story with a favorite/follow and some glorious feedback in the section below. Plus, submit questions to be answered! That's a thing too._

 _Next chapter will be a glorious showdown! But who will come out alive!? Not everyone…stay tuned for "Kingslayer Part II."_

 _Take care and stay awesome._

 _Until next time, FlygonNick out!_


	66. Kingslayer Part 2

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _So, that Nuzlocke I've been doing. An interesting turn of events on Poni Island resulted in my losing three of my main team, after losing another one of my Pokémon to Faba at the Aether Paradise. Basically I was stuck with one decently-levelled Jolteon and nothing else, so I've been grinding like crazy and had to backtrack to other areas I hadn't been to so I could hopefully catch more stuff._

 _That said, this Nuzlocke had taught me many things about Sun and Moon._

 _For one thing, you can apparently get an Electrizer on Poni Island. I did not know this, and that annoys me because I seriously wanted Sun to have an Electivire on his team early on when I was still hashing out his team. Sadly, I'm committed to my current choice and I'm already too attached to a certain character to change my mind. Just wouldn't work out by just slapping that personality on another Pokémon._

 _Also, Drifblim and Mudsdale are awesome. I wish I had known this as well, because well...see reasons above. That said, I wouldn't have gone with Drifblim anyway because it shares types with Sun's existing Pokémon and that doesn't work out._

 _Currently grinding before the Grand Trial with Hapu, since I'm not going to risk losing anymore Pokémon and I've had bad luck on the final stretch of the game already. Just going to play it safe._

 _Current Team:_

 _Kaha the Jolteon_

 _Tetra the Garchomp_

 _Brock the Nosepass_

 _Hyu the Starmie_

 _Ginny the Granbull_

 _Dino the Aerodactyl_

 _Anyways, back to the plot. Exciting things are happening and continue to happen! I could've had this out yesterday, but several days of sleep deprivation hit me at once and I literally slept all day Friday. So...my bad._

 _I hammered out about 10,000 words of this over the course of Saturday and Sunday, so let's see how it goes!_

 _Shoutout those who reviewed since the last update, which includes RC-DA, TheOneWhoSaysMeep, Sai Og Sus, Ultimate blazer, Angelfir3, BraviaryScout, SpoonyAzul, Okamiden14,_ operettaoceanic, and two new reviewers known as _Alex TF and SomeCallItKye. Thank you all so much for the support and feedback._

 _Special shoutout to my friend (and fellow member of the Freelancer Collaboration) SpoonyAzul for being lucky review number 800! Thank you for being a soundboard for when I need some feedback on crazy ideas and for being a good sport when I taunt you about all the tragedy that happens in this story. It's crazy how much this story continues to grow week by week, and the fact that we're only 192 reviews away from hitting 1,000 is absurd. Let's keep the good times rolling!_

 _And another thank you to those who responded to me in regards to last chapter's remarks in the AN regarding some of the recent reviews I've gotten. Seriously, the support means so much more to me than I can express. My job isn't easy by any means, and after a hard week and struggling to get chapters out on a schedule as good as the one that I have, it's frustrating seeing some of the reviews I tend to get. Those who tend to leave those kind of reviews apologized this go around, which I thank you for, though honestly there's nothing to apologize about because you were just doing your thing as a reader. That said, I will apologize for reacting in such a dramatic fashion, and I thank everyone who's responded with patience and understanding_.

 _Also, I finally made a decision regarding Hau and Gladion's teams in this story. What I decided...Well, you'll find out and see. But I'll answer the unspoken question with an answer…_

 _A combination of both._

 ** _For the first section regarding the battle, I highly recommend having the extended version of the theme "Black Powder" playing in the background (from Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep). Helps set the mood and it's what I have playing in the background as I wrote this scene._**

 _Also, again, "All Things Must Die" is sung by Casey Lee Williams and composed and written by Jeff Williams. It's played again in this chapter, starting off from where it stopped last chapter. And I'm aware that the inclusion of music and lyrics during a scene like this does break off the flow, but ever since I decided on doing this scene, I couldn't not listen to this song while it happened so...Here we are._

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 _Chapter 66: Kingslayer Part 2_

* * *

The wind began to howl as the Trainers on the stage glared each other down. The Admins of Cipher and Team Rocket knew that even with their considerable forces and the Legendaries at their beck and call…

Now it seemed the equalizers had arrived for their enemies. A Champion they could handle.

But two of the greatest Trainers of all time...the two youngest Champions in recorded history?

Not as simple.

"U-Umbral Noivern! Put them down! Umbral Rend!" Greevil practically screeched, clenching his fists and throwing out a hand as the corrupted dragon roared in fury, flaring out its wings as its claws began to burn with darkness.

"I'll start this off. Pidegot, stop it with Mirror Move!" Blue barked as Pidgeot rushed forward to meet the haunted beast, its own talons beginning to burn with darkness. Pidgeot winced in pain at even copying the Umbral Move, but the effect was achieved nevertheless, as both attacks clashed and managed to cancel the other out, both beasts being sent flying backwards as a powerful force washed over everyone and stage and sent them stumbling back.

"That thing's strong. Red, you ready for this?" Blue asked his best friend, who just replied with a nod.

"Dragon Pulse!" Greevil yelled out, before turning to the others with him. "Help me, you idiots!"

"Naturally. Me and that brat have unfinished business." Giovanni growled in reply, calling out a Rhyperior and a Kangaskhan to back up his Persian. He then addressed Red and said, "It's been a long time, boy. I've returned to make good on my promise. And with it, end your miserable life like I should have over a decade ago!"

Red, to his credit, didn't really seem to register the furious words of Giovanni. However, the kingpin did see the young man's expression shift slightly, one of the very few times he showed emotion. And what Giovanni saw made his blood boil.

Red was smirking, ever so slightly, in amusement. With one finger, he silently curled his pointer finger inward towards Giovanni, the message he was sending towards the mastermind behind Team Rocket as clear as day.

Come and get me.

"Hyper Beam! All three at once!" Giovanni bellowed, with all three of his Pokémon charging up flickering black orbs of energy that erupted outwards towards the man. Red barely even registered that the three deadly beams were rushing towards him, instead he just snapped his fingers and the stage in front of him exploded in a shower of water and earth, a glimmering shield appearing around Red, Pikachu, Charizard and the newly arrived Blastoise that had come to protect his Trainer. The three attacks struck the shield with incredible force that actually created a shiver through the stadium due to the power behind them. But the shield held firm, with Red crossing his arms as Giovanni's Pokémon poured more and more power into the attack, seemingly asking the criminal leader if this was the best he could do.

Sadly for Giovanni, his three Pokémon had to take a moment to release the attack and recharge their energy, such was the price of using one of the deadliest attacks known to Pokémon. Red threw out his hand and his Pikachu leapt into air, electricity dancing from its cheeks as the Mouse Pokémon prepared to attack.

"Pii...kaaa….chuuu!" the small Pokémon screamed as a literal storm of lightning hurtled towards Giovanni and his trio of Pokémon. Kangaskhan and Persian screeched in agony as the attack surged through them, dropping them both to the ground. Rhyperior snorted as it began to recover from using Hyper Beam, stomping forward.

"Rock Blast!" Giovanni roared, returning his fainted Pokémon and glaring down Red. The Rhyperior held out its arms began to fire raw chunks of rock at the Pikachu as it landed on the ground. Red snapped his fingers and the speedy mouse darted to the side to dodge the gunfire-like attack, with Giovanni's scowl becoming more and more pronounced.

"Stone Edge!" Giovanni bellowed, clenching his fists hard enough to draw blood on his palm. Rhyperior roared in response, throwing its arms upward and causing blue pillars of rock to jut upwards. Red's eyes widened as he threw himself to the side, barely avoiding being impaled by the attack as his Charizard and Blastoise were bashed by the rocks and Pikachu was knocked skyward with a cry. Red got to his feet and adjusted his hat before he looked up at his Pikachu.

Giovanni grit his teeth as he saw that Red wasn't even remotely thrown off by the attack. Instead, Red punched forward silently, and Pikachu suddenly dove down towards Rhyperior with a glowing tail, spinning several times through the air before bringing it down like a sword into the side of Rhyperior's head. The Drill Pokémon stumbled to the side before collapsing onto the ground, a trail of blackish blood dripping from its skull from being hit with such a powerful Iron Tail.

"With...just one attack…" Giovanni spat, clenching his fists. Red held out his arm as Pikachu jumped back to his shoulder. Red and Giovanni stared at each other for a time on the stage before Red looked over at Blue, who was battling Greevil with his Arcanine, Pidgeot, and Exeggutor.

"You think I'll be stopped now!? At the night of our greatest triumph! Never!" Greevil snarled as Umbral Noivern dodged a burst of flames and swooped down, slashing outwards with its wings and leaving deep slashes in Blue's Exeggutor as it prepared to use Psychic. The Coconut Pokémon toppled to the ground with a scream of pain, darkness and greenish fluid pouring from the side of the Pokémon. Blue sprinted forward and returned his fallen Pokémon, a scowl of hate on his face as Greevil cackled with glee as Umbral Noivern roared and released a ball of darkness at his Pidgeot, which the bird dodged by descending through the air.

Aria grinned ferally as Venus and Dakim squared off against her, though the Snagger found herself backed up by Zoey and Lance, with the Champion being flanked by his loyal Dragonite.

"Been awhile since we met, sir." Aria said quietly, with Lance smiling thinly at the remark.

"It has. We'll need to have a discussion about the whole time-travel thing someday." Lance said before his smile faded, the man throwing out an arm. "For now, we fight! Red and Blue will handle Greevil. We must ensure no one stops them from bringing that man down!"

"Sorry, but no can do!"

Lance whirled around in time to see Dawson kicking him in the chest and sending him crashing to the ground. Aria aimed a punch at the man but that was dodged easily by the mercenary, who leapt back and took aim with his pistol before quickly moving his arm and firing at the Dragonite looming behind him. The Dragon Pokémon roared in agony as a chunk of its stomach was obliterated away, leaving a bleeding charred mess that made the beast double over, only for it to be suddenly hit by a massive gout of fire and ice that made it scream in pain.

"Jace, back us up!" Zoey yelled out as her Blaziken rushed forward to engage the trio of Shadow golems, who were raring to go once more. Aria watched the display for a moment, taking stock of the battle. Cipher and Team Rocket had done an incredible job of ensuring none of the Gym Leaders or International Police could interfere on-stage, and with Shadow Articuno and Shadow Zapdos now circling overhead, it meant they were on their own.

 _"They're idiots...But they want this to go down one specific way. With all the major players battling it out with no interference. And I'm gonna make sure we stand tall at the end._ " Aria thought before she unclipped a Poké Ball and held it out.

"Sophie! Thunderbolt!" Aria yelled out as she called out her Jolteon, who landed on the ground and fired off a bolt of lightning as Shadow Regirock, who groaned in pain and shuddered for a moment before suddenly being knocked to the ground with a Hyper Beam from Dragonite, which succeeded in making Venus and Dakim back off and dealing massive damage to the other two members of the corrupted Regi Trio. The beast turned its hateful attention to Dawson who had fired at it again, this time blowing a chunk off of the arm the beast was attempting to crush the man with as it swung around. This wasn't helped when a Hyper Beam and an Ice Beam slammed into the Dragon Pokémon and sent the Dragonite toppling to the ground.

"No!" Lance screamed, lunging at Dawson and jamming a fist into the man's throat. Dawson stumbled back with a croak before whipping out his sickle and slamming it into Lance's chest, making the man's eyes widen in pain before Dawson ripped the blade free in a spray of crimson kicked him to the ground, where he fell and went limp as blood flowed from the wound.

"Champion Lance!" Zoey yelled out, rushing forward in horror. Dawson raised his pistol to shoot her as well, but he was cut off when a sniper round blasted the gun from his hand and make the merc yelp in pain.

"Zoey, get the Champion to a medic!" Oliver barked out to the singer, who nodded. Oliver kept his rifle trained on Dawson, who was smirking slightly. Aria stepped in front of them as she pulled out a Poké Ball.

"Sebastian, come out and use Heal Pulse!" Aria commanded as she tossed the Poké Ball into the air. It exploded and a shower of light erupted forth, coalescing into a grinning Lucario standing before her, wearing a familiar black collar around his neck.

"We've cover you. Aegislash, Braviary! Let's go!" Oliver barked out as he called out two of his Pokémon to battle Venus and Dakim alongside Zoey. Due to the size of the stage and the amount of chaos already going on, pretty much everyone was relegated to using only one or two Pokémon at once.

" _Gotcha! Guessing I help this guy out?"_ Sebastian asked as he knelt down to Lance and his palms began to glow. Lance's Dragonite twitched and shuddered beside them, letting out a small cry as it saw how badly injured his Trainer was.

"We'll protect you, Seb. Just keep up the healing." Aria said as she stepped forward, only for a very familiar face to teleport in a few meters front of her with an Xatu standing at their side.

"Amber…" Aria growled, clenching her fists.

Amber Fontaine didn't reply right away, instead taking a moment to admire Dawson's handiwork of bringing down the Champion and his prized Pokémon thanks to the combined efforts of the Admins Dakim and Venus. Even if they weren't particularly powerful, the Regi Trio were still considerable forces when used properly. Avis vanished from Amber's side as the woman finally looked at Aria.

"I don't know how you survived getting thrown through time. But I guess that doesn't matter now. I finally get to kill you myself." Amber said softly, a murderous smile coming to her lips.

"You think you can pull that off?" Aria asked, gesturing to the woman's cast. "You look like you need a hand. And an arm."

Amber's smile slipped from her face while Dawson snickered behind her. The assassin didn't even bother replying but instead turned her attention to the stands where the sound of screams could be heard, followed by flames exploding across the stands and incinerating a squad of International Police. Aria whirled around in horror before looking back at Amber, who was chuckling soullessly at the grisly sight.

"Looks like Damien is clearing out the stands...Didn't know he got sent ahead. That thing scares me sometimes." Dawson said with a shudder as he saw a blast of energy suddenly erupt from the stands, hitting two International Police agents and their Pokémon as they tried to rush the stage and attack Greevil as he battled with Blue with a horrifically brutal showcase of battling, though it looked like Red was waiting for a point to where he could jump into the fray himself.

"Good. Then let's even the odds. I'll battle, you watch my back." Amber said to Dawson as Avis flickered into existence beside her.

"Thunderbolt!" Aria barked out, with Sophie responding with a barrage of lightning. Amber leapt forward and did a one-armed handspring to dodge the attack before getting thrown through the air with Psychic by Avis, who fired a Shadow Ball at Sophie. The Jolteon dodged before quickly forming an orb of blue electricity in her mouth and firing a bolt of lightning at Avis. The Xatu teleported to the right to dodge, only for the Shock Wave attack to suddenly veer off towards her and shock the daylights out of the Mystic Pokémon due to the fact that Shock Wave never missed.

Aria barely avoided the brutal mid-air kick from Amber as the woman dropped to the ground, grinning sadistically as Aria swung out her hand, a black blade springing from the Snag Machine. Aria rushed at Amber and swung a fist at her, but Cipher's Angel of Death was too quick and dodged the stab and grabbed Aria's arm with her only good arm, kicking the Snagger hard in the chest and sending her crashing to the ground. Aria rolled to her feet and charged at Amber again, with the two woman exchanging a handful of furious blows that were interrupted when Amber was hit with a bolt of electricity that made her shout out in pain, making her body seize up.

Aria rushed forward, attempting to stab the woman, only to be thrown back by a blast of Psychic as Avis teleported in front of her shouting, _"No!"_

The Snagger crashed onto the stage and painfully got to her feet, wincing as her leg throbbed with pain. Sophie began firing more Shock Waves at Avis, who to her horror couldn't dodge them with ease and had to keep using Protect to block, though due to the frequency she was using it was failing as often as it worked. Amber rose to her feet panting, her face contorted into a terrible scowl.

"I despise being in this situation. When I can use my arm again, I'm going to have so much fun." Amber hissed as she pulled off a Poké Ball from her belt that had a glowing purple crack down the side. "Umbral Rhyperior! Go!"

"What!? You... _oh god_ , you have an Umbral Pokémon." Aria whispered, taking a step back in horror. Flashbacks of a certain psychotic Hypno came to mind as Amber grinned evilly at Aria, the Rhyperior appearing in a flash of darkness from the Poké Ball with a scream of agony and fury.

"After some field-testing, I've managed to uncover some attacks that it can use without having to recharge. Rhyperior! Umbral Smash!"

The beast charged towards Aria as its arms began to burn with darkness, but was waylaid by Lucario leaping at the beast and punching it with glowing palms and savage screams. Umbral Rhyperior swiped at Sebastian, but the Lucario leapt to the side and began hurling Aura Spheres at the beast, making it roar in response. Avis appeared over the battle with a cry, sending a Shadow Ball at the Lucario and knocking him away before getting zapped by Sophie as she rushed over to fight.

"So, the time has come for me to confront the Snagger! How exciting!" came a voice from the side. Aria whirled around and saw the Masked Admin standing side-by-side with a strange four-legged monster that looked very well-armored, with a wave of heat radiating from the beast as well as a shadowy cloak around it. Aria dug into her pocket and pulled out a Pokédex, which booted up and scanned the Pokémon.

" _National Pokédex scanning...Entry found in Sinnoh Pokédex."_ The device stated after a moment, booting up an image of the Pokémon in question.

 _"Heatran. The Lava Dome Pokémon. It dwells in volcanic caves. It digs in with its cross-shaped feet to crawl on ceilings and walls. Boiling blood, like magma, circulates through its body."_ the Pokédex intoned, with Aria looking up in surprise at the man.

"A gift from Ghetsis to Cipher from Unova. Now, I've heard tales about you, Miss Cooper. I thought you were in my old home." The Admin remarked lightly, with Aria noticing that his accent was very similar to that of Professor Kukui's and Hau's.

"You're Alolan...Doesn't matter. We're putting you all down tonight!" Aria barked as she glanced back at her Lucario and Jolteon as they fought off Umbral Rhyperior and Avis, but were faring badly as the Xatu kept teleporting and throwing Shadow Balls at the pair, and it was only a matter of time before Rhyperior managed to hit one of them...

As if on cue, Umbral Rhyperior suddenly stepped forward and backhanded Sebastian with a glowing arm, sending the Lucario rocketing backwards and crashing into a steel post, dropping him to the ground and knocking him out. Aria stepped forward with a cry of horror, but then whirled around and saw that the man was ordering an attack.

"Heatran! Shadow Rave!" the Masked Admin barked, throwing out a hand as the Sinnohan Legendary snarled, stomping down its feet as a shadowy aura rushed forward and pooled in front of the beast. Then, a barrage of black spikes flew from the portal and soared towards Aria, who leapt to the side to dodge the barrage and rolled to her feet, throwing out her arm and extending a hand out and aiming the blade within the Snag Machine at the Admin, scowling at him.

"Oh? And what's that supposed to do?" the Admin asked, tilting his head slightly. In response, Aria clenched her fist and the blade shot towards the Admin, who swore and hit the ground, allowing Aria to regroup as Sophie joined her side. Aria looked behind her and saw that some of the Gym Leaders had managed to break onto the stage. Now Blaine, Sabrina, and Brock were battling the Admins and keeping them at bay.

Zoey was now battling Umbral Rhyperior with her Blaziken, with the Blaze Pokémon frantically trying to put down the beast, but to no avail. Dawson stood behind Amber, glancing around and trying to find a way to jump in and help in the mayhem unfolding.

"Dawson, I need a blade." Amber said, turning to the man.

"Borlath said you shouldn't fight." Dawson reminded her, but Amber looked at him with an annoyed glare.

"He also didn't expect for shit to hit the fan. Greevil is _barely_ holding off Red and Blue! We need to get back into this fight. So I'm going to do what I do best. So. Blade?" Amber said pointedly, jerking a thumb at the three way battle between Red and Blue against the Grand Master of Cipher.

Amber was glad that more of the serum obtained from President Lusamine was used in the creation of Umbral Noivern, because that was only way it was managing to even survive against a very powerful Pikachu, Charizard, Blastoise, Pidgeot, and Arcanine. Greevil bellowed a command for an attack that made Noivern vanish and reappear above Red's Blastoise, swinging both wings down in an arc and slashing the Shellfish Pokémon deeply enough to knock it out.

Dawson scowled and yanked a silver dagger free from his belt, handing it to Amber. "Done."

"Perfect." Amber replied quietly, stalking towards Aria as she flipped the blade in her grasp. Suddenly she heard the sound of wind rushing and turned in time for the butt end of a sniper rifle to bash her upside the head, sending her staggering backwards with a howl.

"Not a chance!" Oliver growled as his Braviary swooped low in front of him, letting out a fearsome screech as Lance slowly rose to his feet beside him, panting and coated in crimson.

"Are you okay, sir?" Oliver asked the Champion, who slowly nodded before he turned to his fallen Dragonite. Lance pulled out a Revive his pocket and pressed it against the head of the Dragon Pokémon, bringing it back to his senses as some of the beast's wounds slowly healed before his eyes. Dragonite rose with a shudder and Lance turned around to face Dawson and Amber, with Oliver keeping his gun tried on the two of them.

"Why haven't you shot them yet?" Lance asked the International Police agent, who grinned.

"I hadn't yet because my boss keeps giving me shit about my doing my own thing and now following orders. I was hoping you weren't going to have me take them alive or anything." Oliver said before he fired at Amber's heart, only for the Admin to be teleported away by her Xatu just as Oliver pulled the trigger.

"Holy shit, that's getting old!" Oliver sighed as Amber reappeared to the side, now riding her Xatu with a grin. The Xatu let out a caw and was about to attack when suddenly a massive roar filled the stadium, drawing everyone's attention to where Greevil had leapt onto Umbral Noivern soared high into the air, trying to get away from the two Trainers attack him and his beast. Red leapt onto the back of his Charizard with his Pikachu while Blue did the same with his Pidgeot. Soon enough the trio were several hundred feet in the air.

"You're not getting away from us, you bastard!" Blue bellowed as he shot into the air after the Grand Master of Cipher, urging his bird to go faster. It was clear that all three of the Flying-types were hurt pretty badly, but each of them were strong enough to push through the damage and continue to battle.

"Umbral Wave!" Greevil roared as Umbral Noivern did the same, with the beast rearing back its head before jutting it forward, two balls of energy forming within its ears. Both Red and Blue soared out of the way, barely avoiding the wide wave of energy before both Pokémon slammed into the Umbral Noivern with an Aerial Ace each, making it snarl in agony as it wobbled in the air, making Greevil scream in anger and horror as he realized how bad his position was. This worsened when Red's Pikachu shot a Thunderbolt at Umbral Noivern, which in turn shocked the old man riding atop its back.

"Stop standing around you morons! Help him!" Amber barked to the others, looking over at Avis, who nodded. Then both of their attentions were drawn back up and both were awed by the sight the came next.

Red stood tall on top of his Charizard as the Lizard Pokémon was suddenly engulfed in raging blues flames as it raced towards Greevil, who was watching the approaching Trainer with horror in his eyes at the determination gleaming in Red's. Greevil tried to issue a command to stop Red, but was cut off when Blue had his Pidgeot slam into Umbral Noivern from behind with Aerial Ace and stun the dragon and its Trainer.

"Is that…?" Aria trailed off, but Zoey finished her statement by saying, "Blast Burn...The Strongest Fire-type move."

To everyone's horror, Red leapt off of his Charizard and fell through the air, though he landed on Blue's Pidgeot below as his best friend swooped beneath him with a wild grin. This left Charizard free to collide with the wounded Umbral Noivern and the screaming Greevil as they tumbled through the sky. Charizard roared and drew back both of his burning fists before smashing both of them into Umbral Noivern.

The resulting explosion of hellfire and energy was enough to make everyone cover their ears as a wave of heat and smoke filled the stadium, which quickly cleared due to the stadium being open to the sky and allowed the battlers to see the results of the attack from Red, and what they saw shocked them.

Umbral Noivern was flapping its mangled wings just enough to maintain its current altitude, but it was covered in nasty burns and one of its ears was completely burned away, as was one of its eyes. Regardless, the beast roared in fury and opened its mouth and fired a raw beam of darkness at the Charizard in response, only for Blue to swoop in and knock Charizard out of the way to dodge the attack, which sailed into the distance and created a massive explosion far away. Red and Blue glared down the beast and the man who had evaded doom, since Greevil now stood atop a Aerodactyl a short distance away, glaring back at Red as the young man leapt back onto his Charizard, who was panting heavily at having had to use such a powerful move.

To their horror, Umbral Noivern began to twitch and its mangled wings began to glow purple. The two young men watched as the skin, meat, and bone that had been destroyed by Charizard's attack began to knit itself back together, healing itself in a way that shouldn't have been possible.

"See the power of Cipher! Your attacks mean nothing to Umbral Noivern! In just moments, it will recover!" Greevil cackled, crossing his arms smugly as Red and Blue exchanged a look. Blue then looked forward.

"Aerial Ace!" Blue barked, with Pidgeot rushing forward and slamming into Umbral Noivern. The Sound Wave Pokémon snarled in pain, but this was before Red's Charizard flew in front of it and delivered a brutal Dragon Claw to the chest of the Umbral Pokémon, ripping open its chest before the Lizard Pokémon fired a Dragon Rage directly into Umbral Noivern's body, creating a massive explosion in mid-air.

"No! Umbral Noivern, destroy them!" Greevil screamed, only to see Umbral Noivern fall out of the sky with a hiss. Greevil looked upwards and saw an exhausted Charizard flapping its wings towards Greevil and crash into him and his Aerodactyl, sending the two into a spiral through the air.

"Holy shit…" Aria whispered in awe as the two beasts struggled for dominance in midair, with Greevil shrieking in the skies. Aria then started as she saw Zoey sprint over to a nearby speaker, pulling out her phone and hooking it up to the speaker. Zoey looked up and saw Aria staring at her in surprise.

"Hey, screw you! I spent weeks writing this song! It's gonna be played one way or another, damn it!" Zoey barked as she loaded the song in question, with it playing loud and clear through the speakers a few moments later from where she had left off with the live performance.

 _(Continue "All Things Must Die")_

 _This is the end!_

 _Here's where you'll die!_

 _Legends should scatter,_

 _So just say goodbye._

Greevil clung onto his Pokémon for dear life, but that didn't protect him from Red, who crawled up his Charizard's shoulder and glared at Greevil with his cold eyes. The young man's mouth curled into a snarl before he drew back his fist and punched the man as hard as he could in face. Greevil's head jerked back as he let go of his Aerodactyl, sending him flying off of his Pokémon and tumbling towards through the air with a scream of pain.

 _No one will miss you,_

 _When you're fin'lly gone_

 _At your conclusion,_

 _Sing your swan song!_

"No! No, no, no!" Greevil screamed as Umbral Noivern tumbled through the air, even as Red's Charizard slammed into it in midair and bit down on its neck for good measure, ripping backward and making it snap.

 _Murder, unkindness, conspiracy!_

 _Embers extinguished in effigy!_

 _Just close your eyes!_

The world seemed to slow down as Greevil tumbled from the sky Several Cipher Grunts commanded their Flying-types to go to their Master's aid, but they were quickly shot down by those they were battling. Those on stage likewise tried to assist, but the Gym Leaders were quick to leap in and draw their attention away from the plummeting leader of Cipher, who's screams filled the stadium.

 _Don't fear demise!_

 _Black out the sky!_

 _All things must die!_

Amber suddenly teleported to the man's side as Avis used Psychic to halt his progress, only for a sniper round to suddenly tear through Avis' wing and a Braviary to collide with her in midair, knocking Avis away from Greevil with Amber barely holding onto her Xatu, sending Greevil falling towards earth once again as the screams of those who followed the leader of Cipher filled the stadium alongside his own, a plea for someone to save him from his fate.

However...it was not to be.

Greevil crashed onto the ground from the sky with an almighty crunch of bones. Most of those on-stage either winced at the sound or let out yells of horror at the brutal fall and crash. Venus and Giovanni sprinted over to the fallen leader of Cipher, who was twitching slightly as he gazed upward, blood dripping down his mouth.

"Grand Master Greevil! Please...no!" Venus pleaded with the man as he shuddered and shook, trying to force air through his crushed body. It was clear that the man was injured beyond repair, and that his life was nearing its end.

"Damn it...damn them. All of that planning and maneuvering, only for that damned brat to show up and ruin my plans all over again!" Giovanni snarled as Greevil choked and sputtered, trying to move despite the life leaving his body. His eyes widened as Amber entered his field of view, looking down at him with a small frown. A green shield surrounded them just as several dozen bullets suddenly hit the shield, creating a series of small cracks within it.

"You really think they'd let you have a touching moment to say goodbye?" Amber asked Venus dryly, glancing over at several members of the International Police firing at their shield with weapons, rousing their Pokémon to prepare to attack in earnest. Cipher and Team Rocket had been completely thrown off now that Greevil had fallen, allowing the Gym Leaders and International Police to suddenly push back against them and kill or capture them in droves.

Amber looked down at Greevil, her mouth curled in a faint smile of amusement. She felt no sadness, no sorrow for the man as he tried to cling to the world of the living. That said, she hadn't felt any true emotion in a while. Instead, she chose to address the dying man on the ground.

"You're an idiot. We couldn't do all the work for you, you know. And it looks like you screwed us all over. Have fun in hell." Amber said to the shock of Venus and Giovanni, stepping forward and kneeling down to better look at the man. After a moment she leaned down and whispered into the man's ear something the others didn't hear. However, the reaction Greevil had to Amber's words were instant.

Greevil's eyes widened and he somehow managed to twitch his body upwards, reaching for Amber's neck with his mangled arm before his arm fell to the ground. Amber chuckled hollowly and said, "I tried. Oh well."

Greevil tried to must a glare at the assassin, but found even that was becoming impossible. The man tried to steady his breathing, but found his lungs no longer functioned. Again and again, he found himself unable to breathe as his heart slowed and life left his eyes, which glazed over…

And then, it was with that...the Grand Master of Cipher died.

"No...no…" Venus whispered as she shook her head, tears streaming down her face beneath her mask. Giovanni rose to his feet, eyeing the splintering shield around them. Amber reached down unclasped a Poké Ball from the corpse, one that had a glowing purple crack on the side and clipped it to her own belt, eyeing the Umbral Noivern that had crash-landed on the ground with an almighty boom. Amber was that the beast wasn't stirring, so it was probably dead. Though the broken neck tipped her off.

"Avis!" Amber barked out, with the wounded Xatu appearing above the International Police and unleashing a massive blast of Psychic energy that knocked them all aside. Amber and Giovani separated as Dakim, the Masked Admin, and Dawson joined her as she was joined by her Xatu.

"Now what!? Umbral Noivern is dead and so is Greevil!" Dakim growled at Amber, who opened her mouth to reply only for Avis to be hit with a powerful Thunderbolt that dropped her to the ground, unconscious. The Admins turned to see Red and Blue advancing their way, flanked by Aria and Lance as the Gym Leaders began to clean house, now that Cipher and Team Rocket were panicking and demoralized.

"Rhyperior, stop their advance!" Amber barked out as her Umbral Pokémon turned away from Zoey and Oliver and turned towards the Champions and Aria, letting out a snarl. Amber quickly returned the corpse of Umbral Noivern. "Umbral Artillery!"

The beast screamed in response and held out its arms, energy forming within its palms. The energy them erupted outward and created a sound not unlike gunfire, forcing the heroes to scatter as Umbral Rhyperior unleashed deadly rocks fired at a insane speed and allowing the villains a moment's reprieve.

"Rhyperior is good, but it's not going to take down three Champions and a brat that can give me a run for my money. And we all know I'm the best Trainer out of all of us here." Amber spat, kneeling down to Avis as Dawson scrambled to get a Revive out.

"So now what?" Giovanni growled, grabbing Amber by the throat. "You all said you had this under control!"

"Correction: Greevil said he had it under control. I knew pulling a stunt like this wouldn't work out as flawlessly as pitched. But you idiots thought you had it in the bag." Amber scoffed before she kicked Giovanni in the gut, sending him to knees as he coughed and sputtered. "Besides, our backup should be here any moment now-

As if on cue, a figure literally stepped out of the shadows behind them. Clad in a mask like the others and dressed in a white suit, the tall figure looked over the carnage of the battlefield before their eyes landed on Greevil's slain form, his ragged black hair billowing behind him.

"You idiots!" Borlath shouted at them as he stormed across the stage, turning his attention to the Champions as Umbral Rhyperior was assaulted by Red's Charizard and Blastoise, knocking the beast to the ground. "All of that work! All of that planning! All of those lives... _Wasted_ because of you! Do you have any idea what you've done?!"

It was horrifying to all of them as Borlath stormed towards Red and Blue, who were also caught off-guard by the ferocity of the Cipher Admin. Red snapped his fingers and Pikachu leapt in front of him, which stopped Borlath for a moment and seemed to make him come to his senses.

"Right. Of course. Of course…" Borlath muttered, inhaling and exhaling a deep breath to calm himself. "Greevil will be accounted and mourned for later. For now…" Borlath placed a finger to his ear and said, "Sound the retreat. We're falling back and regrouping."

"Oh no you don't!" Blue barked, throwing out his hand. "Arcanine, Extremespeed!"

The Arcanine blurred as he rushed towards the Senior Admin, only for a swirling pulse of darkness to suddenly slam into the canine from the side and send him crashing to the ground, senseless. Arcanine shakily rose to its feet, only for a series of water-shaped stars to suddenly slash into its skin from above and drop it to the ground, unconscious. Everyone on stage looked up in surprise, as did Red and Blue.

"What?" Blue hissed as his eyes darted around the stage, only for him to spot a shadow standing on top of the stage above them, illuminated by the moon. It looked like a frog, but with a strange object wrapped around its neck that was billowing in the wind. Blue and Red turned back to Borlath as he pulled out a Poké Ball and shot a red beam into the stands, returning whatever had attacked Arcanine to its ball before clipping it to his belt.

"I'll buy you time! Get out of here!" Borlath yelled out to his comrades as he suddenly reached to his neck, his hand touching a strange pyramid-like gem on the necklace wrapped around his neck. The necklace pulsed red for a moment before suddenly a wicked wind kicked up.

"All Team Rocket personnel, retreat! Borlath will cover us!" Giovanni snarled as he pulled out another Poké Ball, calling out a Hypno and placing a hand on Greevil's body. The crime boss turned to give Red one final glare before teleporting into thin air with the fallen leader's corpse, avoiding being hit with two sniper rounds and a Thunderbolt.

"Damn!" Lance snarled, looking around frantically. All over the stadium, the criminals were disappearing from the stadium and retreating from the site. Meanwhile on the stage, all of the Gym Leaders and their allies turned their attention to Borlath. The man didn't even shift as several weapons became trained on the Senior Admin of Cipher, who watched them warily.

"So, kill or capture?" Lance asked as he held a hand to his barely healed wound.

"Kill. He's way too dangerous." Aria said in reply as she finished reviving her Lucario. The wolf rose to his feet as Aria barked out the command. "Sebastian, Aura Sphere!"

" _On it!"_ the cheerful Lucario replied as he leapt forward, charging up the ball of energy. However, as he approached the man a strange object suddenly flickered into existence before him and made the Aura Pokémon stop in his tracks, staring at it in awe.

It was a strange pyramid, adorned in glowing runes. Everyone on stage stared at the strange relic in awe, but were startled when it suddenly began to move around of its own accord in a strange series of jerking movements, slowly glowing red with every movement until…

It exploded, revealing a strange Pokémon none of them had ever seen before.

It had a vaguely humanoid body of orange with a gleaming purple crystal in a cavity that was in its chest. Its arms were shaped like tentacles intertwining together into a double helix of orange and blueish-green. Its face was oddly-shaped, though its eyes were narrowed in anger at the enemies assembled before it.

"What...was is that?" Blue hissed, pulling out an old and rather battered Pokédex from his pocket. It shuddered for a moment before speaking.

" _Scanning Pokémon...Kanto entry not found. Scanning for Johto entry...not found...Hoenn entry found."_ The Pokédex intoned, with Blue holding up the Pokédex for a moment.

" _Deoxys. The DNA Pokémon._ _The DNA of a space virus underwent a sudden mutation upon exposure to a laser beam and resulted in Deoxys. The crystalline organ on this Pokémon's chest appears to be its brain. Deoxys emerged from a virus that came from space. It is highly intelligent and wields psychokinetic powers. This Pokémon shoots lasers from the crystalline organ on its chest."_ the Pokédex spoke, with Blue lowering it a few moments later to stare at the strange creature.

"Deoxys...help me deal with these people that are thinking about stopping us from leaving, if you would." Borlath said politely to the Pokémon beside him, receiving a short nod before the DNA Pokémon flickered from sight, appearing a few hundred feet above them all. With an almighty groan, the crystal in its chest gleamed like a beacon before a massive criss-crossing beam of energy erupted from the Psychic-type. The alien Pokémon hummed loudly over the stadium as it swept its beam across the stage, creating a massive series of explosions that sent most of those on stage to their knees.

Lance staggered to his feet, clutching his bleeding head. He looked at Borlath as Deoxys descended gracefully to the ground, its body morphing and becoming more menacing-looking. A Steelix and a Gyarados burst out from the smoke behind the Champion and rushed at the strange Pokémon, only for Deoxys' eyes to shine blue and send both Pokémon hurtling backwards with a loud hum. Lance nearly sighed with relief as his Dragonite landed on the ground beside him, still injured from before but still able to continue.

"That thing is _strong_...But what is it?" Blue asked, still confused.

"Another Legendary. Borlath, did you twist this being into being your slave too!?" Lance demanded of Borlath, who shook his head.

"I'm less inclined to use Shadow Pokémon than the others, though they have their uses. Deoxys follows me out of loyalty, however. It fell from the heavens hundreds of year ago in a meteor. And I was lucky enough to have caught wind of its existence, and followed the trail of whispers until I found my friend trapped within the space rock. I spent the better part of five years freeing it from its prison, and it's been a great ally ever since. It doesn't quite like it when its friend gets attacked either, do you Deoxys?" Borlath asked the DNA Pokémon beside him, who shifted in front of the man. Lance's eyes widened in surprise as he heard several gunshots ring out from International Police attempting to shoot Borlath and his Deoxys, only for the bullets to crumple as they drew closer to the man.

"I can't attack, since I'll just be shot dead the moment Deoxys leaves me. But Deoxys should be able to repel any attack coming my way, so you all can't kill me." Borlath noted dryly, a grim note of humor in his voice. His response was a rush of attacks from Red's Pokémon, to which Deoxys replied by morphing into its Defense Forme and creating a bright red shield that blocked all of the attacks, though it did leave the shield a flickering and broken mess that vanished after a moment and replaced with a new one.

"Damn him…" Blue growled as Red walked past him, limping slightly as he held a knocked out Pikachu in his arms. Clearly the attack from Deoxys had done a lot of damage to the mostly battered Pokémon and Trainers on stage. A good portion of those who had been caught in the blast had been knocked out.

"You know...I have no idea how we're going to bounce back from this, Lance. Greevil is the only one who could keep everyone in check. Now...we're in a bad state." Borlath admitted with a heavy sigh. "It's going to be chaos now. All we really wanted to do was talk, Lance."

"I somehow doubt that." Lance said coldly, crossing his arms.

"Well, that's what _I_ wanted. Cipher's end-goal has always been world domination, and my goal would be achieved through that end. But now...I guess it doesn't matter now. Greevil is dead...And I don't know what to do." Borlath said as he slowly shook his head.

"I mean...You could just die. Do us all a favor." Aria remarked coldly, glaring down Borlath.

"It's not that simple, Aria. And for what it's worth, I'm sorry for everything. I honestly wish it didn't have to be this way. With that, I bid you all farewell." Borlath said to the group, giving them a small wave as Deoxys moved behind him. Aria held out her hand and fired a black blade towards the Admin, only for the frog Pokémon from before to suddenly flicker out of the shadows and grab Borlath, before pulling him and Deoxys into the shadows and vanishing on the spot. The blade soared past where the Admin had been and hit a faraway seat in the crowd, making Aria growl in fury.

"He got away! That bastard _always_ gets away…" Aria hissed as she looked around, seeing that most of Cipher was either knocked out, dead, or had fled when given the order by Borlath.

"So...do we win?" Misty asked as she limped over to the group.

"I'd count this as a win, but with losses." Sabrina said quietly, glancing over the slain International Police and civilians within the stadium. The Saffron City Gym Leader then said, "Cipher will be indefinitely set back. I don't think they'll be coming back from a loss this bad, however. Their leader is gone and so is a considerable chunk of their forces."

"Team Rocket's strength depends heavily on Cipher's, which has been cut down drastically. I wouldn't be surprised if Giovanni bailed and struck out on his own with Team Rocket now that Cipher did most of the work for him and re-mobilized the group." Oliver chimed in as he made his way over to the group of Gym Leaders, keeping an eye out for any stragglers. Red, Blue, and Lance made their way over to the group and all fell silent.

"You all did great today. I'll have to prepare a statement to read out for later today, but I'd like to think this is the first of several victories we'll be able to hand Cipher and Team Rocket should they continue to meddle with the lives of those in Kanto. I genuinely don't see Cipher rebounding from a loss like this, truthfully. Greevil has been the mastermind behind Cipher for decades, and his death will demoralize the Admins." Lance said with a strained smile to the others, leaning against his Dragonite now that the fight was over.

"We shouldn't discount them as a threat just because the head has been cut off." Aria remarked, drawing all eyes to her. "Greevil may have been the leader, but I can still tell you for sure that the rest of the Admins won't go down as easy as he did."

"Hmph. You overestimate them, girl." Koga said dismissively, crossing his arms. "I'd imagine that they'll be licking their wounds for a long while yet. More than enough time for us to stamp them out of our home once and for all."

Aria shook her head in response, but didn't respond verbally. Instead she drew out the Timer Ball that held Shadow Moltres. Red and Blue looked at the Snagger before they both turned to the Champion of Kanto.

"I hope you know we canceled our vacation to deal with _your_ problem. We haven't been Champion for over a decade." Blue said pointedly to Lance, who narrowed his eyes at the young man.

"And you took an oath, when you defeated me all those years ago, to protect Kanto with your heart and soul no matter what. You may have lost that title less than a few hours later, but it still stands. And Red has never lost the title of Champion, since he departed for Mt. Silver. As far as I know, no one has defeated him in battle...right?" Lance asked as he turned to the young man, who just coughed in response. Lance's eyes widened in surprise as Blue turned to him in shock.

"Wait, what? You actually _lost_!? To who!?" Blue demanded angrily, stomping over to his best friend and glaring in his face. Red's face was utterly blank, which didn't help the situation at all. "Who beat you!? When did this happen!?"

"…"

"Don't silent treatment me, you bastard! Tell me!"

"..."

"He's a mute, Blue. Stop antagonizing him."

"Sabrina, you shut your damn mouth! This guy CAN talk! So talk. Talk!"

"..."

"That's...I'm gonna...You fucking suck, Red."

...Snicker.

Zoey walked over to Aria, keeping an eye on the squabbling Champions and Gym Leaders and wrapped an arm around the sulking woman's shoulder.

"So...That's Red and Blue?" Zoey asked, bemused at the proceedings. "When you said that two of the greatest Trainers in the world were showing up for this, I imagined they would be more...intimidating."

"Yeah, I get what you mean. But they're scary strong. So, what do you think? About Cipher?" Aria asked the singer beside her, who shrugged.

"I honestly don't know. I'm hoping they disband and go away. Borlath is a bastard and a great actor, but he sounded genuinely unsure of what Cipher's next move after this is. For now, I say we should just take a breath of relief. Now that Greevil's gone, Kanto may just push those idiots out of the region. Especially with Red and Blue involved." Zoey said bracingly, though she couldn't manage a smile. Likely because hundreds had died at a concert she was performing at and Borlath and Amber had gotten away.

Aria was surprised when a Lucario suddenly hugged her from the side, grinning happily while Sophie the Jolteon joined her.

"You two okay?" Aria asked, kneeling down to Sophie while Sebastian hugged her still.

" _Yeah. Sore, but I'll be alright. This dork might need to get looked at."_ Sophie said lightly, with Sebastian giggling at the light insult as he pulled away from Aria.

" _I haven't had a chance to fight in forever! Sophie gets all the fun, since we have to blend in back in the other place."_ Sebastian complained, crossing his arms but still smiling.

"I'll try and use you all a bit more. If this Island Trial thing happens, we'll get some good training in for whatever comes next. I might even catch us another teammate." Aria said to Sebastian, referring to the fact that she only had four Pokémon. Like Sun, she was very picky about what kind of Pokémon she caught. That of course made the cheery Lucario jump up and down with glee while Sophie just sighed, though she was smiling regardless. Aria sat down on the ground while the others began to work on cleaning up the mess left behind and recovery. Lance would eventually come to her and explained that he wanted her to stick around Kanto for a while, but Aria shot him down hard. She was going to go back to Alola and train.

Because the time they fought, she wouldn't let Amber get away.

* * *

"That was...horrifying." Lana stated as Adrian Battlestorm suddenly cut into the broadcast, apologizing for airing such a violent and bloody spectacle. Turns out the man was just as stunned as the audience and not a single person at the studio had thought to cut off the footage until after Greevil had died, so none but those at the stadium had seen Team Rocket and Cipher depart and saw Borlath lay waste to the stadium with Deoxys.

"Serves Cipher right. Greevil's dead…" Hugh grinned and fist-pumped outwards. "This is awesome. Cipher is going to be scrambling hard after this. I knew Aria could do it! "

"She was pretty cool out there, wasn't she?" Lillie said quietly, a small smile on her face. She had been shocked and horrified by the bloodshed she saw on the stage, but she was grateful no one she knew had died. Small comforts. However, when she turned to look at Sun to see how he was processing this recent turn of events, she saw that the boy was frowning thoughtfully.

"Sun? Is everything okay?" Lillie gently asked her friend, who was still watching the screen thoughtfully. To her surprise, Sun's frown slowly began to change into a small smile. It was a tiny one, but it was a true smile of happiness and relief from the boy that had suffered so much at the hands of Cipher.

"Lillie...things couldn't be more okay. Cipher's leader just got taken out! They're going to have no idea what to do and then...I don't know what'll happen next, but this is the best thing that could've happened!" Sun said excitedly, with what Lillie was happy to see was hope burning in his eyes for the first time in a while.

"Maybe they'll pull out of Alola and try to help their friends in Kanto, and just get wrecked again!" Hau remarked with a grin, earning a laugh from Hugh and Sun.

"Maybe. And then Mister Oliver...Wow! He was so awesome!" Sun gushed excitedly, clenching his fists as he looked back to the TV, which was replaying Oliver bashing Amber over the head with the butt end of his rifle during the fight, some of which Adrian Battlestorm was replaying for those who had missed it.

"Is that where Oliver's name comes from? You seem to admire him a lot." Lana asked Sun, who blushed in response but nodded.

"He's an old friend of my Mom's. He...helped us after Dad left. I...really admire him. When I was about to move to Alola, he was really supportive of me becoming a Trainer and encouraged me to give my new home a try. To make it the place where I created new hopes and new dreams. I owe him a lot." Sun said a little awkwardly, a small smile on his face.

"He sounds like a great person, Sun." Lillie said warmly to her crush, who grinned back at her in reply.

"I think we should all get back to the point. The leader of Cipher is dead, and both Cipher and Team Rocket just got dealt huge defeats on live television. I declare this a time where we go get food." Hau stated very formally, pounding a fist against his chest. "Lana, I bequeath this task to you, because you live here and know the good places to go for lunch."

Lana giggled at Hau being silly, though she grinned in reply. "When you're best friends with a chef like Mallow, you usually do. Especially since the best restaurant in the city doubles as her house. Everyone ready to go?" Lana asked the others, who nodded. Lillie then yelped as Nebby suddenly burst out of her bag with a triumphant cry, only to be grabbed and put back down by a terrified Lillie.

With that, the group departed for the restaurant in question. Lillie fell in step with Sun while Lana and Hau walked ahead of them, with Hau trying to make small talk with the Water Captain. The boy found himself in a very odd position indeed, and honestly wished he could make sense of it. That said, he wasn't in any kind of rush to sort out his situation with Lana. They were good friends, who just wanted to see if there was more to their friendship and relationship.

Meanwhile, Lillie was walking in silence with Sun, smiling at the silent joy radiating from the boy she admired so much. He hadn't spoken much since Cipher's defeat at the Kanto Superdome, but she could feel it. His relief. His joy. Like all of that stress was rolling off of him, becoming a tangible feeling of happiness that made her own heart feel lighter.

 _"How much relief does he feel? Knowing that Cipher's leader is dead and that the group will likely never recover from such a blow? He must feel so much relief...I'm happy for him."_ Lillie thought as Nebby wriggled within his bag.

Lillie decided to gather her bravery and walk closer to Sun, who noticed this and looked at her with a smile. Lillie offered him a smile in response and, praying to the Tapu for luck, slowly reached down and grabbed Sun's hand even as a fierce blush crept onto her face. The boy looked confused for a moment before he blushed slightly, but grabbed Lillie's hand in his and gave it a small squeeze.

"Everything will be okay, Sun." Lillie said softly to her closest friend, who slowly nodded in agreement.

"You know what Lillie...I think you're right." Sun said sincerely, grinning at her as the two children walked down the path with their hearts light with joy, not seeing Hugh discreetly snapping pictures of them holding hands down the path and grinning in triumph.

* * *

"Yo, yo homie! Now that's what I call laying down some fire!" Axen boomed as the flames dissipated around them, leaving a scorched parking lot. "I guess that happens when you actually train, amiright?"

"Thanks, um, homie! We've been practicing." Demi replied with a hidden grin as Torch snorted in front of her, flames erupting from the Quilava. "We're not done yet! Swift! Follow up with Flame Wheel!"

Torch released a barrage of stars into the air and the group of gangsters watched in awe as the Quilava leapt into the air, a spinning ball of fire as the stars whirled through the air in a spiral. The flaming Quilava smashed into one of the stars, smashing it into fine particles of light that mixed with the flames, leaving a dazzling sparkle in the air as the Quilava landed on the ground next to Demi, who hopped on her feet with joy. The Team Skull Grunt picked up her Quilava and hugged him tightly.

"That was perfect, Torchy! You're really getting good at this!" Demi praised her Pokémon as he barked happily in her arms. Kayla let out a low whistle, watching the beautiful fiery sparkling air with wonder.

"Seriously, that's freaking wicked. How'd you learn to do that?" Kayla asked the newest Grunt, who laughed nervously in response.

"Well, I used to practice stuff like this on the road. Truth be told, I never really wanted to be a Trainer. Not the typical one, anyway. I always wanted to become a Pokémon Coordinator or Pokémon Performer. You know, just show off and have fun with my Pokémon. But…" Demi trailed off, looking away from her friends.

"Let me guess. Your folks didn't like your career path?" Kevin asked, crossing his arms. Demi silently nodded and sighed quietly, shaking her head.

"I just don't get it...How can people just be so selfish? Alola pretends to be such a happy, fun-loving place, but when so many children get forced into the Island Challenge by their families and get tossed aside like trash if they give up…" Demi let out a angry sigh and set Torch down, shaking her head. "No. I'm not thinking about this anymore. Let's just...get back to work."

"Alright, yo. Sounds like a plan, yo. Let's find some Trainers to throw down with, so we can nab their Pokémon!" Axen boomed, taking the lead and walking the group out of the parking lot, with Gladion of course stalking behind them with his body slouched and his hands jammed into his pockets. Type: Null lingered close by, glancing around for potential enemies and the like.

Despite them being on the same page, at least as far as Gladion saw it, both Demi and Gladion had obligations to assist Team Skull. So instead of training like he wanted to be, Gladion was forced to trudge through Heahea City and search for weak Trainers that these fools could actually beat so that they could steal Pokémon. They hadn't found anyone they had managed to beat yet (or rather, hadn't found anyone dumb enough to stay around when getting threatened by Team Skull), so they had been prowling around the city for a while now. Night was quickly approaching, but the group was determined to find some kind of mark.

"Damn, yo...You hear about that concert in Kanto?" Axen asked the others after about another hour of nothing. Axen and Kayla had been beaten twice each while Demi had lost a battle of her own. Gladion got the impression that she hadn't been trying that hard though.

"I did. Plumes was talking 'bout it earlier. I guess that big bad guy from Cipher got killed." Kayla remarked with a shrug. "Doesn't matter that much to me. As long as those weirdos stay away from Alola, I'm good yo. Don't need them to be creepin' in on my style, but even if they come after me I'm gonna go wild, yo."

"I don't know about going wild, but I could go for some dinner." Axen muttered, rubbing his stomach. Demi and Kayla both looked at him and it seemed like the latter was about to roast him for this when her own stomach rumbled loudly. The teen blushed and stomped forward, with the others chuckling behind her.

Gladion sighed inwardly and continued behind them, just wishing for them to finally be done with their crap and head back to the Shady House. Type: Null snorted beside him, and Gladion rested a hand on the monster's helmet, scratching it after a moment as they continued down his way.

Thankfully for Team Skull, not all places in Alola were going to turn down their money. So grabbing a couple burgers and fries from Button's Burgers in Heahea City wasn't too big of a hassle, though Kayla nearly jumped the counter and beat up the cashier for not being fast enough for her tastes. The group sat down outside and ate, unaware that a pair of gleaming eyes were watching them from a nearby hedge.

"So, we finally managed to steal some shit dude. Not any Pokémon, but some money here and there and got some training in. I guess that's a plus." Axen remarked as Tim nodded beside him. "You guys think we'll have better luck in another city?"

"Yep. I'd give Konikoni a shout tomorrow. Honestly though, I think I'm gonna try and track down a new Pokémon." Kevin remarked, sighing deeply. "I miss Zubat."

"We'll figure something out." Axen said bracingly, making Kevin nod silently in response. "So, on an unrelated note, you think if I try my moves on Plumeria tonight I might actually score? I mean, I've gotta break through eventually."

"Orb ,edohc latot a er'uoY. Ton ylbaborp." Tim responded dryly, though no one could make sense of what he said. This however, allowed the figure watching the thugs to make their move.

Type: Null was the first to sense something was wrong, slowly turning towards the left and spotting a small boy running towards the group. Before the beast could say anything, the little boy swiped one of the bags of burgers off of the table and ran down the street with them, making all of the Team Skull Grunts hop to their feet in indignation.

"Catch that thief, yo!" Kevin yelled out, sprinting after the black-haired child. Gladion and Demi followed them, but Gladion was the only who was managed to catch onto a very interesting detail about the child that had stolen their food.

It had a black tail.

The little boy made a mistake of darting down an alleyway, which meant that when Team Skull caught up to him he was effectively cornered since it was a dead end. The boy dropped to his hands and knees, baring his teeth in a growl as his tail lashed behind him.

"Dafaq is up with this kid?" Kevin asked, crossing his arms.

"No idea. But he's gonna pay. No one disrespects Team Skull." Kayla growled, cracking her knuckles as she walked forward.

"Are you really going to beat up a little kid?" Demi asked Kayla, who turned to face her friend.

"Damn straight." Kayla replied, whirling back and taking a step forward the growling child, only to find Gladion standing in her way. "Oh great. Why the hell do you care if we beat up a kid?"

"I don't. I do care if you beat up a Pokémon." Gladion said pointedly, looking over at the cornered child as he continued to growl at him. Demi took in the boy's appearance, seeing his ragged black hair and the bushy black tail frantically waving back and forth, along with his sharper than normal teeth. And then it clicked.

"A Pokémon...Wait, I think I know what you're talking about." Demi stated, with Gladion nodding in response. The Enforcer turned around and began walking towards the cornered child, with Type: Null padding alongside him.

"How are you going to handle this, Edgelord?" Kevin asked the teen, who shrugged.

"We'll see. But I'm handling it my way. So back off." Gladion responded before he finally stopped about ten feet from the boy, who was actually shaking in fear now and had stopped growling, though he had scooped up the bag off burgers and was ripping apart the bag, tearing into the bag like an animal and eating as quickly as he could. Gladion watched the display with surprise, seeing the small child eat three cheeseburgers with a ravenous gleam in his eyes.

Gladion crossed his arms, staring down the boy as he slowly crouched on the ground, glaring at Gladion with narrowed eyes.

"You know it's wrong to steal, don't you?" Gladion said to the boy, who flinched at the reprimanding tone in the teen's voice. "Why don't you show us what you really are?"

"What is he talking about?" Axen muttered as he crossed his arms. Needless to say, he was surprised when the little boy cowering at the end of the alleyway began to glow bright blue and shrink down into a small grey fox-like Pokémon with red and black accents. Gladion nearly gasped when he saw the state of the Pokémon that he recognized as a Zorua.

The little wolf was covered in dings and scrapes, but what alarmed Gladion was how _thin_ the Tricky Fox Pokémon was. It was practically emaciated, which made Gladion's heart clench after a few moments.

"It's starving…" Demi whispered, horrified at how she could easily see the rib-cage of the Zorua. The poor Pokémon clearly hadn't had a good time of things and hadn't been eating regularly. It was now incredibly clear why it had stolen from them.

"Shit...Well, now I feel bad. Can't beat up a starving little fox...Well, I could. But I'd definitely regret it later." Kayla muttered, shaking her head. Still, the Team Skull Grunts were a bit less angry now that they saw that the thief was just a starving little fox. Some of Team Skull had done the same exact thing in order to survive, when money was short and they were unable to get back to Po Town.

Gladion looked at the little fox with sadness, thinking hard. This little fellow had been through a lot, Gladion could tell. Gladion did what came to him instinctively, remembering how his mother and father had taught him how to comfort and placate agitated Pokémon.

"It's okay...I'm not going to hurt you." Gladion said quietly, kneeling down to the terrified fox baring his fangs at the teen. Gladion extended his hand forward as the Zorua barked out something, fear gleaming in its eyes.

"Null? Care to translate?" Gladion asked his Partner, who grunted.

 _"He wants us to leave him alone. It's just a kit, Gladion. No more than a few months old."_ Type: Null responded as the Zorua cowered at the strange Pokémon speaking in front of it. Gladion's expression softened as he beheld the terrified and starving little fox. He had seen Pokémon like this back at the Paradise, and knew he had to help it somehow. Gladion reached out his hand and the Zorua flinched and shrank back, now trembling in fear at Gladion. Undeterred, the teen continued to hold his hand out.

Meanwhile, the Team Skull Grunts were watching the exchange with skeptical expression.

"So, how likely is it that I'm gonna get to eat some burgers?" Kevin asked sadly, rubbing his stomach. Unlike Gladion and Demi, who had grabbed their food before chasing after the Zorua, it was Kevin's food that had been stolen.

Axen shrugged in reply. "About as likely as me understanding what Tim says."

"Nexa, kcid ym kcus."

"What's that? Little Timmy is stuck down a well? We have to save him!" Axen declared, earning a middle-finger salute from the tall Team Skull Grunt.

Gladion continued to ignore the idiots behind him and continued to crouch down on the ground, extending his hand out for the Zorua, who began to slowly inch forward. After a few tentative steps, the little fox was close enough to sniff Gladion's hand.

"See? It's okay...My name is Gladion. Are you still hungry?" Gladion whispered to the Tricky Fox Pokémon. The small Pokémon nodded warily in response, to which Gladion said, "I'm going to reach into my bag and leave some food on the ground for you. Please don't run away. I just want to let you know so I don't scare you, okay?"

The little Zorua nodded slowly, and Gladion reached into his bag and set his cheeseburger on the ground, unwrapping it before the small fox. Gladion sat down on the ground in front of the burger and smiled at the little fox, who trembled slightly as it licked its lips. The Zorua then lunged forward and attacked the burger on the ground ravenously, tearing apart the burger with its sharp teeth easily. Soon enough the burger was eaten, though the Zorua now looked like it was going to be sick.

"Right...I've heard that its a bad idea to feed people who are starving way too much food." Gladion muttered as the Zorua whined softly, though it looked up at Gladion and let out a soft yip.

 _"It says thank you."_ Type: Null remarked, lowering its head down. The Zorua let out a growl, but quickly hid behind Gladion's leg, peering at Type: Null warily. _"Gladion, this little one cannot fend for himself. He's too young and not from this island, as far as I know. Given his current path, I imagine this little one will starve to death if left to his own devices."_

"He can just keep stealing! It worked on us." Axen pointed out, with Type: Null looking over at the teen and staring at him.

 _"That's because you're a pack of morons. Except Demi, of course."_ Type: Null responded before turning back to Gladion, who was now petting the Zorua gently. The Zorua didn't seem to know how to react to this, but eventually lay down on the ground and shut his eyes, sighing softly after a moment.

"You're right, Null. I guess...Alright. I've decided." Gladion said as he stopped petting the little fox, who looked up at the teen that had showed it the first bit of kindness it had seen in quite some time.

"Zorua...Would you like to come with me?" Gladion asked the Tricky Fox Pokémon, who cocked his head. "I don't think you'd be very safe out here, stealing for food. But if you came with me, I could help you out. And maybe...You could help me out. What do you say?"

The Zorua seemed confused, but decided after a moment to leap into Gladion's lap with a yip. Gladion smiled at that, stroking the dirty fur of the fox with relief. Gladion reached into his bag and pulled out a Poké Ball, which he captured the Zorua with. The ball dinged immediately, signalling that the little fox put up no resistance. Gladion called Zorua back out and scooped up the fox in his arms, turning around to face Team Skull.

"Kevin, I'll pay you back for the burgers later. For now, I'm going to get this little guy looked at and make sure he gets some help." Gladion said as he walked towards them.

"We'll be by in a few day then and just text you for when we're ready to drop some fools." Kevin responded as Gladion nodded before he turned to Demi, who Gladion could tell was grinning at him beneath her bandanna. Gladion stared at her for a moment before he looked forward and walked away, carrying the young fox with Type: Null walking beside him.

Demi turned to Kayla, pointing at Gladion. "That's what I see in him. And why I like spending time with him. Where you all would have seen an easy mark, he saw a Pokémon that needed help. He's a good person, just like I told you all he was." Demi said as she watched the teen clad in black make his way down the sidewalk and vanish from sight as he rounded a corner, still petting the small grey fox in his arms.

Kayla had been watching Gladion with a curious look on her face, hidden by the bandanna she wore. After a moment she chuckled quietly and crossed her arms. "Fine. I'll give him this one. That was probably the best thing for that little fox, and it was a really nice thing for him to do. That said, he's still an asshole."

"True dat, yo. Now let's go bust up some fools!" Demi proclaimed, earning four deadpan looks from the Team Skull Grunts.

"Still needs work, Demi."

"Damn it! Being a gangster is hard..."

* * *

 _Well now, that was quite an action-packed chapter._

 _Next chapter, we get a very big revelation. What will that be? Heh…_

 _You want to know, but at the same time...You probably don't._

Q and A

 _From: Sai Og Sus_

Honestly, with how overpowered the move Teleport is, I'm surprised that no one try to market it? Imagine the demands, all other public transport will be out of service.

 ***Makes a mental note of the idea for later***

 **Seriously though, I bet there's people in-universe who actually do that. Being able to travel instantly to other places is so useful that I honestly don't know why you wouldn't go out of your way to have a** **Pokémon that can use that attack.**

 **That said, I'll also mention here that Shadow Sneak also does the same thing as Teleport, albeit at a shorter range. Dig does as well, with an even shorter range. Team Rocket and Cipher used all three moves of that to seemingly appear in the stadium, and use it to great effect. It helps that Cipher uses different** **Pokémon.**

 **However, there is a slight strain involved with traveling via Pokémon in such a manner, and it's not exactly comfortable. Theoretically it could happen, haha.**

 _From: Okamiden14_

Great chapter but a question kept popping up in my head and I took my time to review this chapter so I could figure out exactly what I meant. Its been a couple days and I finally figured it out. Where's Ethan? Wouldn't it be logical to track down Ethan as well since he is the only that has ever beaten red? Other than that good chapter, I've also noticed your spelling has improved a lot!

 **That's a very good question. Honestly? I have no idea. Hence why I made a slight reference to it earlier. Game Freak hasn't used Ethan in another story or game so it's been left up to our imagination. Canonically within the games, I see the Player Character becoming a sort of honorary Champion of sorts. Like, they're recognized as someone who's beaten the Champion but not the Champion of the region, since they don't have any duties or stay within the** **Pokémon League or anything. That's how I've always interpretted beating the Elite Four and the Champion, save for Gen VII, since you actually become the first Champion in the region.**

 **Cheers on the last bit. I try to look over these chapters as much as possible, but stuff just slips by me.**

 _That's all for now. Please show your support with a review, favorite/follow, or offerings to the Dread God Nyarlathotep. Also questions, but the usual rules apply._

 _I'm off to take a nap before work. Happy early 4th of July to all of my fellow Americans out there!_

 _Stay safe and stay awesome!_

 _Until next time, FlygonNick out!_


	67. The Fallen Child

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _And another Nuzlocke down. Gotta say, going through the ending though did make me feel just as sad as it did in my first playthrough._

 _Lucky for me, I...Well, I'll not spoil it. Heh._

 _Final Team:_

 _Tetra the Garchomp (Level 65)_

 _Sasha the Crobat (Level 59)_

 _Kaha the Jolteon (Level 72)_

 _Washua the Wishiwashi (level 58)_

 _Brock the Probopass (Level 58)_

 _Dawn the Absol (Level 43)_

 _Final Time: 50:36_

 _Not too bad, honestly. Once I got past Sina on Akala Island I was set. Even with a few setbacks, I managed a good enough team with plenty of stuff in reserve. Grinding in the water within the Poni Wilds helped loads, especially once I managed to level up a few Pokémon. It also really helps that I know which Pokémon I should try to go after and which ones are duds no matter what. That said, I do try and go with Pokémon I haven't played with before._

 _Shoutout to MoonlightButterfree, jonesyboy456, RC-DA, Sai Og Sus, Technetium2, Cottonmouth25, AncientHero2000, a Guest reviewer, Angelfir3, SonicIKE, operettaoceanic, Okamiden14, and BraviaryScout. Thank you for the support! It's awesome._

 _I kept this AN short and sweet because everyone saw through my ruse. And I fucking love that, because it means you all have been paying attention to how I write this story._

 _So I may as well get to the point. I've been debating where in the story I wanted to use this chapter title, and I decided no other chapter was more fitting than this one._

 _And no...the chapter title doesn't refer to Sun._

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 _Chapter 67: The Fallen Child_

* * *

"Well, if anyone has any ideas, I'm waiting to hear them." Giovanni growled as he sat down in a chair, slouching exhaustively as he shut his eyes. Each of the other Admins looked at each other, but the silence was deafening.

What did they do now?

"Well...We all have to decide right now whether or not we want this to continue." Venus said quietly, folding her arms in a very un-ladylike manner. "Grand Master Greevil was just killed on live television. The world knows we lost our leader, and that Red and Blue are standing in the way of us dominating Kanto. Do we even want to continue our plans in Kanto?"

"Yes." Dakim said pointedly, scowling in anger. "After everything we've done, pulling out now stupid."

Dawson coughed loudly at that, unable to help the smirk on his face.

"Something funny, little man?" Dakim growled at the mercenary, who chuckled in response.

"Hey, pulling out is nothing to be ashamed of. Some people aren't ready for the commitment. That said, you may want to change the sheets afterwards-" Dawson said with a wide grin before Dakim hopped out of his seat and lunged at Dawson over the table, only to get a pistol slammed into his face. Dakim remained completely still, knowing exactly what the strange pistol in Dawson's hand could do.

"Blew your load a little early, eh? It happens." Dawson joked as he took a step back and holstered his pistol while flipping off Dakim. "But getting back to the point, I agree as well. We're not wasting all of this effort. But we need someone to lead the group."

"But who among us is able to take charge?" Dakim grunted, looking out to the assembled Admins. Silence again reigned among the group, before Dakim continued with, "Well, if we have no takers...I will lead us."

"Hell no." Dawson said to the larger man, who made a move towards Dawson only for the man to raise his pistol again.

"Try me. You're way too hot-headed to lead a group of terrorists, and let's be real here that's what we are at this point." Dawson said calmly, his smile fading away. "I'm not cut out for this either. I can't lead us."

"Maybe an outside perspective would be best."

Everyone turned to Giovanni, who was sitting upright once again. The man offered the other criminals a smile and said, "None of you are obviously cut out for leading Cipher. However, I have experience leading a group of criminals. I formed Team Rocket and practically ruled here in Kanto for many many years. Managing two criminal syndicates at once wouldn't be much of a task for someone like myself."

"I mean...He makes sense." Dawson remarked after a beat, crossing his arms.

"He does. But that doesn't mean I want some outsider jumping into our business and making a mess of things." Dakim growled, looking at Dawson with a nod. Giovanni grinned as he rose to his feet, only for a silver dagger to suddenly slam into the wall right beside his head.

"You all are idiots." Amber stated as she lowered her hand. Giovanni stared at the dagger for a long while before he turned his gaze to the red-haired Admin, scowling at her.

"How so, Amber?" Venus asked, leaning forward.

"Because you all forget about someone you haven't even considered. Someone who's done more for Cipher than Greevil himself." Amber stated, gesturing to a slumped figure at the head of the table who was slowly rising from his stupor, having had his head in his hands for the entirety of the meeting. Borlath didn't take long to reply, turning to the assassin and giving her a hard look.

"No. I will not lead Cipher." Borlath stated firmly, rising from his seat. "Any one of you would make a better leader than me. I refuse to give myself that kind of authority."

"Why? She's right. You've been the cornerstone of our operations for years now, Borlath. None of this would be possible if it wasn't for you. Especially after your wonderful work in Unova." Venus said to the man as he stood and towered above them, his eyes flashing crimson and gold.

"I don't give a damn. I supported Cipher from afar because I knew you all could succeed given enough funding and time! Not because I wanted all that power and control for myself! I wanted to better the world, not rule it!" Borlath snarled in response, rising to his full, towering height and slamming his hands on the table.

"You don't need to rule the world." Giovanni said quietly, shutting his eyes. "Just have enough of a stranglehold to ensure your desires and goals are seen through. I'm of the mind that you're one of the most sensible people here. I say if anyone must lead, you'd be the prime candidate. Just keep Team Rocket's interests in mind, and we'll have no problems."

"No." Borlath stated again, eyes flickering to blue and cyan respectively.

"What are you afraid of, Borlath?" Dakim asked, confusion on his face. "You're ruthlessly powerful. You command the respect of a Legendary that stands as one of the strongest in our collection. You have wealth. Respect. Power. You leading is a sure thing. Why turn it down? What are you so scared of?"

Borlath seemed to deflate a bit at the larger man's words, because he sighed and looked down at the floor, bringing a hand to his face as he did so as his eyes both changed to a dark blue.

"It's because power corrupts. And absolute power corrupts absolutely. I can't give myself that kind of power, because I'd become the very thing I set out to destroy. I'd become nothing short of a monster." Borlath sighed, shaking his head. "I've fallen so far, but at my core I am still me. I'm still the man who set out on this path with the intention of changing the world."

Amber scowled and stepped in front of the businessman, saying, "Now we all know that's a bunch of shit. You've changed far more than you think, Borlath. You've condemned a country. You ordered the execution of millions. You've funded a dark revolution through fear, death, ice, and fire, Borlath. All it would take for us to make our goals a reality is just committing to leading us through this dark time and achieving the changes you've sought for so long."

"Not a goddamn chance! I refuse to follow that path of darkness!" Borlath shouted, flinging his arm aside. "Roran! Giovanni! Kayde! Archie! Maxie! Lady Isabel! Cyrus! Ghetsis! Lysandre! I refuse to allow myself to be drawn into that! To become part of the problem I've worked so hard to rid the world of. If I become leader of Cipher, I'd lose what little of myself that I have left!"

"Even when it means everything you ever wanted will fall apart at the seams?" Amber shot back, with Borlath's face contorting into one of pure fury. Then the Masked Admin shifted from his position on the other side of the room, chuckling softly.

"How far you've come, little monarch." The Masked Man remarked, laughing softly. "You're so scared of what you're capable of. You know that you're good for Cipher. Even in my short time with the group, it's obvious to see that you were playing Greevil like a fiddle. Manipulating him, and even all of us in a sense. You were using him to achieve your own goals. Taking charge isn't something you have to do...It's what you've already done."

 _"How did you know that nickname…"_ Borlath thought in his head before he remarked, "And how do you come to that conclusion?"

"Because without Greevil, we will fall apart. Cipher will splinter apart into several factions without a clear leader to rally behind, and wreak so much havoc across the world. However, we all agree on one thing. You can lead us to our destinies. The prospect of you leading us is the only thing keeping us in this room, debating, instead of scheming to take what power we can before the chips fall."

"Who are you?" Amber asked the man bluntly, making the Masked Masked laugh once more.

"Sorry, but it's dangerous for anyone to know who I am. Maybe in time I'll reveal that to you, but for now I'll die with the knowledge of my identity." The Masked Admin responded, crossing his arms. "But we're getting distracted. You know the best way forward. Overcome your fear and let us pave the way to a future where all of our desires come to be."

Borlath, was gritting his teeth at this point. He knew their arguments were well-founded. He could easily lead Cipher, and in a more effective manner than Greevil ever did. He could sculpt the group to better fit his own goals and make this so much less painful…

But if he became the new leader of Cipher...he would become the very thing he set out to stop.

Amber sighed and stepped forward, and Borlath turned to look in her the eyes. For a moment he flashed back to the day he met her on that forest path in Sinnoh. Her eyes had been so different back then, so broken and weak. She had become strong over the years and had served as his right-hand faithfully, as she did from the moment he saved her from her greatest demon.

Borlath took in the moment, marveling how that confused, destroyed teen he had saved all those years ago had become a deadly woman who inspired fear in the hearts of those who opposed Cipher. She become even more evil than the monster that had corrupted and shattered her so.

And then she spoke to him, her voice surprisingly gentle. "Sometimes we have to put aside what we want, and consider what we have to do. You've always been frustrated with Greevil's mistakes. You want to change the world in the only way it understands. Do it. This is your chance, Borlath! If you don't take it, then everything we've all lost up until now has been for nothing."

Borlath remained quiet, shutting his eyes and dropping into his chair. He didn't have a reply to Amber, and instead chose to think in silence, which the Admins allowed him to do.

" _Is it worth it? Can I fall any further than I already have?"_ Borlath thought to himself, sighing inwardly. " _I'm so tired...Tired of all of this. But I know what I have to do. Even if I hate myself for it. Even if before all of this is over, I become worse than Greevil ever was...I will make things right."_

"I will continue to continue to fight. For a better tomorrow." Borlath said quietly, opening his eyes one final time before addressing the Admins. "Very well. I'll take control of Cipher. But make no mistake, I'll be doing this my way. And Cipher will be heading in the same direction, but not for the selfish reasons of power like how Greevil operated."

"How so?" Dakim asked, interested at this new motive for Cipher's slaughter and destruction.

Borlath nodded after a moment and said, "I'll explain in time. However, now, we must think about our next move. We'll have to use the confusion of Greevil's death to our advantage."

"Confusion?" Dawson asked.

"A lot of people are expecting us to be reeling for a long time after Greevil's death. And we are set back quite a bit with the amount of personnel we lost. We'll be unable to make any major moves against the Pokémon League for some time. But I say we remind them why they should fear us, as well as announce that Cipher is under new leadership." Borlath said heavily, shaking his head. "It all amounts to generating as much as fear as possible. Even if we have taken massive losses, the enemy doesn't know how much strength we truly possess. It will make them scramble while we recover and keep the masses talking about what we have done, not what we failed to do."

"I like that plan. But what did you have in mind to scare them that badly?" Giovanni asked, to which Borlath allowed himself a small smile.

"Remember our prisoner? She's outlived her usefulness." Borlath responded, earning a smirk from Giovanni. "We'll make a show out of it, and make them afraid again." Borlath said as he sighed and shut his eyes again, leaning back in the chair. He could do this. He would make this work, somehow, someway, he would ensure that all of their sacrifices would be worth it.

He only prayed that he wouldn't lose sight of who he was before everything was said and done.

* * *

"And to the left is our main market. You can buy all sorts of things there!" Lana said as she continued her tour of the city, leading Sun, Hau, and Lillie through the main street of the city. Despite it's prosperous nature, Konikoni City was fairly small in reality. The main road of the city was where most of the businesses in the city rested, with the outer buildings being purely residential save for a few exceptions here and there. Hau and Sun both browsed the TM stand and despite being interested in the wares being sold, didn't buy anything for their teams.

The group continued down the strip, with the group of children swinging by the local clothing store. Hau point-blank refused to change up his outfit, no matter how much Lana pestered him about it. That said, Lillie refused to either, though she did buy a new pair of colored contacts for the kit that she and Sun both had. Lana decided to buy a new sundress, light blue of course, as well as a few other cheap shirts for training days.

That said, Lana was admittedly very disappointed when Hau bought a pair of pink sunglasses for the sole purpose of looking ridiculous. Lillie and Sun both face-palmed, but accepted it without too many issues. Hau would be Hau, after all.

Sun ended up buying a Sandygast tank-top, and a beige colored outfit with black sneakers and a black scout pack to replace his current pack, which was starting to show signs of serious wear. It may have cost a fortune, but he was pretty well off thanks to his winning streak and the Amulet Coin he made sure to use.

Lillie and Lana both gave him grins of approval when Sun exited the changing room. Hau simply raised his pink shades and grinned at Sun, who just shook his head.

"So what's the plan now?" Hau asked as they made their way down the main stretch of road, purchases in hand.

"We see if Olivia is back home, and if she is, schedule you both to officially battle her. She's going through a dry streak in regards to challengers, so she'll probably be able to have you both battle her tomorrow." Lana explained as they approached the Kahuna's store, which was designed like most of the other buildings in the city save for the crossed pick design on the front sign and the other hanging sign that showed a hammer.

"So, this is where Olivia lives, huh?" Hau remarked as he eyed the building in front of them, with a sign that said "Olivia's Oddities and Stone Store."

"Yep. She has her own store and has basically cornered the market on rare stones and stuff. She even has a team of workers who search for Pokémon Fossils all over the world, as well as having contacts in Oreburgh City." Lana explained to her friends.

The quartet entered the store and were treated to a very clean shop with hundreds of stones, jewelry, and baubles on display in several tables and stands to the left of them, showcasing all sorts of things found only in Alola, as well as several other regions as well. A long mirror was embedded into the wall on the northern side of the room, allowing customers to see how certain items looked on them before purchasing them.

"Miss Lana! Welcome back!"

Sun and his friend turned to see grinning young woman with brown hair standing behind the counter, as well as an older woman with gray hair standing behind her. The Water Captain grinned and walked over to the two women, waving to them.

"Alola, Miss Carrie and Mrs. Avala. How's business today?" Lana asked the two women as she made her way to the counter.

"Booming as usual. New friends of yours?" Carrie, the younger woman, asked Lana. The bluenette nodded happily, gesturing to her friends.

"This is Sun, Hau, and Lillie." Lana introduced the trio behind her, who all waved in the traditional Alolan greeting.

"So many trinkets and jewelry. D-do you mind if I…?" Lillie trailed off awkwardly, but Lana giggled and shooed her away. After Lillie departed to the other side of the store, Lana gestured ahead of her, though Sun kept a watchful eye on his crush regardless.

"Miss Olivia sells all sorts of things at her store. But she prides herself on selling Evolution Stones and Pokémon Fossils to aspiring Trainers. Does that sound like it'd be interesting to either of you two?" Lana asked the two boys, receiving two nods.

"Duke and Kaha can both evolve using stones, so I'm gonna look at those." Hau remarked, leaning against the counter with an eager grin.

"Fossils sound really cool and I've already got a Fire Stone for Brago, so I'll give that a look if you don't mind." Sun said, walking around the counter to where Mrs. Avala was standing.

"My, what an adorable young Trainer. Well, let me tell you the rules. Only one per customer and that's set in stone!" Mrs. Avala proclaimed, though she giggled at her own pun and so did Sun. "So what do you say? You gonna buy...or no?"

Sun wasn't sure whether or not he really wanted to have a Fossil, but they were interesting and rare. Even harder was to find a way to revive the Pokémon within, due to the state-of-the-art technology involved in doing so. Sun didn't know if he could manage to acquire an alive Fossil Pokémon, but even if he didn't this was an opportunity he couldn't pass up.

"I'll buy. But what do you have?" Sun asked the woman, who laughed in response.

"Today I have two Fossils from Sinnoh! The Skull Fossil and the Cover Fossil." Mrs. Avala explained, so Sun put a finger to his chin and thought about it.

"I'll do it. I'll buy the Cover Fossil." Sun said to the lady, who grinned.

"Yessir! That's one petrifying example of a Cover Fossil right there!" Mrs. Avala remarked with a chuckle, though Sun was giggling at the wordplay going on. Sun purchased the Fossil and after being handed it, marveled at the weight of the rock. He could barely carry it.

"That is a rare find that the store's owner, Miss Olivia, brought all the way from the Unova region to help the spread of Fossil Pokémon. It is a fossil of the Prototurtle Pokémon, which is thought to be an ancestor of Turtle Pokémon. You can't find it here in Alola, so be sure to take good care of it." Mrs. Avala explained to Sun, who nodded in reply.

"I will ma'am. And thank you." Sun said as he bowed, nearly falling over thanks to the heavy Fossil in his arms. He walked over to where Hau was at, holding a Thunder Stone, Fire Stone, and a Water Stone in his hands.

"By their powers combined...I am Captain Planet!" Hau proclaimed while Lillie face-palmed from across the room. Lana was giggling up a storm. Lillie walked over to the group and walked out of the store, deciding to look elsewhere for the Kahuna.

Oddly enough, she was standing right outside the store.

"Hello there, my young friends! How's Konikoni treating you?" Olivia asked cheerily, putting a hand on her hip. Sun noticed that her smile seemed a little forced.

"Quite well!" Lillie said happily, though she glanced down at her bag as it wriggled slightly.

"I'm having fun. No wonder you, Mallow, and Lana live here. It's really nice!" Hau said happily, putting his hands behind his head.

"Looks like you bought some Evolution Stones and a Fossil! Thanks for paying for my groceries for the next month!" Olivia laughed, looking down at the Cover Fossil in Sun's hands. "Looks like you got a lovely specimen there. Take that to the Fossil Man on Route 8 and he'll work on making that fellow a living, breathing Pokémon again."

"Wait, the Fossil Man actually does stuff!?" Sun yelled out, amazed and horrified.

"Of course he does." Olivia remarked, confused by this outburst.

"But he's insane! And does drugs!"

"...I wasn't aware of his drug use. I'll have to have a word with him about that. He's too useful to have in jail." Olivia remarked, shaking her head. "The Fossil Man is an important part of my business and a family friend."

"Unbelievable." Sun muttered, shivering at the thought of the man in question actually being an important part of anything.

Olivia chuckled at Sun's attitude, but her smile faded as Lana stepped forward and asked her, "Miss Olivia, is everything okay?" Olivia blinked twice before she suddenly sighed, shaking her head.

"You're perceptive, Lana. Hau, be on your guard. She's a wily one." Olivia joked wryly, making Hau laugh and Lana blush bright pink while Sun and Lillie giggled behind them. "To tell the truth, I'm pretty annoyed. I just had a date and it...did not go well."

Hau's expression become one of supreme dumbfounded amazement as he looked Olivia up and down. "Is that man like...blind?"

Lana burst into giggles while Olivia smiled slightly, reaching forward and patting Hau on the head. "You're sweet. But no, he just wasn't...right. It's hard to explain. I am not one to frivolously date like little Mallow. If I start down that road, I will date someone who is rock-steady like myself. A true man with...style! Strength! Charm! But...the chances me finding someone who matches my tastes is very unlikely."

"So...you're really picky about boyfriends?" Sun asked, with Olivia laughing in response.

"Absolutely. Hala and Nanu love to poke fun at me for it. In return I punch them in the stomach." Olivia remarked offhandedly, ignoring Sun and Hau covering their stomachs in worry. Oliva chuckled again, waving her hand. "No worries, boys. You're far too young for me anyway. I prefer men a little older than myself."

"Don't let Mallow hear you say that." Lillie remarked, giggling.

"She's definitely tried her hardest to get me a boyfriend. Speaking of Mallow, I managed to catch her finally. Me and her had a long talk and she wants to have a talk with you in a few days Lana, when the weekend rolls around." Olivia said to the Captain, who sighed angrily.

"Did you find out why she's being so weird?" Lana asked, with the Kahuna nodding.

"I did. However I'm respecting her privacy and allowing her to come forward about this in time. She's going through some personal problems and I won't divulge things she wouldn't want me to-" Olivia began to say before the sound of familiar music filled the air. Olivia frowned as Sun and his friends turned around, only to come face to face with two members of Team Skull that Sun and Hau knew fairly well at this point.

"Yo, yo! It's the hardest boys around on Akala Island!" Axen boomed as he threw his arms apart, with Kevin joining him in his gyrations. Lana and Olivia exchanged a long-suffering look while Lillie hid behind them, with Hau taking a step forward and glaring at the two teens.

"What are you dorks doing here?" Hau demanded, a scowl creeping onto the boy's usual smiling face. Both Team Skull Grunts shrugged in response, though Axen stepped forward.

"Gotta stir up some trouble and try to snatch some Pokémon, same old same old. You may have beat us down before, but this time'll be different!" Axen proclaimed, throwing out a Poké Ball and sending out his Drowzee. Kevin just stood behind the teen awkwardly, unable to do anything.

"Don't do this to yourself, Axen. Just...walk away." Sun said to the teen, earning a glare from the teen.

"Hell no! This dipshit beat us four-on-one! I ain't gonna let my brothers and sisters in Team Skull get disrespected like that. It'll also show the Kahuna that we mean business!" Axen growled, stomping a foot down. Sun turned to Kevin, who was watching the display silently.

"You're going to let him do this?" Sun asked the other teen, who scowled under his bandanna.

"I'd be helping him do it if I had a Pokémon to battle with! Team Skull's loyal like that, little homie. I may not have a problem with you, not really, but I'll back up my boy Axen no matter what." Kevin proclaimed, stepping forward and glaring down Hau.

"Sun, leave them be. Another butt-kicking is just what they need." Hau said as he called out Cassy, who grinned widely as she appeared in a flash of light.

"Right, because humoring them being total dorks is going to make them stop." Sun said sarcastically, looking to Lana and Olivia. "Your thoughts?"

"I sympathize with Team Skull, but I'll not have them harassing my people. That said, I'm content to allow Hau to teach them a lesson." The Kahuna responded, with Lana nodding in agreement.

"I've tried to help them several times, Sun. They hate us Captains, so they just ignore my words whenever I try to reason with them." Lana said quietly, with Axen throwing aside his arm.

"Drowzee, use Confusion!" Axen barked, with Hau grinning in response.

"Aqua Jet!" Hau yelled out, with the Brionne shooting forward in a flume of water and smashing into Drowzee before it could even launch its attack. The Drowzee soared backwards and crashed onto the ground, wheezing in pain.

"Drowzee! You okay, bro?" Axen asked his Drowzee, who groaned in pain and slowly rose. Sun scowled and stepped in front of Hau.

"Seriously man, you're way better than these two. Let me handle this." Sun said to his best friend, who sighed but waved him on. Sun walked over to the two Team Skull Grunts.

"What do you want, yo? Can't you see I'm trying to get back in the game, fo sho?" Axen asked as he tried to lift his injured Drowzee off of the ground.

"Or you guys could just do something else. Seriously, what's the point in this?" Sun asked them, earning hidden scowls from both Grunts.

"It's to strike fear into the hearts of Alolans! To get some respect, damn it!" Axen barked, directing his words towards Lana, Hau, and Olivia.

"Then you're going about it in a really crappy way. Because the only person who remotely gives a crap what you have to say or think is me. Why do you think that is?" Sun asked the both teens, who all remained silent.

"Why don't you guys just go somewhere else? Maybe catch Kevin a Pokémon, since he still doesn't have one." Sun suggested, with Axen scowling.

"You think suckas like us our allowed to buy shit at Pokémon Centers? Not a chance, dawg." Axen scowled, crossing his arms. "Otherwise we'd have done that already. Not like we could really afford it anyway. But we could definitely afford it after beating you all down and taking your money!"

"Alright then. I'll do you one better." Sun said, walking past Axen and holding out the Cover Fossil to a surprised Kevin.

"Dude...Is that a Fossil?" Kevin asked, blinking in confusion.

"Yep. Take it. Apparently the Fossil Man on Route 8 can restore Fossils. Take this to him and get yourself a new Pokémon. You need this more than I do." Sun said seriously as he began to struggle holding the Fossil up. "Please take it, this thing is heavy."

Kevin accepted the Fossil from Sun with a stunned expression on what was visible on his face. He stared down at the Cover Fossil and looked up at Sun, seemingly speechless. Axen was likewise unable to say anything, amazed at the amount of kindness being shown to them.

"Sun, you're rewarding them for being absolute douchebags?" Hau demanded, amazed at this.

Sun looked back at his friend and said firmly, "No. I'm helping someone who needs a Pokémon a lot more than I do. You really need to look at things from a different perspective, Hau. Treating people who use violence for their goals with more violence doesn't solve anything. A little bit of kindness goes a long way. You know that better than I do."

Hau looked away, recognizing Sun's point. Sun turned back towards Kevin, who he was surprised to see was actually tearing up.

"H-holy shit...Like, this is the nicest thing someone's done for me. You...T-thanks, little homie. I'll take good care of this guy once he's alive again! I promise!" Kevin swore, even as tears leaked from his eyes, a happy grin hidden underneath his bandanna. Axen couldn't help but sigh, though he too was smiling at this development.

"We freaking threaten you and your friends...And you give one of our guys a priceless Fossil? Kid, you're way too much." Axen remarked, shaking his head with a small laugh escaping him. "But you're right, man. In a way. But what other way do we got? Team Skull's got no one but each other. The Island Challenge is all everyone cares about, and damn anyone who isn't good enough to beat it or wants out."

"That's not true in all cases and you know it." Olivia replied, though she did shut her eyes and lower her head. "I will admit that it is a shame that so many consider it a great dishonor to give up on the Island Challenge. Hala and Nanu are of the same mind, though they do not voice it aloud."

"Ha! So you admit the Island Challenge is toxic as hell and messes with people's minds!" Axen yelled out, only for Olivia to scowl and step forward, eyes blazing.

"You lot don't make this easy, though. Reasoning with Team Skull usually ends with us having to send you packing and running away. Turning to crime and harassment to make a point is a poor solution to the problems plaguing the families of Alola." Olivia replied sharply, crossing her arms.

"Just like that monster of Gladion's said…" Kevin remarked, sighing quietly. Lillie froze at hearing her brother's name, but didn't say anything about it. "Fine, we'll bail. We've got shit to do and it's obvious we can't beat you down."

"Psh. I could totally pull it off." Axen remarked, though he put a hand on his Drowzee as Kevin did the same. Both teens vanished with Teleport, making Olivia sigh deeply.

"I feel bad for them. They're Alola's darkest stain, a reflection of the price we pay for adhering to the traditions that have kept our way of living thriving for all these years." Olivia remarked before she shook her head. "Enough of that. Would you kids like to come inside for some tea?"

"Me and Hau also like to schedule our Grand Trials, Miss Olivia." Sun said to the Kahuna, earning a wide grin from her.

"Haha! I'd love a chance to battle two fantastic boys like you two. How does tomorrow at noon sound, Sun? Hau can battle you right afterwards at 1 PM?" Olivia said to the two boys, earning two nods from them both.

"I'll be busy with my Trials then, sadly. But I'll be cheering you both on in spirit." Lana said warmly to Sun and Hau, making the boys grin.

"And even if I'm still wary of watching Pokémon get hurt, I'll support the both of you personally!" Lillie said with a smile, with Nebby crying out from within his bag.

"Let's discuss this more over tea, shall we?" Olivia said as she turned around and walked through her store doors. Hau followed after the woman, but as Sun made a move to do the same, he felt a hand on his shoulder. Sun turned round and saw Lillie standing there.

"What's up?" Sun asked his friend, who laugh softly.

"Sun...I really respect how you handled Team Skull back there. You're really something else, aren't you?" Lillie said quietly, beaming at him with pride. Even if they were the bad guys, Sun saw that despite that they were still people. He treated them with kindness and got them to back off, when others would have resorted to harsh words and violence. Sun saw the good in people even when they didn't, and Lillie admired that so much about him.

Sun blushed and walked inside of the building after Olivia while Lana giggled quietly behind them.

* * *

A few hours later, Lillie was sinking into her seat in the Pokémon Center lobby, a cup of Tapu Cocoa in her hands. She looked across the room and saw Vivian playing her violin masterfully atop a chair, a crowd of children watching her work in awe while Noah watched her proudly. Hugh was lying down on the floor, dozing. Hau and Lana were chatting quietly while Bubbles and Kaha played tag in the lobby, with everyone else watching the two adorable baby Pokémon play. Sun was upstairs taking a nap with his team, making sure to rest up before his Grand Trial tomorrow.

Lillie considered her next plan of action. Kahuna Olivia would be giving her a tour of the Ruins of Life sometime soon, when her schedule allowed it. Lillie wondered if it was possible for her to even meet with the Guardian Deity of this island, Tapu Lele. She had just begun reading the book that Sun had given her for her birthday, regarding the Alolan legends, and she wanted to know more.

 _"I suppose I'll have to take my time with this. So long as Mother doesn't catch wind of my plans, I'll be okay. And so will Nebby."_ Lillie thought as the Cosmog poked his head out of her bag, letting out a small coo. Lillie smiled and unzipped her bag, allowing Nebby to free himself and fly into her arms, nuzzling her chest.

"I'm so sorry I have to keep you hidden Nebby. I just want to keep you safe." Lillie whispered, hugging Nebby close to her. Nebby replied with a happy cry, which made Lillie smile.

"What the hell?" Vivian suddenly remarked, snapping Lillie out of her thoughts and making her look up. She noticed that the TV in the Pokémon Center was having some connection issues, cutting in and out of the broadcast before-

Suddenly the channel changed, and Lillie was looking at a large figure sitting on a silver throne, their body mostly obscured by darkness. A pair of gleaming evil eyes in the shadows could just be seen from the side of the throne, but Lillie's eyes were on the man sitting on the throne, a silver crown with a shimmering jewel in the center that she faintly recognized resting on his head. The camera panned out and Lillie saw several Cipher Grunts standing at attention, with Amber Fontaine walking past the camera to stand beside the man on the throne, a smirk on her face. The room brightened slightly, allowing Lillie to see that the man on the throne was tall and well-built, dressed in a pristine white suit. His long black hair was tied in a neat ponytail, and he had a pyramid-like necklace around his neck. His eyes were the strangest part of him, though. One eye was gold, the other was brown.

And then, the man spoke.

"Hello friends...I hope you all are doing well. My name is Borlath...and I represent Cipher. I apologize for hijacking your current program, but it was of the utmost importance that I speak to you all." The man's voice said pleasantly, with Lillie blinking at how the man sounded. It was as if he was speaking, addressing the world in this odd broadcast, as if he was speaking to an old friend. The voice was calm and comforting, with Lillie feeling herself being drawn into the man's words even though he had said but a few words.

"Borlath!" Hugh snarled, leaping to his feet and scaring Lillie in surprise. Vivian and Noah likewise glared at their former friend who had betrayed them back in Unova, who sat upon his throne as his eyes gleaming in the light. Lillie gasped as she saw the man's eyes changed color from gold and brown to both of them being blue. And then the man began to speak, his smooth and dulcet tones almost hypnotic to the ears of everyone listening to his words.

"A few days ago, the world saw the fall of the man that has led Cipher for well over a decade and a half. Ienzo Greevil, Grand Master of Cipher, fell while battling two former Champions at the Kanto Superdome during a confrontation between our forces and that of the Pokémon League. After losing our leader, we naturally fell back to reevaluate our position...but do not take this act as a means of surrendering or backing down. Far from it, actually. We have been set back. We are indeed struggling to recover...But make no mistake this is hardly the end of things."

"Lillie, go get Sun. He needs to see this!" Hau said to Lillie, who nodding and ran to the nearby staircase, bounding up them. She pounded on Sun's door until he opened it, confused.

"Cipher's doing a broadcast! Come on!" Lillie said, grabbing Sun's hand and bringing him downstairs.

"Already? But they just got beat in Kanto!" Sun stated, bewildered that this would happen so soon.

"I guess it wasn't enough to keep them down for long." Lillie said as she brought Sun back into the lobby, where Borlath had paused in his speech as Amber leaned down to said something quietly to him.

"That's Borlath." Hugh explained, with Sun frowning as he watched the man.

"Borlath...You mean the guy who helped doom Unova, right? Your biggest enemy in Cipher besides Amber?" Sun asked, watching the man cloaked mostly in shadows turned away from the camera. Borlath then faced forward once again, and Sun felt his blood turn to ice.

"My apologies. Had to take care of something. Now, after careful consideration, we've decided to continue forward and ensure that Cipher achieves their goals. However...There is of course going to be a change in leadership. And with every change in leadership, some things will be differently. But make no mistake, we will still be the same group to be feared. We will still carve out a path of destruction and death in order to build a road to a better tomorrow." Borlath said from the throne he sat on, steepling his fingers as he shut his eyes.

"I know that sounds ridiculous and probably insincere coming from someone from Cipher. But I am different than the man who came before me. It has been decided that I take the reins and lead Cipher down this path, and become the leader it needs. Rest assured that once we have recovered from the setback we suffered yesterday, we will continue our fight in earnest." Borlath said quietly, his eyes flashing purple and green. This helped Lillie break out of her trance again and look at the others in the room, who were watching the broadcast with looks of awe and horror. But her eyes stopped on Sun, and her heart clenched.

Sun's face had gone sheet white. His hands were clenched so hard that his fingernails were digging into his palms and drawing blood. Sun's entire body was shaking so badly that Lillie thought he was having a seizure. The worst were that his eyes, which were slowly darkening into black coals that seemed so full of pain, sorrow, and absolute hopelessness.

"S-Sun? Are…you okay?" Lillie whispered, with the boy not even recognizing that his friend had even spoken. Borlath rose from his throne and Lillie saw that the man was also wearing a white cape behind him that fluttered slightly as he moved forward. Each of the Cipher Grunts fell to a kneeling position out of respect to the man who would lead them to victory against the world.

"Let's go greet a friend of mine some of you may know very well, shall we?" Borlath said with a small smile before a figure reached out from his shadow and dragged him into the darkness. The camera remained fixed on the throne room of sorts before suddenly cutting to a much different room.

This room couldn't be anymore different than the room before it. This new dimly illuminated room had no windows or doors, and resembled a cell more than anything else. Dried splotches of red coated the ground and a lone woman with fiery red hair was lying down on the ground, breathing raggedly as the lone light in the room shined down on her. Borlath stepped out from the shadows and the woman bolted upright, allowing the camera to see her face.

The woman's formerly beautiful face was covered in slashes and burns, her flowing red hair in tatters behind her. Behind her broken glasses and marred face, a single red eye glared down the new leader of Cipher...her other eye a gaping hole that looked as if the eye had been gouged out of its socket.

"Friends...Meet Lorelei. Former member of the Kanto Elite Four and a good friend of mine." Borlath said, a small smirk on his face at the remark that obviously wasn't true.

"You...Y-you're back." Lorelei spat, the former Elite Four member growled at Borlath as she tried to get to her feet, only for her legs to fail her and cause the woman to drop down to the ground. Borlath sighed and stepped into the light, his cape swishing behind him.

"Well...I have news, Lorelei. First off...Say hello to those watching at home." Borlath said, gesturing towards the camera that the Ice-type specialist couldn't see. The woman turned towards the camera, a confused expression on her face before she turned back to Borlath.

"S-so...What's happened then? Come to torture me some more? You've already killed my team. You took my eye. Unless you're prepared to finally end it, I can't imagine why you're here." Lorelei remarked, her words dripping with cold fury.

"No. Sorry to say, this is the end of the line for you." Borlath said quietly, with Lorelei gritting her teeth. "You knew this was coming."

"Tch...At least let me die on my feet." Lorelei growled, but Borlath's mouth twisted into a scowl.

"I don't think so. You, Lorelei, deserve to die on your knees. I started down this path so long ago because I thought I could use Cipher to bring about change. I don't want power. I don't want wealth or even world domination...This world is broken, Lorelei. And I will fix it." Borlath said as fire burned from his voice, making the woman shrink back.

"I've watched the world turn, and be threatened by evil time and time again. And each and every one of those times, what have you done? No matter which region, the Pokémon League has stood by and allowed children to do their job for them. Put themselves in harm's way and save the world that they're supposed to be guarding. So...I will destroy your world. I will burn down everything and take control over all of the regions, and force change. That way no one has to hurt ever again." Borlath intoned as his voice changed from soothing and pleasant to one of absolute conviction, which reminded Lillie horribly of her own mother.

"You're...you're insane." Lorelei hissed, shaking her head.

"Am I? Do you realize just how _useless_ the Gym Leaders and the Champions are? What have they done to help this world? Look at well they've protected the world from Cipher? Iris is in hiding. Alder and N are both struggling to fight back in Unova. The nameless child that wielded the Legendary Dragon of Unova is dead by my hand, and Lance would have fallen to us if it hadn't been for Red and Blue. Who left the League behind because they were too weak for even children…"

"Things have to change, Lorelei. Otherwise the world will destroy itself. Some psychopath will actually succeed and destroy the world we hold so dear. We have tried the road of peace so many times, but it never works. That is why I have to use force to create a better tomorrow. Cipher will control everything, and destroy everything we have to in order to ensure a better future... And that is why you will be the first to die, in a long line of many." Borlath finished as he turned towards the camera, where the man's eyes both changed colors one final time, and when he opened them again Lillie could help but let out a gasp.

Staring back at her on the screen was a set of very, very familiar gray eyes.

Eyes that were just like Sun's.

"In this world, there are heroes and there are monsters. I decided long ago that in order to become hero that this world needs to survive...I must become the monster that destroys everyone who stands in the way of Cipher." Borlath said quietly, his voice filled with a sadness to it. He then turned to Lorelei, who was staring at him in horror.

"Goodbye, Lorelei. I'm sorry things had to be this way. But I'm not sorry that you have to die. I'll grant you the small mercy of having it be quick." Borlath said as his gray eyes gleamed with malice, raising a single hand up and holding it out in front of him, his smile becoming cruel as Lorelei scowled at him. And then, he said two words that would send the world down a darker path just when things seemed like they would get better.

"Damien...Kill."

"Dad no! Don't do it!" Sun screamed at the screen, but his words did nothing to stop what happened next.

Ashton Aupuni, known as Borlath to the rest of the world, snapped his fingers with a sinister grin on his face. A massive shadow shifted behind the businessman before lunging forward. The creature became visible within the light as a massive skeletal black dog with white horns and razor sharp fangs. Lorelei had time to let out a scream before the beast crashed into her, knocking her to the ground as he tore at the woman with his claws and fangs. Lillie and Lana looked away from the screen, but Sun watched helplessly as his body trembled and shook.

Lorelei's screams of agony were cut off quickly, though they had long stopped before the massive Houndoom incinerated the body with a blast of fire, leaving a burning corpse as all that was left of the former Elite Four member. Borlath spoke again, his dark smile gleaming in the firelight.

"We'll be in touch soon. Farewell for now, my friends." Borlath said quietly as the Houndoom padded over to him, eyes gleaming in the sparse light of the room before the transmission cut out, leaving the group of heroes sitting in stunned and horrified silence. Lillie turned to face Sun again, and saw that he was staring ahead at the static-filled screen with a hundred-yard stare. Lillie couldn't blame him.

Lillie reached for Sun's hand, but the moment she touched him he snapped out of his reverie and yanked his hand away. The boy began to hyperventilate, looking down at the ground and trying to process everything. Eventually Sun just fell to his knees, gripping his sides and trying to fight back the tears.

"Sun...Talk to me. Please. What...That man was your father?" Lillie asked quietly, to which Sun replied with a weak nod, looking like he was about to be sick. Lana and Hau exchanged a silent look, unsure of what to make of this revelation. Hugh turned to Sun with a scowl of absolute rage.

"Figures. That bastard wasn't content to just doom a region and stab us in the back. No, Borlath had to send his son to come finish the job and take over Cipher himself!" Hugh spat as he glared down Sun, whose face somehow become more pale as Hugh drew called out his Samurott to the horror of the children around him. The Formidable Pokémon lowering his horn directly at Sun with a angry snort as Vivian and Noah watched on in surprise.

* * *

 _So...There we are._

 _Sun's father is the new leader of Cipher, and also happens to be the same person who betrayed Aria and Wes back in Unova and doomed an entire city._

 _Yes, many people called it a while back. Kinda hard to keep people thrown off the trail as to who Sun's father was, especially since I spent so much time focused on Borlath's character, but hey, it is what it is. I think I still did a pretty good job of keeping people guessing despite that._

 _Also, I'm very aware that Damien being a Houndoom is very cliche for a villain character. So for those readers who want to let me know this...Please don't. I'm aware. There's many reasons I went with a Houndoom for Ashton's signature Pokémon, and not because it's an evil-looking Pokémon. Also, this chapter does confirm Sun's original last name, Aupuni, which means "Monarch" is Alolan/Hawaiian._

 _Let's see how things progress from here. Especially since next chapter is the long-awaited Kahuna battle!_

Q and A

 _From: Guest_

Is Ashton Ash from the anime or is he one of your OC and if so what happend to him?Also would the 'Perfect Kyrem' be Zekrom,Reshiram and Kyrem merged but show or is it just an OP Shadow Kyurem.

 **As MoonlightButterfree explained in the review section (thanks for that, btw)** **Ashton/Borlath is an OC for mine, not the Ash from the anime** **. And as for what happened to him...I think chapter answered that question, heh.**

 **Perfect Kyurem is the merged version of Shadow Kyurem and Zekrom and Reshiram, the latter two not being Shadow** **Pokémon** **.**

 _From: jonesyboy456_

Cool Gladion has a Zoura! Huh Cipher has Non-shadow Legendary. How did THAT happen?

 **Mainly because Borlath isn't as...evil as some of the other members of Cipher. Granted, that doesn't mean he isn't a terrible person since he's got a higher body count than Amber at this point, but he doesn't use Shadow** **Pokémon if he doesn't have to and sees the benefits of having a willing Legendary assisting you.**

 _From: Sai Og Sus_

So, kind of curious. How does Borlath possessing Deoxys ties in with Delta Episode. Does that means Brendan never bothered to find it after defeating it or there are more behind Borlath's tale?

Sun needs some pills. Or maybe weeds. That will help him.

I see more tie-ins to Ultra. Cool. Cool. Just kind of curious where does that Zorua comes from?

 **1\. It is actually a different Deoxys that fell from a meteor hundreds of years ago. Borlath caught wind of Deoxys after hearing for the events the Delta Episode and began trying to acquire his own. He essentially went meteor-hunting and got lucky. It's been shown in the movies and other games that there's more than one out there, and someone with Borlath's resources could track one down with enough effort and again, luck.**

 **My original plan for this was to have him attack Brendan and steal Deoxys from him, but decided against it because trying to cross so many stories and paths into this story honestly gets too hard to keep up with. Also this would have been a decade ago, so this was just easier.**

 **2\. My headcanon for this story is that you're able to catch the same kind of Pokémon you can get in US/UM in the story, you just have a harder time of it. Sun will not be catching any US/UM exclusive Pokémon however. Gladion's Zorua comes from Melemele Island, where they are very rare but can be found. Keep this in mind for later, because it will come into play with Hau later and for a few other things.**

 _From: Technetium2_

But, I just- I have to ask, man: now that we've seen Red and Blue, will we get to see Leaf too? 'Cause she needed to come to Alola with the boys.9

 **I'm considering it. Especially after seeing some really funny comics about Leaf getting pissed that Red and Blue are going to Alola without her. If she does show up she'll have a very minor role though.**

 _From: AncientHero2000_

Okay, I have a couple questions, If you can't answer them, that's fine.

1\. If you recall at the beginning of the story (I think, or at least close to it) Sun has a dream of running away from what is presumably a monster. Have we gotten to the point where that has been resolved? or has it been made mention of again? Please let me know because a skipped one or two chapters when our journey was in the early fifties,

2\. WHAT IN DIN'S NAME IS AN UMBRAL POKEMON?! Have you made mention of unholy abominations before chapters 65 and 66? Not that there's anything wrong with them, their awesome! It's they just popped out of nowhere. If I were to guess though, the must be a more advanced form of a Shadow Pokemon, but who knows.

 **1\. Funnily enough, it did get resolved in this chapter. That monster was a nightmare representation of Damien, who Sun associates heavily with his father's betrayal. No, it hasn't been mentioned really since, but Sun's had a lot of nightmares since then of the same scale. I also don't recommend skipping any chapters, because important stuff usually happens in all of them and if you do that, you'll be missing information and context.**

 **It was also a heavy hint of Sun's father being Borlath, since Borlath was responsible for the frozen city depicted in the nightmare (Nimbasa City) and was commenting on how strangely beautiful it all was.**

 **2\. Umbral Pokemon is a heavily modified version of a Shadow Pokémon, except that it's considerably more violent and possesses far greater strength than a regular Pokémon. It is nothing short of a monster, with regenerative powers.**

 **Also, Umbral** **Pokémon are nothing new to this story. They've been mentioned in passing since the late twenties and early thirties, I believe. Chapter 56 explained what they were in-depth, and Chapter 60 showcased Amber's Umbral Rhyperior and how deadly those Pokémon can be when it laid waste to dozen's of Trainers and slaughtered most of them and their Pokémon with ease.**

 **However the process to create Umbral** **Pokémon** **is so damaging to the Pokémon that it drastically reduces its lifespan as well as reduces the Pokemon to a literal WMD. It can't be purified. It cannot be reasoned with, the door to its heart has basically been destroyed, meaning there is no way back. The only way to deal with an Umbral Pokémon is to put it down, which Red and Blue managed to do.**

 **It's nearly impossible for Cipher to make Umbral** **Pokémon. The first time they managed it, they got lucky. Since that first attempt, they couldn't manage to replicate the results another time. Until Lusamine began to help them, offering them a small amount of Nihilego venom to aid in the stabilization process. Hence the creation of Umbral Noivern and Rhyperior.**

 _From: Guest_

You know the shadow Zapdos and Articuno, what happened to them? And is the Noivern dead cos when it got Blast Burned it got healed by itself ? Also is Lance and his Dragonite okay cos A) didnt Lance get sickled in the chest so it would of destroyed his vital organs e.g. lungs,stomach B) His Dragonite took a bullet which would kill a normal dude so what happend? And finnaly, what happend to Zoe's fellow singers and is Zoe's mega stone in or on her mic?

 **They were quickly returned when Cipher and Team Rocket retreated, and vanished from the stadium.**

 **It's definitely dead, since Red's Charizard damaged it badly before snapping its neck and dropping it a few hundred feet onto the ground.**

 **Lance and his Dragonite are fine, but injured. Dawson managed to hit vital organs, but Aria's Lucario happens to know how to use Heal Pulse to heal human injuries (perks of being friends with Colress). Lance's Dragonite did suffer some serious injuries, but it's also a incredibly powerful dragon that can take a lot of abuse before falling over, you know?**

 **Zoey's singers bailed in "Kingslayer Part 1", when Zoey told them to run. And Zoey's Mega Stone is in a necklace she has around her neck, though it wasn't visible or specified since it's sort of covered by the crazy outfits she performs on stage in.**

 _From: operretaoceanic_

Will Gladion catches Pokémon based on USUM? I do remember playing UM where he has a Zoroark in his party

 **It'll be a combination of both. I've decided that he and Hau will have full teams based on a combination of both their S/M and US/UM teams. How that'll happen though...we'll see.**

 _That's all for now. Next chapter we've got a Kahuna battle and the fallout from this revelation. Please show your support with a review, favorite/follow, or a question submitted in the review section below._

 _Take care and stay awesome._

 _Until next time, FlygonNick out!_


	68. Kahuna Battle! A Rocky Revolution!

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 ** _(This chapter has been re-uploaded due to me not realizing Lycanroc Midnight Form can't learn Accelerock, which I somehow didn't realize while I was researching moves for this chapter. I made some tweaks to the Kahuna Battle itself as well. Doesn't change anything story-related, just makes the battle better and more realistic.)_**

 _As of last chapter, Pokémon Radiant Sun has become the most-reviewed story on my profile._

 _That's...my biggest milestone yet. "Apocalypse: Dawn of the Dead" was my first true story on this site, and four years later still sits at the top of the COD fanfiction archive as the top-reviewed story. For RS to beat that is...incredible._

 _Thank you, everyone...for the endless support, thoughts, critiques, and feedback. I'm looking forward to seeing how this story continues to evolve and grow._

 _So, I gotta say...I love it when a twist comes that shocks everyone. I worked hard on this latest one._

 _See, people began to suspect the truth of Borlath waaaay back in the beginning of the story. So, I decided to spend the next fifty chapters or so throwing people off the trail. The inclusion of the Masked Admin from Alola is done solely for this, even though he has a larger role in a later arc._

 _Last chapter was a very long time coming. Granted, I did get a bit over the top and had to go back and edit a specific scene since it was a bit too graphic for the rating this story is at, but hey, it's just what's gotta happen sometimes._

 _So yeah...Let's have some fun._

 _Shoutout to MoonlightButterfree, Sai Og Sus, RC-DA, Champion of the Divine Sun, Potato, a Guest reviewer, AncientHeroofTime, Dario Flaman, Alex TF, JasperCFZ, Angelfir3, BraviaryScout, two Guest reviewers and SonicIKE. You all rock...pun intended._

 _Time to deal with the fallout of last chapter's revelation and a Kahuna battle!_

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 _Chapter 68: Kahuna Battle! A Rocky Revolution!_

* * *

" _Quickly! He's got to be down there!" N shouted above the roaring winds as he sped towards Castelia City, which was in full blown panic mode. Considering its nearest neighbor, Nimbasa City, had just been turned into an icy graveyard just hours prior, this wasn't surprising. Millions upon millions had been frozen solid, with most of them dead by the time anyone had reached the city to help. Aria was doing damage control and Wes was inconsolable, having lost the will to live let alone fight. N, Hugh, and Clay (the Driftveil City Gym Leader) were flying to the city that Borlath had been staying in._

" _Not much further. Y'all ready for a fight?" Clay shouted to them from atop his Gliscor, dressed like a cowboy but not any less lethal because of it. The Ground-type specialist had been the first to offer his aid to bringing down the man who had stabbed them all in the back and sold out their movements and plans to Cipher._

 _Hugh grit his teeth as they landed in the busiest street of Castelia City in front of a massive tower that gleamed in the sun, a monument to the wealth and power of the man that they were seeking. Hugh sprinted off of his Flygon and called out his Samurott and Bouffalant before charging ahead, with N and Clay calling out their Pokémon before charging in after him._

 _To their surprise, the man they were hunting down was waiting for them in the lobby. He stood at an at-ease position, his arms behind his back and wore a sad smile on his face as his green eyes flickered to purple. A massive Houndoom sat beside him with a TACV around his neck, a grim expression on his face._

" _Hugh. N. Clay." Borlath said quietly, not alarmed in the slightest seeing his former friends standing across from him with their Pokémon called out._

" _How could you!? All of those people are dead! Unova's going to be trampled underneath Neo Team Plasma and that monster of a dragon Ghetsis controls...How could you do this?" Hugh hissed at Borlath, who sighed softly._

" _For a better tomorrow, Hugh. You wouldn't understand. I need Cipher to bring down those in my way. Unova is a prime example of the system I wish to destroy, and why Cipher is necessary. Look at how Iris fled from her throne. Alder was unable to stop the power of the original Team Plasma. As for N, he couldn't stop Ghetsis even with a Legendary Dragon on his side. We need more than Champions, Hugh. The world will not survive without further measures being taken." Borlath said with a sorrowful sigh, putting a hand on Damien's head._

" _And that measure required an entire city be destroyed? Yer not makin' much sense." Clay said with a growl in his voice, to which Borlath's smile faded, his eyes flicking from purple to gold._

" _I didn't want to do that. It was necessary, however. Acts of power and fear keep everyone in line while we consolidate power. Cipher will continue to claw its way to global domination. We will destroy the Pokémon Leagues in every region, dismantle the systems that sit idly by while psychopaths and madmen try to destroy the world by abusing Legendary Pokémon. I refuse to sit by and watch…"_

" _I choose to take a stand." Borlath finished, his eyes flickering from gold to crimson. "Damien...Kill." Borlath murmured, with the Houndoom sighing softly and hanging his head._

"I am so sorry...I'll make it quick." _The Houndoom spoke, his voice a rasp as he crouched low and bounded towards them._

" _Samson! Aqua Jet!" Hugh barked, throwing out his arm._

" _Zoroark! Aerial Ace!" N said quietly, putting a hand in his pocket as his eyes gleamed._

" _Drill Run!" Claw barked, stepping forward and clenching a fist._

 _All three Pokémon rushed towards the Houndoom, who snarled and opened his mouth, releasing a hellish blaze that rushed towards them. Excadrill and Samson swerved away from the attack, but Zoroark was hit directly by the flames and sent flying back with a scream of pain. The wolf Pokémon crashed onto the ground with a whine, with N's eyes widening in horror._

" _You didn't think I'd go down without a fight, did you?" Borlath said as Excadrill and Samson rushed towards Damien. The Houndoom blasted the ground with fire and launched himself into the air, avoiding the Drill Run before being smashed by Aqua Jet. However, as the attack dissipated the Houndoom's mouth suddenly burst into a surging wrath of electricity and he bit down on Samson's neck._

" _Samson!" Hugh yelled out as the Houndoom swung the Samurott around in the air like he was nothing before hurling him down into the floor. Damien landed lightly on the ground, gritting his teeth._

" _Idiots…" Borlath breathed, shaking his head. "Damien is my strongest Pokémon. My closest friend, who's been with me through so much. From defeating Roran Rubinara all those years ago in Alola to protecting me from you all now. My Partner has defeated Champions...It'll take a lot more than you to take him down. Especially since my backup has arrived."_

" _Bobo! Wild Charge!" Hugh barked, throwing out a hand as the Bouffalant rushed forward. "Rell, Dragon Pulse! Samson, Razor Shell!"_

 _Clay and N issued commands as well, with N's Zoroark slowly rising to its feet with a faint growl. However, it was knocked out for good as several pillars of rock erupted from underneath it, making the three Trainers turn around to see a familiar woman with red hair in white and silver armor standing in front of the entrance to the building. Out of the shadows around them, several Cipher Grunts appeared with Ghost-type Pokémon, using Shadow Sneak to enter the building. The attacks rushing towards Damien were stopped by an Xatu teleporting in front of the canine and throwing up a green barrier, stopping the attacks in their place._

" _Figures." Amber Fontaine said as her Shadow Rhyperior shuddered in front of her, with Avis teleporting back to her with a smug expression. "Against your orders, I decided to bring a squad with me."_

" _Very well. I'd rather get back sooner rather than later, truthfully. As much as I enjoy Unova, I do miss the comforts of home." Borlath remarked casually before he snapped his fingers. "If you would?"_

 _Damien grit his teeth before lunging forward and releasing another deadly blast of flames. Clay began to fight off the Cipher Grunts getting involved while N and Hugh dealt with Amber and Borlath. The Houndoom sent more hellfire into the air as the Flygon swooped down from below, knocking the dragon back with the sheer intensity of the flames. Damien snarled as Bobo the Bouffalant smashed into him, though the Houndoom sent the large Pokémon flying backwards with a Dark Pulse, making it scream in pain. Damien then inhaled deeply before breathing out a massive ball of fire, which formed into a five-pointed star an exploded harshly against the Bouffalant and knocked it out._

" _Bobo! No!" Hugh yelled out, but he then felt horror wash over him as Amber suddenly teleported on top of the Bouffalant with a silver dagger in hand, her Xatu floating above her. Samson changed targets from Damien to Amber and rushed towards her, but was sent crashing to the ground with Psychic as Amber raised her dagger and brought it down onto the Wild Buffalo Pokémon's neck._

 _She repeated the process while Hugh screamed, her Xatu stopping anyone who tried to interfere by throwing them away. Soon enough Amber was walking away from the dead Bouffalant while Hugh shook in anguish and anger, tears dripping down his cheek._

" _We need to fall back! There's just too many of them!" N barked as his Archeops crashed onto the ground senseless, having been struck down with Damien's Thunder Fang._

" _Any ideas?" Clay asked, taking a step back as his battered Excadrill crouched low and hissed as Damien approached them slowly from the front, with Borlath smirking behind them._

" _You could die?" the businessman suggested. "As much as I hate the idea of killing my friends...I'll admit it feels good having this out in the open. Living a lie is even worse than everything I've done in the name of peace. You all will thank me, someday, when Cipher destroys the broken system in place and I create something that can actually safeguard the world from those who wish to destroy it." Borlath said quietly as Damien crouched in front of him._

" _You bastard! I'm going to kill you!" Hugh screamed, running forward with his Samurott charging alongside him. Hugh didn't care that the Houndoom ahead of him had just unleashed a Flamethrower at him. All he cared about was killing the man that had ruined everything. Who had stabbed them in the back, sold them out, and had been against them from the very beginning as the mastermind behind everything that they had fought against._

 _He had been their friend...and he destroyed all of their hopes of victory with a smile. Worse still, he said that he would thank him someday._

 _Just as the flames reached Hugh, he suddenly sank into his own shadow and a Gardevoir appeared beside his Samurott, teleporting them both away. Borlath's eyes widened as the trio and their Pokémon were whisked away from the building within moments, making Amber stab the ground in frustration._

" _Damn it. Well...Now what?" Amber asked Borlath, who offered her a smile._

" _Greevil will want a status report. After that, we meet with Ghetsis and make sure Perfect Kyurem is behaving. Even if I could make the thing kill him at a moment's notice, it's good to make sure that it will listen to the man's orders...for now." Borlath said with a grin, walking over to Damien and crouching down. "You are all dismissed. I need a word with Amber."_

 _The Cipher Grunts all saluted the Senior Admin and departed with Teleports and Shadow Sneaks, leaving Amber and Borlath with their Pokémon._

"You disappoint me, Ashton." _Damien said quietly as his Trainer hugged him from behind._

" _I know...It hurts to do this. I can feel my very soul tear itself apart. But I'm going to have to do a lot more awful things before everything gets better. We made a promise, you and I." Borlath said quietly to the Dark Pokémon, who sighed in response._

"Yes...To protect those we love at all costs. But this? Killing all those people in Nimbasa City to show Cipher's strength? To ensure the world fears Cipher as they step out of the shadows? Was that really worth it? What would Laura say?...How do you think Sun will react when he finds out what you've done?" _Damien asked Borlath, who flinched harshly at hearing his family's names._

" _They'll understand...After all. I started down this road to protect them." Borlath said as he rose to his feet. "We'll make this world better through force, Damien. It's the only thing it understands. Through darkness, we shall blot out the rest of the world's evil. Greevil is a tool, like all of Cipher is to me. Tools we will use to ensure a better tomorrow."_

" _Just don't fall down the rabbit hole, Borlath." Amber remarked, smirking in amusement. Borlath hummed as he turned around and began walking towards Amber._

" _That's why I stay just far enough away from Greevil to keep that lure of power away from myself. I know how power corrupts. I refuse to become just as bad as the others." Borlath said as shut his eyes._

 _Despite his own words...He didn't believe that, deep down. And in a matter of months his decisions would lead to the destruction of his family and the end of everything that brought him joy in his scheme with Cipher._

* * *

Sun was still reeling.

His father was now the leader of Cipher. The man that had raised him was the same man that had destroyed Unova and betrayed his friends. The boy was just as hurt and horrified as they were, but now he was being judged because of this. Sun took a step back as Hugh glared him down, fury and pain in his crimson eyes as Samson lowered his horn at him. Lillie looked back and forth between the two Trainers, hands over her heart as Nebby cooed softly in confusion.

"Hugh, stop that! He's just a kid! You seriously think Borlath is twisted enough to use his own kid as a weapon against us?" Noah asked the teen, who shot him a look.

"You know the answer to that. Yes, yes he is." Hugh answered, turning back to Sun as Noah looked away. "Now talk. What's your game here, Sun?"

"To get away from my Dad and live a happy life here in Alola. I h-hate that man." Sun responded, still shaken from the broadcast and the fact that Hugh, his friend, had turned on him just like that. Noah and Vivian didn't want to step in, it seemed.

 _"They're scared...Borlath has done so much to them, that they're scared his son could do things just as bad."_ Lillie realized as she looked back and forth between Sun and Hugh.

"You really think I'd try to hurt you guys? You're my friends! All my Dad ever did was hurt me! He's a monster! Why would I ever try to do anything to you all?" Sun demanded, with Hugh scowling darkly.

"Yeah, right. Borlath's son just happens to find us in Alola and just happens to become friends with us. Right." Hugh said, his voice dripping with acid.

"You're the one who saved us from Team Skull back in Hau'oli City! You introduced us to everyone else! Why would I try to hurt you all!?" Sun screamed back at Hugh, all of the stress and fear and horror pouring into his voice. Hugh scowled, knowing that Sun had a point, but he still took another step towards the upset child.

"Leave Sun alone!" Hau said, stepping forward with Lillie. The girl held onto Sun's arm with Hau glared down Hugh.

"Just because his Dad's a murdering jerk doesn't mean Sun is. He's one of the best people I know!" Hau yelled at Hugh, with Lillie nodding furiously in agreement.

"He's done nothing but help me and Nebby! You're letting the actions of his father cloud your judgement." Lillie said to Hugh, who grit his teeth in fury. Lillie turned to Noah and Vivian. "Are you two really going to let Hugh bully Sun like this? All because you're suspicious that his father is using him to hurt you all?" Lillie asked them.

Vivian sighed. "You don't know Borlath, Lillie. He's a master manipulator. He could be using Sun as a weapon against us and he'd probably never even know."

"I...Don't know what to think." Noah admitted, crossing his arms and sighing.

"I do. We're going to turn this brat into the International Police and they can tear through his head and find out exactly what he knows." Hugh growled, extending a hand out and making Samson snort in anger.

 _"Stay away from him!"_

Hugh whirled around and saw two birds and a dog rushing towards him. However, they dashed past Sun and took up defensive stances around their Trainers, with Brago growling softly at Hugh.

 _"What's going on?"_ Penny asked Sun, confused as to why a friend of theirs was trying to battle Sun without his team.

"Enough of this. Samson! Knock out his team! We're taking him to the International Police!" Hugh snarled, but he was cut off when Nurse Joy stepped in with a scowl on her face.

"That is enough!" Nurse Joy shouted, stomping her foot down in a rare display of anger that none of the Trainers in the lobby had ever seen before. "I will not have this kind of fighting in my Pokémon Center! If you really think taking your frustrations out on someone's innocent child are going to solve anything, then you're just as bad as Cipher is!"

Hugh flinched harshly at that, but Sun used that chance to bolt up the stairs with his team close behind. Hugh made a move to follow, but Nurse Joy cut him off. Lillie turned to Hau and Lana, who had been quietly talking.

"What do you think?" Lillie asked, with Lana sighing softly.

"That Sun just learned about this the same time we did. I can't imagine how badly he's hurting right now. And with what Hugh just pulled…?" Lana trailed off, shaking her head.

"I don't care what just happened. Sun's our friend and he needs our support." Hau said firmly, with Hugh turning to him with a glare.

"You really think he's still your friend? After everything his bastard of a father did to us?" Hugh growled, but he was surprised when Lillie stepped forward.

"Yes! Nothing has changed, Hugh. Sun is still Sun. He's still our friend." Lillie said vehemently, but stopped when she saw Sun emerge from upstairs with his bag and his Pokémon returned, looking like he was either about to start crying or scream.

"Don't follow me." Sun said tersely to them all as he walked to the door. He turned to look at his friends from Unova and said, "Just so you know...He hurt me and my mother worse than he could have ever hurt you."

Sun turned around and stormed out of the Pokémon Center, fury pounding his ears as his feet went down the road. He couldn't believe this. He hadn't even seen his father in nearly a year and that man was still managing to ruin his life. Sun was surprised when his phone began to buzz in his pocket, and he checked it after a moment and saw his mother was calling him. Sun answered the phone, preparing himself.

"Sun!? Did you see-?"

"Yeah...I saw."

Laura sighed heavily over the phone, sounding just as upset as Sun felt. "I can't believe him. I can't believe he'd stoop that low. To become the leader of that group...He's become just as bad as I feared he would."

"What do we do Mom?" Sun asked, not even bothering to try and hide the fear in his voice.

"We're going to hope that someone stops him in Kanto, and that they don't find us here. Ashton is persistent, but his biggest flaw is that he misses the small details. He wouldn't ever think that we would hide in the region that he despises with all of his heart." Laura assured Sun, who sighed with relief.

"I'll be meeting with some International Police people in the morning after I make some calls, including getting in touch with Ollie. And then I'm heading straight to Konikoni City to see you. I should be there by tomorrow night. We will get through this. Just...keep holding on, okay baby?" Laura said over the phone, with Sun shutting his eyes.

 _"How much longer can I hold on?...How much more do I have to deal with before it all just ends?"_ Sun thought, stopping in the middle of the street.

"Okay Mom...Just…" Sun trailed off, unsure of what he even wanted to say. However, his mother helped him pick up the slack.

"I know this is upsetting. I know this is...beyond horrible. But we will get through this. You're not your father. You're so much better than that man, Sun. And we will get through this together." Laura said to Sun, who managed to find his voice again.

"Okay Mom...I love you."

"I love you too, dear. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay. Bye Mom."

"Goodnight sweetie."

Sun ended the call and stuffed his phone in his pocket, continuing to walk down the street while his thoughts continued to whirl around in his mind. His Grand Trial was tomorrow, he was worried about Lillie and Team Skull harassing her, and worrying about Cipher hurting people and finding him and his mother. But now...His father was the leader of Cipher. His father was a murderer and had orchestrated the pain and suffering of his friends from Unova and so many other people...

* * *

" _Someday Sun...you'll understand."_

* * *

"Not likely. You're a monster..." Sun said to himself, continuing down the street as his thoughts ran rampant.

* * *

" _Sometimes, Sun, you have to make hard decisions to protect those that matter."_

* * *

"Really? So that's why you ordered a city be destroyed and tried to kill Mom when she tried to leave with me and get away from you?"

* * *

" _I'm not going to lose you to that violent lifestyle of suffering. You will not become a Pokémon Trainer!"_

* * *

"Then why did you wrap me up in that world of fighting and suffering anyway? You did everything in your power to control me and stop me from pursuing my dreams. All I've ever wanted was to be a Trainer just like you and Mom." Sun hissed as he clenched his fists, shutting his eyes tightly. Sun was so deep in thought and turmoil that, as he rounded a corner, he collided with someone and knocked them both to the ground. Sun landed on his butt and rubbed his head, hissing in pain.

Meanwhile Mallow groaned, sitting up with a sigh.

"That hurt. Why'd you run into me, Sun?" Mallow asked as she opened her eyes, which widened when she saw the state Sun was in. "Oh crap. Sun, are you alright?"

"...no." Sun said quietly, shaking his head as he got to his feet. Sun helped Mallow up and the girl took a better look at him. The Grass Captain seemed a bit more withdrawn to Sun, rather than her usual bubbly self. It had been the first time he had seen her since Lillie's birthday.

"Well, what's going on?" Mallow asked Sun, crossing her arms. "I've never seen you so upset. Your eyes look weird too. They're almost black instead of gray."

"I…" Sun paused in his words, thinking about that. His father was able to change the color of his eyes at will. Maybe he could too? "I don't know how that works. And for what happened, well...The worst happened, Mallow. The worst."

"Well, considering it's about to rain, I'd like to continue this conversation somewhere more dry. Let's get to the Pokémon Center." Mallow suggested, with Sun scowling at the suggestion. He did look up and saw that the sky was much darker than it should have been for this time at night, with thunder rumbling in the distance. "Yeah, it's going to be raining pretty good for the next two days. So, Pokémon Center?"

"I'm not welcome there. Hugh, Vivian, and Noah all didn't feel comfortable with me being there." Sun said to the Grass Captain, who looked even more confused.

"Then...Let's go to my place then. You can crash there for the night." Mallow offered, with Sun sighing and nodding in reply. He knew better than to argue with someone like Mallow and he didn't feel like turning down an offer not to sleep in the wilderness tonight.

Sun explained to Mallow what had happened as they walked, with Mallow growing increasingly horrified as Sun explained everything. Borlath's history with Cipher, Ashton's attack on Laura and nearly killing her, and the events at the Kanto Superdome concerning Greevil's death. And then, learning that his father and Borlath were the one and the same person.

By the time they arrived at the restaurant that doubled as Mallow's home, the Captain threw herself at Sun and hugged him tightly. Sun returned the hug, shaking slightly and forcing himself not to cry. Mallow separated from Sun and turned towards her house, pulling out a key from her pocket.

"That's...a lot to handle. I'm so sorry, Sun." Mallow said sincerely as she opened the door. The restaurant portion of the store was empty with the lights out, so Mallow led Sun through a door on the right which led into a comfortable living room.

"Yeah...My Mom is coming by tomorrow to explain things. I'm scared, Mallow…" Sun admitted softly, sitting down on the couch as Mallow took a seat at the table, looking at him worriedly. It was troubling seeing how Sun was acting now. The confident and smiling boy she had known before was now unsure, terrified and looking like he was on the verge of just snapping. After what he had been through, Mallow wouldn't blame him. All of that fear, pain, sadness and anger at what had just happened, on top of what Sun was already feeling? Poor kid.

"It's some scary stuff, Sun. But don't you worry. If Cipher tries anything, you've got some friends who are watching your back and ready to show them just what Alola is made of!" Mallow said with a grin. Sun stared at the girl for a moment.

"Mallow, what's been going on with you lately? Ever since Lillie's birthday and that dumb dare, you've been avoiding everyone." Sun asked Mallow, who leaned against the wall and crossed her arms, her smile fading.

"I don't need a filler arc to figure out my problems, Sun. I'm just...taking some alone time to figure some stuff out." Mallow said rather seriously as she shut her eyes for a moment, opening them again and smiling a little.

"And...what did you figure out?" Sun asked.

"That growing up sucks." Mallow remarked, the small smile on her face widening a bit. "Seriously though, it's not something I'm comfortable talking about just yet. Give me a few more days and I'll explain everything, 'kay?"

"If you're sure...So, you're sure you're okay with me staying the night here?" Sun asked his friend, who grinned at him.

"Absolutely. I can't turn away a friend in need. You should be able to rest up for your battle against Olivia tomorrow and kick some butt!" Mallow said cheerily, pumping her fist into the air.

A few minutes later, Sun was laying down in the darkness and just...thinking.

His father and the mastermind behind much of Cipher's recent evil acts were the one and the same person. Now, his father had all the power of Cipher at his command. Would he leave them alone? Would he hunt down Sun and Laura for leaving him?

Sun didn't know. All he knew was that he couldn't count on his friends for support right now. His mother would be coming to Konikoni City tomorrow, so all he could do was hope she could help set things straight. In the meantime, Sun would make sure that he reunited with her with the news that he had beaten his second Kahuna and succeeded in his Akala Island Grand Trial.

Sun closed his eyes and eventually fell into a fitful sleep, his dreams haunted by fire and of his father telling him that everything would be okay. Sun woke several times during the night, and found that he had been crying the entire time in his sleep.

Eventually he gave up trying to sleep and stared into the darkness, wondering…

And hoping for a better tomorrow.

* * *

Sun awoke the next morning to the smell of pancakes, which made him slowly rise from the couch. Mallow emerged from the kitchen with a grin and set them on the table before saying, "Morning! It's been a little bit since we had anyone over, so I made pancakes."

"Thanks Mallow...ugh, I feel terrible." Sun muttered as he got to his feet. Sun shuffled over to the table as Mallow grabbed a few bowls and poured Pokémon food in them. After eating and feeding his team (and refusing to explain what happened yesterday to them), Sun slumped against the table and sighed.

"You look awful." Mallow stated from across the counter.

"No kidding...I really should reschedule this battle." Sun muttered, shutting his eyes. "But I'm not going to. Olivia's been looking forward to battling me and Hau and I'm not going to duck out of this just because things are going bad for me right now."

Mallow frowned and nodded. "Well...Whatever you do, I'll support you. All of us do, even if some of your friends are too scared and full of anger to do anything else but point fingers. I'd go watch your battle myself, but my parents are coming home in a few hours and I've got to make sure everything is spotless around the house. So I'm just gonna wish you good luck!"

Sun's offer to help clean with Mallow was shot down, so after a hug from the cheery Captain Sun departed for Olivia's store. The moment he entered he was greeted by a massive stone Pokémon with a large mustache that floated off of the ground.

"That's a new one. Hey Rotom?" Sun asked, with the device popping out of Sun's backpack with a buzz.

" _Zzzt! Not even all this drama is gonna keep Rotom Dex down!"_ Rotom declared as it floated in front of Sun.

" _Probopass. The Compass Pokémon and the evolved form of Nosepass. The_ _main body controls three mobile units called Mini-Noses, which it maneuvers to catch prey. It radiates such a powerful magnetic field that nearby electrical appliances become unusable."_

"Thanks buddy." Sun said gratefully to the device, who landed in Sun's hand.

" _No worriezz. I don't care who your father is Sun! I've got your back!"_ Rotom said to Sun, who smiled at that. It was time's like this where he realized how much he genuinely appreciated Rotom Dex's help on his journey.

"Thank you…" Sun said quietly, with Rotom hopping onto Sun's head. Sun then turned to the Probopass and saying, "So...What do you want?"

"Nopass!" the massive stone creature groaned, floating towards Sun. The teen noticed the latter clutched within one of the floating rocks besides the Pokémon. Sun grabbed the offered letter and began to read it.

 _Sun- Olivia here. This is Probopass._

 _It watches the shop whenever I'm away._

 _I know I asked you to meet me here, but there's been a change of plans._

 _Come meet me at the Ruins of Life past Memorial Hill, when you can._

Sun folded the letter and stuffed it into a pocket, sighing deeply. He saw the Probopass watching him still and said quietly, "Thank you."

The Probopass nodded and turned around, floating up the nearby staircase. Sun watched it depart for a few moments before turning around, though he was stopped when the massive stone Pokémon floated back down the stairs and moved towards him. Floating beside it was a bottle of medicine, which caught Sun off guard.

"Pass?" the Pokémon questioned, a worried look in its eyes. Sun knew that the Probopass could sense the maelstrom of pain whirling within him, but the boy managed a weak smile.

"That's for me?" Sun asked, with the Probopass nodding in reply . Sun took the medicine and was surprised to see it was a Max Potion. One of the strongest kinds of medicine out there for Pokémon. "Thank you, Probopass. I'll put it to good use and give your Trainer a great battle."

"Pass-pass!" the Compass Pokémon cried out happily before turning around and floating to its previous position just beside the staircase. That business taken care of, Sun exited the store and was hit with the usual heat of the day.

Sun made his way through the city with little fanfare, though he did spot Vivian looking around through the city and barely avoided catching her gaze. He didn't want to talk to any of them. Sun had enough to deal with right now.

As the boy walked, he tried to get the images of Lorelei's brutal death out of his head but found that was basically impossible, so instead he tried to come up with more strategies to beat Olivia. Without knowing how she battled or what her team was like, coming up with anything that he hadn't already was hard. But it helped keep him distracted as he made his way through Memorial Hill, which was a graveyard that Sun didn't care about at all for the moment. The boy ducked around and avoided the eye of every Trainer there, and had just cleared the area when he heard shouting up ahead.

Four figures, two members of Team Skull and two members of what looked like the Aether Foundation were having a standoff of sorts with one another.

"Team Skull! Give back that Pokémon!" the Aether Foundation woman shouted, glaring down the two thugs as they chuckled darkly.

"Lo-o-ow?" the Slowpoke questioned, with Sun wondering if the pink Pokémon even knew it was being Pokénapped.

"Don't give me trouble! Or I'll reduce you to rubble!" Grunt A barked, throwing his arms apart as his partner began to beatbox.

"That's right! We're gonna sell this Pokémon to get rich, and we won't make no bones about it! If you want it back, you're gonna have to take it!" Grunt B remarked, also moving his arms like a wacky inflatable arm flailing tube-man.

"Lo-o-ow?" the Pokémon groaned, probably wanting something to eat.

The admittedly creepy man from the Aether Foundation with the glasses turned to his younger colleague, a scowl on his face. "Stand firm! Think of what the President would say!"

" _Zzt. Not gonna touch that one."_

"What's that mean Rotom?"

" _Zzzt...Sun, you're better off not knowing."_

"That's what you say, Chief! But you don't lift a finger!" the woman protested with an annoyed look on her face, with the man opposite her puffing out his chest and gesturing pompously with his arm.

"Why, I am the Aether Foundation's last line of defense! What would become of the Foundation if something were to happen to me now?" Faba asked, with the woman crossing her arms and grinning widely.

"That's an easy one, Branch Chief Faba! First off, we'd throw a big party and then Miss Wicke would-" the woman replied happily while Faba's face grew red with anger, though the man stomped his foot and cut the woman off with a frustrated growl. Sun rolled his eyes and stepped forward, knowing where this was going and deciding that he may as well help out.

"That was rhetorical! By Arceus, finding good help these days is impossible!" Faba lamented, shaking his head and finally noticing Sun walking over to them. "Ah! Here is a promising Trainer!"

"Yep. That's me alright." Sun said halfheartedly, with the woman frowning at the boy's tone. Faba grinned victoriously, pointing at the two thugs beside them who were looking rather bored at this point.

"Fight in my stead, child, and rout these Team Skull ruffians!" Faba commanded in a haughty tone, looking back towards Sun. "I will bestow honor upon you, if you do!"

"Considering what my father pulled last night, I need as much honor I can get." Sun said resignedly, pulling out a Poké Ball and preparing himself for Team Skull's usual antics. Both Aether Foundation Employees stepped aside while both Team Skull Grunts chuckled and scoffed.

"You ready? Cuz I was born ready, yo!" Grunt A barked, drawing a Poké Ball and calling out a Alolan Raticate as Rotom Dex began playing music. Sun called out Brago, who hit the ground and growled at the massive rat across from him, making it shudder as Intimidate hit it.

"Hyper Fang!" Grunt A yelled out, with the massive rat rushing forward with glowing fangs. The Pokémon sank its teeth into Brago's side, making the hound snarl in pain.

"Reversal!" Sun barked, with Brago growling red and white before he threw his head back, releasing a wave of force that knocked away the Raticate and sent it crashing to the ground. The Rat Pokémon rose to its feet, panting slightly as Brago crouched low on the ground.

"Hyper Fang again, yo! Time we make mad gains, yo!" Grunt A yelled out, punching forward. The Raticate lunged at Brago again, but this time he was ready.

"Brago, jump back and get ready!" Sun yelled out as his Z-Ring began to glow. Brago launched himself backwards as the Raticate reached him, making the Rat Pokémon fall to the ground. Sun began to strike a series of poses as Z-Power flowed between him and Brago, linking their souls and melding them into one.

Brago stiffened and grit his teeth as he felt Sun's emotions wash over him. The proud and fierce canine nearly fell to the ground and began weeping at the incredible amount of raw despair flooding him, the heartbreak and bubbling anger within his Trainer's heart. Despite this, the Growlithe calmed himself and managed to reach a balance between the two of them, focusing on the good within his Trainer and the love he shared for his Pokémon.

"Brago, channel Flame Charge... _And use Inferno Overdrive!_ " Sun bellowed as Brago snarled and began to charge up a massive fireball, which gained more and more power every moment before finally exploding forward. Both Team Skull Grunts let out shrill screams as the quickly expanding ball of flames soared forward and exploded upon making contact with Raticate, sending a wave of force over everyone present. The Team Skull Grunt sighed angrily as the smoke cleared and his unconscious Raticate was revealed. The teen looked up at Sun and saw the serious expression on his face and shivered.

"Yo, yo, you...You're not joke." The Grunt muttered, throwing down some money on the ground. "That loss was pathetic! Your moves were so kinetic!"

Sun turned to the other Grunt and said, "You want to try your luck?"

"Hell no. You just exploded his Pokémon with fire, dawg. I ain't touchin' that shit." The other Team Skull Grunt replied, crossing his arms. "We don't need this Pokémon anyway! Take it then! Good luck and good riddance!"

Both Grunts sprinted past them all, making the Aether Foundation woman sigh in relief. Sun returned Brago just as the canine turned towards him to say something, but vanished into the Poké Ball before he could speak. The woman knelt down to the Slowpoke, smiling at it.

"You okay, Slowpoke?" the woman asked.

"Lo-o-ow?"

"Yep. Didn't notice a thing. Figured." The woman remarked, standing up again and turning around to smile at Sun. "Thanks kid!"

"No problem, ma'am." Sun replied, smiling weakly.

"Yes, indeed." Faba said with a wide grin, hunching forward and clapping his hands. Sun suddenly felt as if he needed an adult, but then reasoned that the Aether Paradise woman would save him if the weird man in glasses tried anything. "You're a trial-goer, aren't you? You're a splendid Trainer. I am deeply impressed!"

"Um...thank you, sir." Sun replied awkwardly, crossing his arms.

"I'd like to reward you by _showing you something truly astounding._ " Faba said with a wide smile, stepping forward with an intense look in his eyes.

* * *

Meanwhile at the Aether Paradise…

* * *

Miss Wicke suddenly retched and violently threw up in a nearby trash can.

Colress watched this sudden development with worry and walked over to the woman, gently patting her on the back. This had come completely out of nowhere. "Are you alright, Julia? Food poisoning?" Colress asked, confused and alarmed.

"No...Just my entire being rebelling out of sheer disgust." Miss Wicke coughed, shivering before a second wave of nausea hit her and she threw up again.

* * *

" _Oh god! Zzzt! Sun, run for it! I'm calling the police!"_ Rotom yelped, with Faba stepping forward with a growl. He instead reached into his coat and pulled out a white business card, handing it to Sun. The boy accepted the card, read it over and then pocketed it.

"Not what I meant, you little...ugh! Once you have finished your Grand Trial, child, come to the Hano Grand Resort and I will take you to see a wondrous place." Faba said with a strained smile, glaring daggers at Rotom Dex while the woman beside him heaved with silent laughter. She finally composed herself enough to walk forward and grin at Sun.

"Totally made my year. Thank you for helping us out. I really owe you!" the woman said happily, shutting her eyes as she beamed at Sun. "I'm so glad there are nice young Trainers like you around. Good luck on your Island Challenge!"

"Thank you ma'am. You both take care." Sun said quietly as the pair walked down the road with the Slowpoke in tow.

 _"Zzzt...I like that Aether Foundation lady...Was she looking my way?"_

"Rotom, that's...really weird."

 _"Sun, in this corner of the internet, there'zz nothing the author of this story could come up with that hasn't been trumped a thousand times over. But enough of that! Let'zz move on! Zzzzt!"_ Rotom Dex declared as it soared forward, with Sun shaking his head in bemusement.

Sun made his way down the path, swinging by the coast after spotting glittering CD on the ground. This turned out to be TM28, which was for the move Leech Life. The Kanto-native made his way through the grass, avoiding the eyes of any Trainers nearby, and made his way to the top of the hill. The grass began to thin out and Sun looked upon the small path between two rocky cliffs, adorned with strange statues along both sides.

 _"You ready?"_ Rotom Dex asked Sun. The boy inhaled softly before exhaling a shaky breath.

"No. But I'm not giving up just because things are bad. We worked too hard for this. My team hasn't let me down yet. Olivia's going down." Sun said with a small smile. Rotom buzzed happily and rested atop Sun's head, and with that the boy stepped forward-

"So, you're the one Gladion was talking about?...Hmph. You don't look like anything special to me." Came a dry, female voice from behind Sun. The boy tensed and whirled around, on-guard as took in the pink and yellow-haired woman dressed in black.

"I'm Plumeria." The woman said by way of introduction. "You're Sun, right? Gladion and Demi told me all about you. So did a few of the other guys. You've gotten quite a reputation within our group."

"Maybe if they stopped messing with people that wouldn't happen." Sun retorted, though this simply earned him a hard look from Plumeria. "You seem different from them, though. More...intelligent."

Plumeria almost smirked at that observation, but her smoldering annoyance kept her face stern. "I help keep Team Skull together. I'm like a big sister to all these numskulls. Even the stronger members of our group heed my word. I guess you could call me Team Skull's Admin."

"Okay? What does that have to do with you talking to me now? I have a Grand Trial I need to get to." Sun remarked, crossing his arms. He really wasn't in a mood to deal with more Team Skull crap. Especially after giving away a priceless Fossil to a Team Skull Grunt just the day before.

"You have realized what idiots these guys are, right?" Plumeria asked Sun, who blinked several times before slowly nodding. It was...so odd hearing it from someone who was from the group, yet set apart from them.

"Yeah...They're not the brightest. I honestly feel sorry for them." Sun admitted, with Plumeria sighing in response.

"So do I. Alola turned their back on them, and so now all they have is each other. I was alone before Team Skull, and now they're the family I always wanted. They're idiots though...But...Don't you think some dummies are cute in their dumbness?" Plumeria asked, her gaze becoming more intense.

"Uh...I don't follow." Sun answered, genuinely confused. Plumeria's hard look turned into a harsh glare.

"Oh come on. You know what I mean, right? You picking on my cute, dumb brothers and sisters is really annoying me!" Plumeria barked, her lips curling into a snarl as she drew a Ultra Ball from her belt and called out a Golbat.

 _"Zzzt! A Team Skull battle with a smarter opponent? Time for a reeeeemix!"_ Rotom proclaimed before he began to play a far more intense version of the Team Skull battle theme it usually played. Sun scowled, but realized this was a situation he had to battle out of.

"Brago, let's go!" Sun yelled out, calling out the Growlithe who emerged from his Poké Ball with a bark, crouching and hitting Golbat with Intimidate.

"Use Bite!" Sun yelled out, with the canine leaping forward and jumping into the air. Golbat tried to dodge, but Brago caught it by the wing and sank his teeth into the bat's wings, tasting blood before whirling around and throwing it into the dirt.

"Air Cutter!" Plumeria barked, with the Bat Pokémon flapping its wings and released several spinning discs of air that slashes at Brago and made him snarl in pain.

"Flame Charge!" Sun yelled out, with the canine summoning forth flames to surrounded his body.

"Confuse Ray!" Plumeria shot back, with Golbat's eyes glowing red and releasing a small wave of energy that hit Brago as he charged at the downed Golbat. Brago managed to connect with the attack, but he stumbled around for a few moments afterwards, shaking his head furiously.

"Snap out of it!" Sun yelled to the canine, with Plumeria using Brago's confusion to score a free hit with Wing Attack. "Finish that thing off with Take Down!"

Brago nodded and rushed at Golbat as a white aura surrounded him, with the canine managing to slam into Golbat and knock it out with the powerful attack. Brago snarled as a red spark of pain hit him, recoil damage from the attack making its effect known.

"Damn it." Plumeria muttered as she recalled her Golbat. Plumeria muttered something to the Ultra Ball before gently kissing the capsule, putting it away and calling out a Salandit.

"Brago, return." Sun said to the canine, holding out his Poké Ball and calling back the Growlithe. He didn't want to tire out anyone on his team if he could avoid it. After all, they had a Kahuna to battle. Sun sent out Penny, who emerged from her Poké Ball with a triumphant cry.

"Use Flame Burst!" Plumeria shouted, taking the initiative with her faster Pokémon. The female Salandit hissed and opened her maw, firing a ball of fire into the air. It exploded violently and several streaks of fire rushed towards Penny.

"Dodge low and use Pluck!" Sun called to Penny as she shot towards Salandit. The Trumbeak dropped low and barely dodged the barrage of fire, diving towards Salandit with her glowing beak and slamming into the lizard. Salandit crashed hard onto the ground, but hissed and rose again.

"Flame Burst again! Don't miss this time!" Plumeria commanded her lizard, who growled in reply and released her fire again.

"Dodge and use Pluck!" Sun called out once more, with Penny shooting forward again. However, despite her efforts to dodge the balls of fire, she was hit by three of them and cried out in pain. This didn't stop her from smashing into Salandit a second time and knocking her out.

"And that's that." Sun breathed in relief as Penny soared back over to him. "You did great, Penny."

 _"She's much stronger than the usual Team Skull people you battle, Trainer."_ Penny noted as Sun patted the bird on the head.

"Yep. I'll heal you and Brago once she's gone, okay?" Sun said to Penny, who nodded in reply. Sun returned his bird and stood up again and saw Plumeria sighing as she recalled her fallen lizard, muttering at the Ultra Ball and kissing it before clipping the device to her belt.

"Phooey." The Team Skull Admin threw down a wad of bills and crossed her arms, looking slightly less angry than she did before the battle. "Hmmph! You're pretty strong. I'll give you that."

"You're no slouch yourself." Sun replied, crossing his arms as well.

"But mess with anyone in Team Skull again, and I'll show you how serious I can get." Plumeria responded with a small scowl before turning on her heel and walking away.

"Always something, I swear. Not like I've got enough going on." Sun muttered as he began walking down the path, Rotom Dex floating behind him.

 _"Zzzt! But Sun, you love beating Team Skull numskullzz! And I know I find it very funny! But enough distractionzz! It'zz time for your battle at the Ruins of Life!"_ Rotom Dex declared, with Sun nodding and continuing down the path. Eventually it opened up and became grassy once more, becoming a wide open field surrounded by trees. Directly ahead of him was a entrance into the cliff, wood outlining the entrance that was painted pink in honor of the Tapu within.

"Sun!" came a familiar voice.

Sun turned around and saw Lillie walking towards him with a worried expression with Professor Burnet. The girl didn't waste any time, jogging towards him and hugging him tightly.

Professor Burnet grinned at the boy, saying a moment later, "Lillie got lost again, so I brought her here to you. She wanted to be here for your battle, since the others are...busy."

"You mean they're still blaming me for being my father's child." Sun said coldly, with Professor Burnet flinching at the harsh tone from the young boy. "Yeah, don't sugarcoat it for me Professor. I know how it is…"

Sun turned to Lillie and finally hugged her back, trying to convey his gratitude for her supporting him when the others didn't.

"I was so worried." Lillie asked quietly, stepping away from him. "Why did you answer our texts? Me, Hau, and Lana didn't hear back from you after you left."

Sun checked his phone and found he had dozens of messages from the trio. He had kept his phone on silent and had been ignoring it since he talked to his mother the night before. Sun looked at Lillie and said, "Sorry, Lillie. I...haven't really wanted to talk to anyone today."

Are you okay?" Lillie said quietly, to which Sun sighed softly in reply.

"I...No. But I'm trying not to think about it. I'm not going to let Dad keep ruining my life. I have to be strong. For my Mom. For my team...For you. " Sun replied very quietly, crossing his arms. Lillie felt her heart break a little at seeing how unhappy Sun was, and yet still was so dedicated to helping her. His anger and misery was written plain as day on his face, but there was nothing she could do to help despite how much he had done for her.

" _Just like always…I'll never be good enough to truly help others, will I?"_ Lillie thought to herself before Burnet spoke up again, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"But back to my point...Lillie here wanted to see you battle Kahuna Olivia. But again, I had to lead her here." Burnet chuckled softly, putting a hand on her hip. "She couldn't even find her way to the Tide Song Hotel on her own the other day!"

"It's true, sadly enough." Lillie muttered, looking away with a faint blush.

"She said she saw Team Skull and tried to avoid them. That's why she got lost." Burnet explained, gesturing dismissively with her hand. "Now, I've gotta go. I'd watch your battle and cheer you on, Sun, but the Masked Royal has a match, and there's no way I'm missing it! I hope your battle goes well and that the Tapu enjoys seeing your skills as a Trainer."

"I understand. And thank you" Sun replied politely, understanding the situation and being thankful enough she escorted Lillie safely here. Professor Burnet stepped forward and hugged Lillie, which the girl returned.

"Call me if there's trouble." Burnet instructed Lillie, who nodded. "Alola, you two. _Behave yourselves_!"

Sun and Lillie both blushed furiously at that, but Professor Burnet departed without further ado. However she did stop a few moments later, crossing her arms and closing her eyes.

"That Masked Royal…" Burnet amused aloud. "What do you think he looks like under that mask, anyway?"

"You tell me. He's your husband." Lillie said dryly, her eyes narrowing. Sun could have sworn he heard someone screaming in the distance, but decided it was his imagination.

"Mmmm. A girl could dream." Burnet said evasively. "Take care you two."

"Tell Professor Kukui I said hi!" Sun called to the departing Professor, who burst into giggles as she continued down the path and vanished from sight. Sun heard a howl of fury echo across the island, but again ignored it.

Lillie turned to Sun and sighed, opening the bag hanging from her shoulder and releasing Nebby. The Cosmog bounced through the air happily before landing on the ground by Lillie's side.

"I came here to support you...But I also came for Nebby." Lillie explained, looking down at the Cosmog. "Though...as you saw, I didn't come here myself so much as I was brought here with the Professor's help..."

"Which reminds me." Sun said, remembering something. Sun called out Brago and Penny, who were both sporting injuries from their battles with Team Skull.

"Oh! Brago and Penny! They're hurt!" Lillie yelped, kneeling down to them. The concerned girl looked up to Sun and asked, "Let me heal them for you, will you?"

"Of course. Thanks Lillie." Sun gratefully as the girl began to dig through her bag for medicine. Lillie began to treat his Pokémon's injuries. While she did this, Sun decided to switch up his team's items, giving Penny the Fightinium Z and taking back the Amulet Coin and stuffing it in his backpack. Sun explained his battle with Team Skull and his run-in with Plumeria. He forgot about the Aether Foundation, however.

"You always get into trouble...Just like me. Heh. I guess we're birds of a feather, aren't we?" Lillie said quietly, a small smile on her face. The smile faded as she looked towards the entrance to the ruins.

"Within these ruins waits the Guardian Deity of Akala Island...This is Tapu Lele's ruin." Lillie explained to Sun as the girl knelt down on the ground. Sun joined her and recalled his Pokémon, with Nebby flying into Lillie's arms with a happy cry.

"Pew!" Nebby proclaimed.

"You!" Lillie grumbled, her face pouting. "I know you tried to drag me to the Ruins of Conflict on Melemele Island, too…"

"That's right." Sun flashed back to that day as he spoke, recalling the harrowing events of that day. Nearly dying and being saved by a Legendary Pokémon and meeting Lillie and Nebby was something you didn't forget easily. Lillie continued speaking to Nebby, her voice soft.

"Why are these ruins important to you? What do the Guardians mean to you?" Lillie muttered, hugging Nebby closer to her chest. Lillie looked up at Sun and smiled. "Just think what would have happened to you if Sun hadn't been there back then…"

Nebby shifted in Lillie's arms, spotting something the children didn't. The Cosmog tore himself away from Lillie's grasp and cried out, "Pew!"

Both children looked towards the ruin and saw Olivia the Kahuna walk out of them. She seemed surprised to see only Lillie with Sun, but walked forward regardless. She glanced at the girl and remarked, "You're Professor Kukui's assistant, no?"

"Yes ma'am. I'm here for...Well, we can get to that later. I'm here support Sun in his Grand Trial!" Lillie said to the Kahuna, who grinned.

"I sense fire in you, girl. You're a good friend." Olivia said to the small girl, who smiled at the compliment. She turned to Sun and said, "I apologize for the inconvenience. Tapu Lele summoned me here to clean up the ruins."

"Are the Tapu able to contact the Kahunas?" Sun asked, with Olivia nodding.

"Yes. Tapu Lele contacts me every now and then, if it senses trouble." Olivia replied casually, waving an arm. "But we're getting distracted. Sun...Thanks for getting to know the people and Pokémon of Alola." Olivia said with a happy smile, with Sun smiling back in reply. Olivia turned around and walked away from Sun, who did the same in turn. Lillie caught on and moved away with Nebby, clearing the way for the battle to start as Rotom began to play a gentle music in the background. A Trial Guide walked into the clearing as well, acting as the referee.

"All right, then!" Olivia proclaimed, her voice surging with strength. "You've completed the Trials of all three Captains here on Akala Island. Now you face the Grand Trial of the Kahuna - me! Get ready for your hardest Pokémon battle yet on Akala!"

"I'd love to! We're going to give you and the Tapu a showdown to remember." Sun replied with a grin he didn't honestly feel. While he was excited for the battle, he really just wanted to get it done with.

"Great!" Olivia barked out, crossing her arms with a playful grin. "We're gonna give you guys everything we've got! And my partners are all adorable, rugged little Rock-types!"

"Bring it." Sun replied, drawing a Poké Ball as Rotom began the intense music it had played during Sun's battle with Hala, the pounding beats of the drums filling the arena. Unbeknownst to the three humans, a pair-haired woman that wasn't a human watched silently from the trees with a wide smile on its face. Olivia turned around and took a few more steps back before she stopped, turning around with a sharp look in her eyes that made Sun feel the power and respect she commanded. She may not have been like Hala, but that didn't mean she was to be taken lightly.

"I'll begin! Nosepass! Time to battle!" Olivia barked, throwing forth an Ultra Ball and watching it explode in a shower of light. A strange rock Pokémon with a large nose appeared in front of Olivia, letting out a groan.

"Rotom?" Sun asked the device as it floated beside Sun, who buzzed happily.

" _Nosepass. The Compass Pokémon._ _It uses powerful magnetism to drag its prey toward it. It's also been known to pull in metal, which it collects and uses to protect itself. The magnet in Nosepass's nose provides an unerring compass, making it an excellent partner for Trainers going on a journey."_ Rotom explained as Sun nodded slowly, exhaling softly before he held out his Poké Ball and allowed himself a fierce grin.

"Brago, let's rock and roll! Pun-intended!" Sun yelled out, calling forth the loyal canine. Brago crouched low with a growl, hitting Nosepass with Intimidate.

"A Fire-type? Interesting start." Olivia noted, though she was surprised when Sun shook his head.

"Not really. Most of my team aren't that good against Rock-types. But we're not going to let that stop us!" Sun yelled out, throwing out an arm. "Flame Charge!"

" _On it!"_ Brago barked, rushing forward as flames whirled around him. The canine smashed into the Compass Pokémon as hard as he could, but he bounced off of the Nosepass with a howl of pain, and Nosepass was hardly damaged.

"Is that it?" Olivia asked with a smirk. "Use Rock Slide!"

" _Don't you dare taunt me!"_ Brago barked as he eyed the portals opening from above, releasing a downpour of stones.

"Brago, dodge and use Reversal!" Sun called out, with the canine using his increased speed from Flame Charge and Sun's command to speed around the field, dodging the barrage of stones and slamming into Nosepass with a harsh glowing red and white aura. The Rock-type tumbled through the grass with a groan, having taken massive damage from the hit.

"Don't need to worry about the disadvantage if we can avoid being hit. Great job, Brago!" Sun called to the Growlithe, who offered him a savage grin. Clearly the dog was enjoying the fight as well. Olivia allowed herself a small smile of surprise to flicker on her face.

"Fascinating...Despite your disadvantage, you press on. And despite the hardship you've gone through, you continue to fight." Olivia said with a small laugh, making Sun flinch audibly.

"Can we... _not_ talk about that? I'm trying to focus on the battle here, Miss Olivia." Sun said to the woman, who frowned.

"I can respect that decision. I'll keep silent about your father. However, know this. Should you face more deadly foes than I, they would not hesitate to use unsavory tactics to distract you. And while it would be an incredibly despicable thing for me to do, others might not care." Olivia explained to Sun, who sighed.

"How did you even know about last night?" Sun asked Olivia, making the woman cross her arms.

"Lana came to me the moment she left the Pokémon Center. She was terrified what someone in your state last night would have done. People do terrible things in such a wild state of mind, especially after having been told such awful things by your friends. I'm glad you just went to Mallow and managed to calm down, Sun. You confiding in her also helped her snap out of the bad state she's been in, since she was more worried about you than herself." Olivia said sincerely, putting a hand on her hip.

"What happened with your father has nothing to do with you. And should he come to Alola seeking vengeance, you have my word as a Kahuna that I will protect you like any other child under my watch. You are _ohana_ , Sun. One of us. You may come from shadows, but your heart shines bright like the sun." Olivia said to Sun, who managed a smile despite himself.

"Thank, Miss Olivia. Now...Let's get back to it. Brago, use Reversal!" Sun called out to the canine as he began to burn white and red. Brago charged forward, but Olivia grinned in response.

"Spark!" Olivia barked with Sun's eyes widening in shock. The Nosepass cried out as a small pulse of electricity surged through it before hitting Brago at point-blank range, making the canine snarl as his hair stood on end.

"Dang...Brago! Reversal!" Sun called out, with the canine growling furiously as he tried to force his body to move. Sun grit his teeth as he saw that a surge of visible electricity was sparking around the Growlithe.

" _I...My body won't listen to me!"_ Brago roared in response, his eyes widening as a series of portals opened above him.

"Now that the puppy can't move quite so fast. Rock Slide, Nosepass!" Olivia commanded as she pointed at the sky and then down to the paralyzed Growlithe. The canine let out a howl as boulders fell from the sky and bombarded him, making Sun let out a yell of worry for the dog as dust quickly surrounded him.

"Well, that ends that round." Olivia said cheerily, putting a hand on her hip. "Fighting me without any advantages was unwise, Sun."

"Quality over quantity, Miss Olivia. Brago, use Reversal!" Sun yelled out, with Olivia's eyes widening like saucers as a battered and bloodied canine rushed from the smoke glowing red and white. Brago snarled as he crashed into the Nosepass and sent it hurtling backwards, tumbling through the grass before it crashed senseless into a tree. Olivia's jaw dropped as she beheld her unconscious Nosepass before returning it.

"Nosepass is unable to battle! The winner is Sun's Growlithe!" the referee declared, throwing up a flag as Olivia turned to Sun and Brago.

" _Don't...ever...underestimate me."_ Brago panted as he crouched low, crimson dripping down his face. Sun let out a sigh of relief, returning Brago despite the fact that the canine was still able to fight. Sun looked down at the Poké Ball and smiled.

"Thank you. I'll heal you in a little bit, okay?" Sun said to Brago, clipping the dog's ball to his belt. He pulled off another one and said, "Penny, let's go!" Sun called out his Trumbeak, who let out a proud cry as she flew to the ground.

Olivia pursed her lips before smiling, drawing another Ultra Ball. "So, you truly have no advantages against me. You refuse to take the easy way, as many before you have. You choose your Pokémon carefully and stand by them."

"Yep. They've never let me down." Sun said fiercely, with Penny nodding sharply in agreement.

"I will enjoy this. Lycanroc! Show them our strength and test their mettle!" Olivia barked as she called forth her second Pokémon, which made Sun's eyes widen as he took in the deranged-looking bipedal wolf with red and white fur. The wolf grinned sadistically at Sun and made the boy take a step back, but Penny flared her wings and screeched incoherently at the wolf which calmed Sun down a little. Rotom buzzed and floated forward before spinning to face Sun.

" _Lycanroc. The Wolf Pokémon and the evolved form of Rockruff. Midnight Form._ _Its quick movements confuse its enemies. Well-equipped with claws and fangs, it also uses the sharp rocks in its mane as weapons. When properly raised from a young age, it will become a trustworthy partner that will absolutely never betray its Trainer."_ Rotom explained as the wolf got into a fighting stance, a soft growl escaping its lips.

"I'll begin this." Olivia said calmly, though she did remark. "Lycanroc! Rock Throw!"

"Penny, dodge and use Supersonic!" Sun yelled out, with Penny flapping into the air and soaring high above the barrage of rocks sent flying her way. The Bugle Beak Pokémon released a blast of sound from her beak and hit nothing but ground as Lycanroc dove forward to dodge and hurled another wave of rocks at Penny, clipping her in the chest and sending her crashing to the ground.

"What!?" Sun yelled out, baffled at the attack that had never been given a command. Olivia chuckled softly from her side of the field.

"You think you're the only one with strong bonds with their Pokémon? Me and Lycanroc have been together for a very long time. He is my strongest and most loyal Pokémon, having been with me since the beginning of my own Island Challenge. While I refuse to use his full strength in a Grand Trial, that won't mean I'm going to have him pull any punches. I want your best, Sun! Understand!?" Olivia demanded, with Lycanroc bellowing a harsh cry as Penny slowly rose from the ground, panting in pain.

"Absolutely. Penny, I want you to knock that wolf's head off! Brick Break!" Sun yelled out, throwing an arm aside as Penny flapped her wings hard and shot towards Lycanroc. The wolf's eyes widened before Penny smashed into him, sending him skidding backwards through the dirt with a snarl.

"That's more like it. Use Stealth Rock!" Olivia commanded, snapping her fingers as Lycanroc grinned evilly. The wolf roared and slammed his fist down into the ground, causing a shower of glowing rocks to erupt from the earth. Lycanroc then punched forward, launching the rocks at Penny.

"Dodge, Penny! Hit him with Brick Break!" Sun yelled out, with Penny doing a dive to avoid the glowing rocks and shooting towards Lycanroc. The Wolf Pokémon threw up its arms to block the strike, though it still sent him flying backwards and crashing to the ground, panting in pain. Sun watched as the glowing stones fell in front of him, and then stopped glowing.

 _"Zzzt! Sun, you better watch out! Stealth Rock is a move that attacks Pokémon as soon as they arrive onto the battlefield! The moment you switch to Brago or Oliver, they're going to be hurt by Stealth Rock!"_ Rotom explained as Sun grit his teeth, realizing the implications. Especially since Brago was already badly weakened by his battle with Nosepass.

"Then we'll have to deal as much damage with Penny as we can." Sun said as he looked back to Penny, who was glaring down Lycanroc as he rose to his feet, growling.

"Penny! Brick Break!" Sun yelled out, with the bird flapping her wings hard and launching herself towards Lycanroc.

"Howl!" Olivia commanded as Penny smashed into Lycanroc again, knocking the wolf down to the ground again. Lycanroc rose to all fours and let out a howl, causing him to briefly glow red before he grinned again.

"Keep up the pressure! Brick Break!" Sun called to Penny. The Trumbeak darted back towards Lycanroc, who chuckled throatily as Olivia grinned at Sun.

"Rock Climb!" Olivia commanded, with Lycanroc hunching down with glowing claws and rushing forward, kicking off of the ground and leaving a large indent in the ground and quickly closing the gap between him and Penny.

"Dodge high and aim for it's back! Follow up with Supersonic!" Sun yelled out, with Penny flapping her wings hard and barely avoiding getting slashed by the beast's claws. She drew her beak back and slammed it over the back of Lycanroc, making him howl in pain and drop to the ground. The wolf barely managed to land on its feet, shuddering slightly before it flung its arms up and released a Stone Edge right as Penny unleashed Supersonic. Penny's blast of sound struck Lycanroc just as a spear of rock jutted out of the ground and smashed into her, sending her tumbling out of the air and crashing harshly on the ground.

"Penny, come on! Get up!" Sun called to the Trumbeak, who was slowly rising to her feet.

 _"You won't beat me..."_ Penny breathed harshly, shuddering in pain but finally returning to a standing position. Sun grinned as he began to strike a series of poses, energy burning around his Z-Ring as energy began to flow between him and Penny.

"Let's see how you handle this!" Sun yelled out, finishing the sequence as Penny let out a screech. "Penny! Channel Brick Break... _And use All-Out Pummeling!"_

Penny flapped forward as energy burned around her, coalescing into her beak as she thrust it forward, sending a series of massive burning fists of raw energy surging towards a surprised Lycanroc, who braced himself for the attack and took it head-on. The fists slammed into the wolf repeatedly and finished with an explosion of force that kicked up a cloud of dirt. Olivia frowned, annoyed that the boy had surprised her with the Z-Move. She wasn't one to use them unless she really needed to. The smoke began to clear again, revealing a very battered Lycanroc that was panting heavily. The wolf shook his head, trying to clear his confusion.

"Penny, let's finish him off! Brick Break!" Sun called out, throwing out a hand as Penny soared forward. Olivia stomped her foot down, punching forward.

"Fight through it! Use Stone Edge!" Olivia barked as Penny swooped in, smashing Lycanroc once again with her beak and knocking him back with a snarl. Lycanroc threw his arms up and a series of glowing spires of rock suddenly jutted up from the ground. However, but Sun and Olivia were surprised when they saw the stones smash into not only Penny, but Lycanroc as well. Both Pokémon were sent flying into the air before they fell back to the ground, crashing down into the dirt harshly where they didn't move again.

"Trumbeak and Lycanroc are both unable to battle! The round is a draw!" the referee yelled out, raising both flags as Sun returned Penny and Olivia returned Lycanroc.

"Penny...You were amazing. You beat her best Pokémon. I'm so proud of you." Sun said with a smile before he clipped the bird's ball to his belt. He drew Brago's ball from his belt as Olivia drew the Ultra Ball for her third and final Pokémon.

"You're really impressing me, Sun! That's two Pokémon down for me, both against Pokémon who should have by all rights lost. Even if Lycanroc wasn't battling at full strength, you managed to knock him out. Not an easy feat." Olivia explained, putting her free hand on her hip.

"Just a sign of how good my Pokémon are. They work hard and it pays off." Sun said to the Kahuna, who grinned widely and nodded, seemingly in agreement, before she became serious again.

"Boldore! Let's make this count!" Olivia called out, throwing the ball forward. Out of it erupted a large blue-colored Pokémon with red crystals sprouting from its body, amber-colored eyes cut out in front of it glaring down Sun.

"Rotom, you-"

 _"You've got it! Scanning and...boom!"_ Rotom Dex cried out, zipping in front of Sun and pulling up the Pokédex page.

 _"Boldore. The Ore Pokémon. It explores caves in search of underground water. It's not comfortable around water, so this Pokémon takes great care in lapping it up. Its orange crystal is a mass of energy. Just one crystal fragment would provide enough fuel for a hundred dump trucks."_ Rotom explained as the Pokémon ahead of them hummed softly.

"This is my final Pokémon. Now call yours out." Olivia said as she crossed her arms. Sun nodded and looked down at Brago's ball, and then at the rocks lying on the ground in front of him.

"Brago, let's go!" Sun yelled, throwing the ball out and calling out the Growlithe. Brago emerged once again, covered in bleeding scratches and panting heavily. The canine exhaled sharply before crouching low and hitting Boldore with Intimidate before the stones around him glowed white and floated into the air.

"Brago, dodge and-" Sun began to say, but the stones suddenly smashed into Brago, making the canine let out a cry of pain before floating away and making the Puppy Pokémon drop to the ground, unconscious.

"Sun's Growlithe is unable to battle! The winner is Olivia's Boldore!" the referee shouted.

"Brago...I'm sorry. I should've healed you earlier. If I had, you wouldn't have have gotten knocked out like that. But I'm still proud of you." Sun said as he recalled the canine, smiling at the ball. Sun clipped it to his belt and drew Oliver's Poké Ball, allowing himself a small smile.

"Alright Partner. Let's win us a Grand Trial, Oliver!" Sun yelled out, throwing the Poké Ball forward and releasing the Dartrix. Oliver let out a hoot as he swooped through the air, landing on the ground. He preened for a moment before he let out a small chuckle.

" _About time I got…"_ Oliver stopped as he noticed the glowing rocks rising around him. _"What the fu-"_

"Dodge!" Sun screamed, with Oliver launching himself into the air. The stones smashed together and missed the Dartrix before suddenly soaring into the air after Oliver, who screeched bloody murder as he attempted to outpace the stones. However, they seemed to be gaining speed as more and more time passed, and the stones smashed into him in midair and sent him crashing into the ground.

"Oliver! You okay?" Sun asked the owl, who rose from the ground with an annoyed expression on his face.

 _"That hurt. Sun...Make that rock thing hurt more."_ Oliver hissed, flaring his wings and making Boldore shiver in fear. Olivia chuckled softly, putting both hands on her hips.

"Oh my. That Dartrix has some fire. I should remind you Sun that just because he's a Grass-type doesn't mean that my wonderful Rock-types can't deal serious damage to him." Olivia said to Sun, who's eyes widened. "Oh yes. He's got more of a chance than your other Pokémon, but he's still in just as much danger as they are."

"Oliver hasn't lost a battle yet. I'm not losing faith in him." Sun said as he held out a hand. "Razor Leaf!

"Iron Defense!" Olivia shouted, with Boldore beginning to glow a harsh white color before the spinning leaves sliced through it. The Ore Pokémon let out a groan of pain, but wasn't nearly as damaged as Sun would've liked.

"Oliver! Leafage and then Pluck!" Sun yelled out, with the owl flapping his wings hard and releasing a whirlwind of leaves that rushed towards Boldore. Oliver then shot forward, merging with his attack and becoming a tornado-like missle of greenery that slammed into Boldore, making the golem of crystal and rock howl gutturally in pain and skid harshly through the grass and upturned dirt, shaking in pain.

"Power Gem!" Oliver commanded, with Bolore groaning in reply as its crystals glowed white. Each of them fired a series of beams at Oliver, which struck the bird and knocked him out of the air and onto the ground with a screech of pain.

"Oliver, use Synthesis!" Sun called out, grinning as his bird began to glow bright green and his wounds began to heal.

 _"Zzzt! How convenient that he learned that move off-screen!"_ Rotom declared as Oliver rose to his feet, letting out a cry.

"Nicely done. Now...Rock Blast." Olivia said with a smirk as Baldore's crystals began to glow bright white, with its face glowing white as well. Then a rush of energy soared from the creature's face and slammed into Oliver, knocking him to the ground with a screech of pain.

"Get up, Oliver! You-" Sun was cut off as the attack hit his Partner again, with the Dartrix screaming in pain as the attack hit him while he was down.

"Rock Blast is an attack that goes off multiple times. Your Dartrix isn't going to be standing by the end of this." Olivia said to Sun as the attack hit Oliver for a third time, leaving a small cloud of dust where the owl was at.

"Oliver...Don't let that giant boulder beat you! Hit him with Razor Leaf!" Sun yelled to Oliver, who suddenly flew out of the smoke and flapped his wings hard, releasing a barrage of leaves that sliced through Boldore and made it groan in pain.

"Boldore, use Rock Blast again!" Olivia called out to the Ore Pokémon, who grunted and fired off the attack once again.

"Oliver, dodge and use Razor Leaf!" Sun commanded the owl, who dove to avoid the first Rock Blast and swung his wings down to deliver his attack, slashing the Rock-type below and making it groan in pain, shifting towards the ground as it shuddered.

"Dang...That Dartrix sure does have good aim. Wait... _Dartrix_." Olivia chuckled softly and looked up at Oliver as he avoided another Rock Blast, raising his wings to attack. "Oh Sun...I'm sorry I have to end the battle this way. But it's too fun not to try out."

"Too scared to get up and personal!?" Olivia challenged Oliver, who scoffed and looked to Sun.

"If you want to play that kind of game, I'm willing to oblige! Oliver, Leafage and Pluck! Combo attack!" Sun yelled out, punching his fist forward as Oliver sent Leafage at Boldore.

 _"Let's see if you can take this!"_ Oliver hooted as he dove into his own attack and rushed towards Olivia's Boldore, who tensed in preparation to get hit with a move that would likely knock it out after having been dealt so much damage. However, his Trainer chuckled softly behind him.

"Not to worry, my friend. Use Mud-Slap." Olivia said, with the Boldore looking confused after a moment. Even it knew Mud-Slap would do nothing to a Flying-type Pokémon like Dartrix. Regardless, the Ore Pokémon moved its arms and sent a blast of mud shooting towards Oliver, smacking the tornado he was in. The whirlwind sucked up the mud and Sun's eyes widened in horror as the bird was covered head to talon in mud, which stopped him dead in his tracks and dissipated the attack.

"W-what?" Sun sputtered, surprised that an attack that shouldn't have done any damage to Oliver managed to stop him. Oliver was staring down at himself in horror, shaking in midair in fury and fear.

 _"You...NO! NONONONONO! How could you!? My feathers! They're absolutely filthy!"_ Oliver screeched as he swooped to the ground, frantically trying to fling the mud off of his feathers. Olivia chuckled softly as her Boldore relaxed slightly, amazed that the Kahuna's plan had worked.

"Can you stop worrying about your feathers for five seconds!? You were just about to win this!" Sun yelled at the Dartrix, who flinched for a moment before he frantically began to preen his feathers.

 _"Just give me a minute! I'm not going to-"_ Oliver began to say, but he stopped mid-sentence as Olivia spoke.

"Rock Blast."

"Oliver dodge it!" Sun yelled at the bird, who turned towards Olivia and Boldore in surprise. The Ore Pokémon glowed and unleashed his attack, which smashed into the stationary bird and knocked him to the ground with a scream.

"Oliver, get up!" Sun yelled at the owl, who slowly rose and shivered as he felt the mud shift in his feathers. Oliver began to nudge the grime coating him, allowing him to get hit a second time.

"Stop messing with your feathers and dodge!" Sun called to Oliver, who rolled through the grass and came to a stop with a groan. He rolled to his feet, weakly hooting and flapping his wings, dislodging a bit of the mud but making no effort to fly and dodge the attack that slammed into him for a third time.

"I've fought against quite a few Dartrix in my time as a Kahuna. They're awfully picky about keeping their feathers clean, aren't they?" Olivia said with a giggle as Boldore charged up Rock Blast for a fourth time. Oliver hadn't risen from the ground, instead he opened a single eye and sighed before closing his eyes and nudging free some mud from his plumage.

"Get! Up!" Sun screamed at Oliver, but a fourth Rock Blast hit the bird and sent him rolling towards Sun like a rag-doll. The bird came to a stop in front of Sun, smoking slightly with his feathers looking truly terrible. Oliver hooted weakly before collapsed on the ground with a groan.

"...Oliver?" Sun said quietly, looking down at the bird with growing horror.

The Dartrix didn't respond.

"Sun's Dartrix is unable to battle! The winner of the Grand Trial is Kahuna Olivia of Akala Island!" the referee declared, raising a flag in the direction of Olivia as Sun sank to his knees. Olivia returned her Boldore and clipped the ball to her belt, smiling slightly before she looked at Sun and saw the devastated look on his face. Olivia's smile faded away, concern now appearing on her face.

"I...I lost." Sun said quietly, looking down at Oliver, shutting his eyes and returning his Dartrix.

His very first Pokémon.

His _Partner_ …

Who let him down when he needed him the most.

* * *

 _I also hinted that this would happen for a while._

 _Sun has indeed lost a battle! Yeah, this probably came at a really bad time for Sun. Let's see how this plays out further next chapter._

Q and A

 _From: MoonlightButterfree_

Just like that? Hugh's just gonna turn on Sun because he's the man's kid? Damn, Hugh. You are a twit.

 **He's got anger issues and Borlath's betrayal hit him really badly. He also feels betrayed by Sun because he didn't explain who his father was.**

From: Sai Og Sus

 _And the plot thickens. Who are you Fossil Man?_

 **One of my new favorite running gags in this story.**

 _From: Champion of the Divine Sun_

Where were Sun's Pokemon at the time of the broadcast, anyway? One would think that they'd watch it too. Unless the visions about Sun and Lillie from earlier chapters (I forgot which) are actually about ready to play out.

 **They were in his room, sleeping, though they came downstairs when they heard the raised voices. They're actually pretty out of the loop in regards to what's going on, though that will change pretty soon.**

 _From: Potato_

This has been bothering me for a while now. When Sun got the amulet coin, it was supposed to double his winnings, right? But earlier on, it was stated that the normal amount for losing was 50%. Does this mean Sun is bankrupting everyone he meets?

 **That is...a very good question. I honestly don't know. I guess so?**

 _From: Guest_

Ive got 5 things. 1 is sun gonna v borlath/ ashton after his island challenge or during? 2 what happend to bruno and agatha? 3 who owns perfect kyrem,articuno,moltres and zapdos ? 4 are you shipping demi and gladion? 5 is ashton gonna meet sun's mom in person? and 6 WHY IS SUNS NAME "SUNSHINE SMILES"?! like, who names their kid sunshine smiles? where did you get the idea , i mean?

 **Remember when I only answered one question per review? RIP.**

 **1\. Spoilers.**

 **2\. Both are still alive and working with the League to stop Cipher.**

 **3\. Ghetsis owns Perfect Kyurem, but Borlath controls it.**

 **4\. Yes.**

 **5\. Spoilers.**

6\. " **Diaries of a Madman", a fanfic where one of the minor characters is named Sunshine Smiles. I spent a while trying to figure out a last name for Sun and decided to go down the funny route. No regrets. In his parent's defense, Sun's original name was Sunshine Aupuni, meaning Sunshine Monarch/Ruler in Alolan/Hawaiian. Laura was being funny when she changed their name to Smiles.**

 _From: AncientHeroofTime_

"Roran" huh? Another little nod to the Inheritance Cycle I see. Speaking of that, from what I can gather from Ashton's/Borlath's behavior in this chapter, as well as some of the flashbacks he was in, Sun's father seems like King Galbatorix in the sense that he has good intentions for the world, but the way he's going about them is wrong. The good thing about Ashton however, is that he wants to remain a good person, while Galbatorix was evil from the start essentially. Good job with that, it made me smile.

I only have one question this time: Will we see more main characters from the Pokemon generations? because so far we've seen the characters from gens 1, 5, and 6 I guess (If you count Sina and Dexio), as well as a reference to Ethan/Gold. Personally, I'm waiting for the Sinnoh Dex Holders to show up, but part of me doubts that will happen. Hey, you managed put Nate in Hugh in here! so maybe you could put Lucas Barry and Fawn in here too! A guy can dream, can't he?

 **First off, I'm gonna say now that any and all LoZ references are absolutely fine with me. It's my second favorite franchise (Top three being Pokemon, LoZ, and Kingdom Hearts). Hell, I just re-purchased Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages and I'm playing the shit out of both once I'm done with Chrono Trigger.**

 **Next, yes that is indeed what I'm referencing. As I've said before, the Inheritance Cycle is one of my favorite series and I like giving nods to objects of my inspiration (mainly RWBY and Undertale). Alliteration is fun and Roran Rubinara has a fun name. However I'm gonna say that Borlath isn't at all like King Galbatorix, because he's totally sane on this, whereas Galbatorix was crazy and didn't even understand how much suffering he was causing. Borlath knows what he's doing is wrong. He hates that he's doing it. But he knows it's necessary to save the world from itself, because let's face it...we're over twenty years into the series and idiots keep appearing and jeopardizing the world for their stupid plans.**

 **As for your question, it's always a possibility. Keep in mind that there's always a chance for a cameo somewhere, because Sun/Moon and US/UM are fanservice-happy games and throw in whatever characters they feel like. In a stupidly long story like this, I can get away with that as well. If they do show up, it'll be a cameo and that's it.**

 _That's all for now. Please show your support with reviews and questions, and favorite and/or follow the story if you haven't already! Thanks for reading!_

 _Take care and stay awesome!_

 _Until next time, FlygonNick out!_


	69. Heaven's Cry

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _After this next chapter, we'll finally be done with the Akala Island Arc and move onto the next one, which I call the "Recovery Arc."_

 _I also had to do some serious re-shuffling of chapters, mainly because I decided I wanted to keep some things in order with the game, since this is a novelization of the game itself. And by this, I mean I wanted the Trial Captain battles to take place before Sun beats Olivia, but you can't do that and I decided I wanted to stay true to that fact in this story. So they'll happen afterwards._

 _Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes SomeCalItKye, Ultimate blazer, RC-DA, Moonlight Butterfree, TheOneWhoSaysMeep, Cottonmouth25, SpoonyAzul, Sai Og Sus, SonicIKE, Angelfir3, a Guest reviewer known as Michael, BraviaryScout, snipmaster149, skyguys05, AncientHeroOfTime, KyubiMaster9, a Guest reviewer, and a new reviewer known as PowerZone. Loving the awesome feedback!_

 _And for those wondering when Sun will rematch the Kahuna, it will be a decent while. This next arc will be expanding on backstories, and give our characters some downtime and allow us to spend some time with those that desperately needed more spotlight. And it'll also lay off the Cipher stuff for at least a little while, which I'll admit has been getting a lot of focus lately. Kinda hard to do when this is one of the most important arcs in the story with big revelations and stuff, but I'll promise that things will calm down shortly as we take care of some side stuff in this next arc as Sun recovers (Ayyyyy) from what's happened lately._

 _Oh, and there's tons of fluff too. Especially next chapter, because I think enough time has passed and thing's need to lighten up. Especially since Sun will be getting his next teammate very soon._

 _And with that teaser out of the way..._

 _Let's take a moment to appreciate that this is Chapter 69. Which is indeed a sex thing. Tee-hee._

 _Enjoy!_

* * *

 _Chapter 69: Heaven's Cry_

* * *

"Yo...is this the place?"

"...Axen, we're in the middle of the wilderness and there's a guy hunched over a campfire with a can of beans and a bunch of Fossils next to him. No shit it's the place."

Bone Unit 71 entered the so-called Dream Park, with Gladion staying as far as he could at the back as he could get away with. He explained who this man was to the group, but only Demi actually heeded his words and kept her distance like the fierce teen did. All of them had their Pokémon out now, ready to bail them out at a moment's notice.

Gladion glanced at his Golbat perched on a nearby tree, ready to interfere should need be. Type: Null padded alongside him, on the alert. Only the sleeping Zorua in Gladion's arms was relaxed, looking far better than it did just a few days ago.

Demi had to admit, seeing Gladion care for the little wolf like the child that it was had to be the most adorable thing ever. Of course, he was training the Zorua alongside his team and was helping it develop its transforming powers, but regardless he still made sure to treat the newest member of his team with a kindness that surprised Team Skull. It was as if they were glimpsing someone else within him. The kinder soul that Demi knew the boy possessed, but that Team Skull didn't care enough to acknowledge.

As they approached the campfire, the man looked up at them and gave them a massive grin. He stood up and opened his arms, his eyes glittering with Gladion recognized was either malice or madness.

"Hello! Welcome to Dream Park! I am the Fossil Man and I-" the man began, but he was cut off by Gladion.

"Just give him the Fossil so we can leave!" the teen shouted from about thirty feet away.

Kevin shrugged and said, "Fair enough, yo. I heard that you can bring Fossils back to life. That true?"

The Fossil Man grinned widely and threw his arms apart. "Absolutely! And all free of charge! Thanks to the incredible technology-"

"Cool. Here." Kevin said, handing the man the Cover Fossil. The strange man blinked once and cocked his head in confusion.

"You don't want to hear about how I turn Fossils into living, breathing Pokémon?" the Fossil Man asked, with Kevin shrugging.

"Not really. I just want my Pokémon, dawg." Kevin remarked, leaning against the trailer. The Fossil Man pondered this for a moment before he shrugged and walked inside of the trailer. He poked his head back out after a moment.

"Might take a little while. Feel free to sit around the fire." The Fossil Man offered, though he added, "If you eat my beans, I'll skin you all alive and then wear your butts as a hat."

All of the Team Skull members looked at him in horror before the Fossil Man let out a cackle and vanishing inside of his trailer. Kayla turned to Gladion, scowling underneath her bandanna.

"Fine. You were totally right, Gladion." Kayla said to the teen, who wordlessly pulled a tape-recorder out of his pocket. He tapped the button, and heard Kayla's voice repeat what she had just said.

"Just so I have it on record." Gladion remarked, with Kayla growling softly and making a gesture like she was going to slap Gladion. However, the Zorua in Gladion's arms softly growled, his eyes opening as if it sensed the girl's violent intentions. Kayla scoffed and lowered her hand, stepping back. Gladion nearly smirked in amusement, putting away his tape recorder and went back to petting the little fox in his arms.

"Gladion, you do know that you and that Zorua are totally adorable, right?" Demi said to the teen, who stared at her in horror. To her delight, the fierce teen began to blush at the declaration from Demi.

"S-shut up!" Gladion sputtered, looking away from the girl while Team Skull chuckled at his embarrassment.

"Aww, does Glady like being daddy to his wittle wolf?" Axen said mockingly, making a mocking gesture with his arms.

"It's a fox, dude." Kevin said, looking confused.

"I was being condescending, yo! I know what that thing is!"

"Can you even spell condescending?" Kayla asked, with Axen freezing on the spot.

"Uh...C-O-N-D-E...Shit." Axen sighed, with Tim snickering softly behind him.

"Thought so." Kayla said with a smug grin.

"I feel like my brain cells are dying one by one." Gladion muttered, sitting down against a tree as Type: Null shook its head by him.

 _"They're amusing, but I understand your annoyance. I'd suggest we finish up here and find shelter though."_ Type: Null remarked, earning a look from the others.

"Why's that?" Axen asked, with Type: Null sitting down on the ground and gesturing upwards in response. The group looked up and saw that a massive group of dark grey clouds was coming on from the west. Demi shivered despite the warmth of the afternoon around them, which Gladion noticed with some concern.

"Something wrong?" Gladion asked as the girl walked over to him and sat down in the dirt.

"Rain...It just freaks me out now. We should finish up here and do what Null says. Find some cover and wait this out." Demi said quietly, with Gladion frowning at the fearful expression on her face. This was not the first time his... _ally_ , had mentioned being wary around rain. He wondered if it had to do with what happened at Brooklet Hill.

" _There might very well be some trauma there. Having your Starter killed by a psycho Totem Pokémon is definitely going to scar you in some ways."_ Gladion thought to himself, but instead he just sighed softly. "We'll find somewhere to stay while it blows over. I was planning on going to Konikoni City later today to schedule...a thing."

"A thing? You better not be scheduling a Grand Trial!" Kayla said hotly, with Gladion sighing softly in annoyance. "You douche! Why would you do that?!"

"Because I want to get stronger, and I personally don't give two shits about offending you all. What does me doing the Island Challenge do to you all? Nothing. So be quiet. This little guy is trying to sleep." Gladion said with a scowl as he leaned against the tree, petting the Zorua in his arms that had once again shut its eyes. As if on cue, the Fossil Man emerged from the trailer holding a Poké Ball with a wide grin on his face.

"This was a fantastic specimen. Where'd you get it?" the man asked, handing Kevin the Poké Ball. The teen stared at it in awe before looking up at the man.

"I got it from a little homie back in Konikoni. Damn...I owe that Sun kid big time for this!" Kevin said with an excited laugh, doing a small dance. "I got myself a Pokémon, yo!"

"Sun, huh? Sounds familiar." The Fossil Man remarked, scratching his head and ignoring the look Gladion was giving him. After all, he and Sun had both met the Fossil Man together only a few weeks ago.

"Yeah, I bet the little guy's battling Olivia by now. He was hanging with her the other day, anyway." Axen remarked, shrugging. "As far as kids go, he's alright. Doesn't treat us like total shit like the others do, yo. But worst comes to worst, I'll find a way to beat him down yo."

Demi remained quiet, though she had to admit she was happy that Sun had helped Kevin through such a rough time. Losing your Pokémon was incredibly difficult, and Team Skull didn't exactly have a lot going for them. For Sun to go out of his way to give Kevin a priceless Fossil like that was incredibly kind of him.

 _"I really do have good friends...I shouldn't have turned my back on them."_ Demi thought, sighing softly. _"I need to track them down and apologize. I think I'll see if I can find them in Konikoni City."_

"Interesting…" The Fossil man mused, rubbing the stubble under his chin. "Well, I'm afraid this is where we bid each other farewell. After all, I've got drugs to deal, solvents to abuse, and Pokémon to bring back to life!"

"...Right." Kayla replied, taking a step back. Kevin and Axen did as well, since the Fossil Man started cackling with glee for literally no reason.

"Ah...Fantastic." The Fossil Man breathed, wiping a tear from his eyes. "But that's enough of that. Get the hell out of here, or I'll not only hurt you. I'll harvest your organs and sell them for more high-tech equipment for my Dream Park!"

"You're...you're insane!" Demi proclaimed, with Gladion nodding in agreement.

"Sure I am! What's your point?" Fossil Man asked, cocking his head.

"That you're a some crazy dude in his mid-twenties living in the middle of the woods, drugged out of his mind." Gladion said to the man, who cackled with delight.

"Ha! Joke's on you! I'm in my late-fifties!" the Fossil Man proclaimed, which surprised the teens. Even Gladion, who had a very young-looking mother, was thrown off by this elderly man's youthful appearance.

"Holy shit. You look good for your age, man. What's your secret?" Axen asked as the Fossil Man flexed, grinning at him.

"Steroids and crack cocaine!" the large man boomed, striking a pose. "But seriously, I've got _things_ to attend to. Hope you enjoy your Fossil, bucko! Come back to the Fossil Man for all of your Fossil and/or drug needs!" the man proclaimed before he went inside of his trailer and shut the door.

"Well...That's definitely to be a story to tell to the others." Demi remarked lightly, crossing her arms.

"True dat. Now let's see my new Pokémon!" Kevin yelled, tossing the ball into the air and allowing it to explode in a shower of light, calling out the Pokémon within. Within moments, a blue turtle with a black shell appeared and looked around curiously before it looked at Kevin, who had knelt down to the prehistoric turtle.

"So, like...what is it, yo?" Axen asked, crossing his arms.

"A Tirtouga." Kayla remarked, eyeing it with wonder. When she saw Demi and Tim looking at her in surprise for knowing that, the teen crossed her arms and huffed. "What? Dinosaurs are cool! I might have watched some documentaries on Fossil Pokémon once or twice...or ten times...Screw you!"

"Technically it's a turtle. Not a dinosaur." Axen argued, but he was cut off when Kevin tearfully hugged the turtle Pokémon ahead of him.

"Yo! I can't believe it! I've got a Fossil Pokémon! And it's an awesome turtle too!" Kevin proclaimed, letting go of the obviously confused Prototurtle Pokémon. "Heya, little guy. I'm Kevin. I'm going to be your Trainer from now on."

"Tirr?" the Pokémon questioned.

"I bet this is super confusing for you, huh?" Kevin muttered, scratching his head. "No worries. I can show you what the world's like now! Would you like that?"

The Tirtouga nodded happily, glad that it's Trainer and new friend was at least kind enough to explain things in this new confusing world that it had been a part of for about ten minutes. Gladion couldn't help the small smile as he saw Kevin happily embrace his new Pokémon with another hug, actually crying in joy at the new chance he had been given to be a Trainer.

" _Sun...You would do this for a criminal who caused you nothing but trouble? Look how happy you made him. I may not like Team Skull, but they're still people at the end of the day. They're not evil…"_ Gladion thought, stroking the small fox in his arms. _"How strange it is, seeing them in this light. Makes you forget for a moment that they're street thugs...But still kids, like me."_

"He's so happy." Demi noted, lowering her bandanna and smiling.

"Yeah...he is." Gladion replied simply, just watching Kevin tearfully talk to his new Partner while Axen took a picture of them with his phone, laughing in delight at how happy his friend was. Kayla and Tim watched with amusement, though Gladion could sense their happiness as well. Gladion probably could have slipped away, since this was the only thing the group had planned for the day. But instead, he remained standing alongside Demi as the rest of the group introduced their Pokémon to the newly remade Tirtouga, and found himself smiling slightly at the joy the group had found in their new friend from the past.

* * *

Sun had lost.

He had failed in his Grand Trial.

" _How could this happen?"_ Sun thought, looking down at his Poké Ball. He knew that Oliver was vain when it came to his feathers. Ever since he had evolved, the owl had become a stickler for keeping his appearance as prim as possible. But it had come to be a detriment to Sun's strongest Pokémon time and time again, in each of the Trials on Akala Island. Yes, sometimes it how allowed Oliver to unleash extra damage in a fit of rage, but it was also hard to get the owl to obey his commands again.

"I can't believe you care more about your feathers than me." Sun said quietly, gritting his teeth in anger. He looked up and saw Kahuna Olivia offering him her hand to help him up. Sun mutely took it, with the Kahuna laughing nervously.

"You battled very well, Sun. I'm almost sad I had to abuse knowledge like that to win." Olivia chuckled, with Sun looking the other way. Lillie slowly walked over to them, biting her lip in worry.

"Sun…" Lillie said quietly, making the boy look at her. To Lillie's horror, they were a very dark color of grey. Sun was definitely upset, which didn't help considering how miserable and depressed he was already. While battling, he had seemed so much better, likely because he was doing something he loved. But now he was worse than before.

"You battled my entire team with one that was weak to Rock-type moves and nearly pulled out a win. I commend you for giving me a great battle, Sun. I look forward to challenging you again soon." Olivia said as she placed a hand on Sun's shoulder. The boy hadn't said a word, so Olivia's smile slipped away.

"I would recommend getting a new Pokémon. One that can cover for the glaring weakness in your team. Even without it, you nearly defeated me with a great deal of disadvantages going against you. I am honored to have shared this fight with you, Sun. May the Tapu watch over you, and ease the pain in your heart." Olivia said gently, raising a hand and pressing it against Sun's head as she shut her eyes. "Loaʻa iāʻoe ka maluhia."

Sun looked at Olivia blankly as she stepped back, smiling at him. Lillie stepped forward and was about to say something, but...couldn't. Sun looked to her and just shrugged.

"I'll bounce back. Brago and Penny did great, despite their disadvantages. And Oliver…" Sun trailed off, his expression souring. "I can't believe he _actually_ let his feathers distract him that much. Usually he freaks out and beats the crap out of whoever got him dirty."

"I think the fact that it was mud made it sting a bit more than anything else. From what I understand, Dartrix are hard-wired to care deeply about their appearance. It can be very difficult to raise one to it's final evolutionary form." Olivia said as she crossed her arms. "That said, I think Oliver's case is a bit worse than usual. He kept trying to clean himself even _while_ being hit by Rock Blast."

"I'll have a talk with him…" Sun trailed off, looking down at the Poké Ball in his hands. Sun scowled and said, "I really needed this win today, and he let me down. I just…"

Sun sighed and stopped talking, clipping the Poké Ball to his belt and began walking out of the clearing. Lillie began to follow him, but she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Watch over him." Olivia said, with Lillie looking back at her and seeing the sad smile on her face. Lillie nodded silently and turned back around, moving to follow Sun out onto the Akala Outskirts, with Olivia trailing behind them. To their surprise, a grinning Hau was waiting for them.

"Heya folks! Howzit going?" Hau asked, grinning at them all.

"I lost." Sun said quietly, with Hau gaping in shock.

"Whaaa...Huh. Well, it happens dude. No worries! You'll get her next time!" Hau said bracingly, beaming at Sun. The boy looked away, making Hau's smile take a hit. Hau looked at Lillie, who just shook her head, so the cheery boy looked to the Kahuna.

"Well...I'm here for my battle! I know I'm a bit early, but since you're done battling Sunny Side Up, it's my turn!" Hau proclaimed, bouncing up and down on his feet for a moment before he began stretching.

"You're certainly excited. Sun was quite the opponent. I hope you're ready for a hard-fought battle." Olivia said with a smile, causing Hau to chuckle gleefully.

"I may not be as strong as my gramps, Hala, but I can still raise my team to do their best! You better believe we'll give you a showdown to remember!" Hau declared, with Olivia frowning thoughtfully at that.

"But you're just Hau, right?" Olivia asked the boy, who nodded with a smile. The Kahuna grinned at the boy and said, "So what's wrong with that? Who cares if you're the Hala's grandson? I want to see what Hau can do!"

"You got it, Miss Olivia!" Hau declared with a massive grin, punching forward. He was surprised when he felt a hand on his shoulder, and looked over to see Sun. It actually made Hau's own heart ache to see his best friend looking so miserable. Sun's voice sounded strained as he spoke, as if he was trying his best not to let the pain creep into it.

"You beat her, alright? You've worked way too hard not to do anything less than your best, man." Sun said quietly, managing a weak smile. "I'm going to head back to Konikoni City. I'd stick around to support you, but I'm not...doing too great."

"I understand. Hope you feel better, brother." Hau said, holding out his fist. Sun looked at it for a moment, tapped it gently with his own and began walking away. Lillie looked at Sun, turned to Hau and sighed.

"He's worse off than I thought. Oliver letting him down and Sun losing for the first time...It's like the world is conspiring against him." Lillie said quietly, with Hau shrugging.

"It happens. I'm gonna get this done and then we can take him out to dinner to cheer him up. Just keep an eye on him, okay? Don't let the Unova dorks bring him down any further." Hau said to Lillie, who nodded sharply in affirmation. Hau was surprised when Lillie stepped forward and hugged Hau, who blushed bright pink but happily returned the hug. Lillie separated from Hau, bowed to Olivia, and hurried after Sun. The girl in white found her crush kneeling on the ground, holding out the Zygarde Cube and absorbing a Zygarde Cell. Rotom Dex suddenly popped out of Sun's backpack, buzzing for a moment before speaking.

 _"Sina wants to talk to you! Zzt!"_ Rotom said before its screen cut to a grinning Sina, who seemed to be in an all-white lab of sorts.

"Sun! You've collected 10% so far. If you'd like to know what this number means, please come to the Aether Base on Route 16 on Ula'ula Island! You are getting warmer! Bonne chance!" the Kalosian woman declared, though her smiling face fell when she saw Sun's face. "Sun, are you alright? You look awful."

"It's been a really bad week, Sina. How're things with you?" Sun asked, with the girl's frown deepening.

"Fine. Dexio's taking a nap, since he was up all night working on something for Professor Sycamore. But that's not important. What's going on? Is there anything I can do to help?" Sina asked, concerned about the boy.

She was surprised when Sun scowled and hung up the phone.

"S-Sun...That was…" Lillie trailed off, unsure of what to say.

"Rude? Yeah...I just don't want to talk about it. I want this all to be over with, but I just…" Sun's words died and he just kept walking, with Lillie hastening to keep up with the boy's anguished stride.

They made it back to the city, with the two children getting lunch at Mallow's restaurant. Apparently the restaurant was open today, contrary to what Mallow had said before, so the two children managed to get a table with no issues. The Captain herself was happily cooking, and made sure to get them a discount. Lillie filled in the Captain on Sun's loss, which earned the boy a hug and a free meal. Sun didn't seem happy about it, though.

"I don't need pity, Mallow." Sun said grumpily, earning a raspberry from Mallow.

"It's not pity. I always give discounts to my friends. Stop being moody and enjoy yourself. You've got a lovely lunch date with the most adorable girl I know. Enjoy the good stuff, Sun." Mallow said to Sun, making Lillie blush at the comment about being on a date with Sun.

"Good stuff? What good stuff...You mean the few friends I have left after my father became public enemy number one? Friends who are in danger just for knowing me? The knowledge that my Starter cares more about his feathers than he does about me?" Sun said, beginning to laugh. Lillie and Mallow exchanged a brief look of concern as Sun broke into helpless giggles, looking down as his body shook. And then, slowly but surely...The laughter petered out and Sun's body continued to shake. He wasn't laughing anymore though.

When the two girl's realized he was now sobbing uncontrollably, both of them embraced the boy in a hug. Sun shut his eyes and wept, because despite the fact that he had his friends supporting him…

He still felt so alone, with the entire world against him.

* * *

"Cassy, let's wrap this up! Aqua Jet!" Hau yelled out, grinning as he crossed his arms. His Brionne rushed forward with a happy cry and slammed into the exhausted Lycanroc, who crashed onto the ground with a snarl. After a few moments of trying to rise, the beast collapsed with a groan.

"Olivia's Lycanroc is unable to battle. The winner of the Grand Trial is Hau!" the referee proclaimed, raising a flag in the direction of Hau as Olivia recalled her Lycanroc.

"Awwww yeah! My first Grand Trial! We did it!" Hau boomed as he ran forward, scooping up Cassy in a hug and spinning around. The boy lost his balance and toppled to the ground, but he and his Starter were laughing happily despite that. Olivia giggled softly as she walked over to Hau, who rolled to his feet. Needless to say, Hau got his Trainer Passport stamped with the official stamp of Akala Island and the boy didn't stop smiling the whole time.

"So, what now?" Olivia asked Hau, who chuckled.

"Probably lunch?" Hau remarked, though he blinked as he heard a clap of thunder. The boy and Kahuna looked up and saw that a storm was just upon them, already beginning to bring its showers upon Akala Island.

"We best start making our way back to the city. I'd hate to get stuck in this downpour coming our way." Olivia said before she looked to the Trial Guide, who began walking their way.

"Ma'am, should we cancel the rest of the Grand Trials for the day? There's plenty of lightning coming our way, and we don't want to risk anyone getting hurt." The Trial Guide said, with Olivia nodding.

"Rescheduling shouldn't be an issue. It was only one more battle. Would you mind doing a sweep of the area real quick for me? Tapu Lele lingers around battles, and...you know." Olivia said with a shrug, with the Trial Guide nodding. He then opened his mouth-

Before he suddenly dropped to the ground, twitching and jerking around and gasping for air. Olivia and Hau knelt down to the ground, horrified as the man's mouth began to foam and his eyes rolled into the back of his head. With a rattle, the man stopped breathing altogether. Hau's breathing shook and he looked away, with Olivia staring at the man for several long seconds as she checked his pulse.

When she heard the sound of laughter, the Kahuna hopped to her feet and whirled around. She gasped when she saw a man covered in a thick black cloak with white designs flowing along the edges. His face was covered in a simple black mask, and his face was cowled as well. In his hands was what looked like a gun, but upon closer inspection was a blow-dart gun. He was flanked by an Ariados and a Claydol.

 _"Hello." _ The Masked Admin greeted them, his voice distorted and sounding unnaturally deep. Olivia scowled and moved in front of Hau protectively, calling out a massive blue stone Pokémon with crystals sticking out of its body. "Oh? That's rude. I haven't even made demands or threatened anyone yet. They sure don't make Kahuna's like they used to"

"Gigalith, stay alert." Olivia whispered to her Pokémon, glaring down the man as he continued walking towards them, the Claydol by his side floating beside him. "Back off. These are the sacred grounds of Tapu Lele! You will not defile them with your evil presence!" Olivia yelled to the Cipher Admin, who chuckled. Hau then realized what was so odd about the man. He had a voice changer wrapped around his neck outside the cowl he wore, which made his already weird appearance even stranger.

 _"I'm well aware of the importance of these hallowed grounds. However, due to a recent change in management, I'm forced to make a move sooner than I'd like. So I'll offer you an ultimatum, Olivia. You tell me where Sun is, and I'll let you and the boy behind you live."_ The Masked Admin said as five Cipher Grunts teleported next to the man, calling out a horde of Shadow Pokémon and grasping their weapons tightly.

"S-Sun...You leave my friend alone!" Hau yelled to the man, who laughed again.

 _"I admire the loyalty, Hau. But loyalty won't change what's going to happen next. I'm here to take that child back to his father, where he belongs."_ The Masked Admin remarked, with the Kahuna's grandson flinching at the man using his name. Naturally the Masked Admin noticed this, laughing again. _"Yes, I know you. I know Aria and her friends are here in Alola as well. Rest assured, once we're more established here I will ensure they all meet a grisly demise. But my visit here can be pain-free. Just tell me where Sun is. Otherwise, I will hurt you. And if need be, kill you. Just like I killed that Trial Guide."_

"He's not here!" Hau shouted, with the man chuckling softly in reply.

 _"Sorry, but I don't believe you. I have it on good authority that he's in the area. Now...let's try again."_ The Masked Admin remarked, though he snapped his fingers loudly. Cipher raised their weapons, with Olivia scowling furiously.

"I don't care what I have to do...But you will not harm that boy! He's suffered enough because of you lot!" Olivia shouted, with the Masked Admin chuckling again.

 _"You really don't understand just what's going on, do you? Sun's father just became a very important man and he's very suspicious of me. I've been aware of Sun's existence here in Alola for a little while now and I've been waiting for a chance to exploit that, just like any businessman worth his salt. Once I get my hands on that boy and deliver him to his father, Borlath won't have any reason not to trust me. Hell, he'd probably start trusting me. Imagine me having free reign and unlimited resources to burn Alola to the ground and making something better...Heh. With as much as he hates this place, Borlath would agree to whatever I suggested. Now tell me...Where is Sun?"_ The Masked Admin said, his voice dipping into a low growl as he stepped forward.

"I'll never tell you anything! Gigalith, Stone Edge!" Olivia barked, throwing out an arm and calling out an Armaldo. "Crush Claw!"

 _"Secure the perimeter. I've got this."_ The Masked Admin replied as he holstered his blow-dart gun and pointed forward. _"Smart Strike!"_

The Ariados shot forward with its horn glowing, smashing into Gigalith with a hiss. However, the Compressed Pokémon simply roared and called forth stone pillars that smashed the spider into the air, which was worsened when it crashed onto the ground and was hit by a powerful Crush Claw by Armaldo.

The Masked Admin watched as his Araidos fainted on the ground before he held out an Ultra Ball, tossing it forward and calling out, _"Alright then! Heatran! Let's turn up the heat!"_

The Lava Dome Pokémon hit the ground with a hiss, incinerating the grass underneath it by merely touching it. Hau felt dizzy just from the amount of heat coming from the beast, but he was snapped out of his daze when a ball of darkness suddenly slammed into Heatran and a scary-looking man suddenly stepped out beside Olivia from out of nowhere. A massive ghost rose from his shadow, flexing its hands.

"I was wondering when you'd show up." Olivia said to Jack and Gretel, the latter of who charged at Shadow Heatran and began to punch it with fists of ice and lightning. The Masked Admin swore and called out a massive T-rex Pokémon that Hau recognized as a Rampardos. Hau spotted the shadowy aura around it and realized it wasn't quite what it seemed.

"What's the situation?" Jack asked, eyeing the Cipher Grunts with distaste.

"They're after a boy who's father is the new leader of Cipher. I can explain more later, we need to get rid of these idiots before they kill someone else!" Olivia said tersely, even as a light drizzle began to fall on them.

"So why haven't you beaten them yet?" Jack asked, watching as Gretel was knocked away with Iron Head and sent soaring through the air. The Dusknoir caught herself and held out her hands, firing a Dark Pulse at the Lava Dome Pokémon.

"Mainly because I don't have my actual team on me, save for Armaldo and Gigalith. Lycanroc is knocked out and Probopass is back at the store." Olivia explained, making Jack swear softly.

"Then we'll need to get out of here." Jack said in reply, looking towards the battle as Gretel was hit with Zen Headbutt by Shadow Rampardos and sent crashing to the ground. Gigalith and Armaldo unleashed attacks on the Headbutt Pokémon, making it snarl in pain.

 _"You're all going to die if you don't tell me where that boy is!"_ the Masked Admin yelled, pointing a finger at Jack. _"And you...You should be dead!"_

"Psh. I wish. But I'll be damned if I let some pompous ass-wipe like you who can't even show his face intimidate me." Jack replied, making the Masked Admin clench his fists.

 _"Shadow Rampardos! Smash them to bits!"_ the Masked Admin barked as the Shadow Pokémon roared in fury and charged ahead. He then looked down at Shadow Heatran and said, _"Heat Wave!"_

Shadow Heatran snarled and with surprising quickness, scuttled over to where Gretel and Gigalith where battling Cipher's Shadow Pokémon. With a roar its body glowed and the Legendary Lava Dome Pokémon exhaled a blast off flames that struck the old Dusknoir, making her scream in pain. The Ghost-type slipped into her shadow and re-appeared next to Jack, covered in burns and shaking in pain.

"It hurts...That monster is really strong!" Gretel hissed as Heatran began to engage Olivia's Gigalith and Armaldo. The duo had managed to strike down the Shadow Rampardos, but Shadow Heatran had the type-advantage against them and with a Iron Head, Gigalith went down. Olivia returned her Pokémon as her Armaldo leapt back to her side, panting slightly as Shadow Heatran snarled in fury, releasing a blast of fire at them.

"Move!" Jack barked, with Gretel grabbing them in her shadow and pulling them into the darkness. Hau was the furthest away from the Dusknoir, and was the last to be pulled in, meaning that he wasn't able to completely avoid the flames that scorched the spot they were just in. Once the trio and their Pokémon reappeared, Hau screamed in pain and began trying to put out the fire that was on his shoe and creeping up his leg.

"Hau!" Olivia yelled out as the boy hit the ground, clutching his leg.

"Gretel!" Jack said to the Dusknoir, who grabbed the boy's leg while using Ice Punch. She was able to quickly extinguish the fire, but the damage was done and the boy's leg was badly burned. Hau moaned in pain, panting from the effort it was taking to not pass out from the excruciating pain he was in. Olivia grit her teeth as she prepared herself to call out her Lycanroc, who was still weakened from the battle he was just in and hadn't been treated yet-

" _ENOUGH!"_

A shockwave of force blasted through the clearing, with a pulsating pink light flickering into existence in front of Olivia, Jack and Hau. A figure began to form within the light, and Olivia gasped as a strange pink and black-colored creature descended to to the ground with it's hands extended outwards.

" _I refuse to be disrespected like this…"_ the Pokémon hissed telepathically, projecting it's thoughts to everyone present.

"W-what is that?" Hau asked weakly, with Olivia sighing in relief.

"Tapu Lele." Olivia answered as the Cipher Grunts and the Masked Admin took a step back in fear of the god. The Masked Admin spotted his Ariados rising to its feet, and began to issue a command.

 _"Ariados, use-!"_ the Masked Admin barked, but Tapu Lele made a violent gesture with its arms as it's eyes glowed bright blue. The Long leg Pokémon screamed as it floated into the air before it's entire body began to glow a dark blue color. And then one of Ariados' legs ripped off, making the creature squeal in agony.

" _Oh my god...Is this...That thing is scary!"_ Hau thought in horror as Cipher opened fire on the Tapu, who began to laugh ethereally as the Ariados in its grasp thrashed and hissed before suddenly being slammed into the ground once...twice…three times...

"Ariados…" the Masked Admin hissed, eyeing his fallen Pokémon with sorrow. All that was left of his Ariados was a bleeding dismembered corpse. He looked up and saw a flutter of pink dust drift from above as a pink and black-colored Pokémon descended from the sky, now much closer to them. The dust did nothing to heal the already dead Ariados, essentially taunting the Cipher Admin. The Cipher Grunts continued to try and attack Tapu Lele, but the Guardian Deity continued to brush aside their attacks like they were nothing.

 _"I will come back...I won't rest until you all pay! Until Alola suffers!"_ the Masked Admin roared, taking a step back in fear, recalling his Rampardos as he did so, as the god-like being continued to laugh it's head off.

" _You little fools…You really should have known better."_ Tapu Lele whispered into their minds. The Masked Admin scowled and placed a hand on his Claydol, teleporting from the area with a small flash. This however, had the effect of leaving behind the five Cipher members who opened fire on the Guardian Deity. Tapu Lele's eyes glowed and the bullets simply went around it, even as the being floated closer to the them.

" _I am going to kill you."_ Tapu Lele whispered, making no effort to hide the glee from its voice. With a hand it used Psychic on the men and women of Cipher, throwing them towards the Ruins of Life with a demented giggle. It then looked towards Olivia, not caring as the men and women crashed heavily on the ground with yells of pain.

" _You both should go...After all, I'd hate to make a child watch me do...Well, bad things to these people."_ Tapu Lele remarked lightly, with Jack nodding as he snapped his fingers and Olivia grabbed his hand, his other extending to Hau. Hau wordlessly grabbed the man's hand, bewildered and in too much pain to do much else. The last thing he saw before darkness was Tapu Lele floating towards the Ruins of Life, dragging the Cipher Grunt in with it using it's psychic powers.

 _"Something tells me I got off lucky."_ Hau thought as he shut his eyes, trying to not throw up as the trio traveled through the darkness using Shadow Sneak. Maybe when he got back, he could sleep this off and have a malasada.

Sadly, things don't always work out how we want them too.

* * *

Sun and Lillie sat side-by-side in the Pokémon Center, reading silently. Sun had calmed down, but he still looked incredibly upset. Lillie had seen Sun use a Revive on Oliver and have a very heated discussion with the owl, who remained silent the entire time. It was definitely the angriest Lillie had ever seen Sun, with the boy calling into question whether or not Oliver was going to turn his back on him like Hugh and the others did. Oliver looked alarmed and hurt at the suggestion, but before the owl could even say anything Sun returned him and stormed off.

Lillie was so worried. But like always, there wasn't much she could do. Instead she decided to keep Sun company, and support him however she could. Right now they were just trying to relax while waiting for Sun's team to get healed, which would take a little bit longer than usual due to the intensity of the Grand Trial they had just went through.

She was surprised when Hugh, Noah and Vivian decided to walk over to them about half an hour after they had arrived at the PMC. Hugh was looking calmer than he had before, but he still looked upset. Sun looked up at the young man and sighed.

"Come to yell at me some more?" Sun asked, with Hugh shaking his head.

"No. I...overreacted yesterday. I'm sorry about that." Hugh said with a small shrug. "That said, I'm not going to trust you again until I know for sure you're not a threat to us."

"I'd never hurt any of you." Sun muttered, looking back down at his book. Lillie jumped as a crackle of lightning ripped through the air, the rain outside coming down even harder a few moments later.

"Jeez, I thought Alola was the land of sunshine." Vivian muttered, with Noah chuckling in response.

"I mean, it's got plenty of that. But it's also in a region of the ocean that experiences some incredible storms." Noah explained to his girlfriend, who scoffed.

"Nerd." Vivian replied, with her boyfriend sticking his tongue out at her. Lillie giggled at the childish display while Sun managed a small smirk, though this was wiped off of his face when several figures tumbled out of nowhere and into the middle of the Pokémon Center.

"Goodness!" Nurse Joy yelped as Jack, Olivia and Hau reappeared from the shadows. Gretel sighed with relief as she slunk out of the shadows, covered in bad burns. Hau collapsed onto the ground clutching his leg, drawing Sun and Lillie's attention as the two children ran to check on their friend.

"Hau! What happened?" Sun asked before he caught sight of the burn. "H-how…?"

"Cipher attacked." Jack said by way of explanation, making Sun pale in horror.

"Some masked weirdo showed up with a Legendary Pokémon and demanded to know where you were, Sun. He also killed one of my Trial Guides. When we refused to tell him anything, things got violent. I think Hau got grazed by a Heat Wave attack. Nurse Joy, some help here!" Olivia called to the woman, who scurried over with a Chansey and some supplies.

"I don't know how to deal with Heal Pulse treatment, so we're doing this the normal way." Nurse Joy said as she produced some salve and began apply it to Hau's burns. The boy hissed in pain, but relaxed Chansey handed him a reddish-brown berry to eat. Lillie turned to the ex-Commander, confused.

"Why were you at the Ruins of Life, Mister Jack?" Lillie asked, earning a dry laugh from the man.

"I was actually going to meet with Olivia after this kid was done with his Grand Trial. Old Nanu and I have been doing some digging, and we caught wind of an operation Cipher's pulling on Ula'ula Island. I'm glad I showed up when I did, since Olivia doesn't have a Pokémon capable of quick-transportation and it can take a little while for a Ride Charizard to show up. Otherwise the kid's situation would be worse." Jack explained to the girl, reaching over and patting her on the head. "I'm going to make some calls. We've got an attack on a Kahuna and a family member of a Kahuna on our hands. We're going to need more support."

Jack began to work on healing Gretel, but was surprised when Lillie began pulling out Full Heal's and Hyper Potions out of her bag and handing them to the man. Jack healed his Partner, thanked Lillie for her help and vanished into the shadows with Gretel.

Olivia muttered something to Hau as he was being treated, with Nurse Joy announcing Hau's burns weren't life threatening and would heal in two or three weeks. However he would have to take it easy for a bit. Olivia sighed with relief and rose to her feet, turning around.

"You all take care of him. I have to take care of this. And then head back to the Ruins of Life, because I know Tapu Lele's going to make a mess." Olivia sighed, shaking her head before she exited the building and walked out into the downpour going on outside.

Meanwhile, Sun and Hugh were having a stare-down.

"I stand corrected. Looks like Cipher's done-" Hugh began to say hotly, but Sun jumped to his feet and got in the teen's face.

"I know! You think I don't know that they're done messing around here?! They're trying to find me, and don't care who they hurt to get in their way! You think I _like_ this, Hugh!? Watching people I care about get hurt because of me!" Sun screamed at the teen, tears burning in his eyes. Sun didn't stop there, though.

"Do all of you really think I like having that man as my father? He's a monster! He kills Pokémon and people and then asks for a thank you afterwards, thinking its for the best! All he's ever done is hurt me and my mother and everyone else he knows! And I have to spend every...single... _day_...knowing that man's blood runs through my veins. I honestly feel sick right now." Sun admitted, his entire body shaking in anger and sorrow.

"S-Sun, it's not your fault man!" Hau said to his friend, trying to calm him down. Sun looked at Hau, shaking his head.

"It actually is. If Sun wasn't here, Cipher would have no reason to search for him." Hugh remarked coldly, only for Sun's expression to fall, with the boy looking down at the ground.

"Just stop it Hugh! This isn't helping anyone!" Lillie said desperately, seeing Sun getting even more upset. Even if there was some truth to Hugh's words, having them thrown in Sun's face when he was already at rock bottom wasn't doing anyone any good. Lillie then heard Sun speak, his voice thick with self-loathing and guilt.

"It's _absolutely_ my fault, Lillie." Sun whispered, looking up as more tears dripped down his face. "I...Hau... If it wasn't for me...My father would have died before I even left for Alola."

"W-what?" Lillie responded, with everyone else confused. Sun rubbed his eyes, but continued.

"Everything that man has done since we left Kanto is all my fault. I...I could have stopped him. I could've let him die...But I couldn't. I hate him, but he's still my Dad. I couldn't let him die...And now everyone's suffering because of it. All those people dead. Miss Erika. All those people in Celadon City. Lorelei...And the people here in Alola." Sun said quietly, his voice aching with pain and anger at himself.

"Sun...what do you mean you couldn't let your father die?" Lillie asked, confused. Hugh cut her off, stepping forward and grabbing Sun by his shirt and lifting him into the air.

"You little brat! You knew how bad your father was and you…You're just like Borlath, _aren't you_? Hurting everyone else around you!" Hugh threw Sun to the ground in disgust. "I guess I was right after all. "

"What do you expect him to do? Die? Take on Cipher all by himself while you throw a tantrum that your friend is related to the bad guys?" Hau demanded from his spot on the floor as Nurse Joy went back to work.

"I expect him to at least try and deal with this! Either that, or get out of our lives so we can try and clean up the mess that he admits he made!" Hugh barked back at the boy, who shrank back in fear.

"A-alright...I'll do it."

Everyone turned to look at Sun, whose eyes had become jet-black. It was terrifying to the Unova crew, because they saw then how much the boy looked like their archenemy in that moment. It was almost insulting how they didn't pick up on how Sun resembled Borlath, save for the ever-changing eye-color. However, now that Sun's eyes were fluctuating colors, it was incredibly eerie for them. Sun continued speaking, even as more tears dripped down his face.

"Do what?" Vivian asked, confused as Sun turned around, his body shaking.

"I'm...g-going to find Cipher." Sun stated, casting a glance back at his shocked friends. "I'm going to have them take me to my father. And have him stop this once and for all. I can make him listen, and he can order them away from here. I can make sure no one else gets hurt because of me."

"Sun, your father is a lunatic!" Hau yelped, though he was cut off by the harsh glare sent his way by his friend. "You giving yourself up for us is crazy!"

"Yeah, and you know what? I'm the only person who can change his mind about this! I can make him leave Alola alone! He hates this place, anyway. I just need to talk to him…" Sun breathed harshly, shutting his eyes and turning away as more tears flowed. "Even if I don't come back...Even if he keeps me with him, if I can make sure Cipher doesn't hurt anyone else, then it'll be worth it."

"You can't do that! What about your mother? What about us?" Lillie asked, with Sun giving her a sad smile.

"I'm not worth the trouble, Lillie. And if I die, then...oh well. At least I'll be doing it for my friends." Sun said sadly as he slipped his backpack on and began walking towards the door, even as a deafening boom of thunder rolled by. He offered his friends one last look before saying in a quiet voice, "Goodbye."

Sun turned around and stepped towards the door, but Lillie threw herself at Sun and wrapped her arms around his midsection, pinning his arms to his side in a hug. The girl buried her face in Sun's shirt, whispering, "Please don't! Please, please Sun...don't!"

The Kanto-native froze as Lillie begged him not to go, her arms wrapped around her crush in a tight embrace...but the boy didn't hear a word she said as the suppressed memories from before Alola came rushing back to Sun's mind. The boy remembered the last time he was this upset, and was unable to move just like he was now.

* * *

" _D-dad? You're...hurting me! I can't...move!"_

" _I'm so sorry...This is going to hurt very badly, Sun. You're going to cry, and that's okay. But you becoming a Pokémon Trainer cannot happen. I need loyalty, Sun. I need you by my side for this...I can't afford to have you go down the path that I hate so much…"_

" _What are you talking about? I want to be just like you and Mom! T-this...I don't understand!"_

" _You'll thank me for this, someday. Someday...But not today. Today you will learn what happens when someone crosses me. They suffer...Even if you're my son, I have to teach you a lesson."_

" _Dad...W-what are you g-going to do to her?...Dad?"_

" **Damien…Kill."**

* * *

"GET OFF!" Sun yelled as he broke out of Lillie's hold on him, shoving Lillie away with a snarl. The girl fell onto the ground with a yelp and looked up at Sun with a hurt expression while Hau gasped, crawling over to Lillie and giving Sun a shocked glare. Both children saw the expression on Sun's face go to horror, his eyes slowly going pure white. And then, they began to turn crimson.

"See...You all are better off without me. All I do is hurt people anyway...Just like my father. I'm a monster just like him." Sun whispered before he turned around, adding with a glare at all of them as his eyes flashed gray and then black, "Don't follow me."

Sun bolted out of the building and into the storm outside, with Lillie's eyes widening in horror as she hopped to her feet.

"No!" Lillie screamed, taking a few steps forward before she slowly stopped, her head drooping.

"That kid really does run from his problems way too much." Vivian noted dryly as her Chatot lightly sang from her shoulder. Lillie whirled around, anger flashing in her eyes that surprised everyone.

"What is your problem!?" Lillie shouted, shocking everyone and drawing the attention of everyone in the lobby. "He's your friend! Nothing's changed other than the fact that you know who his father is! He hasn't done anything to hurt anyone! Sun is a victim of circumstance and you all know it!"

"That may well be the case. But I'm not going to sit around and wait for him to sell our location out to Cipher, who he just said he was going to go find. He admitted you could have stopped Borlath before a lot of people got hurt. So damn right I'm going to give him shit for it." Hugh said as he stood up, but he never stopped glaring down Lillie, who shrank back.

"You...You're just absorbed by your hate for Borlath that you're not even considering how much Sun is suffering. How much guilt he feels that his father is doing all of these terrible things and that people he cares about are getting hurt...and there's nothing he can do to stop it." Lillie said quietly, with Hugh crossing his arms and shutting his eyes. Finally, Vivian spoke up and stepped forward.

"As much as I love getting into arguments with Hugh, I'm gonna admit the Princess here has a point." The violinist said, making Hugh scowl in annoyance. "Borlath is a sneaky, conniving bastard through and through. It's possible that he's manipulating Sun to get to us...But think about it. This is the guy who leveled a city to prove a point. If he wanted us dead, he'd come to Alola himself or do something ridiculous. Sun's a talented kid, but any one of us can beat him in a battle. It's just...stupid, guys. Come on, Sun being some kind of secret weapon is just...crazy. All we're doing is hurting a kid who's already going through a bad time." Vivian said quietly, walking over to Lillie and putting a hand on the girl's shoulder. Noah sighed and looked down, but Hugh was still fuming.

Noah glanced and Hugh and said, "You know she's right man."

"Well...I'm not going to go looking for him. If he wants to try and pick a fight with his bastard of a father, that's his own problem. If he comes back, we try can sort this out." Hugh said stubbornly, with Lillie looking at him with an exasperated expression.

"Aria would be so disappointed in you. I'm disappointed in you." Lillie said quietly, looking at all of them, with her green eyes landing on Hugh last. The young man looked very ashamed of himself, now. "You're letting the actions of one man influence your opinion of someone who is completely innocent. Sun's done nothing but suffer at the hands of Cipher. That man you call Borlath is a terrible person. But not just for what he's done in Cipher. He's hurt Sun in ways I still don't even know about. He tried to kill Miss Smiles when she tried to flee Kanto with Sun months ago...Sometimes I don't know if even Sun understands how badly his father has hurt him. But I am not allowing Cipher to get my friend!"

"Lillie, you're not going after him are you?" Hau asked.

"Absolutely." Lillie said firmly, her tone leaving no room for argument.

"Even with Team Skull out and about?" Vivian asked, surprised that Lillie would risk everything to go after Sun. That despite Sun's relation to Borlath, she would still show such loyalty. "You want me or Noah to come along?"

"I think you guy's have done _enough_ damage. I can fix this...I have too." Lillie said quietly, picking up Nebby's bag off the ground and hefting it over her shoulder.

"Dang...I'd come too, but my leg is really hurting." Hau sighed, looking down at his bandaged leg. Just then a loud ding came from the counter and Nurse Joy appeared, holding a tray with three Poké Balls.

"Sunshine Smiles, your Pokémon are healed and battle-ready." Nurse Joy announced, with Lillie smiling slightly and walking over to the woman.

"Ma'am, my friend Sun just walked out of the building and I don't think he'll be coming back anytime soon. Can I take his Pokémon to him?" Lillie asked the woman, who frowned but nodded.

"I was too late then. I heard the commotion and tried to hurry so I could do this myself before something happened." Nurse Joy said with a sad smile, though she handed Lillie the tray of Poké Balls. "You're a wonderful friend dear. Make sure his Pokémon get back to him." Nurse Joy said as Lillie picked up one of the balls. She looked down at it for a moment before tossing it into the air and calling out Oliver.

" _Hmm? Lillie? What's going on? Where's Sun?"_ Oliver asked as Brago and Penny joined their teammate. Lillie crouched down in front of them, taking a shuddering breath.

"More bad things have happened. Sun's run off to try and fix things, even though he knows it's going to end badly. He's so hurt that he doesn't even care about his own safety anymore. If we don't find him, he'll be gone forever." Lillie explained to Sun's team, whose eyes collectively widened at the news. "But I'm going to track him down and force him to listen to me. Can I count on your help to make him see reason? And to protect me while we look for him?" Lillie asked the trio, who looked very alarmed at the situation but all nodded in agreement.

" _We'll do whatever we have to. He's our Trainer, after all."_ Penny replied, though she seemed very worried.

" _What would make him abandon everyone like this, though? Abandon us? I know I let him down, but this?"_ Oliver wondered, closing his eyes in thought.

"' _Let him down'? What do you mean?"_ Brago asked with narrowed eyes, with Oliver coughing awkwardly.

" _Well, I um...er...You know what? Let's worry about our Trainer first. He can explain it better than me."_ Oliver said evasively, knowing that explaining how exactly he botched the last battle would end up with the canine getting mad at him. Penny would likely be even more upset. It would be best if they deal with the current situation first.

" _I'll hold you to that. I wonder what would make the Alpha flee from his friends. He's been through a lot, but to leave everyone behind?"_ Brago questioned, shaking his head. Lillie was surprised that Sun's team had next to no idea what was going on. She'd have to make sure Sun explained things to them when she found him.

" _You'd be surprised what people do when they're upset. I left my family behind, after all."_ Penny remarked, earning a surprised look from Brago and Lillie at that. Oliver's response cut off any questions about that.

" _His heart is full of hurt...Has been since I met Sun. Sometimes it can make dealing with everything else harder."_ Oliver said quietly, ruffling his feathers. " _Brago, you're good with smells. Track down our Trainer, and we'll keep an eye on things from the air."_

" _It's raining out."_ Brago noted, looking at the windows before looking back at Oliver, who had shut his eyes. He had discovered that during the Water Trial that he disliked the rain quite a bit, since it messed with his feathers.

" _That's my problem. You're a Fire-type and you dislike the rain as well. I'll deal with it."_ Oliver said with a resigned sigh.

"Thank you. Thank you all so much!" Lillie said gratefully, a smile coming to her face. Brago sniffed the air a few times, looking towards the front doors while everyone watched on.

" _I can follow the Alpha's scent. Let's hurry!"_ Brago yelled as he bounded towards the exit, with Penny and Oliver taking flight and following the canine. Lillie walked towards the door and adjusted her hat, with Nebby cooing softly from her bag. She took a deep breath and exhaled softly, gathering her courage and preparing herself.

"Good luck!" Vivian called to Lillie, who gave the violinist a look before nodding to her. Lillie turned forward and went out the doors.

Lillie winced as the cold rain hit her. Brago sniffed the air and growled before turning to the southern path and saying, "This way!"

Following Brago's lead and flanked by Sun's birds, Lillie began to run through the rain even as the lightning danced in the sky and thunder boomed through the heaven's. Lillie quickly began to feel the strain from running on legs and in her lungs, but she powered on as Oliver and Penny kept pace her with Brago focused on finding Sun's path through the storm whirling around them. Soon enough they were out of the city and racing towards the northern muddy path, with trees passing them by as they continued their furious run. Meanwhile, a thought struck Lillie.

" _I'm with Sun's Pokémon and he's running away through the rain...Aria's vision came true!"_ Lillie realized before she grit her teeth as they ran down the forest path. She felt so cold, right then. The rain had soaked her down to the bone and the lightning overhead sent fear through her body. Her lungs burned and her legs ached. Lillie knew it was incredibly dangerous for her to be out like this, especially with the Aether Foundation's heavy presence on Akala Island. Nebby being with her made this even worse. But...

It was time for her to be brave once again, and help save her hero from his own darkness before she lost him forever.

So Lillie kept running as the storm raged on.

* * *

 _Alright, so we've got one more chapter of sad times (kinda, honestly next chapter is 50/50) for Sun before things lighten up again._

 _So, the future comes to pass as Lillie and Sun's team begin to hunt down their friend. Will she be able to snap Sun out of his plans to sacrifice himself to Cipher or will Lillie fail?_

 _Tune in next time!_

Q and A:

 _From: RC-DA_

Sun is lucky isn't he? Lillie's parents are friends of his Dad, so approval won't be any trouble for him! Also Sun made one crucial error in his fight, he underestimated The Boldore! Too bad he isn't the Blind Bandit huh?

 **Alright, you get twenty points for that reference. I'm actually mad at myself for not thinking of it. Especially since it misspelled Boldore as Baldore like five times last chapter and had to keep fixing it.**

 **And that is a very good point, actually. That said, I'd think Lusamine would approve of Sun after he helps save her from the Nihilego.**

 _From: Sai Og Sus_

What does he mean when he said he don't have any Pokemon that is advantageous toward Rock Type? Oliver may be half Flying but he is still a Grass! Don't tell me this whole daddy issue is clouding his memory too?

And his first loss. I knew it would happen sooner or later. Also, am I smelling a break-up?

 **Fixed that bit. I worded that section weirdly, so thanks for the comment on that.**

 **And break up for what? Sun and Oliver? I'm a bit confused on that one.**

 _From: BraviaryScout_

At the same time, I hope Borlath knows that throwing the world into even more chaos with the catalysts to make it orderly is on his conscience. The worst part is that he knows what he is doing is making people suffer, yet continues to go down that path. He probably knows that kind of deal with the devil is going to cost him down the road. And contrary to what he thinks, it's not making life easier for Sun, it's making it hell on earth. This actually makes me wonder did the older kahunas like Hala ever come across Ashton when he was younger? Hmm.

 **Hala and Nanu both know Ashton, with the latter knowing him very well. This will actually be explained during the Origins Arc that begins at the Aether Paradise (first trip).**

 _From: Guest_

Is Demi your version of Moon or just an OC? And are you considering putting Mantine surfing and Pikachu hill or anything else from USUM?

 **Did you seriously copy-paste this question from the last time you asked this? Because I'm pretty sure this exact question was asked word-for-word a few months ago when I started the Q and A thing.**

 **No, Demi is an OC. And maybe if I can be bothered to. Sun's spending a good bit more time on Akala Island, so I can probably throw in something.**

 _That's all for now, folks. If you enjoyed the chapter, please leave a review and tell me what you thought! I also accept questions, though I do ask you leave some feedback in the review with the question as well. Also, follow and/or favorite RS if you haven't already so you can stay updated with my weekly updates...kinda ironic, admittedly._

 _Take care and stay awesome!_

 _Until next time, FlygonNick out!_


	70. The Princess and Her Knight

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _So I've finally decided that I need to take a break._

 _I didn't think I'd get to this point when this story started out, but it's been a long time coming to tell the truth. There's simply too much going on in my life right now, and I have to focus on my career rather than a story I do for fun and to entertain people._

 _That said, I'll admit...After the past few chapters, this story is beginning to frustrate me. Last chapter was the final straw, since I wasn't happy with how it turned out and it should have turned out differently. For example, Sun was supposed to go off on Hau and Lillie both instead of Hau getting hurt, but I forgot about that element of the chapter with all of the chaos going on lately._

 _You see, this story is really long. And really complex, with two main story-lines going through it. While I did start taking notes and writing down ideas, I'm just not able to remember minute details from early on and I don't have the time of day to sift through the story to work on revisions and archiving details that I need to. It's hard to keep track, despite my best efforts._

 _So...hence my decision to take some time off from the story. I upload (save for the odd occasion every now and then when I'm too busy on a weekend), nearly every single week. And these are fairly long chapters, mind you. It's a miracle if I can get these under 10,000 words, in a story that's supposed to be 5-7k chapters per upload. I just can't work at this pace while continuing to progress in my military career, at least at this stage. I need to study and focus on my job for now._

 _However, this is not the end to this story. Absolutely not. This is a short reprieve to improve the story, get back in gear, and to prepare for the next few arcs of the story._

 _ **My hiatus will be for about two months, and will begin after Chapter 73 is posted. This arc, which I incorrectly said would end with this chapter, will instead end then. After that, it'll be back to business as usual as we return to more fluff, action, and drama! And Team Skull.**_

 _ **Especially more Team Skull. God, I can't wait to get to Guzma. Why'd I have to make this story so long?**_

 _Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes Cottonmouth25, RC-DA, Moonlight Butterfree, a Guest reviewer, Angelfir3, SonicIKE, Technetium2, AncientHeroofTime, BraviaryScout, KyubiMaster9, Sai Og Sus, and another Guest reviewer. Thanks for the support and feedback!_

 _The song "Like Morning Follows Night" belongs to Jeff Williams and is from RWBY, not owned by me in any way. Gonna highly recommend that you all listen to that song, because it's fantastic and heavily inspired this chapter, with some of the song being sung in this chapter as well._

 _And with that…_

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 _Chapter 70: The Princess and Her Knight_

* * *

 _Eight Years Ago..._

* * *

 _Lillie wandered through the halls of the mansion she and her family lived in, the walls seeming so large to the young girl. She followed the sound of music, for lack of anything else to do. Her big brother was bedridden thanks to a stomach bug and her father had been distant lately, for reasons the five-year old couldn't understand. So, she sought out her mother, by listening to the piano music that flowed down the hallways._

 _The girl eventually managed to open the door where the music had sounded the loudest, and was rewarded by the sight of her mother sitting at a white grand piano, decorated with gold designs engraved in the side of it. The woman in question had her eyes closed, her fingers dancing along the keys and producing a wondrous melody that seemed magical to the child._

 _Lusamine Jardin seemed lost in her own world, but that wasn't to say she didn't notice the door opening or the feel the small hands resting on her leg. Lusamine opened her eyes and saw a little girl with long blonde locks staring up at her, looking worried. Lusamine smiled widely and stopped playing, filling the room with silence instead._

 _"Good morning, my little angel. Did you sleep well?" Lusamine asked sweetly, with Lillie frowning at that._

 _"It's the afternoon, Mommy." Lillie stated, confused. Lusamine blinked and looked at the clock on the wall, and found that her daughter was absolutely correct. Lusamine simply shrugged and bent down, picking up the little girl and setting her down on the bench she was sitting on._

 _"So it is. Did you come in here to listen to me play?" Lusamine asked, smiling at her daughter. Lillie nodded with a smile, making the mother chuckle softly._

 _"Such a good girl. It's a shame poor Glady is sick. He loves we when we're all playing together." Lusamine lamented, launching into a chord with ease. Lusamine had been born with many talents, and that didn't include just that of being a Trainer. She was quite the gifted pianist as well, and when she wasn't working hard to manage the Aether Foundation or spending time with her family, she was playing music. Thankfully, the two often went hand in hand with each other._

 _Mohn and Lusamine had both been musicians before they had met, and so naturally they wished for their children to be able to appreciate music as well. To their delight, their eldest child had quite the ear and talent for music himself. Lillie had yet to decide what instrument she wanted to learn how to play, but that was fine with Lusamine. Her daughter's choice was just that. Her own. Besides, the girl had a beautiful singing voice...despite not having any formal training._

 _Lusamine suspected Mohn's end of the gene pool were to blame._

 _"Yeah...I tried to go see him, but Daddy said that Glady needs his rest. I just want to play with someone..." Lillie said quietly, which earned her a pat on the head from her mother while she continued to play the piano one-handed._

 _"Sweetie, all you have to do is ask. What did Daddy say when you asked him?" Lusamine asked her daughter, who looked down._

 _"Daddy told me to talk to him later. He seems so sad, Mommy. I don't understand. Daddy always smiles. He's so happy. Why is he so sad?" Lillie asked her mother, who slowly began to stop playing and looked upwards, towards the skylight in the ceiling that allowed her to see the beautiful sky above._

 _"Oh Lillie...You're far too young and innocent to learn about the harsh realities of life." Lusamine said softly, turning to her daughter and wrapping her in a hug. Lillie happily hugged her mother back, finding comfort in the warm embrace, though she was confused._

 _"What do you mean, Mommy?" the little girl asked, with Lusamine breaking the hug and looking at Lillie with a sad smile._

 _"Oh sweetie...Your father is going through a very difficult time. It's...Well, do you remember Pancho?" Lusamine asked the girl, who nodded._

 _"That's Daddy's Pangoro! He's really big and scary, but he's super nice!" Lillie chirped happily, though she took a moment to think about it. "I haven't seen him in a long time though. Did he do something to get in trouble?"_

 _"Not quite. You see Lillie...Pancho has passed on. He's no longer with us." Lusamine said quietly, running a hand through her daughter's hair while the girl looked at her mother in surprise. "Pancho was the second Pokémon your father ever had. But recently we found out he had become very sick, and despite all of our resources, we couldn't find a way to save him. I...Your father hasn't experienced a loss like that before. He's hurting, Lillie. Mohn will be sad for some time, but once he has had time to recover, he will be more than happy to play with all of us again."_

 _Lillie remained quiet for a time, her young brain making sense of what she had been told. Death was such a scary thing to her, as a child. To suddenly just...not be alive anymore. Unable to spend time with your family. Unable to speak to them, or see them again was hard for her to wrap her head around. Lusamine pulled her little girl into another hug, sighing softly._

 _"I've tried to cheer Mohn up, but he's in deep. I don't know if-" Lusamine began to say, but Lillie interrupted her._

 _"Then we can both cheer him up!" Lillie said happily, grinning up at her mother. Lusamine took one look at the girl's cheerful face and she couldn't help but return her smile._

 _"Of course we can. Hmm...what to do?" Lusamine thought aloud, her eyes drifting to her piano. "I have an idea, Lillie. What if we sang a song together to help your father feel better?"_

 _"Yes! That sounds fun, Mommy! And then Daddy will feel better and he won't be sad anymore! Even if Pancho isn't here anymore, Daddy still has us!" the girl babbled cheerily, making Lusamine giggle. Lillie's face then scrunched up as she gained a confused look. "But...how will a song help Daddy?"_

 _"Oh sweetheart, you're too young to understand properly, but the power of music and song is a very powerful thing indeed. Music can inspire. It can galvanize the people and ignite the fires of passion where only a faint ember once lay dormant! A simple melody can give birth to creation. A simple song sung by an amateur can save the world!" Lusamine began to say before realizing she was getting a bit carried away. Thankfully Lillie was young and couldn't call her out on how ridiculous she was being. Still, she knew that she had a point. The mother looked at her daughter before kissing her on the forehead, making the girl giggle._

 _"Music is magical, my little princess, and very powerful. It can convey the deepest desires of the heart in a way few other things can. Did you know it was a song that made me start to fall in love with your father?" Lusamine asked Lillie, who shook her head slowly. Lusamine reached out and gently tapped her daughter on the nose, a habit she had fallen into that never failed to make Lillie smile. "Always remember that, little one. No matter where life takes you, never let the magic of music and song out of your heart."_

 _"I won't, Mommy. Promise!" Lillie replied, grinning at her mother._

 _"Good! Now, let's go see your father. We can brainstorm on the walk over to the garden." Lusamine said happily, ruffling the little girl's hair before straightening it with a precision that came from years of practice. The mother and daughter hopped off of the bench and walked out of the room, with Lillie holding her mother's hand with a wide smile on her face. Lusamine's smile was smaller, because she knew the task ahead was daunting. Such grief was hard for anyone to just snap out of._

 _However, Lusamine had underestimated her daughter. Soon, thanks to Lillie's admittedly adorable support, Mohn was smiling once again. Yes his grief was still there, but he was reminded of the love of his children and of his wife who never stopped supporting him while he mourned. Soon the three of them were playing music for Gladion to keep him entertained while he was bedridden.  
_

 _Lillie would never forget those times.  
_

* * *

A much older Lillie grit her teeth to keep them from chattering as she pounded down the muddy path, splattering mud over her once pristine white dress, her blonde hair frazzled and drenched much like the rest of her. However it was the thought of stopping Sun from delivering himself to Cipher that kept her going, now. She had to snap him out of this. If not…

She'd never see her friend again.

Lillie wasn't a sprinter, though. She, unwillingly, slowed her pace so she could try and recover some of her energy and breath. A lifetime of being a pampered girl in a gilded cage didn't exactly do wonders for her stamina. Lillie's legs jarred in pain with every step, after only a short time had passed. Every moment ached, and she slipped more than once along the muddy path as the storm whirled violently overhead. When Lillie slipped for the third time and fell into the mud, a bolt of lightning struck a nearby tree, creating a deafening boom and explosion of flames and sparks that made the girl scream in terror and shut her eyes, shivering in fear.

 _"Don't give up just yet."_ Came a gentle voice beside her. Lillie opened her eyes and saw a green shield around her, created by a worried-looking Dartrix flapping his wings nearby. _"You can do it, Lillie! Just a bit further!"_

Penny and Brago were beside her as well, with Brago nudging Lillie's side. _"Sun is counting on you."_ Brago said simply, nodding to her before turning his head down the path. _"We will not let you fail."_

 _"We're behind you every step of the way."_ Penny added as the shield around them vanished. The girl slowly got to her feet with a wince and continued to run. Despite how sore, cold, and tired she was Lillie continued to run down the path. Sun's Pokémon continued to shout encouragement to her, which helped bolster her resolve to not give up her frantic run into the wilds.

She wouldn't stop chasing down the boy that had become an inspiration to her.

More than that...he was her hero.

Sun had come along into her life at a time when she was so confused at where to go. What to do. She was struggling to find out just who she really was, now that she had escaped from her mother's controlling grasp. And it was hard...Losing everything you loved, and struggling to find your place in this bright world where hidden dangers lurked around every corner. She hated her own weakness, her inability to do things on her own and her fear that she wouldn't be able to save Nebby from the Aether Foundation.

And then that day...That awful incident at Mahalo Trail, where Nebby had been attacked by Spearow. Lillie so vividly remembered her fear. How her legs nearly gave out and the tears that threatened to escape her as she quaked uselessly in terror.

And then Sun walked into her life and saved Nebby, right when Lillie thought she had just ruined her chance at saving everyone. And he did it with a smile, even when he was just as defenseless as she was at the time and he was but a stranger to them both. And even when he had worse demons than she did lurking over his shoulder.

Their friendship was formed over the course of the next few days, but was forged out of simple understanding of the other's suffering. Companionship, Lillie supposed. Sun's old home was decimated by Cipher and a newly reformed Team Rocket, sending the boy reeling and into a downward spiral that Lillie was all too happy to help him out of. They had officially became friends then, that stormy night much like this one was. Sun, in turn, became a pillar of support for her and helped her feel stronger. It was thanks to Sun's encouragement and friendship that she had begun to make more friends and act more bold, though she was still admittedly timid despite her improvements.

They were kindred spirits. Both of them had suffered at the hands of one of their parents, and had escaped to Alola to find a better life. They had gone on quite the adventure together so far, exploring the land and meeting new friends, as well as going through several ordeals that nearly cost them their lives. Lillie didn't regret any of it though. She understood that this was what it meant to truly be alive. To be happy, and to be sad. To triumph and to despair. To hate...and to love.

Despite herself, Lillie began to blush at that last thought. She was genuinely unsure just how deep her feelings towards her closest friend went. She truly cared for the boy that had become her hero. He was a friend, a true friend to her, but he had become so much more than that.

" _As soon as we sort this out...I'm telling him everything. With all of the bad things that have happened recently, I can't afford to not be honest with Sun. I owe him that much."_ Lillie thought as she pulled herself back to reality, where she was drenched to bone and chasing after a Growlithe in a mad flight to find her best friend.

"Hey!"

Lillie and the Pokémon around her stopped in their tracks, turning around in surprise. Lillie froze as she beheld several young men dressed in black with blue hair and wearing silver pendants around their necks.

Team Skull.

At their head was a woman several years older than herself, with pink and yellow hair and makeup (apparently waterproof) on her face. She had her arms crossed haughtily, glaring down Lillie with annoyance in her gaze.

"You're awfully far from home, aren't you?" Plumeria said quietly, taking a few steps forward as she casually called out her Golbat and Salandit. Lillie gulped and took several steps back as Plumeria advanced, gritting her teeth.

"That's one of the girls from the Wall of Infamy, right?" one of the Grunts asked Plumeria, who nodded slowly.

"That's right. Now...You're coming with us. Guzma is very interested in meeting you, little princess. Same goes for the Pokémon you have in your bag." Plumeria said dryly, putting a hand on her hip.

"N-no! You're not taking Nebby!" Lillie yelled out, clutching her bag tightly. Unbeknownst to the girl, Sun's Pokémon were exchanging looks, with Penny and Oliver nodding at each other.

"Too bad. There are... _interested parties_ who wanted you returned with minimal harm done. Since you want to put up a struggle, it means we'll just have to play rough." Plumeria said with a shrug as she stepped forward again. Plumeria's eyes narrowed as Lillie took a step back, shivering in fear. "Boys, if you would?"

"Gotcha, sis." One of the bigger Team Skull Grunts replied, stepping forward with a hidden grin. Lillie took another step back with a gasp of terror before a whirlwind of leaves, water, and mud suddenly rushed towards the Grunt and sent him flying backwards with a howl of pain. Lillie's eyes widened as Oliver flew in front of her protectively, glaring down the Grunts and Plumeria.

" _You will_ not _hurt her!"_ Oliver hissed at the criminals, who began calling out Pokémon for a fight.

" _Brago, protect Miss Lillie! Me and Oliver will deal with these idiots!"_ Penny said to the canine, who nodded as he crouched low to the ground and bared his teeth, hitting the small horde of Pokémon assembled before them with Intimidate. Plumeria scowled as she snapped her fingers, her own Golbat joining the fray as a half dozen Pokémon rushed at the two birds.

 _"Don't forget I can do this! Helping Hand!"_ Brago shouted as a surge of blue electricity flickered around him, rushing to strike Penny and Oliver. Both birds felt the canine's power bolstering their own.

"Get that girl!" Plumeria barked as the Grunts regrouped, calling out attacks. Penny dodged a Sludge Bomb from a Grimer and released an Echoed Voice on it and a Rattata, blasting away the both of them. Oliver dodged a Ember and a Toxic, retaliating with Razor Leaf. However, he was slammed into by Plumeria's Golbat, screaming in pain as it sank its teeth into his body and only backing off once Penny had smashed into them from behind with Pluck.

" _Back off!"_ Oliver hooted as he flapped his wings, releasing a barrage of Razor Leaf that slashed through the Pokémon horde, downing a Raticate and Tentacool at the same time. Oliver screeched as a blast of fire struck him from behind, only for a Salandit to leap onto Penny and hiss in her face. The lizard was blasted away with Echoed Voice, sending it into a tree.

" _We don't have time for this! Every second we waste with these idiots is another moment our Trainer is in danger!"_ Penny said to Oliver, who nodded. With two screams of fury, the birds dove forward and began dive-bombing the remaining Pokémon using Pluck, knocking out several in rapid succession. However, neither bird managed to spot a smaller Team Skull Grunt creep around the clearing with a Lurantis, a smirk hidden under his bandanna.

"Lurantis, get the girl!" the Grunt whispered, with the Bloom Sickle Pokémon nodding and sneaking towards the Growlithe and the girl standing behind him. Brago caught sight of the sneaking Lurantis and crouched low, snarling furiously as Lillie's eyes widened in fear and she stumbled backwards, falling into the mud as the Lurantis approached with a hiss.

"Time to come with us, yo. Team Skull ain't gonna lose such a fine mark, yo!" the Grunt remarked as his Lurantis let loose a powerful Razor Leaf at Brago, who tanked the attack with a snarl as his blood mixed in with the water and mud beneath him. He could have dodged the move, but that would have put Lillie in danger.

" _Not on your life!"_ Brago snarled as he blasted the Lurantis with Ember, making it snarl in pain. Brago roared as fire burst into existence around him and he charged at the Lurantis, sending it tumbling backwards and into a double-Pluck from Penny and Oliver, knocking it out. The canine leapt back to Lillie's side, flames still licking at the canine's body and steaming in the downpour around them.

"Salandit! Sludge Bomb!" Plumeria shouted, throwing out a hand as her Salandit opened its maw and fired a barrage of gunk balls at Oliver, who's eyes widened in horror before he threw up a Protect to shield himself. The attack exploded harmlessly against the barrier, making Oliver sigh in relief. Meanwhile, Penny had used Hidden Power to knock out a Zubat and Plumeria's Golbat, effectively stopping Team Skull and reducing Plumeria to just one Pokémon for battle.

"Flamethrower!" Plumeria barked as her Salandit hissed angrily, dodging a Pluck and attacking Oliver with a massive burst of fire. However, his shield held firm.

" _I'm sorry. Was that supposed to hurt?"_ Oliver mocked the furious Salandit as it breathed more fire on the Protect barrier. Penny used Roost to heal herself, sighing with relief as her wounds sealed and her strength returned. Oliver released the shield the moment the Salandit had to stop the attack to inhale for air, allowing both birds to rush forward with Pluck and knock the Salandit back senseless onto the ground.

"Damn it…This isn't over!" Plumeria growled as the Team Skull Grunts took several steps back.

" _I beg to differ."_ Penny replied, her eyes narrowing with fury. " _Now scram! We have more important matters to attend to!"_

"Tch...Let's get back to the rendezvous." Plumeria scowled, turning on her heel and departing down the muddy path. Lillie watched the thugs retreat, kneeling in the mud with awe on her face. Penny landed beside the girl as Brago nudged her.

 _"Are you alright?"_ Penny asked the girl, who slowly nodded. Lillie rose to her feet, opening her bag and seeing Nebby peer fearfully up at her.

"It's okay, Nebby. We're safe for now." Lillie said gently to the Cosmog, petting him on the head before sealing the bag again. Lillie looked to the three Pokémon that had protected her from Team Skull, smiling at them all. "Thank you so much. But what about you? You all got hurt as well. Let me heal you so-"

 _"That can wait. None of us hurt that badly, and Sun comes first. Thank you, though."_ Oliver said as he flapped into the air again, wincing in pain for a moment as Penny joined him.

Lillie looked at the three Pokémon before she smiled at them. "Very well. Shall we continue?"

" _Of course."_ Brago replied, sniffing the air. " _He's close. This way!"_

The group continued their flight down the muddy path, with Lillie taking a backwards glance at the departing backs of Team Skull. Plumeria was looking back at her, a small smirk on her face.

Lillie shivered and turned back around, putting the matter out of her mind for the moment. She more important things to worry about.

 _"Do you really think you can get through to Alpha, Miss Lillie? He was…not doing well the last we saw of him. If he's this upset...I worry."_ Brago said to the girl beside him, snapping Lillie out of her thoughts. Lillie looked down at the canine as he raced alongside her, his nose twitching rapidly as he tried to track down the familiar scent of his Trainer. Despite the rain diluting his scent, he was able to follow it without too much trouble it seemed.

"I hope so. I helped him last time. It was raining then too, come to that…No one deserves to go through what Sun is going through alone…That father of his is a monster, no matter what he says. What man could do what he did and still call himself a good person?" Lillie said with a rare note of anger in her voice.

 _"You're a good friend to him. He cares about you more than he can express."_ Brago said to Lillie, who looked at the dog in surprise.

 _"You and him…the both of you are similar souls. You understand each other so well. Even we can see the powerful bond you two share, Miss Lillie. If there's anyone who can ease the suffering his young heart is going through, it would be you."_ Brago said in a low voice before he suddenly stopped in place.

 _"Got it. He's this way!"_ Brago shouted as he suddenly took off through the trees and off the path they had been following. Lillie sighed and ran after the canine, wincing as the trees and branches scratched and clawed at her. Lillie bit back a scream as the lightning overhead crackled through the sky, the storm raging around her as the girl tore through the foliage to get to her friend.

 _"I've spotted him! He just went into a cave!"_ Oliver shouted as he dove through the trees, with Penny swooping down beside him a moment later. Lillie was grateful that Sun had apparently decided to seek shelter from the storm, rather than charge through it all night.

 _"Thank goodness…I was so worried."_ Penny sighed with relief as she flapped her wings to avoid a branch.

"Good! Because I think this dress is ruined and I'm going to slap your Trainer for that…before I hug him and never let go, of course." Lillie added after the fact with a small giggle. Oliver and Penny laughed while Brago's face twitched into a grin as they neared a small cave in the side of a cliff, making their way inside with some relief. The cave itself wasn't too deep, and was fairly spacious. The group spotted their target slumped against the wall, his eyes watching them with a detached glimmer in them. Lillie smiled at Sun before she bent down, taking a moment to catch her breath. She then looked back up and her smile faded, seeing the awful expression of anger and hopelessness in his black eyes. He then began to stand, his eyes narrowing as he took in his team and his best friend.

"Didn't you hear me back at the Pokémon Center? I said don't follow me. So get. The hell. Away from me. Or you'll die just like they did. Because that's what I do to people. They get hurt because of me. I'm a monster, Lillie. Just like my father." Sun finished in a hopeless whisper, shutting his eyes as more tears slipped down his face. It broke Lillie's heart to see that.

"I'm not going anywhere. We...Sun, you can't do this. Cipher is evil. You could give yourself up to them, but that won't save Alola from their wrath. Cipher is already established here, aren't they? They're not going to throw away all these resources just because you let your Dad take you away from your home." Lillie reasoned, but Sun stepped forward.

"Really? What would you do if you could find a way to stop people from getting hurt? From making sure no one you cared about got killed? This will work, Lillie. Dad might not listen to Mom...But he'll listen to me." Sun said firmly, his voice almost sounding completely broken.

"And why would that be? Because you're his son?" Lillie asked, crossing her arms.

"Because I'm the only one he hasn't given up on." Sun answered, looking down. Lillie's gaze softened at that, and curiosity took over.

"What do you mean?" Lillie asked, with Sun sighing angrily.

"He's my Dad, Lillie. He... _molded_ me into who I am today. He made me into the perfect tool for him. To help him run his company after he had decided he had enough. He told me...That I would be the one to finish his mission. To make this world a better place. Even if he hurt me, even if did horrible things to me and Mom, he's still my father. He'll listen to me, Lillie...because even when he attacked Mom, I stepped in and saved him. Dad knows that even with what he did, I still love him. And that makes me just as bad as him, because even though I know how awful he was, I helped him escape so he could ruin more lives." Sun explained, pain aching through his voice.

"...How?" Lillie asked, confused.

"Mister Oliver showed up at the last second and saved Mom from Dad, when they had their fight. After a brief battle, Mister Oliver had a chance to shoot Dad but I...I distracted him. I stopped him from killing that monster, but I just...he was my _Dad_ , Lillie. Even after everything he's done, I couldn't just watch him die like that." Sun breathed harshly, his voice thick with anger.

"Sun, just because you love someone who's a bad person doesn't make _you_ a bad person. Trust me...I know." Lillie said softly, attempting to smile. Sun glared at her, stepping forward as his eyes flashed red.

"You don't know what it's like! Living with these shadows hanging over you! Having to live with the fact that the man who raised you is a murderous businessman. Knowing how much pain and suffering he's caused! And knowing that he's alive because you were too weak to watch someone else kill him!" Sun shouted at Lillie, who shrank back at the sheer fury and pain in Sun's voice.

" _Every. Single. Day._ I have to live with this knowledge. The regret that I didn't tell my mother about how my Dad acted oddly at times, what he did to Nova-" Sun stopped himself and shut his eyes, gritting his teeth for a moment before he opened them again, one eye red and the other blue. It was incredibly jarring for Lillie, but Sun didn't notice and continued his tirade.

"It's crushing me, Lillie. All this sadness, the depression, the anger...It all comes from the fact that I could have stopped him. I could have ended all of this. But I didn't. I let him get away so he could hurt more people. And his blood runs through my veins...I'm just as much of a monster as he is. My father's a monster, so I'm a monster too. You saw how the others looked at me when they found out. It's because they're right...That's why I have to go away. So at least some good comes from this mess." Sun said heavily, his body shaking as he clenched his fists.

"But...You're not your father." Lillie said quietly, looking down. "You're Sun. You're a proud Pokémon Trainer. You're a much stronger person than your father, and you shouldn't hate yourself for _his_ mistakes. And what mistakes you made before, Sun. Besides...Is it wrong to have wanted to save your father's life? You were just being a good son. No one would want to see their parent die."

Sun scowled, not wanting to admit the girl had very good points. The boy sighed angrily, running a hand through his messy hair and looking at his Pokémon. Penny met his eyes, and he saw that her's were filled with worry. Brago alternated between keeping an eye on Sun, watching Lillie, and then glancing at the entrance of the cave to make sure no one was sneaking up on them. Meanwhile, Oliver was looking just Sun with a guilty expression, unable to meet his eyes.

"Even so. I just can't be around anyone anymore, Lillie. I'm too dangerous to keep in Alola. I have to go! I...I refuse to let anyone else get hurt because of me." Sun said to the girl, even as another tear dripped down his face. "Hau got hurt trying to protect me. A Trial Guide died because Cipher was looking for me. What if next time _you_ get hurt? I...I can't deal with that, Lillie. I have to make sure no one else suffers."

"What if I don't care?" Lillie retorted, putting her hands on her hips with a touch of annoyance. Sun was reminded of his own mother now, seeing the determined glint in Lillie's eyes. "I...That's not fair to any of us who don't care if we're in danger if it means you stay safe. We're willing to sacrifice that for you, Sun."

"I'm not worth that, Lillie! You should've just stayed back with the others. I can't...I can't believe you put yourself and Nebby at risk like this. Just for some stupid kid who actually hurt you back at the Pokémon Center." Sun said, his tone angry, but also filled with a bit of confusion.

"Sun, you're more than free to do whatever you want. Whether that's give yourself up to Cipher or run into a storm to cry your heart out. But I have the same liberties. I want you to stay here, with us. With...me. Please don't do this." Lillie said in a whisper, her voice pleading. Hearing that in the girl's voice nearly broke Sun's resolve, but he shut his eyes and fought to remind himself that this was for the best. He would be protecting her if he got as far away from her and his former team as quickly as possible. The team that was already preparing to step in should Sun try to run again, like he seemed to when he was overwhelmed by something.

"I've made my choice." Sun said with a note of finality, storming past her to exit the cave. Lillie whirled around as she clenched her fists. Oliver and Brago made a move to try and stop Sun, but Lillie beat them to it.

"And now I'm making _mine_!"

Sun felt two arms wrap around his chest, though unlike earlier, his arms were free to move. The boy shivered as Lillie pressed herself against him, hugging him tightly from behind and resting her chin on his shoulder. The boy made no attempt to move, however. Sun shut his eyes, trying to find the will to push Lillie away again and run from the cave, but he opened them once again in surprise.

Why?

Because the girl holding him began to lightly sing in his ear, her voice a comforting whisper that drove through the darkness within his mind and struck his heart.

 _Go where you need to,_

 _Know I won't leave you._

 _I'll follow you like morning follows night._

 _You can run 'till your pain's through,_

 _One thing I won't do is to let you go_

 _Alone to face the fight._

Sun just stared forward, awed at the amount of emotion in the snippet of song from his best friend. She truly believed what she had said, and then suddenly it all hit the boy at once how sincere Lillie was. How much she cared about him. She would support him no matter who his father was, and no matter what decision he made about his fate. She'd be with him every step of the way. She believed that he would get through all of this and find a way to stop his father. Even when he had no idea how to do that himself.

Sun's legs gave out from under him and Lillie gasped as Sun fell to his knees on the cave floor. Lillie let go of Sun and moved around him so she could look at him, and saw the boy was sobbing. Lillie moved forward and hugged Sun again, and this time received a tight hug in return. Brago, Oliver, and Penny moved forward and joined in, as did Nebby when he flew out of Lillie's bag and tucked himself in between the two humans. They held the embrace as Sun sobbed his heart out, overwhelmed by the amount of love and support being shown to him by his team and by the girl that had come to mean so much to him. Everything from the past few weeks. All of the anger, sorrow, sadness, and grief poured out from the Kanto-native. But the others were happy to support the brave boy who had been pushed to his breaking point. The Pokémon and the girl in white held their embrace while Sun wept, composing himself many minutes later to try and speak.

"I don't deserve all of you…" Sun muttered, tightening his hug on Lillie. "I'm so sorry…I hurt all of you."

" _It's okay...We're here now."_ Oliver said quietly, nuzzling his Trainer affectionately.

" _We're not mad at you. Just worried…"_ Penny chirped, shutting her eyes as she rested her head against Sun.

" _We'll lend you our strength, much like you lend us yours. You are never alone, Alpha."_ Brago said firmly, his eyes glinting with fierce emotion.

Lillie loosened her grip on Sun, who did the same and just looked at her. The two children shared a long silence before Lillie allowed herself a small smile.

"Sun, I know things are scary. And...you may be right. That being around you might put some of us in danger. But we don't care. We are your friends. We care about you. And if Cipher want to try and take you, we'll fight them. I promise." Lillie said in a soft yet firm voice, which made Sun stare at her in wonder.

"You'd risk that? For me? Just...Lillie...I don't want anyone else to get hurt." Sun said weakly, with Lillie nodding with a smile.

"Sun, I've been hurt a much worse by people a lot meaner than you." Lillie said firmly. "Besides, you're _my_ hero. You're not allowed to give up, because where would I be then?" Lillie remarked lightly, with Sun breaking into a watery smile at that.

" _Are you better now Trainer?"_ Penny asked, with Sun sighing softly and then nodding.

" _Good. We all make mistakes. What matters is that we bounce back from them and better ourselves as a result."_ Brago said firmly, rubbing his head against Sun's chest.

"It's hard, Brago...I just...I feel so guilty. About everything. Not just because of saving my father's life, but just because I'm related to him. There's so many things I could have done to fix this." Sun said quietly, with Oliver hopping up to him.

" _You are good."_ Oliver said simply, reaching out and poking his chest with his wing. " _And you need to learn how to forgive yourself before anything else. You believe you are being selfless by shutting others out. Keeping us in the dark about how bad you are suffering. In truth...You're being selfish by wallowing in your own sorrow. We are your Pokémon. We count on you to lead us, but you must also learn to allow us to support you as our Trainer."_

Sun just stared at his Starter with surprise before the boy allowed himself a sad smile. The Kanto-native opened his arms and his team hopped forward and tackled him to the ground, nuzzling him and showing him just how much they cared. Lillie sat there with a happy smile, pulling out her phone and taking a picture of the scene before sending off a few texts to let everyone know they were all okay.

Lillie couldn't help but feel an odd surge of pride in herself. She had done it.

For once in her life, she was strong just like everyone else.

* * *

Laura Smiles was not a woman who was easily angered.

No, she was usually a very cheerful and kind woman. Granted, some things truly annoyed her and brought out her harsher side, but for the most part she was a comforting presence to those around her.

However...No one hurt her little boy.

The mother charged through the rain with fire burning in her eyes and with one destination in mind. It felt like a mere handful of moments after she had landed in Konikoni City before she burst through the doors of the Pokémon Center, her eyes darting around and seeing all of Sun's friends watching her with surprise. A few moments later, she caught sight of her target and strode across the room, stopping in front of a confused Hugh.

Before slapping him in the face hard enough to send him spinning backwards.

"Yikes…" Vivian whispered in horror as Hugh crashed onto the ground, only for Miss Smiles to pick the young man up by his shirt and slam him into the wall with surprising strength.

"How dare you!" Laura hissed, her voice almost cracking with pure fury. "How dare you even suggest that my little boy is a tool for my ex-husband? How dare you say the things you told him, knowing that how much he's suffered? _How dare you!_ "

Hugh scowled in the woman's face, not backing down. "After everything we've been through, I'm not risking some brat being the thing that ruins any chance of us taking down your husband!"

Laura slapped Hugh again, sending him to the floor. Her expression was livid, the woman clenching her fists in fury to the point where her nails dug into her palms, threatening to draw blood.

"You...Sun never knew the true identity of his father. That he was actually the madman behind Cipher's Unova conquest. It was bad enough I told him how his father was financially backing Cipher. But being the sole reason for their return? Being responsible for destroying an entire city? Dooming any entire region? Those were Ashton...No. Borlath's crimes. Not mine or my son's. You have no right to blame us for what that monster did." Laura growled at Hugh, who stared up at her and saw nothing but the truth in her eyes. But he was stubborn.

"How do I know you're not just trying to protect your husband? Or your son?" Hugh shot back, with Laura gritting her teeth.

"I'd be so much happier if that man was dead. He nearly killed me. He murdered my Starter, and he's abused Sun in ways I still don't know about. I will never forgive that man for what he's done to us and to the world. Do you and your friends truly believe that an 11-year old boy can do you all any harm, or are you just that paranoid now?" Laura asked Vivian and Noah, who both shrank back at the mother's glare.

"Actually, Noah and Vivian changed their minds and saw sense. Hugh's really the only one who's stuck in that rut." Hau chimed in, with Laura nodding.

"Thank you Hau." Laura said warmly, offering the boy a smile before she turned back to Hugh. The teen was getting up, scowling at Miss Smiles and apparently raring to continue their argument.

Suddenly the doors opened up and a very soaked Aria burst through the doors, accompanied by a woman with lilac-colored hair dressed in a smart rain jacket. Anabel and Aria shivered and shook some of the rain off of themselves before they both realized they were walking onto a scene.

"Whoa...What did I miss?" Aria asked, looking around in surprise.

"Aria? Miss Anabel?...That's right. I forgot you were supposed to be coming back today or tomorrow." Hugh stated, remembering a previous conversation about his girlfriend's return.

"Seriously what's going on here?" Aria asked again, crossing her arms. Hau, sitting down on the floor, shot Hugh a smirk before he turned to the Snagger. Sadly, Noah beat him to the punch.

"Well...Turns out Borlath is actually Sun's father, we freaked the hell out, Sun lost his Kahuna battle thanks to Oliver being dumb, and then Hau got hurt when some masked weirdo with Cipher attacked him and Olivia in an attempt to get information about Sun's whereabouts. And then Sun ran away, thinking that if he gave himself up to Cipher, they would leave Alola alone. Poor kid has had a really bad time of things." Noah explained to Aria and Laura, who's face paled in horror. Anabel was just confused.

"Nurse Joy, I'm surprised you're just letting this all play out." Anabel said to the woman leaning on the counter, watching everything going on with an amused expression.

"I've made peace with the fact that as long as these people are here, my Pokémon Center isn't going to be quiet. I'm used to it now." Nurse Joy said with a shrug, but not before Laura blew up.

"MY SON IS GOING AFTER THEM?!" Laura screamed, completely losing control over herself. "You...I cannot _believe_ you people. After what Borlath did, I expected you all to support Sun. Not turn against him. Not treat him like the monster that his father is. I'm disgusted to know you all." Laura said angrily, whirling around on her heel.

"I'm going to find my little boy." Laura spat, looking over her shoulder. As she turned back around, Hau looked down at his phone as it buzzed. He smiled with relief at the message being shown on the screen.

"Don't bother Miss Smiles! Lillie managed to stop Sun and they're safe and sound in a cave about an hour down the road, towards Diglett Tunnel." Hau explained with a smile, with Laura turning around and looking at Hau with a surprised expression.

"Lillie?" Laura asked, confused.

"Yep. Sun felt so awful after everything that had happened, and with Hugh constantly giving him crap, that he went to try and find Cipher so they could take him to his father. And then I guess he would try and convince his father to leave Alola alone. He shouted at everyone, shoved Lillie to the ground, and ran away without his Pokémon." Hau explained to Laura, who was getting mad again. Hau saw this and quickly added, "But Lillie went with Sun's Pokémon to find him and she made everything okay again!"

" _I guess those two visions came true. Man, this is freaky."_ Aria thought as she saw Laura run a hand down her face, unable to process the amount of unpleasant information going through her brain at once. Aria walked over to the woman, glaring at Hugh in a manner that promised some harsh words later.

"Miss Smiles, maybe you should get something to drink and relax for a bit?" Aria suggested, with Laura shaking her head.

"I'm going to find my child." Laura insisted, though to their surprise Vivian stepped in.

"I'd recommend not doing that, actually." The violinist Trainer remarked, earning a look from Miss Smiles. "If Lillie managed to snap Sun out of this, then this is something she is sorting with in her own little way. Besides, you know how much those two are crushing on each other. It'd be bad if we interrupting any... _bonding_." Vivian said with a wink, making Laura's anger slip a bit. Laura thought hard about this before she sighed.

"It's crap like this that makes me consider taking up drinking." Laura said with a sigh as she walked over to the cafe, leaving everyone staring at her in awe. Noah exchanged a proud smile with Vivian, who winked at him. Noah held up a V-symbol with his fingers and stuck his tongue between them, making Vivian squeak and blush a very dark shade of red while the sickly Trainer chuckled with glee. Embarrassing Vivian was so much fun. Noah turned to Aria, who was likewise smirking at Vivian's mortification.

"I'm surprised you're not talking to Hugh about all of this. You know, doing some motivational speech or something. " Noah remarked to Aria, who shrugged.

"Wes was the heroic speech guy. Me? ...Not so much. Besides, I'm pretty Laura's doing a better job than I ever could." Aria replied, smirking a little as Laura came back with a bottle of water, which she promptly threw into Hugh's face, her eyes blazing as Hugh recoiled with a yell. Once she reached Hugh again, Laura drew her foot back and kicked Hugh in the nuts with a scream of fury, dropping the young Trainer with a howl. Laura glared down at him for a few moments before Aria sighed and got up, thinking she at least had to say _something_. The Snagger sauntered over to her boyfriend, shaking her head in disappointment.

"Yeah, you're in the doghouse for a hot minute. Seriously, I understand paranoia. Remember, I learned from Wes and he was incredibly paranoid, but this is ridiculous." Aria remarked, letting that be the final word before she turned back around and went back to sitting down on a nearby couch. Noah and Vivian both shrugged, with the latter opening her mouth to speak. However, the arrival of a teen boy in all black and a girl wearing about three different raincoats stopped the words in her mouth.

Hau just stared as Demi and Gladion burst into the Pokémon Center, though he did feel concern when Demi collapsed onto the ground, hunching over and hugging herself as she shut her eyes. Gladion caught Hau's eyes, glaring at him for a moment before he noticed the state Demi was in. The teen stepped back, wary of getting closer to the girl but also unsure of what to do.

"So cold...I...I...Feya, I'm so sorry." Demi whispered, shaking violently on the floor while the others watched in bemusement. Hau scowled at Gladion's inactivity, and decided to take action.

"Do something! She's freaking out and needs some kind of help, you bonehead!" Hau shouted at Gladion, who jerked back in surprise before looking back down to Demi. With a nervous sigh, the teen knelt down and put a hand on Demi's back, leaning forward as well.

"You're safe. You're okay. Snap out of it, Demi." Gladion said firmly to the girl, who's eyes snapped open as she regained awareness. Demi muttered a curse as she quickly threw off her rain coats, though she did keep on a white hoodie that covered her Team Skull tank-top. The girl staggered to her feet, panting as she leaned against Gladion, who seemed distinctly uncomfortable.

"I guess you weren't kidding about the rain thing." Gladion muttered as Demi moved off of him, shivering slightly.

"I was back at that lake. I saw...I...Don't want to talk about it." Demi whispered breathlessly, looking around before she realized that she recognized most of the people here. "What's...oh. Um...Hi everyone?"

"Demi? What are you doing here?" Laura asked, remembering the girl that had befriended her child and all of his friends. After hearing about what happened to her at Brooklet Hill and how she joined Team Skull, it was odd to see her again.

"Gladion's going to do his Grand Trial and some of the others needed to go back to Po Town. Besides, I'm helping Gladion with something anyway, so I tagged along." Demi explained as she composed herself, crossing her arms as she looked at all of them. "And I don't plan on causing trouble. If it wasn't raining, I'd just camp outside but I can't deal with that, so that's not an option."

"Well, if you and your friend need a room for the night we have several available. Just don't cause any trouble. I've had more than enough for one week, thank you." Nurse Joy said to the girl, who nodded gratefully. Gladion stepped forward and registered them for a room and everyone seemed to go back to what they were doing. Laura Smiles walked over to the cafe in an attempt to calm down, while Hugh was lying on the floor in complete agony. Oddly enough, Anabel hung around and began talking to the Trainers from Unova. Hau was staring at Demi with a thoughtful look on his face.

Hau realized that Demi had taken off the accessories and jewelry that she had on before, and thanks to the white hoodie she had on it was hard to tell that she was a member of Team Skull. She looked almost totally normal, saved for her dyed hair that was in a wet, messy ponytail. That helped him try and process what exactly he had wanted to say to his former friend.

Oddly enough, it seemed the girl in question had similar thoughts. Demi watched Gladion accept some room keys from Nurse Joy and turned her gaze to Hau, who was watching her as well. Demi sighed and walked over to Hau, standing in front of him and crossing her arms. Her gaze drifted to his injured and burned leg, wrapped up in bandages.

"How'd you get hurt?" Demi asked quietly, with Hau shrugging.

"Got burned by an evil Legendary because I wouldn't tell some bad guys where Sun was." Hau replied, with Demi biting her lip in worry, in regards to both boys. The girl sat down beside Hau and leaned back, shutting her eyes and sighing deeply.

"Sooooo...How's the whole...gangster thing working out?" Hau asked awkwardly, with Demi opening a single eye in response.

"Hau, this is going to take a minute. Stop forcing small talk and enjoy the peace for a sec."

"'Kay."

Gladion face-palmed as he watched the two of them interact with the subtlety of a Snorlax coming off a low-fat diet, but instead gave his Pokémon to Nurse Joy for a check-up and leaned against the wall. He decided to just keep watch over the room and watch as Hau and Demi sat in silence, gathering the nerve to fix what was left of their friendship. Gladion honestly wasn't sure whether or not he wanted her to succeed, thanks to his dislike of Hau, but for her sake…

" _You better not ruin this chance, Hau. It may have been blind chance that we found you here, but she's been wanting to fix this for a while. If you turn your back on Demi again...I will never forgive you."_ Gladion swore internally, not even realizing that despite his best efforts, he was actually beginning to care for the girl that had vowed to help him on his quest. After a few minutes, Demi began to talk quietly to Hau, and the boy's expression softened as he too shut his eyes. Gladion crossed his arms and scowled, but inside he knew this was progress compared to their last meeting.

Maybe it'd all work out after all.

* * *

 _There we go. Sun's shattered heart has begun to mend, thanks to the support from Lillie and his team. Next chapter, Lillie and Sun act adorable, we learn more about Sun's past, and Demi and Hau might make up finally! Maybe. Possibly. Or not. We'll see._

Q & A

 _From: Cottonmouth25_

I'm legitimately concerned here. Is there a reason you gave Sun and his pops colour-changing eyes other than that you thought it was cool? If there's a legitimate reason that can be explained away via the science/magic of the Pokémon universe, I'd love to hear it.

 **I've had the idea for a character with changing eye-color for a while (it started in "Phase Two: Betrayal" with Alexander Jacobson for those who follow that story), but I couldn't think of a way for it to work in a story. And then I realized Borlath was the kind of antagonist who could benefit from something like this, since he has lived a separate life away from his family, so I went with it. Personally, it's just an interesting character trait I've always wanted to do and thought it would be fun to introduce. I originally got it from the Charlie Bone book series (which is also where the name Borlath comes from).**

 **However, there is an actual scientific explanation for it. Considering Pokémon** **is** **a world where people with weird hair and eye colors are common, I figured this was the most reasonable place for this to happen. It will be explained at Sun's next psychiatrist appointment.**

 _From: Guust_

Srry about rewriteing a question I'll try not to do it again . 1 question is when are u gonna get a new pokemon in ur gameplay of SM or USUM so Sun gets it and can u give us a hint ? Also how did Ashton nearly die cos Sun said it to Hugh ? And BTW I'm on my Summer vacation so could u try update quicker even though I have 7\6 other fanfics (1 updates 3-6 chapters every month) I want more of this. If u can't , its fine but I'm just suggesting.

 **I mean...I don't care that much. I was just kinda baffled by it.**

 **1\. Soon. And no, that'd ruin the fun. Besides, I've already hinted at what kind of Pokémon it is. Once the chapter rolls around, I'll backtrack and go grab this Pokémon in my Story-File of Pokémon Sun.**

 **2\. To be explained later, relatively soon.**

 **3.** **I have a full time job in the Air Force. As in, I am Active Duty military. I update a 7k-15k word chapter every week for this thing. I also study for my job, go to the gym, play games, and spend time with friends hanging out. I tend to spend my entire weekend on these chapters because I'm so busy during the week.**

 **If that's not good enough for you, then too bad. Also, I understand wanting more of a really good story, but that's about as rude as you can phrase that request/question. So keep that in mind for the future, if you would.**

 _From: Technetium2_

Well, since I've given myself this opportunity, I may as well ask: are you planning on any fun cameos in the future? Like, it'd be funny to see Youngster Joey still rockin' with his Rattata, or Bonnie popping up when they meet Zygarde to briefly call it "Squishy," or that Roughneck Kirby with a Cleffa from D/P/P; y'know, cutesy stuff like that. Just something to chip away that sadness.

 **Yes, actually. There's something fun coming up that'll feature a bunch of small cameos and the like, and some fun twists.**

 **And funny that you mention Youngster Joey...heh.**

 _From: AncientHeroOfHyrule_

Okay, one question this time, and if it's already been answered then oh well. Why do Sun's eyes change color other than the fact that he inherited it from his Father? What causes it? is what I'm trying to ask.

 **That's a recent thing that's happened with Sun. His father has a very interesting eye disorder (really, it's more like an ability) where he can change the color of his eyes, but has learned to actively control it. Sun has inherited this from his father, though his default eye color is still grey. Eye color is affected by mood and the eye muscles themselves, and this will be explained more in depth later.**

 _From: RC-DA_

Also since Damien is sort of like an evil Doberman pinscher with a translator collar, does said collar have a malfunction that causes his voice to sound like a chipmunks?

 **Heh...I bet Colress had a lot of problems with the collars in the beginning, so I'd like to think things like that happened.**

 _From: KyubiMaster9_

I have a question! Is Sun's newest Pokémon a Shuppet, or Misdreavus?

 **If it wasn't for the fact that Decidueye is part Ghost-type and that my rule for Sun's team in this story is no** **Pokémon will share the same typing with another by the time they reach their final evolutionary form, he would have caught a Misdreavus back on Melemele Island. I really like that Pokémon and it's actually pretty good, plus I had a personality already set up early on. If I had went with Sun having a Popplio instead of Rowlet, he would have gotten a Misdreavus on the first island. Probably not Shuppet though, since I'm less fond of that one.**

 **I did drop some hints as to what Sun's next Pokémon will be though (at least, I do next chapter). You'll find out very soon, I promise.**

 _From: Sai Og Sus_

You know, I wish it is address how is it normal for a prehistoric Pokemon to be revived but for some reason nobody try to do the same to their dead Pokemon. Surely Demi will want her bird back.

Emo Sun better have a lasting impact on Sun in the future. This fragility of his can't be temporary. I really like to see you explore it more in the future.

And of course, Cipher's here. Kind of expected it since you seem to be shoehorning them in each arc for a while now. And a new OC too. Because why not? It's not like Amber is enough of a mystery and I'm sure he'll be a lasting and memorable character to the story.

You know, it is pretty hard to justify the Unova Gang's suspicions since you haven't explored much of their past with Borlath. Okay, we got that he betrayed them but what did he do to them before that? Did he threw them a birthday party? Did he sacrificed something important for them? Just, what did he do?!

So, what's up with the eyes?

 **Mmm...I could say a lot here. I've had to revise how to respond to this a few times. I'll leave my official response as this.**

 **1\. Yeah, you'd think that. But since the shows haven't tackled that issue, I'm just going to ignore it because I honestly don't want to even touch that mess. Also Demi's bird is buried and decomposed, whereas the Fossils are well preserved. Maybe that's it, but who can say for sure?**

 **2\. He will.**

 **3\. Cipher's been in Alola for some time. And yes, they're in each arc because that's how I've written this story. Considering how Sun and Moon don't have actual prominent villains (or an actual threat or real conflict, like I've said several times now) until the last third of the story, I had to do something to fill the gap. Writing a story with no real conflict is boring. This is what I went with, as I've said before.**

 **For those who are also wary of the Cipher stuff dominating everything else, which I understand, rest assured the last entire third of the story (nearly the last 65 chapters) will barely feature any Cipher bits. Not counting the conclusion arc of the Cipher storyline, these past few chapters of the story will the heaviest the fic will focus on solely that storyline for such a length of time.**

 **4\. The "new OC" (which I'm assuming is the Masked Admin) has been in the story for over 15 chapters (starting from "Umbra"). He's had speaking roles before this in several chapters. And yes, he does have a bigger role in things. As does Amber, who's going to have her backstory fleshed out very soon.**

 **5\. This will also be covered later, because I have to cover other stuff first.**

 **6\. See above for eye explanation.**

 _Next chapter should be up in relatively short order, likely by next weekend. Thanks for bearing with me through the insanity, and I hope the thought of waiting two months for the next onslaught of chapters doesn't put people off of this story (when we of course get to that point, since we have to finish this arc first)._

 _But, for now, please show your support for the story by leaving a review and/or questions in the section below. Also, if you haven't already, please favorite and/or follow the story to stay updated with it. Thanks for being so cool, yo. Keep being tuned for the next chapter, yo._

 _Stay safe and stay awesome._

 _Until next time, FlygonNick out!_


	71. Nova

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _Not much to say this go around, save for the fact that this past week has been stupidly busy. Thankfully most of this chapter was done beforehand. Next week will be interesting, considering the heavy amount of studying I have to do then and and the fact that a lot of things need to happen next chapter. But I'll cross that road in a few days._

 _Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes snipmaster149, RC-DA, Divine Champion, SonicIKE, SpoonyAzul, Moonlight Butterfree, a Guest reviewer, Sai Og Sus, BraviaryScout, and skyguys05. Thanks for the support and feedback, its freaking awesome and so are you._

 _Time for a Sun and Lillie chapter! Hau and Demi will have their chat next chapter, so don't worry about that. For now..._

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 _Chapter 71: Nova_

* * *

Sun and Lillie managed to set up a camp inside of the cave. Sun's team quickly gathered a sizable pile of branches for a fire and soon enough a blaze was going, keeping them warm and allowing them to dry their soaked clothes. The storm outside howled and seemed to increase in strength, with lightning crackling and thunder booming through the skies above them. The rain struck the ground with a constant rhythm, providing a dull roar would not cease until well after the sun had risen the next day. Thankfully the shelter of the cave left them dry and comfortable, all things considered.

That said, Lillie was pretty sure she was coming down with a cold. She was dressed in a white shirt and a pair of similarly-colored shorts now, and was as close to the fire as she could be, but she was still freezing. Sun had changed into a pair of black shorts, as well as a sleeveless blue and white hoodie that Lillie had never seen him wear before. Their soaked clothes sat on a nearby rock, drying from the heat of the fire and the air.

"Everything okay?" Sun asked Lillie, who nodded despite shivering a little. The boy in question was stirring a pot by the fire, with Oliver and Penny peering over his shoulder while Brago was sprawled on the ground, watching the flames silently.

"Y-yes. Just cold. What are you making, anyway? It smells good." Lillie asked quietly as she shifted on the floor. As hungry as she was, since running nonstop through a thunderstorm was a good way to get one's appetite fired up, she really didn't care what they ate.

"Vegetable soup. Most of it is from cans, but I've got a few veggies stored away that can make it better. Plus it'll keep you warm." Sun said with a smile before realizing something. "Hey Brago, you wanna do me a favor?"

 _"How can I help?"_ Brago asked as he sat up, looking at Sun. Sun's Pokémon had spent a good bit of time simply resting with their Trainer while he took time to recompose himself. After having his breakdown and realizing just how much the others cared about him, Sun seemed better than he had been in quite some time. Not quite good, but definitely better than being a step away from making a life-altering decision for the absolute worst.

"Can you help Lillie stay warm?" Sun asked the Growlithe, who nodded and padded over to the girl. Brago sat in front of Lillie, who happily hugged the very warm canine.

"It's so interesting how Fire-types can be so warm like this. It's like having a really furry heater!" Lillie said with a silly grin, though that statement made Sun remember something.

"Oh crap! Rotom Dex!" Sun yelped, digging into his backpack and pulling out the device, which was off. "It's been running nonstop for a while, so I turned it off for a little bit. I forgot to turn it back on!"

Sun pressed the power button and soon enough the device was floating in midair, looking somewhat annoyed.

 _"I mizzed the party! One minute we're chilling in the Pokémon Center, the next we're hanging out in a cave. What did I mizz? Zzzt!"_ Rotom asked Sun, who shrugged.

"Long story. I'll tell you later." Sun said to the device, who seemed to shrug.

 _"He'll be telling all of us this long story."_ Brago said firmly, despite the smile as his face as Lillie scratched him behind the ears. Sun couldn't help but grin at seeing Lillie playing with the canine.

 _"He'll talk when he's ready."_ Oliver said to the canine, who scowled.

 _"Considering what nearly happened when he kept us in the dark, I'd advise against that."_ Brago grunted in reply, with Oliver scoffing.

 _"Well, no one asked your opinion, you overgrown mutt!"_ Oliver shot back protectively, with Brago growling in response.

 _"I am a warrior!"_ Brago retorted, ignoring the fact that a little girl was hugging him and the fact that despite his claim, he was still a relatively small dog. Not exactly the picture of fear, though he did he damnedest to try to be.

"Sun, you really should play with your Pokémon more. I think it'd be a great way to bond with them." Lillie suggested, removing herself from Brago and looking at the boy.

"Yeah...I think I'm going to train up my team and figure out some new plans. I know one thing I absolutely have to do. Catch a new teammate." Sun said, earning surprised looks from his trio of Pokémon.

 _"Can it_ not _be another bird?"_ Brago asked, making Sun look at him in surprise. _"I hate being the only one here without wings."_

 _"Do you feel left out, Brago?"_ Penny asked, appearing rather upset at this sudden revelation. _"I wish you had spoke up sooner."_

"I don't know what it'll be. But it's definitely got to be something that can stand up against Rock-types with no problems. Not another Grass-type, since Oliver's got that covered. Probably not another Flying-type, as much as I hate to say it. Maybe a Fighting-type or a Water-type. Steel or Ground-type could work too, I guess. Just on this island there are a lot of options from me to choose from." Sun explained, shaking his head after a moment. "I'll figure it out later. Right now, I just...I need some time to think."

 _"No matter happens, we'll support you."_ Penny said to her Trainer, earning a smile from him in response. _"Though…"_

"Though?" Sun asked, with Penny looking away from her Trainer.

 _"I would not be opposed to some...play time."_ Penny admitted, looking embarrassed at the mention of it. _"The past few weeks you've been too upset or have been too busy to do much else. Life is not just constant training, Trainer. I think you need to relax a little...And play with us more. And maybe give us some Poké Beans-"_

 _"And comb our feathers."_ Oliver interjected, with Brago snorting in amusement as Penny nodded in agreement. To the canine's dismay, Sun grinned at them.

"Then we can start that now. Come here, you two." Sun said, busting out the Poké Refresh Kit. Soon enough, the two birds were happily getting groomed and brushed, making Brago scowl in annoyance. Lillie looked down at the left out dog, and decided to make him feel better.

"Forget about them, Brago! I think you're great." Lillie said happily, petting the canine on the head. However, he was still sulking.

 _"Psh. That won't stop the birdbrains over there from hogging all of the attention."_ Brago huffed, with Oliver giggling at him.

"Then I'll not only brush and comb your fur once I'm done with these two, but get you one of those special messages I heard about back in Konikoni City." Sun said to the dog, who still didn't seem very happy.

"See! You don't have to feel left out. Now, Brago...Who's a good boy?" Lillie asked the Growlithe, who cocked his head at the question.

 _"I...I have no idea. Is it me? Am I the good boy?"_ Brago asked with wonder in his voice, his tail swishing slightly. Sun nearly hugged the canine from across the cave just because of how adorable he looked just then, the Growlithe's eyes twinkling with excitement.

"Yes! Yes you are!" Lillie cooed with a wide smile, with Brago suddenly letting out a bark-like laugh in response.

 _"You hear that? I'm a good boy!"_ Brago barked, his tail wagging back and forth in joy. Lillie found the whole thing absolutely cute, especially since the dog was so serious all the time. She wondered how riled up she could get him.

"You're such a good boy, Brago! Such a strong Pokémon too!" Lillie praised the Growlithe, who got even more excited. While humble, the Growlithe wanted to become stronger like the others and prove his worth to the pack. Being praised by a girl that was respected by all them naturally made him quite happy.

 _"That's right! I am strong! And I'll only get stronger!"_ Brago proclaimed, hopping up a little on his feet. Sun saw exactly what Lillie was doing and he loved every moment of it, especially since Rotom Dex was recording the whole thing.

"That's right! Such a brave, powerful puppy! And guess what Brago?" Lillie asked, her face becoming rather serious. Brago cocked his head, confused.

 _"What is it, Miss Lillie?"_

"Do you know who's a good boy?" Lillie asked, unable to help the smile on her face. Brago grinned widely and hopped on back feet, pawing the air and bounding around the room.

 _"ME! I'M A GOOD BOY! I'M A GOOD...um...uhhhh…"_ Brago trailed off when he caught sight of Oliver and Penny giggling at him, with Sun on the ground shaking in silent laughter. Brago hung his head, realizing he had gotten over-excited and lost his bearing. Lillie saw that the Growlithe was becoming sad, so she hugged him.

"Don't let them get you down, Brago. Just because you're a fighter doesn't mean you can't have some fun!" Lillie said to Growlithe, who was glaring at Oliver. The Dartrix was still laughing, so Brago decided to spit some hot fire at him.

Literally.

 _"YOU LITTLE SHIT! KEEP THAT BLASTED FIRE AWAY FROM ME!"_ Oliver screamed as he flew out into the rain to help put the flames out, with Penny laughing even louder while Brago sulked. Sun joined Lillie and hugged the canine to help console him, and made him apologize to Oliver. It took a little while for Sun to get the bird to apologize in turn. Soon enough, they were all enjoying dinner around the campfire and just...talked.

Lillie could see that while Sun's mood had improved over the course of the evening, but despite this he still seemed troubled. Yes, she had done a lot to help him, but she wanted to do more. And then she remembered that there was still one massive cloud hanging over Sun's head, and that maybe she could do the boy a lot of good if she got him to talk about it. Considering the lengths she went to in order to ensure he didn't sacrifice himself to Cipher, perhaps now was the time to try to help him unburden himself some more to her. Strike while the iron was hot, so to speak.

Hau had spoken to her about this a few times before. The most recent time, he had seemed particularly worried.

 _"I don't know what happened to him, Lillie. I do know that Sun had a baby Pokémon, and I'm pretty that awful Dad of his is the reason he doesn't have it anymore. And it's tearing him apart."_ Her other best friend had said, frowning with concern.

 _"It all starts with Nova."_ Lillie thought to herself. She had formed bits and pieces of who Nova was and what had happened to her, but she knew that the Pokémon's demise was so traumatizing to Sun that it actually caused him pain to think about it.

But after everything he had gone through and being so emotionally spent, and with her and his team supporting him…

 _"It's time. He needs to know that we're here to help him shoulder his burden. He's helped me through so much...This is the least I can do."_ Lillie thought, her heart burning with determination as she looked over at her closest friend, who was absentmindedly stroking Penny's head while he stared into space, a small smile on his face.

"Sun?" Lillie asked, curling her legs inward and resting her chin and arms on her knees.

"Yeah?" Sun asked as he snapped out of his trance. He glanced around himself, seeing his Pokémon settle back down, taking up resting positions around him. Nebby meanwhile was sitting in Lillie's lap, strangely calm for once. Lillie was grateful for this, because she needed absolute focus for what happened next.

"I...I was wondering if...If you want to talk about Nova." Lillie said to the boy, who's expression darkened.

 _"Who is Nova?"_ Penny asked, curious. _"I feel like I've heard the name mentioned before in passing."_

"Nova was...I…" Sun trailed off, sighing softly. Lillie got to her feet, surprising Sun, and walked over to the boy. She sat down beside him and wrapped an arm around him, putting her head on his shoulder. Sun blushed at this, as did Lillie. That said, Sun also wrapped an arm around Lillie and returned the embrace.

"Um, Lillie?"

"What? I'm cold."

"Brago could-"

"Nope. Since you're being stubborn, you're my heater now."

"Oh come on, you-"

"Fine, if you don't want to hug then let me go."

"..."

"Exactly."

"You're ridiculous."

"Maybe so. But I'm also a Princess, according to you all. So, since I'm royalty, I am going to make a decree."

"Oh, what might that be, _Your Highness_?"

"I demand all of your hugs forever. I accept nothing less."

"Ugh…fine..." Sun gave in, with Sun's team laughing at the display. Rotom was cheekily sending snapshots of this to Miss Smiles, who was currently squealing in happiness in the nearest city and planning on printing out said photos of the two children to put on her fridge.

"But back to what I was saying. This is something that is hurting you, Sun. I don't know what's going on, but I know that your father hurt you. And I know that holding a pain like that inside of you, letting it fester and rot you from within, will continue tearing you apart. I want you to be happy, Sun. After everything you've done for all of us, you deserve that." Lillie said softly, squeezing Sun tighter, her voice soft. "You don't have to tell me what happened to Nova, Sun...But I want you to. I can already see you're doing a lot better, but I think you can do more to help yourself handle the pain you feel inside. Letting go of what happened with Nova is a really good first step to healing. Accepting that it's happened and making peace with yourself is really important, Sun. No matter how bad it was, the past is the past...You can't let it continue to hurt you." Lillie said softly to Sun, who shut his eyes and didn't reply. Lillie was scared she had forced Sun into silence for good. Oliver then rested his head against Sun's other side, making the boy look at him.

 _"You are strong enough for this. I know you are."_ Oliver said gently, shutting his eyes. Sun looked at the owl for a moment before a small smile crossed his face and he looked back at Lillie, who seemed expectant. Sun took a fortifying breath to focus himself, trying to figure out how to tell her this...a story that every part of his being didn't want to accept had even happened, but after the events of the night...He felt stronger. No, that wasn't it.

It was their strength that he felt. Of his Pokémon. And of the brave girl holding onto him, unwilling to let him go. Sun exhaled his breath and began his tale.

"It all started almost two years ago...On my tenth birthday."

* * *

 _"Dad, it's awesome!" Sun gushed as he looked down at the beautiful illustrated book of the three Legendary Birds of Kanto, taking in the elegantly written script and the golden calligraphy that adorned the edges of every page. The book was worth a fortune to any serious collector, but Ashton knew that the book would make his only child happy, and that was worth every cent. Sun had always loved birds and Flying-types, so seeing something like this just made him incredibly excited. Laura and Ashton watched on with smiles, seeing the quiet joy in Sun's eyes as he skimmed through the book with shimmering eyes._

 _"It was hard to find a book about birds you don't already own." Ashton remarked, chuckling as he ruffled his son's hair. "I'm glad you like it, though."_

 _Sun looked up at his father with a pout, setting down the book. His tenth birthday party had been a subdued affair at their home, since Sun was a fairly reserved boy who didn't have any friends save for his parents. That was all the boy needed, which was why the fact that his father was leaving for a business trip to Unova that day made Sun really annoyed. Worse still was that he hadn't gotten his big present from his mother yet._

 _Every year, his mother and father would get him anything he wanted (within reason, of course.) However his mother and father would separately get him something special, and they had never once failed to deliver. His mother not getting him a gift this had upset him, but he hadn't vocalized his feelings. Instead, he projected his unhappiness towards his father having to leave home yet again. He had been doing that a lot more, lately._

 _"I'd like you staying home this week a bit more." Sun lamented, with Ashton sighing softly as he hung his head._

 _"I've got to head back to Unova, Sun. Bad things are happening back there and I have to return so I can help make things right." Ashton said, not quite lying to the boy. It was a matter of perspective, really._

 _"Okay...But you have to try and come back as soon as you can. Okay?" Sun said to his father, who put a hand on his child's head._

 _"I promise." Ashton said, grinning at Sun. Laura smirked from behind them, eager to see her husband leave for Unova for the first time since his visits had begun. Why?_

"Once that stubborn man leaves, I can make sure Sun gets the present he's always wanted." _Laura thought to herself, crossing her arms with an inward grin._

* * *

 _"Alright, Sun. I've got your special birthday present right here!" Laura practically sang, her excitement at what was to come showing. Sun looked confused as his mother set a large box on the kitchen table, which had been cleared of debris. Sun's father had left for Unova already, and wouldn't return for a few weeks, meaning Laura's little plan could be pulled off without a hitch._

 _Sun was obviously confused as to why his mother had waited to give him her present. "Open it, dear. It'll all make sense in a few moments." Laura instructed Sun, who eagerly tore the paper off of the gift and opened the box, his jaw dropping in total shock._

 _Inside of the box was a Pokémon Egg._

 _It was brown, with a creme color decorating it as well. The Egg was safely inside of an incubator, which Sun freed from the box with a grunt of effort and set on the table with an awed expression, his hands shaking._

 _"Mom...Is it okay for me to have this?" Sun asked, his voice very small._

 _"All children should have a chance to experience the joy of having a Pokémon. Your father may not want you to become a Trainer, but your path should only be dictated by you and you alone." Laura said gently, hugging her child around the shoulders. "Inside of this Egg is your first Pokémon, Sun. While your father is gone, I want you to hatch that Egg and go on a journey. Just like you've always wanted to."_

 _"B-but, what about-" Sun began to say, but his mother let go of him and held up a hand._

 _"Sun...This is what you've wanted since you were old enough to talk. You've always wanted to be a Trainer like me and your father. So take this chance and let me deal with your father. It'll be our little secret for now." Laura said with a smile, even as Sun jumped forward and hugged his mother tightly._

 _"I'll make sure it grows up big and strong and awesome! You'll both see! I'll become the best Trainer ever, just like you and Dad!" Sun said happily, breaking free from the hug and looking closer at the Egg while Laura giggled._

 _"Oh, your father is going to be so mad when he finds out. But by then you'll be long gone, and I can calm him down. He'll understand that this is just something he has to accept." Laura said with an amused smile._

 _"But...what if he doesn't? What if he gets mad? He really doesn't want me to become a Trainer..." Sun asked, looking back at his mother. Laura put a hand on her hip, looking somewhat smug._

 _"There's a simple solution to that, dear. Don't let him find out! You and that little Pokémon inside that Egg are going to become best friends and show that stubborn man that he can't control everything in his life. If you truly love something, you have to set it free and let it spread its wings. He wants you to be happy most of all, but he's too pig-headed to realize that having your own Pokémon is something that would make you happiest of all." Laura said comfortingly, with Sun nodding slowly and turning back to the Egg._

 _"I'll name her Nova! Fits, doesn't it, Mom?" Sun said happily, with Laura laughing softly._

 _"How do you know it'll be a girl, Sun?" Laura asked, with Sun turning back at her with a mischievous grin._

 _"I don't! I'll name him Nova if it's a boy! The name is gender neutral, so it works!" Sun declared, standing up and hugging the incubator. Laura watched her child and all of his happiness, wondering why she hadn't done this sooner._

* * *

 _Over the next two weeks, Sun could spend every moment he could with his Pokémon Egg. He talked to it, carried it around the house, and even read to it late at night when he couldn't fall asleep. Laura thought the whole ordeal was adorable, but Sun was just excited._

 _And then finally...the day of days came. Nova's Egg hatched, and out popped an Eevee wearing a massive smile on its face. Sun couldn't stop hugging the furry Pokémon, tears of joy streaming down his face. He had a Pokémon. His own Pokémon. They would become the best of friends and travel all over Kanto together!_

 _Laura wasn't home when this happened, but a quick call to his mother helped Sun figure out that his Eevee was female. Laura was similarly excited that Sun's Eevee had hatched, and told Sun that he was free to set out immediately. Laura would catch up to wherever he was with her Pidgeot later._

 _"Alright Nova...Let's do this!" Sun yelled out eagerly, adjusting his backpack straps as his Eevee joyfully bounded around his ankles. Sun had read how some infant Pokémon were able to battle right out of the Egg, while some needed to be nurtured for some time before they could be counted on for combat. Nova seemed to be in the former category, eyes gleaming with excitement at what this world would bring her._

 _The Eevee seemed so excited, which mirrored Sun's own. He had been waiting for this moment for so long. His father had denied and turned him down every time he had asked for a Pokémon. Even just a Pokémon friend of his own to play with. Sun didn't understand...But now he didn't have to! Thanks to his mother, he would become the best Trainer ever and make his Dad proud!_

 _"Alright...So, first stop. Pokémon Center. Gotta get registered in the Gym circuit and get you checked up." Sun said as he tossed Nova's Poké Ball up and down in the air, grinning widely._

 _"Vee eevee!" Nova cried out, looking around the immaculate yard in amazement. Sun scooped up the Eevee and hugged her tightly, smiling so hard his face hurt. He then looked up and Sun and Nova stopped in their tracks, seeing a figure standing at the front gate of the house and feeling his smile fade. Sun's blood turned to ice as he recognized the figure, and tightened his hold on the baby Eevee in his arms._

 _After a few moment's, he continued walking towards the man dressed in a smart white suit, who had dropped his briefcase onto the ground in complete shock. A massive Houndoom was beside him, looking surprised to see Sun with a Pokémon._

 _Ashton's expression could be described as dumbfounded horror. His face was sheet white and his eyes had become jet black, which Sun had recognized as a sign of unhappiness. Sun felt guilty, but decided to be a man and talk with his father about this._

 _"H-hey Dad...You're home early." Sun said to his father with a weak smile. Ashton just stared at Sun, his breathing becoming erratic and heavy. After a moment Ashton closed his eyes, taking a slow deep breath before exhaling, calming himself. Damien looked back and forth between his Trainer and the boy in front of him, looking very worried._

"Don't overreact." _Damien warned Ashton, who opened his eyes. They were now back to their usual gray color, and Ashton offered his child a genuine smile._

 _"Well...I should've seen this coming. But I didn't…" Ashton said quietly, kneeling down to Sun's level. Ashton reached out and gently pet the Eevee on the head, receiving a happy squeal from the Evolution Pokémon. "Looks like your little Eevee is healthy, though. That's good."_

 _"So...You're not mad?" Sun asked, confused. He figured his father would have been angry that he went against his wishes, but his father was oddly calm now._

 _"Oh, I'm mad. Make no mistake. But I prepared for this eventuality. As often as I neglect the small details, I resolved to do what I have to." Ashton replied with a small smile, making Sun even more confused. Regardless, Ashton opened his arms, an indication that he wanted his son to give him a hug. Sun smiled and set Nova on the ground and walked into his father's embrace, grinning as his father wrapped his arms around him. The Eevee let out a happy cry as Damien smiled at the father and Sun-_

 _"Damien, use Faint Attack." Ashton commanded, with Sun's eyes widening in surprise._

 _The Houndoom sighed deeply before he glowed a faint purple color, quickly dashing at Nova and slamming into her. The Eevee squealed in pain before it hit the grass, unconscious._

 _"Dad! No! Why...Why did you do that!? She's just a baby!" Sun screamed, breaking from his father's grip and running towards Nova._

 _"You don't get it. And won't ever understand it either. To be a Pokémon Trainer is to go down a road of suffering. Of violence. And of having a target on your back. My naive son...How are you going to survive in the world if you can't expect the worst at any given moment? This world is cruel and evil. You're not ready for it, don't you understand?" Ashton asked quietly as Sun revived his Eevee, who got to her feet with a pained groan._

 _"I...No, I don't understand! I just want to be a Pokémon Trainer! You don't have to be a jerk about it and hurt my Eevee!" Sun protested angrily, with Ashton's eye twitching in annoyance._

"Don't escalate this further." _Damien warned his Trainer, who looked away for a moment before opening his arms for Sun again._

 _"You're right. The both of you. Sun, come here. I'm sorry." Ashton said, looking forward with a pained expression on his face. Sun let go of Nova and walked into his father's arms, hugging him again. Ashton lifted his boy into the air, looking at him with a somber expression before setting him on the ground._

 _"Sun, I...You are my greatest triumph, you know that?" Ashton said seriously, putting a hand on the boy's head. "I am so proud of you...Which is why this next part is going to hurt so much."_

 _Ashton wrapped Sun up in another hug, though this one was much tighter than the previous ones. Sun was alarmed by his father's words and tried to pry himself away from his father, but found that the man's strength easily dwarfed his own. Before Sun could say anything, Ashton looked at Damien, who was looking on in horror._

 _"Damien, pin that thing to the ground." Ashton ordered the Houndoom, who growled softly in anger but slammed paw onto Nova's head, pinning her to the ground with his infinitely greater strength. The infant Eevee sobbed in response, but that was nothing compared to Sun was he began to freak out._

 _"D-dad, stop it! Stop! You're hurting her!" Sun yelled out as Damien continued to apply pressure with his paw to the small Eevee's head, making Nova cry louder in pain._

 _"It's for your own good, Sun. I...I'm not letting this ruin you like it did me!" Ashton barked, his voice practically breaking with his own regret. He knew had bad this was, but he couldn't let it happen. He couldn't let his little boy go down that road and be exposed to the violence and dangers of the training world, so he tightened his grip on his child, pinning the boy's arms to his side and trapping him in his arms._

 _"D-dad? You're...hurting me! I can't...move!" Sun screamed, panicking even more now that he was trapped. Ashton shut his eyes, gritting his teeth and preparing himself for what was next._

 _"I'm so sorry...This is going to hurt very badly, Sun. You're going to cry, and that's okay. But you becoming a Pokémon Trainer cannot happen. I need loyalty, Sun. I need you by my side for this...I can't afford to have you go down the path that I hate so much." Ashton said quietly, his voice shaking now as Damien looked at him dead in the eyes with a pleading expression._

 _"What are you talking about? I want to be just like you and Mom! T-this...I don't understand!" Sun yelled out, thrashing in his father's arms. He didn't understand what was going on! Why was his father doing this!?_

 _"You'll thank me for this, someday. Someday...But not today. Today you will learn what happens when someone crosses me. They suffer...Even if you're my son, I have to teach you a lesson." Ashton's voice become much colder, and for a moment it felt like someone else was speaking. A much darker, twisted side of the man who had raised him his entire life. Sun felt the grip on him tighten, and he felt his ribs ache in pain and couldn't seem to breathe._

 _"Dad...W-what are you g-going to do to?...Daddy?" Sun said very quietly, genuine fear in his voice as he struggled for air. For several long seconds there was silence in the yard, save for Nova crying out in pain._

 _And then the words came._

 _"Damien…Kill."_

 _Sun screamed as flames exploded from the massive Houndoom's mouth, with Sun twisting enough in Ashton's arms to see hellfire enveloping Nova as the Eevee screamed in agony before quickly falling silent. Sun burst into helpless tears as he went limp in his father's arms, unaware of the fact that his father had shut his eyes so that he didn't have to watch what he had just ordered his Houndoom to do._

 _Eventually, the Houndoom ceased his attack and moved towards Ashton, glaring at him with bared teeth._

"Happy now?" _Damien spat at Ashton, who opened his eyes and saw what Sun was now staring at with mute horror as tears flowed from his eyes. A small little mass of fur burned black, unmoving and very clearly dead. Damien's attack had killed the little Eevee almost instantly, but that brought none of them any comfort. Ashton let Sun go, but the boy fell to the ground, unable to hold himself up._

"I know what I promised you, all those years ago...But this!? How low do you have to sink before you're satisfied, Ash!?" _Damien demanded, with Ashton flinching at the Houndoom's furious tone. The man turned and saw Sun crouched beside his dead Eevee, unable to touch it due to the flames surrounding the body. The three of them sat there, with the only sound now audible was Sun's sobs of grief and confusion._

 _"W-why!?" Sun suddenly demanded, getting to his feet and glaring at his father. The man hardened his heart and met the boy's eyes with his own hard glare._

 _"I refuse to be betrayed again by my family. Not after what I've gone through. You should be grateful for the life I've given you, Sun. But apparently you're not, considering the stunt you just tried to pull." Ashton said, but even as he spoke he realized that Sun alone couldn't have pulled this off. The man scowled, realizing that his wife had to have been the one to begin this scheme in the first place._

 _"I just...I just wanted to be like you." Sun said quietly, looking back at Nova and seeing his anger fade away as the sorrow hit him again. Sun fell to the ground again, watching as the little fires around the body began to die. "I'm sorry…I'm so sorry, N-Nova. I'm..."_

 _Sun broke down again, burying his face in his hands. Ashton sighed, running a hand down his face. He needed to hide the body, and clean this mess up. Ashton stepped forward, scooping up Nova's fallen Poké Ball and returning the body to the capsule._

 _"Ua kaumaha loa wau. Sun...Someday you'll understand." Ashton whispered as he looked down at the ball and carried it away, with Damien staying behind with Sun, his head hung low as the boy sobbed on the ground, unable to find the energy to even move._

"Sun...Someday, your father will learn to let go of the past and allow you to choose your own fate." _Damien said to the sobbing child, who didn't even register his words._

 _Damien suddenly tensed, looking up at the strange being floating in the air, even as its eyes began to glow blue. Sun didn't even notice the blue glow surrounding him, his anger and grief coursing through him. He began to feel weak and before he even knew it, he was on the ground unconscious._

 _He would never see Damien glaring at the Deoxys gently floating from the sky, landing on the ground as Ashton strode back into the clearing, gritting his teeth._

"Did you really have to knock him out?" _Damien growled, with Ashton scoffing._

 _"I don't care if it's my own child. I will not have the only family I care about turn their back on me. Sun will understand and forgive me, in time. After all...None of this ever happened, right Deoxys?" Ashton said to the DNA Pokémon, who hummed softly as it's eyes began to burn a darker shade of blue. Damien crouched low in front of the little boy, growling. He couldn't do much to stop the Legendary from outer space from making a few tweaks to the boy's mind, stopping after a few moments._

"It is done. His mind will repress this memory, and upon waking he will force himself to pretend it never happened. Such a betrayal cannot be understood by him, it seems. I can do no more, however. I am not experienced with this. Human minds are difficult to navigate." _Deoxys spoke, projecting its words telepathically._

 _"And that gives me time to come up with a story to tell Laura, and what to tell Sun. We can salvage this." Ashton said, a relieved smile coming to his face. "Deoxys, good work. Continue to guard the house, keep an eye out for anything suspicious."_

"Of course."

 _With that, the being vanished, leaving Ashton alone with Sun and Damien._

"You're becoming evil." _Damien said to his Trainer, making him frown._ "Only a monster would have done that to their own child. Creating a lie like this will only make him hate you more in the long run. You think you can keep this going for much longer? This will catch up with you."

 _Ashton picked his child off of the ground, brushing the dirt off of his face. He looked down at the Houndoom with a small smile._

 _"I know it will. But I will find a way to work this out. Nothing will stop me from saving all of them, Damien. They won't understand now, but someday they will. That's all that matters." Ashton said as he began to walk towards the house, leaving a disgusted Houndoom behind._

* * *

Sun finished his story with his eyes closed, unable to look any of them in the eye. His mind recoiled and his soul shook as he recounted the events of Nova's death in full, and now that he had explained what had happened he felt nothing but guilt. How could he ever face his team now? After all, he had told them how he had failed to protect his first Pokémon from his father. The very same father he had saved, and still held some love for. How could he look any of them in the face and-

 _"How could you blame yourself for that?"_ Oliver asked, giving Sun a hard look as the boy opened his eyes in surprise.

"I know anything I say is just going to be thrown back at me, so...I don't know. I can't help but think about what I could have said differently, what I could have done. I just wish I could have saved her." Sun admitted, shaking his head. "Instead I kept it a secret...I told Mom that Nova ran away not too soon after we set out, and I ran back home to Dad. I was so scared of what would happen to them if she found out. I didn't want to risk a divorce or something back then. Now it seems so stupid."

Penny chirped, shaking her head, and said, _"You focus on so many 'what-ifs'. You blame yourself so harshly for mistakes you didn't make, and for things you couldn't stop. Trainer, that little Eevee loved you, and so does your father. However, his love is twisted. You still see the good in him, and that is why you love him still. You can't hate yourself for that."_

 _"What has happened, has happened. You cannot dwell on it, Trainer. You can only move forward and continue to fight. If what happened to that child haunts you, then use that experience to better yourself. Do not torment yourself over what could be, like you have done so with many other things."_ Brago said to the boy, who looked at his Pokémon in awe before turning to the girl still hugging him.

"Lillie?"

The girl separated from him, a small smile on her face despite the awful story Sun had told her. She put a hand on the boy's face, cupping his cheek.

"Thank you for telling us about this, Sun. You already look a lot better." Lillie said, leaning close to Sun and hugging him again. "Don't you feel lighter Sun? You don't have to keep that awful memory holed up inside you anymore! Thank you for sharing your burden with us, Sun."

Sun stared forward in surprise, and realized that...He actually _did_ feel better.

He thought about what his Pokémon had told him, and that none of them thought any less of him for being unable to stop his father from killing Nova. He thought he would be an emotional wreck after discussing the fate of the poor baby Eevee that had come into his life, only to be brutally murdered by his father. Before now, he would have been reduced to a catatonic, agitated state. But after everything that had happened this stormy evening, and knowing that he could trust those with him without reserve...Somehow Sun just didn't have it in him to linger on the worst hurt his father had ever inflicted upon him.

Telling the story of Nova had done exactly what Lillie had said it would. He felt somewhat lighter, as it a weight had been lifted from his chest. He was still upset about the senseless death of the Eevee and felt the deep-cutting grief clearly, but...He had come to terms with it.

Nova was dead. Dead by the hands of Ashton, Sun's father.

But there was nothing Sun could have done to stop it. He had a new team now, and the best thing he could do was become a stronger person and a stronger Trainer so that they would never be in danger of the same fate.

"I feel so...calm." Sun stated, looking down. He felt sad, yes but not nearly as much as he did before. His eyes stung and burned, but no tears come. Sun inhaled deeply and exhaled, feeling a bit better afterwards.

"I think you're officially all-cried-out, Sun. After everything you've gone through, you're emotionally spent." Lillie remarked, separating from Sun and scooting away from him. "You've held that pain so close to you for so long, that now that you've released it, now that you've finally told the story of Nova...You feel empty. Not better, maybe, but now you don't have to hide what your father did anymore."

"I guess so." Sun remarked, shutting his eyes. It was so odd, that such an event that caused him so much heartbreak and pain, an event his mind had to repress for the sake of his sanity, now seemed like a bad memory. Like it was supposed to be.

Sun realized that, now. Life was not easy. Life was not fair. But one couldn't become disillusioned and hold the darkness and pain to their chest and lash out at the world.

Like his father had done.

Ashton had grown up with hate in his heart from a very early age. And that had burned within him to this day. And now he had an incredible amount of power at his disposal. The power to turn that hate into destruction, and wipe out all those who oppose him and his dream of a peaceful world of his own creation. He didn't care what it took, but he would achieve peace by tearing down the Pokémon world as it was and rebuilding something better in its place no matter the cost.

Sun would not let that happen.

"Sun?" Lillie said, seeing the determined expression on the boy's face. Sun smiled a little, his eyes flickering back to their usual gray color.

"I'll stop him, Lillie." Sun said firmly, his smile not wavering. "I may not be okay right now, but I'm doing better. And I'll keep working on doing better until I'm strong enough to protect everyone from people like my father. I'll become Island Challenge Champion and become strong enough to protect Alola, just like it's protected me!"

 _"And we'll be behind you every step of the way."_ Oliver said with a nod, making Sun turn towards his Pokémon with a grin.

"Absolutely. We'll kick Cipher out of Alola and make my Dad see that his way of changing the world isn't worth it in the end." Sun said, getting to his feet. However, he suddenly let out a loud yawn and felt a wave of exhaustion suddenly hit him.

"Maybe we should save the heroic speech for the morning?" Lillie joked, with Sun chuckling in reply.

"Maybe. I…" Sun trailed off, shaking his head. He saw Lillie smiling up at him, pride visible on her face, and Sun blushed as he looked away. "Hey, um...Thanks, Lillie."

"You're very welcome, Sun." Lillie said happily in reply.

Sun turned back to Lillie, looking down at her. His smile faded, and he sighed softly and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry about all of this. I haven't been myself, lately. Usually I can stay optimistic and keep smiling no matter what happens, but it's been...way too much. I haven't been a good friend, and I'm sorry. I'm going to do better, alright?"

Lillie shook her head, her blonde mane swaying in response. The girl looked up at Sun the way she always did, with a sense of adoration and affection that had been born of friendship and inspiration. Lillie smiled at Sun, her expression gentle and kind.

"That's just what friends do, Sun. You're my hero. If I'm able to help you, then that's something I do with pride. And when you can't find the bright side of things, then I will sit with you in the dark." Lillie said to the boy, who offered the girl a grateful smile in return.

"Thank you." Sun said quietly, earning a happy nod from the princess. The children quickly set up their sleeping bags right next to one another. Since night was upon them, Oliver kept watch. However, that didn't stop his team from piling on top of Sun after he slipped into his sleeping bag . Lillie giggled at the sight as she crawled into her own sleeping bag, hugging Nebby close to her. Nebby cooed softly, looking at Lillie for a few moments before turning to Sun and the Pokémon piled beside him. Nebby cooed again and wriggled around in Lillie's arms.

"What is it, Nebby?" Lillie asked the Cosmog, who blinked before turning towards Sun.

"Pew? Pew pew!" Nebby declared, wriggling out of Lillie's grasp and floating out of the sleeping bag, though he didn't go much further than that.

"What's up with Nebby?" Sun asked.

 _"It appears Nebby wants to sleep with both you and Miss Lillie."_ Oliver translated, with both children blushing at that. Nebby nodded, letting out a happy cry.

"Well...um, won't it be kind of awkward?" Sun asked, with all three of his Pokémon scoffing at that.

 _"It's definitely not weird for two mates to sleep beside one another, Trainer."_ Penny remarked, with Sun and Lillie's blushes both deepening at that.

"W-we're not mates!" Sun protested, but Oliver laughed at that.

 _"Could have fooled me. And literally everyone else."_ Oliver said through his giggles, earning an embarrassed glare from Sun.

"I don't know who you're talking about!" Sun protested, but Rotom Dex floated down from its perch nearby and buzzed in Sun's face, a massive grin on its face.

 _"Zzzt! Remember that lie-detector thing, Sun? Well...LIAR LIAR PANTS ON FIRE!"_ Rotom screamed at him, floating around Sun's head while the boy buried himself in his sleeping back while the others laughed at him and Lillie, though the girl herself was laughing. The girl got out of her sleeping bag and grabbed Nebby, bringing down the Cosmog to Sun.

"Nebby, convince Sun to let us have our way." Lillie commanded the Cosmog, who seemed to nod before floating out of her arms and into Sun's sleeping bag.

"Pew!"

"...Hi Nebby."

"Pew pew!"

"No, I'm not going to cuddle with you and Lillie."

"Pew? Pew pew?"

"Because it's...Look, I don't want to talk about it."

"Pew pew pew!"

 _"Just for the record, Nebby can tell what you're hiding Sun. Even a child like it isn't as dense as you seem to be."_ Brago remarked, making Sun pop out of his sleeping bag.

"I'm not dense about this! It's just a hard thing to admit to your best friend!" Sun yelled in reply before shutting his mouth, very aware Lillie was staring at him with her mouth agape. Sun looked away from the girl, but that didn't stop her from kneeling down beside her friend as Nebby flew into her arms again.

"Sun, you know that Nebby likes you a lot. You wouldn't mind if we did this just tonight, do you?" Lillie asked Sun, who looked away. Lillie pouted, huffing a little. "I thought you liked doing stuff like that. Were you just pretending to like my hugs and all the other things we do when it's just us two?"

"I do like them Lillie!" Sun said quickly, seeing the girl was getting a little upset. This was a lot more difficult to deal with than usual, mainly because he was aware of his feelings for her and being so close to her was just...weird for Sun. It didn't help that Lillie's actions that evening had filled her with a bit more bravery than usual, and so she was finally taking a stand to show the boy she cared about so much how she really felt.

"Lillie, it's just that I'm a lot more aware of some things than I was before. I'll feel awkward." Sun admitted, with Lillie giggling at him. That didn't stop Nebby, who grew tired of waiting and floated into Sun's arms. Sun blinked tiredly at the Cosmog, who nuzzled Sun happily. The boy smiled and hugged Nebby back, sighing in defeat.

"Alright, fine. But if we're doing this, we're going all-out." Sun said, with Lillie tilting her head in confusion.

Five minutes later, Lillie was grinning. With some careful rearranging, the children had made a massive pallet out of their sleeping bags, some pillows Lillie had stored away in item capsules, and Sun's Pokémon. Now all of the cave's occupants were huddled together, warm and comfortable. Penny and Oliver rested on either side of Lillie and Sun, who were very close to each other. Nebby was nestled between the two, while Brago acted as a very warm and furry makeshift pillow.

 _"I like this."_ Penny remarked happily, shutting her eyes tiredly.

 _"So do I."_ Oliver agreed with a content hoot. Brago would have agreed as well, but he was already sleeping, exhausted from having to run in the rain.

"It's definitely more comfortable cuddling like this than just going to bed in the sleeping bag. And way warmer too. We've got to remember this in the future." Sun admitted, though the thought of sleeping right beside Lillie still made him very nervous. Speaking of, the white-wearing girl let out a sleepy yawn and hugged Sun, making the boy look down at her in surprise.

"Um...Lillie?" Sun asked, with the girl laughing softly.

"I'm not going to let something like what happened last time we cuddled happen again." Lillie said by way of explanation, shutting her eyes and feeling the exhaustion of the day hit her. Nebby seemed to agree, letting out a tired coo before nuzzling Lillie's neck and Sun's chest.

"You're lucky you're cute, otherwise I wouldn't have allowed this." Sun muttered, with Lillie looking up at him with a wide smile, her green eyes reflecting the firelight in the cave. He could see how happy she was, though. Happiness that he was safe and doing better now. Happiness that she was here with him. That they were _together_.

"I'm not cute…You called me the most beautiful girl you know." Lillie said very quietly, rubbing her head against Sun's shoulder.

Sun sighed, knowing that she had him beat. "It's still true, you know."

Lillie smiled sleepily, hugging Sun tighter. Sun thought about all of this, and decided that he had put all of this off long enough. They had danced around the issue for quite some time, and considering that the girl in question was sleeping beside him and had him in a huggy death grip, he decided now was the time to stop being a scaredy-cat and settle this once and for all.

"Lillie, I have something I need to talk to you about."

"..."

"Lillie?"

"...Mmm...No more malasadas, please."

"She's sleeping!? I was just about to tell her that I like her! Come on!" Sun lamented with a inward groan. Sun looked to his side and saw a very amused Penny looking at him. Sun glanced to his other side and saw Oliver, who looked smug about something.

"Tomorrow. We're not leaving this cave without me telling her how much she means to me. I promise." Sun said quietly yet firmly, looking at each of his Pokémon in turn. "I want you all to hold me to that."

Both of his Pokémon nodded in agreement, with Brago snorting softly behind him. And with that they all began to fall asleep, save for Oliver. Or at least, that was the plan.

Even as the hours rolled by, Sun couldn't fall asleep despite his exhaustion. The events of the day had been too much for him to not think about.

 _"I have to do better. I have to be stronger. I can't let that man continue to ruin my life. I refuse to give up and stop fighting for the life I have now. I have to bounce back so I can become strong enough to protect everyone from my father! Especially…"_ Sun looked down at the girl beside him, and was concerned to see her face contorted in pain.

"...M-mother, don't go...I'm s-sorry." Lillie whispered, her voice a pained whisper as she slipped between a sleeping and waking state. It was obvious she was having a nightmare. Sun felt a fierce wave of affection for the girl beside him.

Despite her own fears and worries, she had chosen to help Sun through one of the worst times of his life. She was a true friend, and much braver than she gave herself credit for. Sun again realized that despite their strong friendship, there was definitely something more there. An affection that seemed to run a bit deeper that what he understood as just a crush, which was why he would tell her about how he felt. Sun rested his chin on the top of the girl's head and wrapped his arms around her, smiling as Nebby cooed softly beside them in his sleep.

"It'll be okay...We'll get through this together." Sun promised, hugging the girl closer to him. Lillie relaxed a few moments later, sighing softly as she fell deeper into slumber's embrace. Sun closed his eyes with a smile, and soon after he too was carried away into sleep's warm grasp.

And with that, the children and Pokémon slumbered away within the cave, safe from the storm's reach and taking comfort in the fact that no matter what…

They were never alone.

* * *

 _Alrighty, so that's a wrap._

 _Next chapter will be a very fun one, and has been a very long-awaited one. It'll be very ship-heavy, is all I can say without spoiling. Stay tuned for more!_

Q and A

 _From: Guest_

if you're gonna add more past characters, are u gonna follow their teams and stuff by timeline,origin or manga ? (most of the timeline made by Dobbs, a youtuber) also if u add pearl, are u gonna add diamond because in timeline, while he was fighting Girintina with pearl , he took a hit for him and died which made his Regigigas go super saiyan 4 and kamehamehaed (hyper beam) Girintina. So is diamond gonna be in this fic or not? plus are u gonna do battle tree?

 **I'm going to apologize for missing this question last chapter. In order...**

 **1\. I follow past characters teams by how they are in the games. While I do draw inspiration from the shows and such sometimes, most of the basis for how things work in this story is game-based, including the timeline. Such as Kukui's Rufflet and Winter the Alolan Vulpix, which will become part of his final team when the Championship battle takes place.**

 **2\. Diamond and Pearl are not appearing. Mainly out of disinterest.**

 **3\. The Battle Tree will be in the story. I'll be explaining how and why it was formed, and give it much more depth.**

 _So yeah, that's it for now. Please show your support with a favorite and/or follow, and leave a review in the section below to tell me what you think. It takes just a second and seriously means the world to me. Especially during times like these when I'm stressed as hell and using every little bit of free time I have to hammer out chapters. Oh yeah, you can ask questions to. Do that if you're curious about something._

 _Anyways, I'm gonna go study. Fun, fun, fun._

 _Stay safe and stay awesome._

 _Until next time, FlygonNick out!_


	72. I Am Thou, Thou Art I

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _Alright, so I'm alive._

 _Sorry about that, everyone. Got caught up in trying to prepare for my work test...thing? Anyways, that's done with for now. Which means next weekend you can look forward to the final chapter coming out in a timely fashion before my hiatus officially starts. I'm literally devoting an entire week to making sure this arc ends on a high note before I leave for a bit._

 _ **However, since you all had to wait so long for this chapter, I'm going to make next chapter longer than planned to make up for it. Plus, I'm throwing in a teaser for an event that happens in the next arc. Which scene that is will depend on the results of a poll I'm putting up on my profile. More to be explained later.**_

 _These past few weeks have been insanely stressful, which doubly sucks because I just haven't had time nor had the drive to work on the story with everything going on lately. Plus, I've been sick as a dog this past week and busy this week with other stuff so...Yeah. It's been a mess. But things should be stable for the next week, and then I can shift focus for a little while and get things truly on track for when I come back from my hiatus._

 _Thankfully I passed my work test with flying colors. I can't go into specifics, but I'm actually got officially recognized and rewarded because of how well I did on this test. So thanks to all of you for supporting me during these stressful past few months and for being patient with these delays._

 _On an unrelated note, some of you may have noticed that my review count jumped by a huge margin and has been fluctuating back and forth recently._

 _Apparently some idiots have been going around spamming stories with Guest Reviews by the hundreds, at least in my case. About fifty got through initially before I realized what the hell was going on and deleted them. I've probably gotten at least a thousand of these spammed reviews so far, in the span of a month or so._

 _So yeah, if you see those pop up, it's because they slipped through the cracks and they'll be deleted promptly. I am not letting some stupid bots/spammers mess with my stories when I actually get genuine feedback from people every chapter. That's a disservice to those who do care enough to review. I did leave a single review from the spammers though, as evidence of what they did and so people can look out for it on their own stories and other people's. The site is trying to deal with this as it happens, so I'm hoping it'll be dealt with soon._

 _For those Guest Reviewers that DON'T do spam my story with nonsense, rest assured that I do check every message/review and can tell pretty easily who's an actual reviewer, so your reviews will be approved and all that good stuff. This whole mess actually made me appreciate you all a lot more, and I've gotten a lot of love from you all a lot more recently, so I want to take a moment and thank the Guest Reviewers who take the time to review the story. I definitely appreciate and thank you for your kind words and support._

 _And if the person who is spamming people's stories IS reading this, which I sincerely doubt you are...Seriously, just stop it. You're making my life very annoying, having to micromanage my reviews like this._

 _Shoutout to those who have reviewed since the last update, which includes AnotherTrojan, Moonlight Butterfree, RC-DA, Anasazi Darkmoon, Cottonmouth25, Defender31415, SonicIKE, a guest reviewer known as study, Zombiesguy115, tguy4001, mymissinmalasada, BraviaryScout, Sai Og Sus, Easyclap (who I believe was Okamiden14), Ways, two Guest Reviewers (or maybe the same one, it's hard to tell), the totem natu (AKA mymissinmalasada), another Guest reviewer, and EL Hunter. That is a crapton of feedback and it's awesome. Thank you all so much for the support!_

 _Special shout to Ways, who dropped a few reviews since the last update which included #900! We're so close to a thousand, which is insane. Thanks again for the support, my friend!_

 _And onto the chapter! This chapter is all about the shipping! (Handling not included)_

 _Enjoy!_

* * *

 _Chapter 72: You and I_

* * *

"So...I'm sorry."

"Jeez, going right into it, huh? Well...It's not like you're not the only one who messed up. I'm sorry too, Demi."

Demi and Hau stared at each other for a moment before the girl shut her eyes, looking away from Hau. "It's just...This has all been really hard to deal with. Losing Feya...Dealing with my parents being so stupid about the damn Island Challenge, and then it just turned into a big mess." Demi sighed heavily, putting her hands on her forehead. Hau could feel the heartbreak in her words, how the awful events that had happened in rapid succession had all but broken the girl. She had lost nearly everything in just a matter of months. All she had to rely on was Team Skull.

"Yeah...And all I could do was say that things would be okay and that your new friends were crap." Hau replied with a frown, making Demi look at him. The girl could see that the boy had seen what he had done wrong and was a bit more understanding of things this go around.

"Considering what Team Skull is and what they've done to you, I don't blame you for treating them like that. They steal Pokémon. They hurt people. The only reason I haven't done it myself is just because I hang back and let the others do it instead...I'm a coward, but I just can't bring myself to really help them steal like that. Besides, they're too stupid to do things the smart way." Demi remarked, shaking her head.

"Smart way?" Hau asked, with Demi giving him a look.

"If they really wanted to steal Pokémon in an effective manner, they would train and get better so they could win more battles. Or capture Alolan Pokémon and sell them to tourists for high prices. Seriously, they don't think at all. There's a whole lot of things they do that don't make any sense." Demi admitted, crossing her arms.

"Have you...like, told them these things?" Hau asked.

"A few of them, yeah, but they're too dumb to listen to me. And then I realized that I don't want to help Team Skull cause trouble or steal Pokémon...I want to help them change Alola. I want to end the Island Challenge. Or at least make it better than the travesty that it is now." Demi said, her voice becoming harder.

"So...why Team Skull? How'd that even happen?" Hau asked, with Demi closing her eyes and sighing softly. She told Hau her story of how she was attacked by the bandit known as Night Slash, only to be saved by Gladion and Team Skull. She explained how the group looked after her and comforted her during the worst time in her life, and even offered her a place with them. Not having anywhere else to go and feeling like she had turned her back on her friends, she went with the thugs and was enjoying herself since.

No, she didn't like the fact that they caused so much trouble. But she enjoyed their personalities and how much they supported each other, showing a loyalty to each other that made her truly feel like she belonged. Axen, Kevin, Kayla, Tim. Even Gladion, as much as he tried to be nasty, had all been there for her and had helped her back to her feet when they had no reason too. They had done far more for her than her family had done as of late. Demi felt the burning fury crackle within her as she began to speak again.

"All the Island Challenge has done is hurt me. I've looked into it, and it's been going on for centuries. Children sent away from their families and made outcasts. Yeah, the Island Challenge is an important part of our heritage and culture, Hau. But it's also tearing families apart. You can't tell me I'm wrong." Demi said pointedly to the boy, who frowned.

"But it's also what makes Alola so special. Without the Island Challenge, I don't even know what Alola would be like. The Trials, the Captains, the Kahunas...They're a part of who we are. What we represent. But you're right...they're not perfect. They can really divide families. I mean, my Dad left us behind because he hated being related to a Kahuna." Hau admitted, making Demi give him a sad look.

"I...Forgot about that. You never mention your father." Demi said quietly, only remembering one occasion that Hau had ever spoken of him, and even that was incredibly brief. Demi had asked what happened to the man, to which Hau replied that he had left long ago because he was tired of living in his father's shadow. Hau had changed the subject soon after.

Even Lillie didn't have much to say about Hau's father, except that his departure was why Hau and Hala were so close, and why Hau was so determined to embrace the Island Challenge and maybe become a Kahuna someday.

"Why would I? He's not a part of my life." Hau said casually, shrugging. "If anything, I've got it easy. I can pretend he doesn't exist. Poor Sun has a freaking ego-maniacal supervillain as a Dad. Now that's a bummer."

"That's true…"

"But the fact of the matter is that...You're right. As important as the Island Challenge is, there's problems with it. Maybe I need to have a talk about this with Tutu…" Hau murmured, leaning forward. He looked at Demi, who was watching him impassively. "I don't know, Demi. But I...If you think this will make things better for people, then keep doing your thing with Team Skull. I'll keep doing mine and work on becoming strong enough to become Island Challenge Champion! Or a Kahuna! Or both! I'm flexible." Demi smirked in response, shaking her head slightly at Hau's silliness. She was happy that Hau was at least being understanding of the situation, though.

Gladion watched from nearby in the shadows, his scowl returning.

While he was glad that the two of them had made up (because now this meant Demi would stop talking about making up with Hau), the teen was definitely still annoyed. After all, Hau was still an idiot who had showed him up at Royal Avenue and had rubbed him the wrong way ever since they had met. Even worse...He had a crush on his sister, Lillie. That absolutely could not stand.

The fierce teen looked down at the small fox curled up in his arms, contentedly resting. Gladion smiled softly at the little kit, having grown attached to the Zorua he had taken in off the streets. Type: Null and Golbat had also become close to the newest member of their ragtag team, which was even better. The little fox had his uses too, thanks to his ability to change shapes and surprise people.

And then a thought entered Gladion's head.

"Zorua...you want to help me with a prank?" Gladion quietly asked the small fox as he looked up at his Trainer. The Tricky Fox Pokémon beamed and nodded at the teen. Gladion whispered a set of instructions to the Zorua, who giggled and hopped off of his lap. Gladion watched the Pokémon depart up the stairs, leaving him alone with Type: Null.

" _Don't you think this is...childish?"_

"Absolutely it is. Doesn't mean I'm above petty revenge."

" _Team Skull is rubbing off on you."_

"Ugh...Well, I'm going to shower way longer than usual tonight."

"So, what are you going to do now?" Hau asked Demi, who looked towards the ceiling with a thoughtful expression on her face.

"I'm going to try…" Demi trailed off as a familiar black-haired boy suddenly walked up to them, wearing a wide smile. Demi blinked twice, wondering why this child had walked up to them and looked so familiar to her…

And then the boy lunged at Hau, grabbing onto his leg and sinking his larger than usual teeth into the bandages covering the burns on his leg. Hau blinked twice before his eyes widened and his pupils shrank to pinpricks.

"AAAAAIEEEE!" Hau screamed as the boy began to punch and claw at his bandages with an animal-like growl. Hau kicked at the boy in the face while Demi watched in horrified shock as the boy tumbled away, dissolving into a familiar Zorua in a flash of light. Demi glared at the small fox, who yipped in horror at Demi's glare and scampered up the stairs.

" _Given that he knows Hau is crushing on Lillie...I'm willing to let that slide if it means Gladion won't try something worse later."_ Demi thought as she watched Hau clutch his leg in agony.

"Stupid fox...wolf...thing! Ow…" Hau whined, shaking his head.

"You'll be fine." Demi said with a slight eye roll, though she did wave over Nurse Joy who quickly unwrapped the wound and inspected it before dressing the burns with fresh bandages and medicine. A few minutes later, Nurse Joy left them to their own devices, though she did send a Wigglytuff upstairs to search for said Zorua.

"So, how's things been with Lillie? You still chasing her, since I'm with Team Skull now?" Demi asked Hau, who just shrugged.

" _Which means that the chances of me and Demi becoming a thing are effectively zero...ouch."_ Hau thought with a wince, which Demi noticed, since her expression became rather guilty.

"I mean...Yeah, kinda? Sun's having a lot more luck with Lillie than I am, so I've backed off a bit. I still like Lillie a lot though, and I just don't know what to do with my feelings! But...Weirdly enough, I'm kinda starting something with Captain Lana." Hau admitted, with Demi's eyes widening in surprise.

"Lana? _Really_ …" Demi smirked, recalling the shy girl at Brooklet Hill. Demi felt a small twinge, remembering Feya's death at the Trial Site and how Lana had failed to stop Totem Araquanid in time. That being said, after some time to get over things, the Demi felt no ill will towards Lana. If anything, Demi wanted to apologize for blaming the entire thing on Lana and hitting her. The Captain had done her best to stop the beast, and she had saved Demi's life in the end.

"Yeah. She's been really supporting me ever since me and you...stopped getting along." Hau said awkwardly, scratching his head. "And then I found out that she actually has a big crush on me at Lillie's birthday party. I was super confused about what to do, but then I actually remembered your advice."

"About not focusing on just one chick forever and giving other girls a chance?" Demi asked, remembering her conversation with Hau at Hau'oli City's beach. Hau nodded, looking away.

"I mean...There wasn't a reason _not_ to give her a chance. She's a really good friend and we get along really well. Plus she's super adorable." Hau admitted, shrugging. "We'll see where it goes, but even if it doesn't go well, I'll take any chance I can take to make someone happy."

Demi smiled at that, leaning back in her seat. "That's what I admire about you, Hau. Despite your faults, you love to make everyone happy."

Hau grinned at Demi, shutting his eyes. "Absolutely! All I ever want is for everything to be okay. If I can make people smile, then why shouldn't I?"

Demi chuckled at that, shutting her eyes as well, and the pair shared a comfortable silence. After a few moments, however, Hau spoke up.

"Hey...um...Are we cool now?" Demi opened her eyes and saw Hau looking at her, his expression nervous. Demi allowed herself a smirk and surprised Hau with a hug, making the boy flinch for a moment before he tightly hugged Demi back.

"Yeah, you big dork. We're cool. I'm sorry about being so nasty to you earlier." Demi said to Hau, giving the boy a squeeze. The two newly reconciled friends held each other for a moment.

"I'm so sorry, Demi…" Hau muttered after a moment. "Even if you're with those Team Skull dorks now, you're still my friend and I'm sorry that I hurt you."

Demi's eyes beginning to sting at how genuinely heartfelt those few words were. Hau wasn't someone who faked anything he did. He wore his heart on his sleeve, and always wanted to make people happy. And that was what made Demi want to cry. Because she realized that as much as he had hurt her, he had felt just as much pain having done the hurting in the first place. The two friends held each other for a moment before separating, the two of them sporting wide smiles and teary eyes.

"Even if we have to walk different paths now...That's not going to stop me from being your friend too. " Demi said with a watery grin, with Hau chuckling in response.

"Yep." Hau replied with a cheesy grin as the storm outside rumbled. "Just...promise me you won't try and take people's Pokémon. Okay?"

"Absolutely. I'm going to try and make a difference here in Alola, but you know...In a way that doesn't make me feel like absolute crap." Demi replied to Hau with a reassuring grin. Her grin then turned mischievous. "So let's get back to Lana. You take her out on a date yet?"

"Not really. Kinda been busy with the Island Challenge and getting here to Konikoni City." Hau replied awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. Demi gave him a deadpan look.

"Dude...Go on that date with her. Like, seriously, do it as soon as possible." Demi said seriously to Hau, who smiled a little before he sat back in his chair.

"Well...I am done with my Akala Trials, but I don't want to move onto the next island without Sun…" Hau thought about it a little more before shrugging. "Why not? I can hang around Akala, have fun for a while until Sun sorts himself out and we can go to the next island together!" Hau said with a grin before a sudden shout startled the two teens.

"You got promoted!?" Laura Smiles suddenly yelled out from across the Pokémon Center, looking shocked as she stood up out of her chair. Everyone stared at the woman, who realized just how loud she was being. She gave the others a sheepish grin and returned to her conversation.

"Yeesh...Blow out my eardrums, why don't you?" Oliver grumbled from the other end of the phone. The International Police member muttered darkly while Laura mouthed an apology to those who were glaring at her for the outburst.

"Sorry Ollie...Still, that's incredible! A Captain within the International Police...Sun's going to be so excited when he finds out." Laura remarked, with Oliver chuckling softly in reply.

"True, very true. Though there's more to the promotion than just that." Oliver said to Laura, who frowned a little.

"Go on." Laura said, with Oliver doing just that.

"You see, because of my efforts during the Vermilion City Gym attack and the Kanto Superdome incident, The Superiors have decided that I should relocate to another region and assist in strengthening the International Police presence within places where our forces struggle." Oliver explained, to which Laura nodded in understanding, even if the man couldn't see it.

"I may be a bit reckless at times, but they know I'm the reason Kanto's International Police have done as well as they have in the past few months against Cipher. I made sure our Agents were well-trained enough to deal with some of the threats posed to us. Plus, thanks to my friendship with you and the intel you gave to me on what Ashton was planning, I managed to help save thousands by ensuring we were prepared in some capacity when Cipher attacked in Celadon City."

"So because of how effective you've been recently, they're rewarding you by giving you command of your own team?" Laura asked, amazed by this.

"Yes. I'll admit, it's possible they want me away from the action because I don't quite get along with the Superiors, but they cannot deny what I've done and what I can do. I've always been good as a teacher, maybe better than I am as a fighter, but this is something that works well for me." Oliver remarked, though he sounded a bit...troubled.

"What's wrong, Oliver? You should be more excited about this!" Laura asked, with the man sighing over the phone.

"I am...worried. Because I have a choice, and it will require me to do things I am unsure if I want to do." Oliver said slowly, as if measuring his words. Laura became a little worried, and naturally pressed on.

"Well...If I can help in any way, let me know. You're my friend, Ollie. Don't forget that." Laura said sincerely, with Oliver remaining silent on the other end of the phone.

"Laura...Go somewhere private. I need to talk to you in a place where you won't be overheard." Oliver said rather quietly, with Laura standing up without another thought and walking out the front doors. Konikoni City was deserted at this time of night, and with the storm howling around the city no one would be likely to disturb her. Laura leaned against the side of the building, underneath the overhang in front of the Pokémon Center.

"I'm alone. What's going on?" Laura asked her friend, who sighed.

"You want to know the truth? Then I will tell you...I have a choice in which region I will be going to. There are two places where our forces are struggling, and require my help for recruitment and general support. They are Johto...and Alola." Oliver said, with Laura's eyes widening in surprise.

Oliver continued. "Maiden, Looker, and Angel are the only operatives we have in the entire region. Alola has always remained distant from the other regions, for many reasons. Now that Professor Kukui is establishing connections and... _other things_ that I am not allowed to say, the Superiors have deemed fit to expand our operations to Alola. This is partly because our forces are very small here, but also because Cipher is attempting to expand to Alola due to its general weakness...At least compared to the other regions." Oliver explained, though Laura was frowning thoughtfully. "Anyways, that's my dilemma. Do I come to Johto, or do I come to Alola?"

"Well, you know my answer. I definitely wouldn't mind seeing you more, and I know Sun feels the same. You really inspired that boy, you know." Laura said warmly to Oliver, who again remained silent.

"You say that you wouldn't mind seeing me more...But is that as a friend, or something else?" Oliver asked, making Laura jerk back in surprise at the implication, a heat rising to her face.

"H-how do you mean?" Laura asked, though she of course knew what he meant. How could she not?

"Laura...I do not regret the choices I made, all those years ago, when I decided to cut things off between us. I had a career to follow, and I would never want to risk you being put in danger. But I do regret that I allowed that bastard of a businessman to hurt you and Sun without being able to put a bullet in his head." Oliver said harshly, a flicker of anger in his voice. He sighed softly, and the anger was gone.

"I know...I understand, Ollie." Laura said quietly, closing her eyes. She thought for a time, considering it.

Long ago, when Laura had decided to become a Trainer, she had befriended a great many people on her travels. One of them was a young man named Oliver, who she would become very close with. Charming, silly, and strong, she was smitten almost instantly and so was he. They traveled together for a long while, but then Oliver was offered a job with the International Police. They went their separate ways, but remained good friends. It wasn't long after that when Laura met Ashton Aupuni and her life changed forever.

As for Oliver, he was recruited into the International Police. The elite worldwide crime-fighting order of Pokémon Trainers and those who wished to help keep the peace within the turbulent world they lived in. One did not simply join the International Police. No, you were recruited personally by someone already within the organization. Oliver had traveled all around the world over the course of his career. He had killed. Lied. Stole. Cheated. Burned. Destroyed…

But he also saved. Restored. Rescued. Preserved. Returned. And protected. That was what it meant to be a member of the International Police. It was to give yourself fully to the betterment and protection of both human and Pokémon alike.

His proudest moment, if you asked him, would be the night he stopped Ashton Aupuni from murdering his ex-wife. Oliver had fended off the businessman and his Cipher goons, and if not for Sun's last-moment intervention he would have put down one of the world's most wanted criminals with a sniper round to the skill. Oliver never blamed Sun for the incident, though, and brushed away Sun's apologies with a smile.

"So...I guess this is the part where I ask if you're still interested in giving _us_ a shot, all these years later?" Oliver asked, a small note of nervousness in his voice. Laura nearly laughed, but kept her composure.

"I would be interested in seeing you again and seeing where things went, Ollie. It's been long enough to where I wouldn't be opposed to trying to date again, but I'm not in a rush. Some wounds don't heal, and I have to think about Sun as well." Laura said, though she was very aware of the fact that if there was anyone that Sun would have approved of her dating, it was "Mister Oliver".

"Such a tease, Miss Laura. Fine. I'll tell the Superiors I'll spend a few days in each region to feel them out, and then decide. There's still a chance I go with Johto, but I've always enjoyed my trips to Alola and being so close to you and Sun would be pretty nice. Where are you now, out of curiosity?" Oliver asked, his voice sounding excited now.

"Konikoni City." Laura answered, with Oliver humming in response.

"Wait...I thought you moved to just outside Hau'oli City?" Oliver asked, confused. "What brings you to there?"

"Sun's been going through a really bad time. I thought taking him to a psychiatrist like you suggested would help with some of the trauma he's been through, but it seemed to only prolong the issue. After Borlath revealed himself as the new leader of Cipher, and after losing his Grand Trial along with the support of some of his friends, Sun ran away. He's doing better now, but I'm still worried." Laura asked, with Oliver humming again.

"Why isn't Sun with you now?" Oliver asked.

"His friend took matters into her own hands and managed to calm him down. They're coming back here in the morning." Laura replied quietly, her worry audible in her voice.

Oliver barked out a laugh, saying, "Very well then, Miss Smiles. I'll see you in two days. Don't tell Sun, I want to surprise him."

" _Two days_!? That soon?" Laura asked, surprised. Even for a member of the International Police, packing up all of your things and traveling across the world in two days was quite a feat!

"Don't ever underestimate a secret government agent, ma'am. I could be there in an hour, but I'm hitting up Johto first before I go to Alola." Oliver said with a teasing note of happiness in his voice. "Goodbye for now."

"I'll...see you soon, Ollie." Laura said quietly, hanging up on her friend. Laura closed her eyes and sighed softly, running a hand down her face. She was smiling, despite that. Having an old friend around would definitely make her feel a bit more comfortable, given recent events. And besides…

"If things are going the way we both want them to go...I'm definitely going to need to go shopping for a new dress later. So much to do, so little time." Laura lamented with a small sigh before she walked through the rain to a nearby hotel, hoping that Oliver's imminent arrival in Alola would make Sun as happy as it would make her.

* * *

Sun's eyes slowly opened as a stream of sunlight peeked into the cave they were in, brightening it enough to where Sun would wake up. The first thing he saw was Penny looking at him, the bird smiling happily at her Trainer. The second was that Lillie was sleeping on his chest, and was the reason he was so warm.

Sun flushed as he remembered the events of last night, and how he was holding his closest friend, his crush, in his arms. She looked very peaceful. Something seemed a bit out of place to Sun, but he couldn't quite place it. However he did notice his team watching him with amusement.

" _Good morning, Trainer. You look better today."_ Penny noted happily, with Brago stirring slightly behind Sun.

" _I'll talk your word for it, Penny…"_ Brago grunted, trying to shift beneath Sun's weight. " _Let's not make this a habit, Alpha. At least not until I evolve."_

"Umm...Sorry, Brago." Sun whispered, with Penny looking at him oddly at that.

 _"Why are you speaking so quietly, Trainer?"_ Penny asked Sun, who looked down at Lillie and then back to Penny, who smiled in _response._

 _"Oh, you're worried about waking Miss Lillie. Well, she woke up not long before you did. She's awake right now. Can't you tell?"_ Penny said with a chuckle, making Sun blink in surprise before he looked down at Lillie again, though this time he could see that her face was bright red, despite her shut eyes.

"Lillie, how long have you been up?" Sun asked the girl, who just replied by hugging Sun tighter.

"I'm still asleep." Lillie simply stated, sounding completely awake and not even trying to pretend. The blonde-haired girl sighed contentedly, enjoying every moment of her current cuddle-fest with her crush. Sun rolled his eyes and gave Lillie a squeeze, laughing quietly.

"You know you're going to have to get up eventually, right?" Sun asked her.

"I'm well aware. Brago's very uncomfortable right now. But you're way too nice of a pillow to give up just yet." Lillie replied, earning an indignant cry from a Nebby, who was lodged between Lillie's arm and Sun's shoulder.

"Nebby, I love you but-"

"Pew pew!"

"Don't you take that tone with me, mister!"

"Pewpew pew! Peeeew pew pewpew!"

"...Nebby, I have no idea what you're saying. I was just humoring you. I'm sorry." Lillie said sheepishly, finally getting off of Sun with a fierce blush on her face. The girl scooted onto the cave floor shivering slightly before she coughed a few times, making a face after a moment.

"Ugh...I don't feel well." Lillie muttered, crossing her arms. "I knew this would happen."

"How did you get sick from being in the rain and all that and yet I'm totally fine?" Sun asked, with Lillie giving him a look.

"Everyone's different, Sun. Some people have better immune systems than others. You also may not have been bothered by the cold as much as I am. I really don't know." Lillie said with a sniffle, sighing softly. "Oh well. With any luck I'll be fine and it'll go away in a few days."

"You sure you're going to be alright? How do I know this isn't you pretending to be sick so you can cuddle more with me?" Sun remarked jokingly, with Lillie giving him a deadpan look.

"That was a two-way street and you know it." Lillie huffed, crossing her arms and pouting as she looked the other way. Sun thought it was totally adorable and scooted towards her, hugging Lillie with one arm.

"I mean...You're not wrong. Last night was really nice. Just being with you and my team, and Nebby of course." Sun added as the Cosmog gave him a look from inside of the vacated pallet that Brago was gingerly extracting himself from. Brago glanced at the slumbering form of Oliver in the corner before he snorted in amusement and stretched languidly.

" _So...food?"_ Brago asked hopefully, his tail swishing behind him. Sun and Lillie laughed at that and quickly made a breakfast for them and themselves, and took to just relaxing in the cave. Sun laid down on the pallet and dozed, just enjoying the down time to think and reflect. Lillie was curled in a ball with her eyes shut, in deep thought.

"Sun?"

"Yeah?"

"What...Never mind."

Sun sat up, seeing Lillie's expression looking troubled. The boy got up and moved over to the girl, who scooted away slightly as she became embarrassed. Sun frowned and said, "Tell me what's wrong. After everything that's happened between us, you can tell me anything."

"I...I really can't tell you, Sun. Not anything and certainly not _everything_." Lillie said quietly, shutting her eyes. "It's really hard for me to explain...But I refuse to risk your safety by telling you about what I'm up against. They're dangerous. And it'll draw attention to me and Nebby, even if you don't mean to. The best thing to do is keep my head down and have as few involved and knowledgeable about them as possible."

Sun frowned and looked down, a little hurt that even after he had spilled out his heart to her, she couldn't do the same to him. Was he...just not important enough to her? Did she just not trust him? No...No she trusted him. She was Lillie! She'd never do anything to hurt him. If she thought it was best to keep her situation quiet, then he'd respect that.

That said...Maybe it was time for some things to come to light.

"Lillie...Even if you can't tell me about what's going on, I still want to know some of what's bothering you. I can tell there's a lot on your mind." Sun said gently to the girl, who looked down as a shadow crossed her face. Sun wrapped an arm around her shoulder and Lillie bit her lip, looking away. "Please?"

"I...Sun."

"Yes?"

"You can not possibly understand how difficult a transition living in Alola has been for me over the past year or so." Lillie said quietly, her voice shaking slightly. The girl looked down, opening her eyes. Sun could only see pain and sorrow. Lillie allowed silence to fill the cave for several minutes before she took a deep breath and began to speak.

"Ever since _she_ changed, all those years ago, I've not been myself. I don't even know who I am anymore. It's so difficult to put into words, but I don't think I've been Lillie in many years." The girl in white said quietly, her voice shaking slightly. "I've been nothing but a puppet. A toy. A doll. A bird in a gilded cage destined to only sing and look pretty for it's master."

"Lillie?" Sun asked softly, but the girl wasn't listening to him. Her eyes had a faraway look to them, her expression becoming one of bitterness. It made his heart ache just seeing that sort of expression on her face.

"Ever since that fateful day, all those years ago, my life has become a mockery of what it once was. Where music filled the hallways, cold silence reigns. What once was a family, has been scattered to the winds. Where a mother once stood...A queen rules her castle while sinking deeper into _madness._ " Lillie practically hissed, tears stinging at her eyes as she looked down at the ground. "That is what I've been hiding, Sun. You are _not_ alone...We walk the same path. We both still love a parent who has hurt and betrayed us. We both fled for our lives because of the monster our parent became. And we both bear the scars of their manipulation…"

"You wonder why I keep all of this secret? Because all it takes is a whisper. The slightest hint of information to reach my mother's ears and it'll all be over. No one understands how powerful she really is. How much influence she holds here. I have to keep to the shadows. I have to keep it all secret, because all it takes is one misstep and everything will end in ruin." Lillie continued, her voice shaking now, the girls fingers digging into her palms hard enough to turn them sheet white. Sun wanted to tell her to stop, but his mind was reeling so hard from this deluge of information he couldn't get himself to speak before the Princess continued.

"If I fail...Nebby _will_ die. She will _kill_ him. I have to get him home, where she can't get to him...B-but I don't. Know. _How!_ " Lillie wailed, pressing her face into his shoulder. "I don't know what to do! I'm stumbling blind and if I don't figure this out, then she'll win!"

Nebby stared at Lillie with an unreadable expression on its face, letting out a soft cry before huddling inside of the pallet. Meanwhile all three of Sun's Pokémon continued to watch the display with worry, seeing how distraught the girl had become.

Sun was alarmed to see tears trickling down Lillie's face as she continued. "We became what they wanted us too, Sun! She was _right_...Without her, I'm nothing. A pathetic little girl to weak to be loved."

That snapped Sun out of it enough for him to quickly embrace the girl as hard as he could, practically crushing her against him.

"Will you stop lying to yourself!" Sun yelled out, surprising Lillie enough to halt her crying completely. "Look at you! You're here! You're _safe_! So is Nebby! And you're way too strong to even think about losing to whatever crappy mother thinks that you're not good enough!"

Sun pulled Lillie away from him, seeing the shocked expression on her face. Sun brought his face closer to her's and touched his forehead to hers.

"You are so strong, Lillie. You were the only one who chased after me when I needed someone the most. You braved Cipher, Team Skull, and whatever is coming after you to make sure I was okay. That means you're brave. That means you're strong. And the fact that you keep managing to continue to try and save Nebby and help people despite all the crap you've been through means that _you're better than your mother._ "

" _Whoever that is…"_ Sun thought darkly, gritting his teeth. What kind of sick woman would instill these kind of thoughts in her daughter? Make her think of herself as less than nothing. Sun felt a spike of anger within him that was quelled when Lillie gave him a watery smile before leaned forward, wrapping her arms around him.

"Thank you...That means so much to me right now." Lillie mumbled, shutting her eyes for a moment. Sun happily returned the hug, releasing the girl after a moment and grinning at her.

"That was definitely I lot more than I thought I was going to get from you." Sun said quietly, reaching forward and brushing tears off of the girl's face. Lillie sniffled before coughing several times, her cold likely agitated by how upset she had become.

"Look at me...Once again, I came here to cheer you up, and here I am going to pieces. This is why I hate talking about her. It makes me cry, thinking about what she's become. How pathetic is that?" Lillie mumbled softly, only for Sun to reach under her chin and move her head up to where she could look him in the eyes.

"After what we've been through, are you surprised that you're upset? Besides, did you see how upset I got yesterday? If anything, you're handling all of this stress pretty dang well." Sun asked Lillie, who looked doubtful. "It's just like you said, Lillie. We walk the same road. I may not understand everything, but I understand enough. And I know that there's no shame in feeling sad about the things you've lost. Talking about Nova last night taught me that."

Lillie nodded again, but didn't reply verbally. Sun got up and grabbed a blanket from the pallet they had made. He carefully draped it around Lillie's shoulders, earning a grateful smile from the girl before he sat down beside her again.

"Sun...But ever since I became friends with you...I've felt myself begin to change. Sometimes...the old me comes out. I feel a little more brave. Happier. More...free, I suppose. Does that make any sense?" Lillie asked, almost desperately. Sun quickly thought back through all of his interactions with Lillie, and he actually did find truth to her words.

Lillie in general was a very shy, reserved and soft-spoken girl. But during the time he had known her, Lillie would sometimes step out of that shell and do something out of character for her. Whether it be a spark of fury, a rush of bravery, or a hint of boldness and daring out of nowhere. It was like glimpsing someone waiting behind a veil.

"You bring out the best in me. That's why I...I hope that we can be friends for a long time, Sun. You inspire me to do better. Even if you're not perfect...You're a great person I can count on. You make me want to try harder to become the person I wish I was. The kind of person my mother swore I could never become without her guidance and love." Lillie said with a sad smile, sighing softly. "I wonder if I'll keep changing as more time passes. What if I don't even recognize myself by the time I reach the end of where this road leads me, Sun?"

Sun smirked, making the girl give him a confused look in response. "No matter who you become by the end of our journeys, you'll always be Lillie. My best friend. I'll support you no matter what, you got that?" Sun said to the girl, earning a relieved look from the girl and a little smile that Sun returned. "You'd think with us much we tell each other that we're awesome, it'd finally sink in and we'd stop doubting ourselves."

"Mmmm...You're not wrong. Maybe we should agree to disagree that we are both exceptional in our own ways, but lacking in other aspects?" Lillie suggested with a giggle, with Sun snickering in response.

"Sounds about right. Jeez, what did I do right to have you in my life?" Sun asked the girl, who blushed bright pink at that. Sun grinned in delight, though his smile faded when he caught sight of Brago, Penny, and Rotom all giving him a very pointed glare. Sun blinked before remembering his remark to his Pokémon the other night.

 _"I should tell her. Now. After that speech about her past, now's the time."_ Sun decided, gulping nervously before shutting his eyes. Drawing upon his inner strength, he opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by-

"Sun...do you like me?" Lillie asked, her voice shaking slightly but otherwise firm. Sun's jaw dropped slightly, partly dumbfounded that _he was beaten to the punch_ and also by the fact that she had asked him that question. THE question. Lillie was blushing bright pink, like Sun, but otherwise she was fairly calm about the question she had asked to her crush.

Sun didn't answer right away, instead he just looked away. However, as the silence stretched on to several minutes, Sun found himself looking at the blonde princess that had become a surprising source of strength and inspiration for him during his journey.

The answer was obvious.

"Lillie...I like you. I have for a while now, actually." Sun admitted as his cheeks burned, the boy burying his face in his arms as his blush intensified. Lillie's eyes widened and her heart felt like it would explode out of her chest with how hard it was beating. Sun suddenly looked up and glared at his three Pokémon and the Rotom Dex. "Happy now, you jerks!? I admitted that I have a crush on her! I hope you all are happy."

" _Oh, we're_ ecstatic. _I've had to watch you two dance around your own attraction for each other for months_." Oliver said to Sun as he opened a single eye, looking over at Lillie. " _Though I believe she has yet to declare her own feelings."_ Sun looked up at Lillie, who seemed to blush harder. The girl nodded slowly, shutting her eyes and taking a shaky breath and burying her face in Sun's shoulder.

"Well?" Sun asked Lillie, amazed that his voice managed to stay steady.

"My heart is racing like crazy...I like you Sun!" Lillie all but yelped, letting out a small sigh as her face burned even redder. Sun felt a joyous smile come to his face, though his blush remained. Sun let Lillie have her moment, but his mind was racing.

" _So she really does like me! I mean...It's super obvious in hindsight, but just knowing it is...Wow. How lucky am I?"_ Sun thought as Lillie removed her face from Sun's shoulder, blushing a brilliant shade of red.

"This is so embarrassing." Lillie muttered, looking away with a shy smile.

"You're telling me." Sun muttered in agreement as Lillie looked by at him, nodding once. "I mean...You like me! That's crazy! So...so now what?" Sun asked, earning a confused look from Lillie. Both children stared at each other, not actually knowing the answer to that question. They both had confessed their feelings to each other, but...What did they do next?

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"...Heh."

"Hehehe…"

Both Sun and Lillie began to giggle, before suddenly bursting into laughter. Lillie was soon on the floor, giggling helplessly, while Sun was clutching his sides. Rotom Dex just hovered nearby, absolutely confused.

" _Zzzt...You two have to be the most awkward children I've ever seen in my entire life. What kind of confession of love and passion wazz THAT?!"_ Rotom said seriously, at least before Sun got to his feet and turned it off, stuffing it in his backpack. Sun returned his Pokémon and walked back over to Lillie, who had recomposed herself but was smiling happily up at him.

"He's right you know." Lillie said with a giggle as Sun sat down in front of her.

"Yeah...So, what...Do we do now?" Sun asked Lillie, who shook her head.

"I don't know. I never thought I'd get this far! I always hoped you liked me back, but...I feel like this is a dream!" Lillie said quietly, unable to shake the smile from her face. The happiness that was blooming through her heart right now, knowing that the boy she had admired and drew so much inspiration from felt a similar affection for her that she did for him.

That said...How the did they proceed with this?

"You've never had a boyfriend before, Lillie?" Sun asked the girl, who blushed a bit pinker at that.

"N-no. I never even had just a plain friend before I got met Hau. You...You're the first person I've ever developed a crush on. The first boy I've ever liked enough for the feelings I have to…, well, form, I suppose. If we did decide to...become something more, you would be my first b-boyfriend." Lillie said, stuttering slightly on the word. Sun nodded understandingly.

"Yeah. The way I was raised, I barely knew any kids my own age and I had other stuff to occupy my time." Sun agreed, shaking his head.

"Mmmm...You know, I didn't even really care about boys all that much until I moved to Alola proper. There was way too much drama to focus on things I couldn't have anyway. Besides, it's a part of growing up, isn't it?" Lillie asked Sun, who nodded in agreement.

" _If my mother wasn't already totally nuts, she would go crazy if she saw this scene right now."_ Lillie thought, smiling a little at this unintentional act of rebellion.

"Yeah...I only just recently even started seeing girls in a...romantic-sense, you know?" Sun said to Lillie, who nodded. "At first, you were just a really good friend to me. But then I just...Kinda realized how good of a friend you were and how much I cared about you. You understand me, and I can trust you with anything...Doesn't hurt that you're the prettiest girl I know."

Lillie blushed furiously at that, tucking her legs in and folding her arms so she could rest her chin on them.

"You already know how and why I began to develop feelings for you. I just never thought you would return them for me, Sun. I mean...You all can say that I'm strong and brave and all that, but I'm really not." Lillie said quietly, shutting her eyes. "I was able to come get you because your Pokémon protected me and encouraged me. Without their help, I don't know if I would have been brave enough to keep going."

"What about the other time, back in Hau'oli City?" Sun countered, with Lillie sighing.

"It was different."

"Not really." Sun shrugged, but he added, "But that's beside the point. Lillie, you're the sweetest, nicest, and most brave girl I know. I don't even know when I started to like you it just...started to happen. I didn't even know what this feeling was until I talked to Hau about it."

"Interesting...I was in denial about it for a while. But once I admitted it to myself, I was worried I wouldn't ever be good enough to be worthy of your affection. But...Sun, I really am at a loss here! We both like each other, so what do we do now? I have no idea!" Lillie asked, practically yelling in her excitement and worry and happiness. A very odd mixture of three emotions. "We both have little experience with romance and relationships...And friendships. And telling Mallow to stop being stupid."

"That last one especially."

"Getting back to the point. Do we...just start dating? What does it even mean to 'date someone'?" Lillie asked Sun as her face reddened, who blushed in return. Lillie felt her heart skip a beat at that, and felt an massive amount of satisfaction in being able to make the boy blush like that.

"I-I don't know. I mean, I don't even know what it means to be a boyfriend or to have you as my girlfriend." Sun said quietly, sounding worried. "I mean...I really, _really_ like you Lillie. You're special. You're important to me. If there was anyone I'd want to be my first girlfriend, I'd want it to be you, but...I don't even know what to do about that? And what if…"

Sun frowned, looking down at the ground. Lillie looked at Sun worriedly before the boy looked up at her, concern and fear on his face.

"What if started dating, but we broke up and we stopped being friends? Just because we just don't know anything about this kind of stuff? I…" Sun looked down again and said, "I don't know even know what _love_ is Lillie. Isn't that what you're supposed to be in when you date someone? You have to love them a certain way. Not like you love Pokémon or your parents or friends. What love feels like...I'm scared that I don't know if I love you, and that if we date and it doesn't work out we'll stop being friends. And I can't lose you like that, Lillie!"

Sun looked terrified by the end of that, and Lillie quickly moved over to him and grabbed him by the face, forcing him to stare into her eyes much he Sun had done with her earlier.

"No matter what, you will always be my friend. That will always be true." Lillie said firmly and coldly, as if she was hurt and infuriated that Sun would suggest such a thing. "And you don't have to worry alone, Sun, because I'm terrified of that very same thing right now. I don't know what my heart is telling me. Is this a crush, caused because of how close we are and how much we care about each other? Or...is this what we are feeling what love really is? The admiration and affection we share, combined with the desire to see each other happy." Lillie said quietly, scooting to Sun's side and giving him a kind look. "I really do have no idea...But I want to know. I want to find out. And even if what I feel isn't love, I'll feel better for knowing. And I feel like our friendship is strong enough to withstand anything."

Sun looked at the girl for a moment, amazed at her words, before nodding slowly in understanding.

"I want to know too...All of these experiences in Alola. Becoming a Trainer. Making friends. Exploring the world and making memories. Growing up...Yeah, we can do this. We might not know exactly what we feel, but we know that we care about each other. Right?" Sun said to Lillie, who nodded in reply. "So I say...if you're really sure, then we just keep doing what we've been doing."

Lillie gave Sun a confused look. "How do you mean? Just stay friends?"

"Not exactly. I think we should keep on supporting each other on our own journeys. Mine to become Island Challenge Champion and you in trying to get Nebby home. We became such good friends by just walking down the same path together. Why change things now?" Sun asked Lillie with a smile.

"You have a point, Sun. But after some of what we shared and with everything out in the open, I don't think I can look at you in the same light." Lillie admitted, with Sun nodding in agreement. The girl sighed deeply in response, feeling a bubble of sadness within her heat.

"I really wish I could talk to my parents for advice. They'd know exactly what to do." Lillie murmured, shaking her head. "Even Mother would have some kind of knowledge about this that I could find useful."

"Well...Your parents might not be able to give you advice, but we have a bunch of other people who can help. Like my Mom, or Professor Kukui and Professor Burnet and all of our friends. Just because we don't know about love doesn't mean the older people we know don't. I'm sure we can figure out things in time." Sun said, getting his composure back.

"Then that's what we do. Continue to support each other and see where... _this_ goes. We both want it, but-ugh, this is so confusing!" Lillie admitted with a yelp, shaking her head.

"We should wait to see if this is what we really want. As much as we like each other and as close as we are, if we're in love we'll learn about what it means together." Sun said to Lillie, who nodded slowly in agreement, before a small smile spread onto her face.

"And just because we're friends, _very_ close friends, doesn't mean we can't have hugs and cuddles every now and then." Lillie said with a happy smile, scooting over to Sun and doing just that. Sun felt his heart beat faster, his face suffusing with heat as the girl wrapped his arms around him and pushed him to the ground, resting her head on his chest.

"We can take this slow. All I know is that I want to be with you. I'm so weak...But you inspire me to try and do better. And then I just want to hug you and kiss you and-" Lillie broke off with a squeak, realizing she was going a bit too far. Instead she broke her hug and looked down at Sun, who was smiling back at her.

"Lillie...D-do want to go on a date with me sometime?" Sun asked the girl with a slight hitch to his voice.

Lillie felt her heart stop...And then suddenly start beating really, _really_ fast with sheer joy.

"Yesyesyesyesyes!" Lillie yelled, flinging herself down at Sun again and hugging the boy tightly as they fell to the ground. Sun returned the hug, grinning at the girl's happiness and overwhelmingly relieved that she had agreed to it.

"I was thinking we could go to that festival for Tapu Lele in a month's time or so. It'd be a fun time, and we could spend the whole night together. Do you think you'd like that?" Sun said, sitting up a little with Lillie still clinging to him. Sun was surprised when Lillie pulled away from him, wearing a beautifully radiant smile on her face before she moved closer to him…

And kissed him on the cheek, before pulling away with an even bigger smile.

"T-that...Sounds wonderful, Sun." Lillie said in a whisper, with Sun blinking dazedly.

"D-did you just k-kiss me?" Sun sputtered with a flushed face, with Lillie nodding embarrassedly in reply, her face also an inferno of embarrassment.

"That um...Wasn't too forward, was it? Too soon? I know we're not dating or anything, but I was so happy I just-" Lillie was cut off when Sun put a finger on her lips, silencing her.

"I will never be unhappy with any display of affection you show me, Lillie. Even if I get embarrassed, it makes me really happy when you show me how much you care, and when you're happy." Sun said seriously, though he wore a wide grin on his face.

Lillie just replied by throwing herself at Sun yet again, smiling so hard with happiness that her face hurt. Sun laughed the entire time at the girl's reaction, though he returned the hug with equal happiness.

While the two children were unsure of what their hearts were telling them, nor were they sure of where their relationship was going, they were certain of a few things. That they cared deeply about one another, and that they wanted to deepen their friendship and walk down that path together. They would protect one another from the sufferings of their pasts, and push each other to become strong enough to save those precious to them.

In time...The meaning of love would become clear to them.

* * *

Several Hours Later…

* * *

Konikoni City:

* * *

"W-w-what!?"

Hau tilted his head slightly, surprised at the confused expression on Lana's face.

Meanwhile, a snickering Demi was walking away from the scene, pleased that Hau had gone with her suggestion. Gladion crossed his arms, shaking his head as he and Demi walked down the road, with Type: Null chuckling roughly within its helmet.

"And what was the point in that?" Gladion asked sourly, something Demi noticed.

"Well, I happen to think that my _friend_ and Captain Lana would be a good match. So I gave him some advice and wanted to see said advice play out. The real question is...why are you so grumpy that I'm helping out Hau? Are you jealous of him, Gladion?" Demi asked teasingly, with Gladion's scowl becoming much more pronounced.

"I will _never_ be jealous of that smiling moron." Gladion growled, with Type: Null coughing awkwardly.

"Null, is he lying?" Demi asked the beast, who looked at Gladion. The boy was glaring into the sky, his fists clenched tightly. Type: Null turned back to Demi.

" _At the risk of making him more angry, I refuse to comment."_ Type: Null said diplomatically, making Demi giggle.

"Aww. Don't worry, dude. I'm just helping out a friend. After the stuff that went down, I don't think me and Hau are compatible anyway." Demi said, though this didn't change Gladion's mood at all. Demi smirked and walked a bit faster, wrapping an arm around Gladion's shoulders and dragging him down the road. Gladion yelped and stumbled, surprised by the strength of the girl's grip.

"You're lucky you're cute. Otherwise I wouldn't bother with your moody ass." Demi said as Gladion blushed bright pink but otherwise didn't comment, with Type: Null laughing loudly within its helmet as the trio continued down the road, passerby's watching in bemusement.

Meanwhile, a shell-shocked Lana was staring at a grinning Hau as her face grew more and more red by the moment. By her side stood a smirking girl with brown hair and purple eyes with a Petilil looking at all of them with bemusement.

"I've never seen someone go catatonic like that from being asked out. This is totally like in an anime or something." Jen remarked as her Petilil giggled in her arms. Jen nudged Lana, who was still staring into nothingness.

"You have to give a response, Lana. Yes or no?" Jen teased the girl, who mumbled something incoherent. Jen shook her head sadly, and was about to say something when she caught sight of another familiar face approaching them.

Sun and Lillie arrived into the city, both of them smiling happily and thinking about the events that had transpired over the past day. Yes, things had gotten bad, but they were now closer than ever as friends, and maybe even something more. In time they would work out their true feelings.

But for now, they knew that they had feelings for each other and wanted to spend as much time with one another as possible. And that's exactly what they would do. Plus, with a future date on the horizon, things seemed pretty good for the two children as they made their way towards their friends, having seen them as they walked down the road.

"So...are we interrupting something?" Sun asked, looking at the amused Hau and Jen and the red-faced and unmoving Lana.

"Hau broke Lana, Sun." Jen reported, chuckling softly. She then noticed Lillie and said, "Oh wow, you're super pretty. I'm Jen! Nice to meet you!"

Lillie blushed slightly at the random compliment, but accepted the firm handshake from the new girl and introduced herself. "My name is Lillie. I'm assuming you know Sun, Hau, and Lana?"

"Yep! I was taking a walk when I ran into Lana. And then we ran into Hau, who asked her out on a date out of nowhere! Lana kinda...broke, though, when Hau asked her. It's really adorable, but I'm actually a little worried. Has she never been asked out before?" Jen asked the others, who all shrugged.

"I don't think so. Lana's not exactly the most outgoing person in the world. She can be a bit shy sometimes, especially when it comes to boys. I feel like Mallow is the person to go to about this." Sun remarked, with Lana twitching at the mention of her friend.

"Isn't Mallow another Captain?" Jen asked, earning a round of nods.

"Do NOT get her involved with this!" Lana nearly shouted, her face practically a fireball of embarrassment at this point.

"Oh hey, you're back to reality. So...uh, that date?" Hau said with a small laugh, only for Lana to clam up again.

"You totally kiss her. Wake up the not-sleeping beauty from her...not-sleep?" Jen proposed, frowning as her joke unraveled at the seems. "That was a lot funnier in my head before I said it."

"I bet. So, Sun and Lillie...Uh, is everything good?" Hau asked the two friends, who both nodded. "Neat. Sun's mom kept freaking out about that picture Rotom sent last night, so expect some teasing when you see her again."

"Rotom? What picture did you send to my Mom!?" Sun demanded of the device, who popped out of Sun's backpack with a giggle. Rotom showed the all of them the picture of Sun and Lillie hugging by the fire, and both children blushed bright pink while Jen laughed and Hau smiled just enough for it to be genuine, but he was happy his friends were both okay.

"Ugh, dealing with her is gonna be awful." Sun remarked, with Hau chuckling.

"Well, bad news for you is that she's in town. And man...She kicked Hugh's butt!" Hau chuckled as Lillie gasped in surprise. Hau explained everything that happened the previous night, including making up with Demi and being convinced to take Lana up on their date (which of course had been arranged during their game of truth or dare a few days ago.)

"So, where is everyone now?" Lillie asked Hau, who just shrugged.

"Aria dragged Hugh off to go train, but made it clear she was going to yell at him for being a stubborn dork. The others are just relaxing in the city. I don't know where Demi and that jerk Gladion went, though." Hau remarked, not seeing the annoyed look Lillie gave him.

Sun opened his mouth to speak, but Lana twitched and then shook her head, finally snapping out of her trance. She looked at Hau, who grinned at her and made the blue-haired teen blush deeply.

"I...Um, yes Hau. I'd love to...g-go on that d-date with you." Lana said quietly, with Hau chuckling at how nervous she was being.

"Okay, so...You wanna do it now?" Hau asked, with Lana blinking in surprise.

"Now?" the Captain parroted back, surprised.

"Why not? You're off today, I've got nothing going on, and it'd be a fun way to spend the day!" Hau said cheerily, with Lana thinking about it. Hau was right on all accounts, and regardless of that this was something she dearly wanted.

"Okay. So…" Lana looked at her other friends and said, "Can you guys um...go away? This is private."

"Sure thing. Let's give these lovebirds some privacy." Jen said with a giggle as she grabbed Lillie and Sun by the arm and dragged them off. Once they were an appropriate distance away Jen burst into giggles, clutching her stomach.

"That was amazing. I've never seen a girl act like that when she's been asked out." Jen said breathlessly, wiping her eyes.

"You think that's weird? Here's how that whole thing started." Sun said to the teen, and quickly explained how the whole situation began. Jen and Lillie were both laughing by the end of it.

"Oh man...This place is awesome. Just saying. I wonder where those two are going to go on their date?" Jen wondered aloud, putting a thoughtful hand to her chin.

"Probably Brooklet Hill." Lillie said with a smile, earning a look from the other two. "Lana isn't very confident on this. So she'll probably have this date in a place she's comfortable in. Plus, there's a lot of fun things you can do at a place like that. Swimming, picnics, Pokémon battles and more."

"Huh. Good thinking. That said, I'm just gonna wait to see how this plays out. No point in butting in where I'm not welcome." Jen remarked before she suddenly jumped, jostling her Petilil and making it cry out in protest. The purple-eyed teen pulled a phone out of here pocket and scanned the screen before sighing.

"I'm needed back home. Guess that means we can't grab lunch together." Jen lamented as she rubbed her stomach. Sun's own stomach chose that moment to growl, making Lillie and Jen giggle at him.

"On that rather hungry note, I'm off. You two go enjoy a super awesome lunch for me, okay?" Jen said with a grin before she walked off the other way, waving to the two children as she departed. Sun and Lillie waved Jen farewell, and then looked at each other. The two children blushed and looked away from each other, but Sun moved forward and began walking down the path.

"Lunch sounds nice. Anywhere you feel like going?" Lillie asked Sun, who shrugged. He then remembered something.

"Mallow's got a restaurant here! We should swing by and say hi." Sun suggested, with Lillie smiling widely at that.

"I've always wanted to eat at her family's restaurant! Well, one of them anyway." Lillie amended, with Sun giving her a confused look. "Oh, her family owns two restaurants! One is in Hau'oli City and one is here. The one here is called the "Konikoni Kuisine."

"They don't get any points for the spelling. We might need to try eating at the other restaurant the next time we're in Hau'oli City. What's that one called?" Sun asked Lillie, who thought about it for a moment before remembering.

"'Aina's Kitchen', I believe." Lillie said as they continued down the road. "Both are very well-known and have great reviews online. Mallow wants to become an amazing chef so she can help expand her family's business."

The two children kept up a running conversation until they arrived at Mallow's restaurant, where they saw a familiar face rushing around the kitchen preparing several dishes at once while the lobby was packed with customers. It took several minutes before the ragged-looking Captain managed to get to them, but she greeted Sun and Lillie with a wide smile regardless and hugged them both.

"Hey! My favorite Princess and Sun! Oh hey, you're not super sad and mopey anymore, dude! Even more awesome!" Mallow yelled as he separated from her friends.

"Mallow, it's so good to see you again! I've been worried about you ever since you ran away at my birthday party." Lillie confessed, with Mallow's smile dropping completely.

"We'll discuss it later. But not now." Mallow said with a flat expression that legitimately scared Sun before the Captain burst into a wide grin. "So what brings you two here?"

"We actually walked in here by mistake. We were really looking for Weenie Hut Jr's." Sun said, earning a shake of the head from Lillie and a roll of the eyes from Mallow.

"We'd like a table for two please, Mallow. We wanted to grab some lunch since we just got back from a...short trip." Lillie explained to Mallow, who nodded in response.

"Neat! Anything fun happen?" Mallow asked as she grabbed two menus and began walking them to a table.

"Not really. Sun's team battled some Team Skull thugs and...that's it." Lillie finished lamely, realizing that explaining her and Sun's confessions to each other and the results of said confessions would lead them down a painful road. That did however made Lillie remember something.

"Oh yeah! Hau asked Lana on a date! Or rather, asked her if she wanted to go on the date they arranged at the truth or dare game on my birthday." Lillie remarked, making Mallow stop dead in her tracks.

"Wat."

"Remember how you suggested Lana dare Hau to go ona date with her? Hau cashed in on that date out of nowhere. Last we saw, Hau and Lana were walking off together to plan for it later today." Sun explained to Mallow with a shrug. Mallow stared at Sun for a moment before her frown slowly changed into a smile. And then that smile became a somewhat evil grin that made Lillie take a step back in fear.

"Oh...My dear sweet Lana is growing up. A romantic date on the water at Brooklet Hill is probably what she has in mind." Mallow mused with a sinister chuckle, rubbing her palms together.

"That's what I thought as well." Lillie said nervously, subtly shifting herself behind Sun and using him as a human shield in case Mallow suddenly went nuts.

"You know...Is it bad I'm tempted to spy on those two?" Sun asked the two girls, receiving a look from Lillie and a sigh from Mallow.

"Sun!" Lillie said, shocked. "While I understand that you're...curious about what'll happen, we can't just invade their privacy like that. Even though...the image of Hau trying to be romantic with Lana makes me want to see it in person." Lillie's expression became thoughtful and she sighed softly. "Now I kinda want to see it myself. It's so rude though."

"Not if we just spy on them from afar. After getting attacked after his Trial, Hau deserves a little fun. Same with Lana after having to deal with fallout of the Totem Araquanid incident." Sun responded, earning a nod of agreement from Lillie.

"I guess we can look into it after lunch. Mallow, as much as I think I'm going to regret saying this...Do you want to come with us to Brooklet Hill?" Lillie asked her friend with a resigned sigh, knowing that not inviting her along was sacrilegious at this point.

Mallow put her hands on her hips, an annoyed scowl cross her face before she gestured to the packed restaurant dining area behind her, where her parents and co-workers were frantically trying to keep up with the orders being made during the lunch rush.

"So let me get this straight." Mallow said, her left eye twitching slightly as she crossed her arms, glaring down Sun and Lillie, who both took a step back. "You want me to ditch work and spy on Lana and Hau's date?"

"Yes, that's exactly it." Sun said with smirk, earning a harsh sigh from Mallow.

"If you think I'm actually going to abandon my work here during the middle of a massive rush like this, just to travel to the other side of the island to spy on Lana while she goes on her first date ever...Then you're absolutely right. I'll go change."

Mallow walked over to the counter and hung up her apron, saying, "Mom, Dad, I'm heading out to Brooklet Hill. Lana's going on an actual date with a boy."

"Wait, for real this time?" Mallow's mother asked, amazed enough to stop chopping carrots mid-sentence. She looked much like her daughter, except with shorter green hair.

"Yep." Mallow replied as she slung a backpack over her shoulders and hugged her mother. "I'll be back in time for dinner."

"Incredible! I always knew little Lana had it in her! You better take some pictures! That way we can tease her later." Mallow's father said, breaking into a massive grin. Mallow beamed at her parents, pulling out a very expensive-looking camera from her backpack.

"Absolutely! And thanks to this little baby, I'll have enough material to mess with Lana about for years. Plus it'll be an amazing wedding photo collage for when the two of them get married!" Mallow swooned happily, earning a pat on the head from her father.

"That's my girl! Spreading love and mayhem at the same time, with just the right amount of embarrassment! The perfect ingredients to a perfect friendship!" Mallow's father boomed as he washed his hands before going back to the stove.

Sun shook his head, amused by all of this, though he saw that Lillie was wearing a look of abject terror on her face, as if she had run into Team Skull. However, what she said threw Sun completely off.

"Oh my god...it's _genetic_." Lillie whispered in horror, as she realized where Mallow got her infamous teasing nature from. Lillie caught Sun's look and crossed her arms. "Sun, this is horrifying. This means that this could continue for years and years!"

Sun opened his mouth to speak, but he was cut off when Mallow jogged past them and grabbed them around the shoulders, sweeping them out of store with a maniacal, Cheshire-like grin on her face.

* * *

 _So there we have it. A confession, a date, and now onto the last chapter before my break. It's going to be a good one, I assure you._

 _They actually did it, folks. Sun and Lillie confessed their feelings. Now, as to why I did that scene the way I did it...What else did you except from two incredibly awkward, sheltered children who were still relatively new to the world around them? I felt this was the best way to make this a turning point in their relationship while also addressing it. I want a slow build, but I also want their relationship to grow and develop naturally._

 _While this story is about the journey Sun will take on his Island Challenge and Lillie's quest to return Nebby home, it's also a story about growing up, in a sense. Character growth and development are things I'm absolutely trying to hammer home in this story, and I'd like to think I've done well thus far in RS._

Q and A

 _From: study_

WASSUP. I think it would be amazing if you had sun catch an oricorio sometime after his ghost trial. he would not just have a new buddy, but a type-changing one at that. (name, gender, and personality up to you.)

 **Not quite a question, but I'd figure I'd address it anyway. Also, what's up?**

 **I've spent hours upon hours crafting a team for Sun that fit a multitude of prerequisites and the like. And not once did I ever think of having a Pokémon that can change types, like Kecleon or Oricorio. That is a seriously great idea, and if I didn't have Sun's team planned out to perfection I'd consider Oricorio just because of how unique it is, even if it isn't per say the strongest Pokémon in my opinion. That said, Sun doesn't need another bird on his team, which even he admits is true.**

 _From: tguy4001_

Are any of the previous protagonists or champions of the other regions besides the ones shown currently going to make an appearance. Unless the TV channels are exclusive to their regions and no one in the other regions knows how bad it really is, or that Lorelei got murdered on Live TV, I doubt the protagonists and champions from Hoenn, Kalos, and Sinnoh are just sitting there doing nothing(you said the protagonists aren't gonna appear, but what about Cynthia?). I especially don't think Johto should be slacking off too if there isn't anyone else there not fighting(like Ethan/Lyra and Silver for example), with them presumably being next on Cipher's list and all.

 **Absolutely, in some capacity or another.**

 **And you're absolutely correct in that the other regions aren't going to stand idly by and let another region be attacked continuously, but on the other hand there isn't a whole lot they can do without overreaching themselves or making themselves targets, considering how violent and unpredictable Cipher can be. How often in the games do characters from other regions get involved in the plot of other game's regions, save for Looker and Colress?**

 **We'll see more of this in the future, at least in some capacity, but note that there will be other protagonists showing up down the line, at least in a cameo capacity. Probably not Playable Characters, though, since that'd be overkill.**

From: mymissinmalasada

 _will you include necrozma anywhere in the story?_

 **Yep. Necrozma will definitely be in the story in some capacity. Considering my recent thoughts on this possibly being my final story on this site, it may have a greater role than first intended.**

 _From:_ _From: mymissinmalasada_

I really like this story. You deserve a lifetime supply of cookies! Also, when will Oliver evolve again?

 **And now I'm seriously craving chocolate chip cookies and some cold milk, hahaha.**

 **Oliver will be evolving quite a ways down the road. Since he evolves at level 34, and I'm keeping things as close to the games as possible, he'll evolve when he does in the games. I've planned out this, though, so he'll evolve when I want him too, which will be a long ways off.**

 **However, there will be many other evolutions happening before that which should tide folks over. Especially a few happening not too long after I return from hiatus. Oliver's evolution, however, will tie-in heavily to his development as a character. I know I've said it once, but it's worth repeating. Oliver is my favorite character in this story, and the character arc I have planned for him is something I'm looking forward to the most in this next arc.**

 **Honestly, if you're curious about when** **someone might be evolving or what they're status is, I'd check the little stats page for Sun's team that I made on my Fanfiction Profile. It's the best indicator for when I plan to evolve someone, since I'm keeping this as close to the games as I can.**

 _From: Sai Og Sus_

Yeah, not going to say much about the fluff since I already establish my allergy towards it.

I don't get it. Why does Ashton has to do it himself? Why can't he hire some random Trainer to get Nova instead of him? Wouldn't that make more sense? I mean, clearly it was too much of a trouble to have Sun's brain washed compares to paying someone to do it. Not only he won't have a hard time covering up his trace, he also will make Sun believe that the world is stink with evil and can use it as motivate Sun in helping him.

Seriously, there are so many better ways. I mean, if you tell me that Ashton doesn't know about Nova yet, surely it won't be so far-fetched for someone of his credibility to already plan the whole thing and execute it immediately. Why, just why?!

 **Why does a parent punish their child? Why does a father whip their child with a belt, or get put in time-out? Why do they do it themselves, as opposed to just paying someone for it? Same concept, really. It teaches them a lesson about obedience.**

 **Also, lashing out in anger hardly makes someone reasonable or think out their actions. Ashton was not thinking clearly, made several horrible mistakes in rapid succession, and tried to cover it up. And guess what? It backfired, just like Damien said it would.**

 _From: Ways_

But I think I'm more interested in Damien right now. He's not all for Ashton's garbage is he? I'm sure this is a spoiler but I may as well try. How is that relationship now? How does he feel about all of this? Will we see more of their dynamic in the future? I'm very interested.

 **Oh, absolutely not. Ashton and Damien are quite the team, but that doesn't mean they always get along or are perfect partners. Especially when Ashton started dealing with Cipher.**

 **We will definitely be seeing more of Damien and his recent thoughts of his Trainer and what he's done soon.**

 _From: the totem natu_

Hi, Flygon. It's mymissinmalasada. (Now totem natu.) Im sorry for putting so many reviws on this one chapter, but I have one more question. So ashton, no, Borlath is basically hated by his houndoom. (Is it a houndoom?) Anyway, yeah. But if Borlath orders him to kill Sun, would houndoom (finally) refuse and turn on Borlath?

-Totem Natu

(p.s. can you tell hau to stop stealing my malasadas? I am running out of money to buy mystic flavor.)

 **I'll ensure that Hau knows to stop stealing them. That's pretty rude of him.**

 **And I wouldn't say hated. Damien is just disgusted with what Borlath has done in pursuit of his dreams of making the world a better place. He knows why Borlath is doing what he's doing and agrees that it needs to be done, but he absolutely hates the means by which it is being done.**

 **And as for that last question...That's a very interesting one to ask, isn't it?**

 _From: EL Hunter:_

 _whats with those spams?_

 _ **See the above explanation about the morons who have been going around and spamming stories with fake reviews. Not sure if it's a bot or what, but it's driving me nuts.**_

 _That's all for now, everyone. The next chapter will likely be up next Sunday, but I'll try to get it out faster. Until then, if you could favorite/follow the story (if you haven't already, of course) and review to leave your thoughts in the section below, I'd definitely appreciate it. I also answer questions left in the review section as well._

 _Thanks for being so understanding about my future hiatus and the slower updates these past few months. You all are the absolute best. Once I come back from my break, things should return to normal and RS will return to its weekly upload and weekend schedule._

 _ **In the meantime, you can choose which teaser scene from the next arc I will be revealing in the next next chapter! Go to my profile and choose from the list or just tell me in a review, I'm honestly not picky.** _

_I'll see you next weekend, with a brand new main character joining the cast and some more excitement in RS._

 _Stay safe and stay awesome._

 _Until next time, FlygonNick out!_


	73. A True Superstar!

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _I'm going to be completely straight up here. This chapter is a week late because I couldn't stop playing Persona V last week (or this weekend) when I should have been working on this last chapter._

 _Like, holy shit...Persona V is a really...really good game. I don't think I've binged on a game this hard in years. In fact, I'd probably say it cracked my Top 5 favorite games of all time. If you have a PS4, do yourself a favor and buy this game. Because I literally can't stop playing it._

 _Anyways, this is my last chapter before my break. I definitely need it, just so I can finish up my work study stuff and get things in order that have been put off for a while. Again, because I couldn't stop playing Persona V._

 _On top of that, I've been needing to carefully reread this story and make small tweaks and corrections that have been noted by both myself and readers alike. I do have many plans to refine the story, especially regarding into revisions and stuff. I doubt I'll actually have caught up to the current chapter by the time this story starts up again, but hey, better some progress than no progress._

 _Shoutout to those who have reviewed since the last update, which includes Moonlight Butterfree, Easyclap, Defender31415, the totem natu, Cottonmouth25, SonicIKE, sceptilezeno, BraviaryScout, Ways, and Sai Og Sus. Thanks for the support and feedback, everyone!_

 _You wanna know what Sun's fourth Pokémon is? Well, here you go!_

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 _Chapter 73: A True Superstar!_

* * *

"No way!"

"Yep. You wouldn't believe how mad she got. To this day, it's my proudest achievement!" Lana proclaimed with a giggle, glancing upwards as a few Wingull swooped overhead. Hau chuckled as he cast out his fishing rod again, sending it flying into the water. Lana sat beside him wearing a happy grin of delight, along with a faint blush as she regarded the Trainer that beside with her.

This was her first ever date with a boy. Needless to say, she was having a very good time. Lana had always been the shy type, not really being adventurous or brave enough to try dating once she became old enough for it. That didn't stop her family from bugging her about it. Especially her sisters.

Sarah and Harper must never know that this event had occurred. She'd never hear the end of it.

To that end, though, she was grateful that Hau was considerate enough of her feelings to give her a chance. It didn't matter that he didn't quite feel the same way towards her (yet). He was a great friend who cared about her, and the fact that he was giving her a shot meant more to her than she could say.

Now they were at one of Lana's favorite spots. Brooklet Hill had become a part of her life, ever since she had been chosen by Kahuna Olivia to become the Water-type Captain of the Trial Site. It was where she had tamed her own Totem Pokémon and had led Washua (Totem Wishiwashi) to victory against the previous Totem that had become unstable due to the strange energies that radiated from the Trial Site.

Brooklet Hill, much like many of the other Trial Sites, was special. In times past, they were known as battlegrounds where the Tapu would have incredible showdowns against monsters from another world. Legend had it that the energies that the Totem Pokémon could harness resulted from the ferocity of such battles from so long ago. Lana didn't think much of those stories, but just accepted that the places the Captains presided over were special.

"You two make the weirdest friends, though. Like, you're both on two opposite ends of the spectrum." Hau noted as he looked at Lana, not seeing that his pole had bobbed several times and that a Feebas had snuck away with his bait, which was now her lunch.

"We've always been like that, though. Mallow has...her quirks, and she can be really overbearing sometimes. But she's a true friend, through and through. No matter what, I can always count on Mallow being in my corner when things aren't looking good. She may seem like an airhead, but Mallow really does care about her friends." Lana said with warmth, smiling as she reflected on their odd friendship.

"Kinda reminds me of me and Sun and Lillie. I'm kinda just a cheerful guy. Lillie's quiet and shy and secretive. And then Sun is super mellow, but he's got this...determination about him. He's a different breed, that Sun." Hau remarked, smirking a bit as he reeled his rod in and discovered the cost of not paying attention to his fishing. "Oh, come on!"

"You've got to keep your eye on the prize." Lana teased the boy, even as her own rod twitched slightly and Lana hunched over, her eyes gleaming as she began the familiar process of reeling in her fishing rod. A minute of hard work later, Lana was rewarded with a large Magikarp that thrashed and cried out as she pulled it out of the water.

"Whoa! That's a big one!" Hau yelped, grabbing onto the edge of Lapras' back to ensure that he didn't fall over the edge while the large fish writhed in Lana's expert hands, which apparently could hold the fish no problem. Lana grinned at Hau with a rare confidence in her eyes.

"This isn't all _that_ big. You should try fishing at Vast Po…" Lana trailed off, her smile becoming a bit mischievous. "On second thought, I don't think I'll tell you my secret fishing spot. Not even Mallow knows that one."

"Oh come on, don't leave me hanging! We're friends! And on a date!" Hau protested, with Lana blushing at the mention of their 'date', but she shook her head, remaining firm.

"No can do." Lana said, tossing the Magikarp back into the water. "That would have made a wonderful stew, though."

"Ooh...Why'd you have to mention that? Now I'm hungry."

"You're always hungry, Hau." Lana pointed out.

"...Fair enough."

Hau re-baited his rod and cast it out again, with Lana catching another fish. This time it was a Feebas, which made Hau's jaw drop as Lana shut her eyes with a wide grin.

"How!? How do you keep doing this?" Hau demanded as he looked away, not seeing the Shiny golden Magikarp that has snuck up to where his bob was in the water and was quietly snacking on the bait without him noticing. Lana giggled as she unhooked the Feebas, patting it on the side.

"Years of practice. I've been fishing ever since I can remember." Lana remarked as she gently set the Feebas into the water before sitting back down, leaning backwards. She felt resistance and tensed, but remained still when she realized she was leaning against Hau. Lana felt heat rise in her face, but when she glanced at Hau she only saw him smile.

"Well, it's pretty dang impressive. It's like you've got the Pokémon here wrapped around your finger." Hau noted, with Lana smirking as she recast her line, sending it expertly into a new spot.

"Hardly. The Pokémon in the area recognize me for the most part and are willing to come to me if I need anything, but I can't control them or anything. It's more of a respect thing. They know I watch over this place and control the strongest Pokémon within Brooklet Hill. They see me take care of the Trial Site and instinctively know that I can be trusted to keep them safe." Lana explained as Hau reeled in his line and groaned in despair. Lana patted Hau on the back consolingly, earning a theatrical sigh in response.

"At least you're doing better than Mallow usually does." Lana said, trying to cheer Hau up, despite the fact that he was smiling. "She's awful at fishing."

"I can imagine. She probably doesn't have the patience for it."

"Nope. Every time I try to take her out to go fishing, she just turns the hangout into a gossiping party and tries to set me up on a date."

"In her defense, she did succeed at least once." Hau pointed out, surprising Lana with a hug from the side and making her squeak in surprise before leaning back and sighing softly as she relaxed, her face burning with embarrassment.

"Yes she did. I'll never give her the satisfaction, though." Lana chuckled, shutting her eyes and savoring the moment and her happiness. After a few moments, Hau let go of Lana and the two resumed their fishing, though Hau's curiosity was piqued by something.

"Hey Lana?"

"Yes?"

"Why do you like me so much?"

Lana blushed a bit deeper, and didn't answer right away. Her blushed grew when Hau shifted his position and sat closer to her, grinning at her.

"I promise I won't laugh."

"It's...embarrassing."

"So? Come on, I really want to know." Hau said sincerely, making Lana sigh and hunch her shoulders, shutting her eyes. She thought back to that day at Brooklet Hill a few months back. When Lana had failed in her duty as a Captain and had allowed a Trial-goer to go through a fate no Trainer should go through.

"Hau...I like you because you are a genuinely wonderful person. You are so infallibly good to the point where it makes me happy to be around you." Lana said softly, opening her eyes and looking over at Hau. "You're not perfect by any means, Hau. But you're like a ray of light in a very dark world. And you helped me smile at one of the worst times in my entire life."

"I just did what anyone would have done back then. Sun was there too, remember?" Hau remarked, with Lana nodding.

"True. But you know who stayed by my side and kept constantly trying to cheer me up, even when it was their friend who I hurt? You. Also, it was a friend you obviously had feelings for. I hurt her. And yet you still showed me so much kindness. And you never stopped checking in on me after that day. Asking if I was okay. Sharing tips on taking care of Bubbles. Reminding me that if I needed anything, you were a phone call or text away. You just...You care so much about your friends. You want everyone to be happy, and I admire that so much about you. You're a wonderful influence on my life and I can't help but feel drawn to you for that. Feelings developed along the way, and here we are." Lana explained to the Kahuna's grandson, who's expression turned thoughtful as he turned his attention back to his fishing pole. Silence reigned between the two Trainers, with Lana's blush becoming more and more pronounced as time went on.

Maybe she had said too much? Was this too far to go on their first date? Did she push him away with-

"Huh...And here I was, thinking it was my butt." Hau finally said, making Lana stare at him incredulously.

"I mean...There's that too."

"Thanks! Uh...Your butt is really nice too!"

"Ack!...Erm, t-t-shanks."

"No problem!"

And like that, a comfortable silence fell upon them again. Lana was blushing furiously, but she had a happy grin on her face while Hau simply looked amused and content. To her surprise, a huge explosion of water erupted forth from the lake, revealing a massive swirling mass of water and fish staring at her impassively before letting out a happy roar. Hau nearly fell off of the Lapras he was on before he realized that the monster in the water as a School Form Wishiwashi that he recognized.

"Washua! Were you spying on us?" Lana scolded the Totem Pokémon with a smile, who let out a small growl in response. Lana put her hands on her hips and said, "You know spying is rude!"

"Hi Washua! Howzit going?" Hau said to the Totem Pokémon, waving to it. The Wishiwashi collective growled a greeting to Hau before it suddenly began pulling back on Lan's fishing rod, making the Captain move forward slightly. Lana's eyes narrowed and the Captain smirked after a beat.

"Oh? You want to play? Very well!" Lana yelled out commandingly in a voice that made Hau actually shiver. "Come, my Totem! Let us battle!"

Hau stared at Lana in awe as she wrestled back and forth with the massive Wishiwashi, attempting to reel in the beast. The horrifying thing was that it seemed like a pretty even match-up, with Lana's sheer skill equaling out Wishiwashi's sheer power. However...Hau knew he could provide the edge for his date to win!

Hau hoped over to Lana and quickly hugged her from behind, placing his hands on top of hers. Lana squeaked in surprise at Hau's sudden embrace and was even more embarrassed that they were, in a way, holding hands. But then she realized he was helping pull her backwards and was a welcome assist in this war of wills.

"We shall win! We shall overcome! We shall...Uh...Lana help me out here!" Hau said to the Captain, who let out a battle cry.

"We shall protect this house!"

"What she said!"

* * *

Meanwhile…

* * *

"Whelp, my best friend is a total weirdo." Mallow muttered, lowering her binoculars slightly as Sun and Lillie exchanged a glance and then rolled their eyes in unison, with Sun going back to trying to figure out how the device he was fiddling with worked.

Sun didn't even want to try to understand the labyrinth of crazy that was Mallow's mind. But that said, he sincerely wanted to know how the hell the Grass Captain had placed a wiretap/listening device on Lana's phone. Even more pressing was how she did this and had no idea how to turn it on. She had entrusted the task to Sun, who had spent the better half of an hour trying to figure it out. Lillie had tried to help, but couldn't make heads or tails of it either.

"Yeah... _she's_ the weirdo. You're such a sweet and misunderstood girl, after all." Sun said sarcastically, making Lillie giggle and Mallow shoot him a look of such vehemence that Sun shivered and continued to fiddle with the device.

 _"Seeing you play with that thing is kinda sad."_ Rotom said unhelpfully from Sun's shoulder, making the boy glare at the device.

"Oh yeah? Let's see if you can figure this out, then." Sun said, passing the device to Rotom Dex jokingly. What he didn't expect was for Rotom to laugh mischievously before tapping the device once, making it glow purple before suddenly turning on.

 _"It just needed new batteries! Zzt! Howzzz that, Sunny Boy?"_ Rotom cackled as it perched itself on Sun's head while Lillie and Mallow just stared on in bewilderment.

"Man, that is one tricky Pokédex." Mallow noted as Sun shook his head, though he stopped when they picked up on Lana and Hau chatting.

"Yes! Victory!" Lillie proclaimed with a small fist pump that Sun thought was absolutely adorable. Lillie caught the smirk Sun sent her way and blushed bright pink, laughing nervously.

"This is perfect! Let's listen in on their dirty secrets!" Mallow crooned, rubbing her hands in delight.

 _"-pancake mix. It never washes out."_

 _"That's disgusting. And you never told Hala?"_

 _"Why would I?"_

 _"Mmm...Eh. Not my problem, I suppose. But going further than that...What's the most underhanded thing you've ever done? Like, seriously."_ Lana asked Hau, who coughed several times. Mallow grinned evilly while Sun and Lillie leaned closer to the device, interested in what Hau would have to say.

 _"Do...Do I have to tell you?"_

 _"Fair is fair, Hau. I told you my secret. One of them, anyway."_

 _"Fine...Alright, the most underhanded thing I've ever done...And you have to promise not to tell anyone. Not even Mallow...Especially not Mallow."_

 _"Deal...So tell me!"_

 _"I...I tried to sneak a peek at Lillie's diary once."_

Sun and Mallow both flinched while Lillie felt raw cold go through her body.

 _"The thing is, though, she's got this really strong lock on it. I tried to pick the lock, but I just ended up making a mess of it. Lillie came upstairs and saw me near her diary, and I lied and told her that Professor Kukui's Murkrow tried to open the diary because the lock was shiny. She believed me, but that still doesn't stop the fact that I tried to break the lock on her diary and read it, and then lied about it."_

 _"W-why would you try and do that Hau?"_

 _"Because I'm stupid. I was obsessed with trying to find any kind of information on Lillie that I could. She's so secretive and reserved, even though she's my best friend. That was ages ago, though...I've learned to respect people's privacy since then. Especially after the last time."_ Hau said with a resigned sigh. Sun and Mallow slowly turned towards Lillie, who had a thousand-yard stare towards the lake. For about ten seconds, anyway. And then…

"I'm going to murder him." Lillie said calmly, stepping down the path to the Trial Gate, blatantly ignoring the fact that she was walking through tall grass with no protection.

"Oh crap." Mallow muttered, running forward and grabbing Lillie's arm. However, the Princess would not be deterred and actually began to drag Mallow down the road. Needless to say, Mallow was shocked by this and threw a look at Sun.

"Dude, help me out here!" Mallow called to Sun, who raised an eyebrow.

"You're really having that much trouble holding her back? She's not a very physically strong person." Sun said, scratching the back of his head as he slowly walked behind them, listening to Lillie as she muttered a string of dark curses that she no doubt learned from Professor Kukui. Sun wondered if it was only because of incredible restraint that the man in question hadn't gotten in trouble for his vulgarity.

"Well, she's also pissed the hell off! Take it from a girl who's done it for year...Don't mess with someone's diary! Hau's gonna get it, unless we can hold back Lillie until she's calmed down!" Mallow pleaded with Sun, who sighed and walked forward. He put a hand on the girl's head and Lillie glanced at him with narrowed eyes.

"You better not talk me out of this, _mon beau héros_." Lillie said with a grunt, still dragging Mallow forward. It would only be a matter of time before they reached the lake and came within sight of Lana and Hau. At least Lillie had switched her dark mutterings to what Sun thought was Kalosian, but that just made him more confused. And somehow she managed to look cute the entire time!

"What have I gotten myself into?" Sun lamented with a small smile as the blonde-haired girl continued to drag a bewildered Mallow down the path, with Sun trying and failing to help in any way.

* * *

"So _that's_ why you love malasadas so much!"

"Yep. If you tell anyone that, though, I'll deny it."

"I understand completely." Lana said with a nod, smirking as Hau leaned against her.

"You know...I would absolutely be down with hanging out again. Whether it's a date or not." Hau said with a grin, making Lana look at him in surprise.

"R-really? You'd go on another date with me?" Lana asked with surprise, with Hau nodding.

"Yeah. It's nice to just spend some time relaxing with a friend, you know? Besides, the kind of relationship we have is different than the ones we have with the others." Hau said, with Lana giving him an odd look. "By that I mean you've got a crush on me."

"A-ah. Yes, you're right...Um, would you like to go on another date sometime? I really have enjoyed spending the day with you." Lana asked quietly, her voice holding some nervousness within it. That nervousness was dispelled as Hau suddenly crashed into her with a big hug, giggling.

"Sure! Next time, though, we're going to the beach! The peace and quiet is nice, but sometimes it's better to let loose and have a blast!" Hau proclaimed as he separated from Lana, who nodded in agreement. Going to the beach sounded like a really fun time. Especially if it was with Hau.

And then...

"HAU! I'M GOING TO SHOVE MY FOOT UP YOUR ASS!"

The entire are reverberated with the force of Lillie's yell at the boy, who squealed in horror and jumped, knocking Lana backwards off of the Lapras that they were both riding on and into the water with a yelp.

"Oh crap...Sorry Lana!" Hau called to the girl, who shot out of the water with a shiver before giving Hau an annoyed look. Hau looked over at Lillie, who was frantically pacing at the shore as Nebby happily bounced around her, having escaped the bag once again. "Whatever it is, it's not my fault!"

"You tried to read my diary, you son of a bitch!" Lillie shouted from the shore before shooting Sun a glare. "Give me your Ride Pager."

"Yes ma'am..." Sun muttered, handing the device to Lillie without a further thought. Meanwhile, Mallow giggled from the ground.

"Man, who really wears the pants in your relationship?" Mallow asked, propping her chin on up on her hands in the sand. Sun blushed bright red, but didn't answer. Meanwhile, Lillie tuned this out as she tapped away at the Pager, sighing angrily as it told her that it would be about ten minutes before a Ride Lapras would be able to transport her to Hau for an ass-kicking. Lana and Hau watched from further out on the lake, confused and bemused at the entire situation.

"Um...Did this ruin the date?" Hau asked with a worried expression on his face. Lana scrambled out of the water and clambered onto the Lapras, looking down at her drenched clothes with distaste. It was her usual outfit, but still!

"Good thing I wore my swimsuit anyway." Lana muttered as she quickly disrobed, taking off her drenched clothes and sitting down next to Hau in her trusty one-piece blue swimsuit. Lana glanced at Hau and saw that the boy was actually blushing. Lana gave him a confused look before Hau looked away, coughing.

"S-sorry. Didn't mean to watch." Hau said awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head. Lana blinked several times before realizing what he meant, and then blushing a nuclear shade of red.

Just then, Hau let out a scream of shock as a jet of water suddenly hit him in the back of the head, scaring Lana and making her topple back into the water yet again. Hau looked over his shoulder but saw nothing out of the ordinary.

"Man, I really suck at this." Hau remarked, putting his head in his hands. Lana shot out of the water again, spitting out water before giving Hau an amused smile, despite her flushed cheeks.

"No, Hau. I'm still having a wonderful time. I just...remind me to have a discussion with you about respecting personal space sometime." Lana said to Hau, who winced.

"I don't need the lesson. Lillie taught me that one real good." Hau responded with a shiver, remembering the kick to the groin the Princess had delivered to him for looking up her skirt that one time.

"You should probably head on over to the shore and talk with them." Lana said as she climbed back onto Lapras, with Hau sighing in response.

"You're right. I need to own up to my actions."

Needless to say, Lillie was furious. By the time Lana and Hau had reached the shore, the trio were in their swimsuits and Hau was chased by an angry Princess around Brooklet Hill with Oliver flying behind her for about half an hour before Oliver knocked Hau in the water repeatedly, screeching in horrifying delight. Hau was a shivering, dripping mess by the time he limped back to the main group with a very happy Lillie thanking the Dartrix flying by her for his hard work.

None of them saw the head that was sticking out of the water, watching the group with interest. After seeing the group get back together, his eyes drifted to the boy with gray eyes before it smirked in amusement, sinking back beneath the water.

* * *

A few hours later saw the group of five friends fishing out on the water. Or rather, Sun and Lillie sitting out on the water while Mallow made lunch. Hau and Lana decided to go to another part of Brooklet Hill and spend more time together, though in reality they were both taking a nap underneath the shade of a tree while cuddling with their baby Pokémon. Thankfully none of the others would see how adorable the scene was, but Mallow would have more chances in the future to torment the two young Trainer's budding romance.

"So, do you think Lana's any closer to Hau's heart? Like...be honest." Sun asked Lillie, who hummed thoughtfully beside him.

"I'd like to think so. Hau is a good person. A good friend. But whether or not he actually returns Lana's feelings? I can't answer that." Lillie said quietly, though she added, "I hope so though. They seem to balance each other out well."

 _"Which reminds me…"_ a voice spoke up from behind them, making the children jump. Brago gave both of them an odd look, but in their defense they had completely forgotten the canine had joined them on Lapras' back.

"What's up, Brago?" Sun asked the canine, who moved between Sun and Lillie and sniffed slightly.

 _"I was wondering whether or not you decided on a course of action. We lost to the Kahuna. What do you plan to do about that?"_ Brago asked Sun, who hummed again.

"Well, the main reason we lost was because Oliver had his freakout and I didn't have my head in the game. You and Penny did great and Oliver would have had the match won if Olivia didn't get mud on him." Sun explained to the canine, whose eyes widened to a horrifying degree.

 _"W-w-w-what?"_ Brago stuttered, absolutely surprised. Meanwhile in the area, Penny had looked skyward to where Oliver was leisurely soaring through the air above her. The Trumbeak narrowed her eyes in fury.

"Yeah...Olivia's Boldore was on its last legs before Olivia had it use Mud-Slap on Oliver. I mean, the attack shouldn't have worked at all, but because Oliver's a clean freak he went nuts and got knocked out. He wouldn't even dodge attacks because he was more concerned about getting clean then finishing the battle. He didn't listen to a word I said." Sun explained with a small sigh, looking away. He didn't see the look of absolute fury in the eyes of the proud Growlithe as he glared at the passing Dartrix.

 _"He will pay for this…Penny!"_ Brago barked to the Trumbeak, who had drifted closer to the group with wide eyes of shock at having listened to the conversation on how exactly Sun had lost to the Kahuna. Brago's words snapped her out of her surprise, and her eyes closed for a moment before she suddenly shot towards Oliver with a glowing beak and slammed into him, sending him tumbling through the air with a screech of pain.

 _"Aaaaagghh! What was that for!?"_ the Dartrix demanded as he righted himself in the air before Penny slammed into him again, sending him into the water.

 _"You vain idiot! After how hard we worked to take down the Kahuna's Pokémon, you went and blew it because you got your feathers dirty!?"_ Penny screeched as Oliver threw himself back out of the water, panting slightly. Oliver opened his mouth to respond when a jet of water suddenly smashed into him, sending him flying into the water again. All of them turned towards the source of the water, only to see something dive back into the water.

"What was that?" Lillie asked, confused.

"I couldn't tell." Sun admitted, looking at the spot for a few moments before shrugging and looking at Brago. "Well, to answer your question, I need to take a break. I was so stressed from the Cipher stuff I couldn't think straight. I also want to train everyone up a little more. I definitely want either you or Penny to evolve before fighting Olivia again. Maybe both of you. I'll leave that decision up to you, Brago." Sun said to the Growlithe, who shut his eyes.

 _"Soon. Not now, but soon."_ Brago said after a moment, opening his eyes as Oliver landed on the Lapras, drenched in water.

 _"Ingrates."_ Oliver hissed as he began to preen his feathers.

"That said, I meant what I said earlier. I need a new Pokémon. Something that can take on Rock-types with no problems." Sun said before he began looking around him. Brooklet Hill was a hotspot of Pokémon activity, wasn't it? It would be the ideal place to catch a new Water-type, which he didn't have yet.

"What's wrong, Sun?" Lillie asked her crush, who grinned.

"I'm gonna fish me up a new partner." Sun replied, pulling out his fishing rod.

" _Good. I was getting hungry anyway."_ Oliver said grumpily, making Brago grit his teeth in anger. The Growlithe inhaled deeply, making Oliver look at him in alarm. This was a mistake, because it meant he caught an Ember to the face, sending him screeching into the air as he flew through the skies while on fire.

 _"Putitoutputitoutputitoutputitoutputitoutputitout!"_ Oliver screamed as he flew above the water, forgetting that he could just dive into the water to resolve his situation. The group watched in amusement before they saw a high-pressure jet of water suddenly smashed into the Dartrix, helping extinguish the flames and making Oliver crash into some nearby shallows. Oliver stood out of the water, panting heavily, before his eyes narrowed.

"There it is again." Lillie said, glancing towards the source of the water and seeing a figure swimming below the water. After a few moments, the shadow beneath the water darted towards the rocks by the shore and leapt out of the water, revealing itself.

It was a small blue tadpole-like Pokémon, with expressive eyes and large pink lips. Its belly looked like a black and white spiral, with the creature having two small feet and a long tail behind it. Sun recognized the Pokémon, since it was also found in Kanto.

 _"Yes...Lunchtime is served."_ Oliver hooted with delight as he rushed towards the Pokémon, who rolled its eyes and fell back into the water. Sun held out a hand as Rotom Dex popped out of his backpack, with the device buzzing in delight.

 _"Yezz! Now I can actually do my job! Super long character arcs are gonna drive me outta businezz!"_ Rotom proclaimed as Oliver swooped nearby, searching for the Pokémon. Needless to say the owl was surprised when it suddenly shot of the water, smacked him several times in the face with its tail with a rather nasty-sounding Double Slap, and then fell back into the water with a laugh.

" _Poliwag. The Tadpole Pokémon._ _The swirl on its belly is its internal organs showing through. If the swirl is tinged white, that means it's affected by some disease. It's still not very good at walking. Its Trainers should train this Pokémon to walk every day."_ Rotom explained as the Pokémon shot out of the water again and landed on the shore, smirking at them.

 _"Cocky little...You're mine!"_ Oliver screeched, flapping his wings and releasing a wave of spinning leaves at the Poliwag, who's eyes widened in horror before the Tadpole Pokémon suddenly slapped the ground hard with its tail and kicked off of the ground, launching itself high into the air to dodge the super-effective attack.

"Are you just going to let Oliver fight like this?" Lillie asked Sun, leaning against him. Sun flushed a bit at the contact, smiling a little, but nodded.

"He needs to work on staying cool in battle. If that Poliwag gets the better of him, then he'll learn an important lesson." Sun said as the Poliwag soared through the air, even as Oliver dove at him with a glowing beak.

 _"You're mine!"_ Oliver screeched as the Poliwag smirked at him. Oliver then felt a spasm of fear as he saw the Poliwag's eyes glow blue, knowing exactly what it meant. It meant that he was diving headfirst into a Hypnosis attack.

The owl felt a wave of exhaustion roll through him as he wobbled in the air, screeching as he fought of the effects of Hypnosis. The Poliwag landed on top of the Dartrix as he struggled to stay awake in midair, laughing with delight before hitting Oliver with another Double Slap. The Dartrix toppled out of the sky as he finally fell asleep, though not before the Poliwag used him as a springboard to jump off of.

 _"That Poliwag has style."_ Penny noted as she watched the Tadpole Pokémon do several flips and twists in the air before diving back into the water. The group watched as Oliver crashed into the water, with Sun returning him as he floated to the water's surface, snoring softly. They were surprised when they heard a splash and saw the Poliwag leap out of the water, landing on top of the Lapras' head.

"Laaaaaa!" the Ride Pokémon cried out in protest, with the Poliwag smirking at them again.

"Poli! Pooli poli poli!" the Pokémon proclaimed before leaping off of the head of the Lapras and doing a somersault in midair before landing in the water. Sun stood up with a grin, looking over at Brago and Penny.

"I want that Poliwag." Sun said as he pulled out a Dive Ball out of his bag and looking towards the Poliwag as it hopped out of the water and landed on a nearby rock, smirking at them.

 _"He said he wanted a good fight, since the Dartrix couldn't provide him one."_ Penny remarked, looking at Sun. _"I'll fight him. It's a more even fight this way."_

 _"I don't exactly feel like going for a swim, so be my guest."_ Brago remarked, eyeing the water with distaste. Lillie giggled and patted the dog on the head, making Brago shut his eyes for a moment in contentment.

"Alright! You're mine!" Sun yelled to the Poliwag, who turned around and curled its tail inwards and outwards several times, essentially saying 'bring it on'.

"Penny, use Pluck!" Sun commanded the bird, who shot forward with a screech. The Poliwag seemed to become more serious, seeing that he was dealing with a Trainer and his Pokémon and not a furious Dartrix. The Poliwag leapt into the air to avoid the attack, aiming a Water Gun down at Penny, who unleashed an Echoed Voice to disrupt the attack and sprayed water everywhere.

 _"I just said I didn't want to go for a swim!"_ Brago snarled in annoyance, sitting down while Lillie sat pat his head. The Poliwag dove into the water but didn't stay there long, choosing to launch himself out of it and fire a jet of water at Penny. The Trumbeak was struck directly, but shrugged off the attack with a chirp.

"Echoed Voice!" Sun yelled out, with the Trumbeak releasing a blast of sound that the Poliwag dove into the water to dodge. Sun smirked and saw the shadow under the water move behind Penny.

"Do a 180 and use Echoed Voice on the water!" Sun commanded the bird, who did as ordered and released a large blast of sound as the Poliwag leapt out of the water, hitting it directly in the face and sending it hurtling back into the water with a yelp of pain.

"There we go!" Sun yelled out with a grin as Penny soared higher into the air, just in time to avoid the Poliwag launching itself out of the water with narrowed eyes. It attempted to smack Penny with its tail, but the Trumbeak dodged and smacked it in the side with her wing, sending the Poliwag tumbling onto the rocks nearby. The Tadpole Pokémon got to its feet with an annoyed huff before releasing a stream of bubbles at Penny, though the Trumbeak rolled her eyes and at Sun's command, dove through the bubbles with Pluck and easily popped the lot of them.

The Poliwag smirked again as its eyes glowed blue, but Penny was ready for this. The bird shut her eyes and continued forward, making the Poliwag let out a scream of horror before the speeding Trumbeak smashed into him, sending him tumbling away. Sun got to the shore from his Ride Lapras, hopping off of the Pokémon and readying a Dive Ball as he saw the injured Poliwag struggling to get up.

"Alright. Let's go!" Sun yelled, throwing the Dive Ball at the Poliwag-

Only to miss the mark completely, with the ball landing a good five feet short of the target.

Lillie stared at the spectacle for several moments before bursting into giggles. Brago and Penny were laughing as well, considering how terrible the throw was. Meanwhile Sun was blushing in embarrassment. "S-shut up! It wasn't that bad of a throw!" Sun yelled to the others, dismayed that even Lillie was laughing at him.

"Sun, I respectfully disagree." Lillie said as the Poliwag got to its feet, panting heavily. It spat a Water Gun at Penny, who flew into the air to dodge it. Sun scowled and pulled out a Poké Ball, stepping much closer to the Poliwag before throwing the ball. This time the Poliwag just dodged the ball, making Sun grit his teeth in anger.

"Oh come on!" Sun yelled out, making the others laugh even harder. The Poliwag slapped its tail against the rock and launched itself into the air, releasing a stream of bubbles as it did so. It landed on one of the larger ones like it was a platform and began spitting Water Guns at Penny, who had to flew erratically to dodge the blasts of water.

"Screw this!" Sun yelled as he pulled out another Poké Ball and hurled it into the air at the Poliwag. The ball soared way past the Poliwag, who laughed at Sun's failed attempt to hit him. However, what he didn't expect was Penny to intercept the Poké Ball and smack it as hard as she could with her wing, sending it hurtling into the Poliwag's face.

"Ooh! Penny's got a wicked spike." Lillie remarked as Brago winced, though they both watched with interest as the Poliwag was sucked into the Poké Ball in a stream of red light. The ball descended to earth and landed on top of the water with a plop, floating to the surface a few moments later. It twitched once...twice...three times...

 _Click._

"Alright...Gonna have to work on that." Sun muttered with a red face as he walked to the water's edge. Penny soared down to the water and grabbed the ball with her beak, bringing it to Sun.

"You were awesome out there. Thanks for the help with the Poké Ball." Sun said to Penny, petting the Trumbeak and receiving a happy chirp.

 _"I'm glad I could help, Trainer!"_ Penny said happily as she landed on the ground. Sun called Oliver back out and treated his injuries, the worst of which was just waking him up. He didn't actually suffer that much damage aside from that, though he was grumpy after being woken up.

 _"We will never speak of that."_ Oliver muttered as Sun examined the Poké Ball containing the Poliwag. Lillie and Brago had joined them on the rock face, with Lillie examining the Poké Ball with interest.

"Your fourth Pokémon. I wonder what this one will be like." Lillie mused as she looked at Sun, who looked back at her with a grin.

 _"Well, that one definitely enjoying showing off, with all those jumps and leaps and spins."_ Penny noted, ruffling her feathers.

 _"But on the other head, it was able to outsmart and outmaneuver Oliver. I believe we found a worthy addition to the team."_ Brago said with a satisfied nod. Sun seemed to agree, because he called out the battered Poliwag who took a step back in surprise as it materialized.

"Hey there. That was a great battle. Um...I'm going to take good care of you. Okay?" Sun said to the Poliwag, who considered the Trainer for a moment before glancing at the Pokémon behind the boy.

"Poli pol poli?"

 _"Yes."_ Brago answered right away, with the Poliwag looking back at the child. With a nod, the Poliwag stepped forward and smiled at Sun.

"Poli poli!" the Poliwag cried out, with Sun grinning at the enthusiasm. The boy treated the injuries of the Poliwag while Oliver gave the newest member of their party a glare. The Poliwag noticed this and blew several small bubbles before saying something to Oliver that the bird clearly didn't appreciate.

 _"You! You're the one who's been tormenting me!"_ Oliver snarled, flapping his wings and snapping at the newly-caught Poliwag, who smirked at him. Sun shook his head and put a hand on Oliver, shaking his head.

"He's our newest teammate, so play nice." Sun said as Rotom Dex landed on his head. "Rotom, you want to give me more info about our new friend?"

 _"Sure thing, buddy! Gimme one sec and...bing! Done!"_ Rotom yelled out gleefully, swooping past the newly-caught Pokémon.

 _"This Poliwag is male and has the Ability Damp. It is a Water-type. It currently knows the moves Water Sport, Water Gun, Hypnosis, Bubble, and Double Slap."_ Rotom explained as the Poliwag looked at the device in wonder before smacking it away with his tail. Rotom buzzed in pain and quickly flew behind Sun.

 _"He hit me! Sun, your newest Pokémon is a big meanie!"_ Rotom cried out, with Sun shaking his head in mock distress.

"Yeah, you're gonna get along with everyone just fine." Sun said to the Tadpole Pokémon, who just grinned at him. With that, the group began to make their way back to the Ride Lapras, with Penny and Oliver soaring back to the beach together while Brago and the Poliwag joined them on the Transport Pokémon.

"So, what are you going to name him?" Lillie asked Sun as the two sat back down on Lapras, with Sun's newest addition sitting in his lap. Sun looked at Lillie for a moment before slowly reaching over and grabbing her hand, making the girl blush. Despite this, she sidled closer to the boy and leaned against him with a happy sigh.

"How about Finn?" Sun said, looking down at the Poliwag. "Does that work for you?"

In response, the Poliwag hopped out of the boy's lap and walked to the edge of the Lapras. With a wide smile and a nod, the Poliwag fell backwards dramatically and swam towards the shore, though not before launching itself out of the water and high into the air, spinning and twirling through the air with grace before landing on the shore next to a surprised Lana, striking a pose as her hit the sand.

"I'll take that as a yes!" Sun called to the Poliwag, who looked at him with amusement.

"I take it this is your new friend?" Lana asked Sun as the group reached the beach. Sun nodded as he pet the Ride Lapras and thanked it for its help, handing it a Poké Bean before it swam away.

"This calls for a celebration! Welcome to the group, Finn! Beach slumber party!" Mallow proclaimed suddenly, hopping up and down on her feet. Everyone present sweatdropped for a moment before collectively shrugging. After all, it was better than heading back to the city in the middle of the night.

* * *

Finn couldn't sleep.

He tried, of course. But today had been far too exciting! He hadn't had a good battle in quite some time. So not only did he get that, but now he was going to get to go on a nice adventure with a bunch of interesting Pokémon. The Poliwag rolled to his feet and looked around the camp, seeing nearly everyone was asleep, save for Oliver. Thankfully the Dartrix held no ill will towards him about his antics earlier.

 _"Can't sleep?"_ Oliver asked softly, glancing towards the sleeping form of Sun. The Poliwag wondered why the bird did not sleep like the others. Was he on guard for something? Or maybe he was nocturnal? He knew some Pokémon were like that.

"Yep. I'm excited! It's not everyday you get caught!" Finn said to Oliver, who raised a wing to his beak and hissed.

 _"Not so loud! The children sleep."_ Oliver said softly, glancing again towards the children in question. Sun was cuddled next to Brago and Penny, while Lillie was hugging a strange cloud-like Pokémon that gave off a weird aura Finn couldn't place. Finn looked at them for a few moments before looking back to the Dartrix and nodding.

"Of course. So...what can I expect from him?" Finn asked the owl, who chuckled.

 _"You'll learn soon enough. You're in good hands though. The boy, Sun, is strong. He has a good heart as well. He'll take good care of you, so long as you take care of him in turn."_ Oliver said with some fondness in his voice, chuckling softly. Finn looked at the bird for a moment before smirking.

"Is that so? Well, looks like I have even more to get excited about...Heh! I think I'm gonna swim and burn off some of this energy." Finn said with a grin to Oliver, who simply nodded in reply.

 _"Yell if you need anything."_ Oliver said to the younger Poliwag, receiving a nod in response before Finn went scurrying off towards the water a short distance away, tumbling through the underbrush with a grimace. He was far more graceful in the water than he was on ground.

However, he stopped when he realized that he could hear voices up ahead. Crouching and slowing his pace, the Poliwag carefully made his way through the grass and when he came within sight of the water's edge, felt pure shock hit him.

At the water's edge was a cloaked woman with black hair, as well as what was undoubtedly the Guardian Deity of Akala Island, Tapu Lele. The god shimmered a faint pink as it floated off of the ground, pink dust wafting through the air.

Finn watched with a curious expression as the cloaked woman and the Guardian Deity approached the water, both of them looking towards the sky. The Poliwag glanced back at its new Trainer in the distance before looking at the duo ahead of him and quietly began to sneak towards them, stopping at a spot not too far away but close enough to where it could hear them.

"I heard you had a few intruders the other day." Zinnia asked Tapu Lele, who nodded after a moment.

" _They were nothing. I had fun painting my walls with their blood. The bodies were easy to deal with, since I just had to strip them of their equipment and give some of my children a nice feast on the bodies. My Kahuna dealt with the rest."_ Tapu Lele explained as it floated off of the ground, giving the Lorekeeper a glance.

" _What of you? How goes the investigation?"_ The deity asked, with Zinnia scowling in annoyance.

"Not well. The Anomaly is a wily one, alright. I sensed it at this lake, but it could be the strange pulses these Trial Sites give off. Actually, there are many places in Alola that give off these strange auras of energy. Do you know what they are?" Zinnia asked, receiving an ethereal giggle from Tapu Lele.

" _Of course. I remember those times well. However, you haven't quite earned that level of trust, my friend. After all, you still wander these lands in search of meaning. Even your chase after the Anomaly is an excuse to fight and travel while you seek a reason to live. A reason to continue, after you were so badly let down during the rise of Rayquaza all those years ago."_ Tapu Lele said mockingly, making Zinnia clench her fists in fury.

"The only reason I'm taking this is because I know you'd tear my inside out if I tried to attack you." Zinnia said some ice in her voice, making Tapu Lele laugh even harder. Zinnia scoffed, shaking her head. "You're a terrible protector of this island."

" _You sound like Koko."_ Tapu Lele remarked, its giggling dying down after a moment. " _It goes on and on about protecting those who live on our islands, even though it's so fickle. I refuse to bow down to the whims of such pathetic beings anymore. We have spent centuries bowing and scraping to humans, coming to clean up their messes. I'm going to indulge myself a little and finally have some fun with those who wish for my blessing and protection."_

Zinnia offered the god a disgusted look before averting her gaze. "Do whatever you want. You always do anyway."

" _Did I make you upset?"_

"No, you just me sick. You remind me that in the end, for all of our worship and sacrifice, the gods care little about us mortals. But I'm not exactly clean either, so can I really judge? Is that why we're friends?" Zinnia asked carelessly, waving a dismissive hand as Tapu Lele giggled.

" _You'll find your path sooner or later. I could tell you what the future holds, but I think you'll be more annoyed than anything else. It's more fun to watch you squirm anyway."_ Tapu Lele remarked as its eyes flashed pink, a fiery aura burning from them after a few moments. Zinnia shivered as the powerful being used its powers, making the air distort around it. The Guardian Deity of Akala Island then gasped in surprise before suddenly bursting into laughter that made Finn wonder if he should just run back to his Trainer. He had heard that the Guardian Deities of Alola were supposed to protect them all, and were to be revered. Tapu Lele was... _terrifying_. And he wasn't exactly a Pokémon that scared easily, mind you.

 _"Oh my...That's hilarious."_ Tapu Lele chortled, swaying in the air for a moments before floating in front of Zinnia.

"What is?" Zinnia asked the god, who just laughed even harder.

" _I'm going to have a guest come visit me. And I'm going to have a lot of fun with them. There's more!"_ the deity remarked as its eyes glowed with fire. " _Cipher...Ultra Beasts...I haven't had a peek into the future like this in awhile! I'm going to have all kinds of fun in the next few months!"_ Tapu Lele laughed, practically rubbing its hands together in delight.

"You really are a shitty god." Zinnia said with a smirk, earning a cackle of delight from Tapu Lele.

" _I protect the island. But I also do it my way, on my own terms. I haven't let the people down yet, after all, even if they let me down."_ Tapu Lele retorted with a ethereal chuckle, floating down to the ground.

" _I saw your future too, Zinnia. You'll find your path. It's pretty ironic, too, that you find happiness and purpose on the very same path that led you to despair."_ Tapu Lele said to the Lorekeeper, who crossed her arms and gave the Pokémon a disappointed look.

"I'm down this path because I spent my life thinking I was the chosen one for some giant asshole of a green dragon. If you're telling me that I'm gonna deal with more of that, then kindly go to hell."

" _What's hell?"_

"I'll tell you later."

" _Or you could tell me now!"_

"Explain my future then."

" _...Maybe I'm better off not knowing."_

"See, this is why the other deities don't like you."

Tapu Lele huffed and floated high into the air, not looking amused at that. " _Fine. I can see I'm not wanted. If that's all for now, I'm going to go investigate some rumblings I saw through my sight. If there's even a remote chance of the Blinding One making a reappearance, I want to be ready for a fight."_ Tapu Lele said to the Dragon-type Trainer, who frowned again.

"The...Blinding One?" Zinnia asked, confused. Tapu Lele giggled again, making Finn shiver slightly. He had no idea what this 'Blinding One' was exactly, but the mere name sent shivers down his spine.

" _Yes. I'm sure you'll encounter him sometime. Or not. What happens, happens."_ Tapu Lele remarked cryptically before it suddenly vanished in a whirl of pink dust, making Zinnia cough slightly. The Lorekeeper glared into the sky before she suddenly collapsed onto the ground, kicking up her legs.

"Damn the gods." Zinnia hissed, shutting her eyes. "Even while trying to hunt down a inter-dimensional monster from beyond space and time, I'm still nothing more than a plaything of fate...But she wasn't wrong. I'm aimless...adrift. I need _purpose._ "

It wasn't too long after that when the Lorekeeper fell into a fitful sleep in the sand, with Finn staring at her in curiosity for a long while. It considered waking the woman up, but upon reflection it realized that was a bad idea. That woman was powerful, and if she could speak so casually to the Guardian Deity of the island than she was to be respected.

Finn silently crept back through the grass and made his way back to camp, his mind racing. Granted, it didn't understand a lot of what was going on, but it understand enough to know that bad things were coming to its home. And that in order to survive the upcoming hardship ahead, he and his newfound comrades would have to get stronger. That was just how life was, after Poliwag smirked to himself as he returned to the campfire, where he saw his Trainer sitting besides the Dartrix, Oliver, with a worried expression on his face.

Finn had a feeling that becoming a trained Pokémon would be a pretty fun challenge.

The Poliwag then watched as Hau suddenly sat upright, wide-awake.

"Hold on a sec. How did Lillie know that I tried to read her diary? And why was everyone here in the first place?" Hau asked no one in particular before suddenly collapsing back onto his sleeping bag, asleep. Finn watched the human for a bit longer before rolling his eyes and finding a spot to sleep, watching his Trainer burst into giggles while the Dartrix by his side shook his head in bemusement.

* * *

 **End of Act 2**

 **Repercussions**

* * *

 _And that's the end of this Act (I changed it from Arcs to Acts, because I liked it better). It was definitely a long one, but hey that's how it rolls._

 _Act 1: Introductions - Chapters 1-28_

 _Act 2: Repercussions - Chapters 29-73_

 _Well, it's more like how I roll. Again, this is part of the many revisions I'm making to the story._

 _Q & A_

 _From: The totem natu_

 _Hello, Flygon. Natu here. I was thinking that because of the avalanche of ralts eggs I'm getting in ULTRA MOON, I would ask this: Do you think it's a good idea for Sun to get a ralts on his team? A ralts has a pretty good type combo, psychic and fairy, can learn teleport, evolve rather fast, and I have an absolutely OP gardevoir on my team, so it can evolve into a strong pokemon. This is just an idea, though. Do what you want! (Great story, too. If this could get published, I think you would instantly be a millionare.)_

 **If I could actually catch a Ralts in Sun and Moon, I'd probably go with one for Sun's team. However, I want Sun's entire team to be something that anyone could recreate in their own playthrough of** **Pokémon Sun and Moon.** **There are so many factors gameplay-wise and story-wise that I take into consideration for creating Sun's team. Take for instance choosing Poliwag and it's future evolutions, for instance.**

 **I originally wanted Sun to have an Araquanid on his team, since it's pretty good and is a unique Alolan** **Pokémon. However, the plan was always to have Sun lose to Olivia. How would having an Araquanid, a Pokémon who's weak to rock, help him win the next time?**

 **Same thing with Gyarados. He could have caught a Milotic, but you can't possibly get a Prism Scale in the games without having to go to Ula'ula Island or Poni Island, which can't happen in game. I ran into that same problem with a lot of other Pokémon in Sun and Moon. They just evolved way too late into the story, and I want Sun to have a mostly evolved team by the time certain events rolled around. Hence why I went with Poliwag for Sun, in the end.**

 _From: sceptilezeno_

 _So... You're gonna have Sun eventually get Zygarde 100% right? I swear a Sun Zygarde battle would be so incredible. Well, see you after the hiatus! And guud job with that test!_

 **Thanks! And I can't spoil it, but I do have some cool plans for Zygarde, who will have some more prominent in this next Act. Yeah, it's sort of fallen by the wayside, but then again...After you get the Zygarde Cube, does it really have any purpose in the game after that point?**

 **It'll be cool, what happens in the end with it. Trust me.**

 _From: the totem natu_

 _Erm... hi. (Again.) I have one other question. That question about Damien I posted in the previous chapter might have been a little dumb to ask. So here is a random, simaler question. Damien likes Sun. But Borlath dissaproves of Sun wanting to be a trainer. If he found out about Oliver, Penny, and Brago, I bet a shiny Hoe-oh feather he won't take it very well... at all. Oliver has his own version of "Intiminate", but it most likely won't scare Mr. Anti Smiles into not wanting to kill him. If "painting a wall with an owl's blood" is Damien's order, seriously, will the betrayel happen?_

 **Oh, Borlath won't be happy about it at all. That said, he'll also be pissed once he figures out Amber nearly killed his son back on Melemele Island.**

 **However, Damien betraying Ashton...That's an interesting idea. Whether or not he'd be willing to defy a command or flat-out turn on his Trainer is something only time can reveal.**

 _With that, however, I will be taking a nice long break from the story. These delays have been annoying the hell out of me, and I've been needing to set aside time for work-related stuff as well as other minor writing-related things for some time, so I'm doing that now before things pick up again story-wise._

 _ **The hiatus will be for about two and a half months at least, so around Christmas. At the most, I'll probably be waiting to post a new chapter until the new year starts up again. Yeah, that's a really long wait, but on the other hand, I also need a good chunk of time to work on some other things and shift gears for a bit.**_

 _ **With that, I'll leave you all with a special teaser from the next act. As always, thanks for supporting the story! Please drop a favorite/follow if you haven't already and leave a review in the section below and let me know your thoughts.**_

 _ **In particular, I do have a few questions for my readers. What was your favorite part of the Second Act of Radiant Sun? What parts stuck out the most to you? What are you most looking forward to seeing in the future? I'd love to hear what you all have to say!**_

 _I'll see you all in a few months. I'm always a message away on this site, if you feel like sharing your thoughts with me or have questions you don't feel like leaving in the review section._

 _Take care, everyone. Stay safe and stay awesome, and thanks again for supporting the story._

 _Until next time, FlygonNick out!_

* * *

 **A glimpse of what is to come…**

* * *

Amber glanced back at Dawson, who stared at her with an unreadable look in his eyes. As idiotic as she found the man, she couldn't dispute the fact that he was at least a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield. He wasn't one who relied solely on his Pokémon team, which made him a rare commodity amongst most Trainers nowadays. Even within Cipher, only half of their Admins could be relied on in an actual fight, including Amber herself.

But that didn't distract her from the fact that Dawson had become increasingly distrustful of her. He had complained more than once to Borlath himself of how Amber took things too far and went against orders, which wasn't exactly true, nor was it entirely false. Amber did what was necessary, and didn't really care if what she did didn't mesh with everyone's plans. That said...she hadn't really cared in quite some time now.

"Can I help you with something?" Amber asked the man, who crossed his arms. Avis shuffled her wings from behind the assassin, glancing around the beach at the few passerby some distance away. Thankfully for them, even Heahea City and it's beautiful beach had a lull in activity within the dead of night, allowing those with looser morals to come from the depths.

Dawson sighed, shaking his head before putting a hand to his forehead. "Not really, I just...I don't get you."

"And...What? Is that supposed to be a problem?" Amber asked.

"Like it or not, we're supposed to be figuring out this Alola shit together. We can't trust that masked jackass, so it's just the two of us. Just...work with me here! How can we expect this to work if we have no relationship or trust?" Dawson asked Amber, who shrugged.

"You're really barking up the wrong tree, Dawson. Trying to expect emotional investment from someone who can't feel anything is pointless." Amber responded, turning around and facing the ocean again, unable to see the confusion in Dawson's eyes.

"Can't...Wait, what do you mean 'you can't feel anything'?" Dawson asked Amber, receiving silence instead. Dawson turned to Avis for an answer, getting a soft sigh in response from the Xatu.

 _"It's as she said. Amber cannot feel most emotions. It's the main reason she is so...aloof."_ Avis tried to explain, a pained expression on the bird's face.

"What do you mean you can't feel most emotions? Everyone feels _something_. Even crazy or evil people feel emotions." Dawson said to Avis and Amber, making the assassin look back at him with a smile that held no warmth or coldness to it.

"That's true, Dawson. But I don't. I know what it's like to feel those emotions and I recognize they exist, but I can't feel them personally. I can feel a few things, but for the most part I just...feel empty. It's a terrible existence, as you can imagine. The only positive thing I can get out of this awful life is amusement." Amber explained dully, shrugging after a moment.

"Amusement?"

 _"Amber, you don't have to talk about this to an idiot."_ Avis said to her Trainer, glaring at Dawson. The man scoffed and put his hands behind his head.

"I'm not an idiot. Well...Based on that and some musings I've heard from some of the others, I imagine that there's a reason you can't feel most emotions." Dawson said to Amber, who nodded before looking directly at Dawson.

"How about this? I'll answer any one question you have truthfully, no matter what it is. It's been a long day and we have much to do over the next few weeks if we want to capture a Champion." Amber said to the mercenary, who smirked for a moment.

"Well, as much as I'd like to ask something wildly inappropriate, I'm going to be smart about this. Man...any question, huh?" Dawson muttered, putting a hand to his chin and smirking slightly.

" _Any_ question. You are right that we need to work together, and that some level of trust is important." Amber responded with a small tired sigh.

"Alright…" Dawson shut his eyes, thinking about it. Anything he could ask about the strange assassin that claimed not to be able to feel most emotions. Such an odd thing to proclaim. Everyone felt something, after all. Maybe that was why some of the others called her 'broken'.

That said, he definitely wanted to learn more about her. She was a fellow Admin and it was a good idea to be on the good side of someone who could easily kill you with no qualms. Just one question though...he had to make it a good one.

It took some time for Dawson to find a question that was good enough for him. Amber hadn't moved from her spot, and neither had the loyal Xatu that remained by her side. By the time Dawson had found the question he wanted to ask, the the first wisps of sunlight were beginning to peak out from the horizon, illuminating a pitch black sky.

"What is your greatest fear?" Dawson finally asked, crossing his arms with a satisfied smile. Amber gave him an odd look, as did Avis.

"My greatest fear?" Amber echoed, with Dawson nodding in response.

"Yep. What is the one thing you fear most in the world?" Dawson replied, nodding slightly. "That's what I want to know."

"My greatest fear...Hmm. That's a simple question with a simple answer. But I do have to ask a question for your question. Why ask that question, of any that you could have asked?" Amber responded, earning a grin from from Dawson.

"Because fear is powerful. It can be an incredible motivator, you know? I mean...Take me for instance. My greatest fear is the ocean. Well, drowning to be specific, but the ocean scares me." Dawson admitted, looking out at the sea with a faint scowl. "It's been over ten years, but I still hate the ocean and Team Aqua for what they did."

 _"And what exactly was it that they did?"_ Avis asked, her curiosity piqued. She could tell Amber's was as well, but said nothing.

"Heh...They tried to flood the entire world, the idiots. It was bad all over the world, but in Hoenn it was a nightmare. Torrential flooding and storm surges...I was at the beach with my little brother at the time. Use your imagination for what happened next." Dawson said, his voice a hate-filled growl.

"You and your brother were caught in the raging waters. You survived, he didn't." Amber guessed, with Dawson nodding.

"I used to be scared of water for a while. But I conquered my fears and realized that Team Aqua did this to me. Anger came after that, and I decided to make it my mission to punish them for their crimes, since the world as a whole deemed fit to forgive them." Dawson said, his smile becoming darker. Amber knew why, of course. Dawson had been able to single-handedly kill about half of Team Aqua, including both Admins within the group, before Borlath had recruited him into their group.

"I never figured you would be the righteous anger sort of person." Amber noted, realizing that Dawson wasn't quite what she thought he was.

"Me either. I'm not a good person. But I'll be damned if any psychotic bastards try to destroy the world just to fit their needs. It's why I joined Cipher, after all. To put them all down and protect this world. It's all worth it in the long run." Dawson explained with a grim smile, earning a small nod of from Amber.

"Alright. I can actually respect that. Now, onto your question. What is it that I fear most in the world? Considering I don't actually _feel_ fear...Well, I guess it doesn't matter." Amber mused before shaking her head and looking at an expectant Dawson.

"What I fear most in the world is Hazel." Amber finally answered, shutting her eyes as a small smile crept onto her face, with Avis shivering slightly in response to the name.

"Who?" Dawson asked, confused, though Amber ignored him as she shared a knowing look with Avis. The Xatu shut her eyes tight, as if trying to suppress a bad memory.

"Yes, it'd definitely have to be Hazel. That Gothitelle...Even if she's gone now, I can't help but wonder if I could escape her again if she were to somehow come back." Amber remarked with soulless smile.

 _"Hazel...I haven't heard that name in years."_ Avis whispered, opening her eyes and folding her wings. Amber acknowledged her partner with a nod before turning to a confused Dawson.

"I hope that answered your question and makes you a little less unwary of me. If it doesn't, then...I don't really care either way." Amber remarked with a smirk before she and Avis teleported away from the beach, leaving Dawson alone in the sand.

"Gothitelle? A Gothitelle is what she's scared of the most? Just who the hell is Hazel?" Dawson muttered, staring at the spot where the assassin and the Mystic Pokémon had vanished into nothingness. The mercenary from Hoenn shut his eyes for a moment before plopping down onto the sandy beach and smirking to himself as he looked at over the shimmering ocean, moonlight dancing off of the shifting tides below it. How he hated the ocean, but he refused to be ruled by it. He'd make the world a better place in his own way, and it would continue with their plans in Alola.

"What on earth did I get myself into?" Dawson wondered aloud as he laid back into the sand, adjusting his hat and deciding that now would be a good time for a nap and some self-reflection.

* * *

 **To Be Continued in Act 3…**

 **Retaliation**


	74. The Price of Evil

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _Howdy. It's good to be back._

 _I hope everyone's had a nice fall and a Happy Holiday season. Mine was pretty good, and I'm excited as hell to get back into the story now that I've had a good long break from things._

 _Some quick-fire comments before we roll on with this AN._

 _The Detective Pikachu movie looks absolutely amazing. Ryan Reynolds is the only man who could pull off Pikachu in that manner, and I cannot wait to see this movie next summer. Expect a reference sometime in the near future._

 _Pokémon Let's Go (Eevee)...Was actually pretty fun. Definitely an enjoyable romp through Kanto and probably the most fun I've had in the region ever. They definitely made the effort to give the region some life and personality, and those who have a Nintendo Switch but haven't gotten it yet absolutely should. It's not a core title, no, but it was never advertised as such. It's just a fun showcase and was done to introduce casual Pokémon GO fans to the main series. I can attest to this, because my dad bought the special edition Pikachu Nintendo Switch that comes with Let's Go Pikachu._

 _Oh, and Smash Ultimate is amazing. I'd definitely be a lot more ahead than I am now if that game wasn't eating up a huge amount of time for me. Oh yeah, and Joker from Persona V is confirmed for the first DLC pack for the game too. **Yes, I was very happy when I found that out.**_

 _Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes_ _Ulysses Quanta,_ _Defender31415, SonicIKE, RC-DA, Cottonmouth25, BraviaryScout, sceptilezeno, Dario Flaman, Ways, Sai Og Sus, the totem natu, a Guest reviewer, Zombiesguy115, a new Guest reviewer known as Red Foxes 4 Life, as well as 2 new reviewers known as trevhall19, and AndieFlare._

 _This story got a lot of favorites and follows since the last update, so major thanks to those who did that while I was away. It definitely makes my day seeing more people joining in on this wacky adventure._

 _Anyways, enough rambling! Onto the story!_

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 **Pokémon Radiant Sun**

 **Act III**

 **Retaliation**

* * *

 _Chapter 74: The Price of Evil_

* * *

"Faba, I really don't think that was necessary!"

"That's _Branch Chief Faba_ to you, Miss Wicke!"

Colress looked up from his morning cup of coffee (Komala Coffee, to be precise), bemused as both Aether Foundation members burst into the break room, both looking agitated. Faba scowled in annoyance as he whirled around to face the purple-haired woman and glared her down.

"It was my place to punish them, not yours. I don't care what their reasoning was, I will not permit such unprofessional behavior at a facility such as this!" Faba stated angrily, with Miss Wicke putting her hands on her hips.

"Being Branch Chief doesn't make you a god, _Elias_." Wicke said with a disgusted look, making Faba stomp his foot in annoyance.

"That's _Aether Branch Chief Faba_ to you! Don't you ever use my real name, Miss Wicke! Or I'll have you thrown out off this island faster than you can say 'the'," Faba declared, earning a confused look from Wicke.

"'The'?"

"Yes. It's a word that's very quick and easy to say. That's how easily I can get you fired from here." Faba stated smugly, crossing his arms and walking away from the woman who was just blinking in bewilderment at Faba's statement.

"You two are certainly an interesting pair. How have you not strangled each other yet?" Colress asked out of genuine curiosity, taking a swig of coffee.

"Because I value my job more than I value Faba's life." Miss Wicke muttered dryly, making the scientist from Unova choke on his drink as he laughed mid-sip.

Faba grinned haughtily in response, ignoring Wicke's remark and putting a hand on my chest. "Because I am the Branch Chief of the Aether Foundation and head of the island's Research and Development Team. I can basically control who lives and dies."

"And yet you still need my help using the stapler." Wicke remarked as she sat down in one of the armchairs in the break room they were in. Faba scowled while Colress smirked at that.

"That's exactly why I have peons like you and some of the others. Such menial tasks are beneath a man of my brilliance." Faba retorted, with Miss Wicke rolling her eyes.

"I see. So, what exactly happened? You both seemed relatively amicable this morning. Was there an incident?" Colress asked, earning a long-suffering look from Miss Wicke while Faba smiled nastily.

"It was nothing, really. I simple punished two unprofessional employees who were slacking instead of doing their job. I went easy on them." Faba responded, with Wicke shooting him an angry glare.

"You caught a husband and wife exchanging a brief kiss while they were standing close to your office, so you demoted the both of them and stuck them on janitorial duties for the next three months." Wicke explained angrily, making Colress raise an eyebrow.

"That's definitely uncalled for." Colress agreed as he looked at Faba. The man shrugged in response.

"What's done is done. Maybe that'll teach them a lesson about professionalism in the workplace. If not, then too bad. I hope they like scrubbing toilets." Faba said with a chuckle, making Wicke sigh in response.

"No, that definitely seems uncalled for." Colress remarked after a moment.

"Well it sure is a shame that you have absolutely no say in how we run things. You're here as my guest. Nothing more." Faba said sneeringly to Colress, who smiled back at him.

"A guest who's helped with the Purification Chamber just as much as you. You really don't need to act like this to everyone...sir." Wicke said tiredly after Faba gave her a look. "If you're trying to see who's a bigger jerk between you and Colress, then this is a pretty unfair contest."

"I disagree." Colress said with a soft chuckle, before adding. "I've got a few hundred innocent deaths under my belt. Even if you can be rather trying at times, you are not evil Faba, nor do you have the capacity to be. You lack the spine for it." Colress responded, making Faba blink twice in response.

"However, I do have the capacity for true evil. If I felt like it, I could destory this entire island along with everyone on it and not feel any remorse for my actions." Colress said, taking a sip of coffee while Faba and Wicke exchanged a glance of surprise and horror. Colress continued with, "However, it is because I choose to walk the path of good despite everything that matters the most. Our choices in life are what shape our character. Nothing else. I, for one, have chosen the path of redemption in order to find the answers to my questions. I hope that this path will help me in solving some problems with my character, primarily my general apathy."

Faba nodded after a moment. "I agree to an extent. After all, my many successes have shaped me into the genius I am today. And it was my success with the Orre Pokémon HQ Lab that has allowed me to make the strides I have with the Purification Chamber these past few months, after all. Years of clawing my way through the fields of science, politics, and being a stepping stone for those who do not understand the greater meaning and sacrifices that must be made in the name of science. However, thanks to my ambition, I have rose through the ranks of the world and achieved a position that is befitting a man of my genius. And if we stay on our current course, I will become only more famous and renowned as a result of our experiments with Pokémon Purification!"

"That was an amazing story. Truly we are blessed." Miss Wicke said in a completely dead voice. Faba ignored her while Colress choked on his coffee, hitting his chest repeatedly as he coughed in pain.

"I don't need this!" Faba declared before turning on his heel and sweeping out of the room. Wicke and Colress exchanged a glance before bursting into laughter.

Meanwhile, Faba was quickly making his way down the hall to the central elevator. Before long he was descending into the depths of the Aether Paradise and strutting into Secret Lab A. Why they were named this was beyond him, but it was a decision out of his hands so he just ignored the lazy name scheme. He was now far away from the mindless peons that annoyed him so, and was now in a place where science was hard at work creating unimaginable marvels.

Two scientists were standing beside a mechanism, looking down into it with interested expressions while they muttered to themselves, with one of them tapping notes rapidly down on a data pad. Neither noticed Faba as he walked over to them, looking down at the objects of interest with a small smirk.

"Six months of hard work...Heh. Truly I am a genius." Faba whispered as he beheld the fruit of his labors.

Reflected in his gaze were two white orbs held in place within a small machine, both of which were made a material that looked similar to glass. However, within the balls was a swirling black smoke-like substance that crackled with purple and blue electricity every now and then. The orbs were also of different sizes, with one of them being about the size of a marble and the other being the size of a apple. However, they both radiated a sense of barely-contained power that all three of them could feel, even now. They had a strange ethereal beauty to them, Faba thought.

The Branch Chief reached forward and placed his pointer finger on the smaller of the two orbs, shivering as he felt a thrum of energy tingle through him before he moved his hand away, grinning widely in excitement.

"All reports conclude that they are stable, after removing and returning them to the holding mechanism as per your orders, Branch Chief Faba." The female scientist said as Faba glanced at her, earning a nod from the man.

"Excellent. We'll inform the President of this development. With any luck we can test the larger of the two orbs at a promising site and see whether or not our hypothesis was indeed correct." Faba remarked, stroking his goatee. "A world beyond our own...Heh! I can't wait to see how this furthers my legacy."

Faba didn't have to wait long for Lusamine to show up. The President of the Aether Foundation walked through the door with elegance, her heels clacking as she entered the room with a cool, calculated expression on her face. Faba led her over to the mechanism holding the two orbs.

"Project Mohn seems to have reached its most important phase yet, ma'am. We've ran and reran tests regarding the energy left behind several months ago, after Cosmog used its powers to escape the Aether Paradise with your daughter." Faba began, with Lusamine's eyes narrowing slightly. Faba continued. "Thanks to our efforts, we were able to harness the energy that lingered within the area after it used it's powers. We've also gathered the leftover energy we had contained from Cosmog when it was in containment. The results of those efforts lie in front of you in the form of those two orbs, code-named 'Ultra Spheres' by myself."

"By channeling the power of Cosmog, in the form of the energy we've harnessed so far, we should be able to open a portal to the Ultra Space by utilizing the spheres we've created from it's powers. Once we reclaim Cosmog, we should be able to create more of these with greater ease. That or chance upon a site where Cosmog has used its powers, but that's incredibly unlikely." Faba explained as Lusamine stared hungrily at the orbs, reaching forward and pressing her palm against the larger of the two orbs.

"If we capture Cosmog, we won't have to worry about using these Ultra Spheres to create an Ultra Wormhole to the Ultra Space. We can force Cosmog to rip open a Wormhole that we can simply travel through ourselves. However, given our lack of resources, this is a wonderful substitute and will greatly assist in plans for when we do reclaim Cosmog. After all, once we know how to generate an Ultra Wormhole...we only need the power to keep one open for a longer period of time. How long do you think the Wormhole would remain open if we used one of these Ultra Spheres?" Lusamine asked Faba, who put a finger to his chin thoughtfully.

"The smaller one would create an incredibly small Ultra Wormhole, no bigger than the size of the other orb, in all honesty. That would be for only a few minutes. That one was created more out of a desire to not waste any of the the precious energy we had, and in regards to our goal of reaching the Ultra Space it's basically worthless. The larger of the two Ultra Spheres should be able to generate a full-sized Ultra Wormhole for a period of ten to twenty minutes." Faba explained, making Lusamine frown.

"We couldn't just combine all of the energy into one larger sphere? Why make two separate ones?" Lusamine asked.

"The material we are using to contain the energy cannot handle the entire amount we have on hand at once. Therefore, we separated them into two different units."

Lusamine sighed, but nodded. She knew that she couldn't ask for miracles when working with science as complicated as this. She wished she could have recruited Colress into helping them with this project, but she truthfully didn't trust the man and had a feeling he would be more than able to put a stop to her plans if he got involved.

That said…

"Is the smaller Ultra Sphere of any importance to us?" Lusamine asked Faba, who shook his head. The man tapped a few keys on the nearby monitor and the mechanism holding the smaller Ultra Sphere released the orb, allowing the man to pick it up gingerly.

"It's practically useless. If anything, you could hold onto it ma'am. It's an interesting memento if nothing else." Faba said as Lusamine accepted the orb, holding it in her palm. "As far as our tests have shown, it isn't dangerous. Though you'll definitely feel some of the latent energy the orb possesses should it make direct contact with your skin. A simple tingling sensation, nothing more."

Lusamine examined the orb closely, seeing the swirling beauty of the energies within it. Carefully harnessed from Cosmog, it was her best hope of reaching the Ultra Space and saving the creatures trapped within it. And even if it couldn't, the orbs that they had would prove invaluable. Faba began speaking again, but Lusamine tuned him out, too distracted by her own thoughts.

"Branch Chief Faba...Excellent work." Lusamine breathed, admiring the orb in her palm as the swirling energies within took on a bright blue color. Faba allowed himself a proud grin at the praise.

"Between our progress with the Purification Chamber and finding a way to harness the energy harvested from Cosmog into two separate bursts of power, I'd have to say I've outdone myself yet again!" Faba preened, shutting his eyes and chuckling softly to himself.

"Yes...You've done wonderfully Faba." Lusamine murmured distractedly, bringing the ball closer to her face. Suddenly Lusamine's body twitched and she let out a hiss of pain, which snapped Faba out of his delusions for a moment.

"Madam President, are you alright?" Faba asked, stepping forward with concern. Lusamine held out a hand to stop him, exhaling softly to steady her breath.

"I'm fine. J-just a dizzy spell, that's all." Lusamine replied softly, the lie coming easily to her lips. Faba knew much about her true motives for the Aether Foundation as of late, but even he didn't know how deep her connection to the Ultra Space ran.

Faba nodded, smiling once again. "If you need to, ma'am, you really should get some rest. You've been looking a little under the weather lately, no doubt because of how hard you've been working with us down here in the labs."

Lusamine nodded in agreement, allowing herself a small smile. She was glad the man provided her with an excuse to get away. "Excellent suggestion, Branch Chief Faba. I'll do that. Please, keep an eye on things for me while I'm recuperating. I'm putting my faith in you and your considerable talents."

Lusamine could almost feel Faba's ego expand like a hot air balloon, but the man contented himself with a smarmy grin and a small bow. "Of course, Madam President. You can count on Branch Chief Faba to get the job done, as always."

"I want the remaining orb tested several more times before we do any tests with it, just as a precaution. I refuse to have our one chance at this ruined because we missed something. If this goes well...we could achieve all of our hopes and dreams. We will be the first to bridge our world and that of the Ultra Space together." Lusamine said softly, turning around and beginning to walk out of the room.

"My name would go down in history...hehehehe, leave everything to me, ma'am!" Faba proclaimed as he turned around, leaving Lusamine to depart towards the elevator, cradling the orb of energy within her palm with a reverent expression.

* * *

Lana and Mallow walked down the road to Konikoni City, heading away from the bustling city after having returned there the following day after Lana's date with Hau. Sun had caught himself a Poliwag that he had named Finn. Their flight back to the city was uneventful, so while Sun and co. were getting some shopping done in the city, the two Captains had chosen that time to slip away.

And during that time, Mallow had chosen to disclose a newfound secret to her best friend.

"So…"

"So."

"I mean...After what happened at that party, I can't say I'm surprised to hear this. We all sorta suspected something was up when you ran away like that."

"Yeah...I did act kinda weird then."

"...yeah..."

"..."

"..."

"...Lana, does this...you know...change anything between us? Just because I um...Realized some things about myself?"

"...Are you serious?"

Lana turned and took a look at her friend, and considered her for a moment. While Mallow was usually the picture of confidence with a perky demeanor that usually couldn't be quelled, that was far from the attitude she had now. She looked downright _terrified_ of what Lana would say, not even being able to meet the other Captain's gaze. After all, they had been best friends for years, and they cherished the close bond they had. Losing that friendship over something like this would be beyond terrible for Mallow.

Lana thought about what exactly to say, but then allowed herself a smile as she put a hand on Mallow's shoulder, making the girl flinch. "Just because you've come to terms with your sexuality doesn't mean you're ever going to stop being my friend, Mallow. Who cares whether you like boys or girls?" Lana asked her friend, who finally looked at her.

"A lot of people do! You and I both know that if word got out about... _this_ , then a crapton of Alolans would pitch a massive fit. We're supposed to be role models! Protectors of the sacred sites of the islands! I just...I don't think I fit the bill anymore, you know?" Mallow muttered, crossing her arms.

"How?" Lana asked flatly, with Mallow giving her a confused look. "This changes nothing, Mallow. Okay, so you're Bi. This doesn't doesn't affect anyone but you, and it doesn't affect your duties as a Captain in any way. It's not something you necessarily need to advertise and if people have a problem with it, then that's too bad for them. After all, you've got an excellent track record as a Captain and this won't change that one bit."

Mallow blinked several times, surprised at how sincere and confident Lana was with her logic, which all made sense. Mallow had been a Captain for several years now, and was fairly popular on Akala as a result of her good track record. She had never had a major incident crop up like with Lana and Totem Araquanid.

"Maybe you're right...After some of the horror stories you hear about in the news and some of the other regions, I guess I was scared about something similar happening here. I don't know why, but I thought once I told you...I thought you might not want to be my friend anymore" Mallow said with a sad smile, with Lana grinning and throwing her arms around Mallow in response.

"No matter what, you will always be my best friend in the entire world. Always." Lana promised Mallow as she tightened her embrace on the Grass Captain, who couldn't help a chuckle as a grin appeared on her face. Mallow finally returned the hug and the two friends held each other for a moment before separating, both of them sporting wide smiles.

"We're so sappy sometimes. You wanna help me break the news to the other Captains on the group chat?" Mallow asked as she pulled out her phone. Lana nodded and did the same, with the two of them going to the group chat they had set on up Festival Plaza thanks to the newest Captain to join their group just a few days ago.

 **THE PEANUT** **GALLERY**

 _*You've missed 100+ messages since your last log-in*_

Mallow and Lana exchanged a double eye-roll before scrolling all the way down, where they were seeing an old argument flare up yet again.

CaptainKidd: _For the last time, Ilima, I'm not fat!_

ThePrince: _And yet you post photos online of nothing but unhealthy snacks again and again…_

TheBigBadMo: _Actually, that was me, Ilima. We were prepping for a movie marathon and I kinda went overboard. (^_^;)_

ThePrince: _Riiiight. But that doesn't change the fact that you really do need to eat a bit better, newbie._

"How is he way more sarcastic and snarky over text than he is in person?" Mallow asked Lana, who just shrugged and kept reading.

CaptainKidd: _It's genetic!_

ThePrince: _And you can overcome bad genes with healthy diet and exercise, which you refuse to acknowledge._

#2Spooky: _Leave the kid alone, Princess. Not everyone is blessed with good genes, you know. It could be genetic, unlike your over-dyed hair._

Mallow snickered at Acerola's dig at Ilima while Lana just smirked. The two friends began typing away at their phones.

BestChefEver: _So I guess it's cool to just bully the new kid now? Seriously Ilima, don't you have better things to do? Like licking chalkboards or something?_

ThePrince: _I'll have you know I only clean chalkboards twice a week to assist the teachers at the Pokémon School!_

Mina: _Is that because it's the only place you were ever cool?_

WaterNymph: _Or are you just jealous that Sophocles started his Trial just yesterday and it's already waaaaay better than yours?_

ThePrince: _My Trial is definitely cool!_

WaterNymph: _It's about as interesting as watching one of your ping-pong games._

ThePrince: _I feel like we're getting off topic…_

BestChefEver: _Oh, we are. So I kinda have an announcement._

SpittinHawtFiya: _Everything okay, Mallow?_

BestChefEver: _Kinda, Kiawe. So...God, this is so hard to say!_

Mina: _Just spit it out._

BestChefEver: _I'm bisexual._

BestChefEver: _I'm...still figuring this out, tbh. But I just wanted to tell you all this because we're all friends and Captains and it's possible that the wrong people may take this the wrong way should they find out._

Mina: _It's possible. But I see no problems with this, my friend. I'll support you as always. (:D)_

SpittinHawtFiya: _Words cannot convey my shock. However, I do need to get back to work so I'm just going to say this. Good for you coming to terms with this, and I'm still down for lunch next Tuesday. Later all._

CaptainKidd: _Whoa_

BestChefEver: _Bai Kiawe!_

WaterNymph: _Seeya!_

ThePrince: _Color me surprised._

TheBigBadMo: _Good for you, Mallow!_

#2Spooky: _Yup! You're still growing up, you know. You figure out a lot of stuff like that when you get older. Kinda like how I realized how morbidly depressed Uncle Nanu is._

Mina: _The fact that you're so cheerful about that worries me a little._

#2Spooky: _Because being sad about what you can't change does nothing but bring grief. All I can do is be as strong as I can for him and be a Trial Captain everyone can rely on! (:3)_

TheBigBadMo: _Well said! Which reminds me, Soffy, you need to take out the trash still._

CaptainKidd: _AEF424824u12jrmf owOdqjr19j123rq mfo_

BestChefEver: _And by trash, Ilima, Mo means you._

"Mallow, as much fun as annoying Ilima is, shouldn't we be doing this elsewhere? Maybe somewhere with food and air-conditioning?" Lana asked as she looked up from her phone. Mallow hopped to her feet with a grin and helped Lana to her feet, and with that the two best friends walked back to their city wearing smiles, content in the knowledge that their bond as friends was stronger than ever.

* * *

Lillie sipped her lemonade with her eyes shut, completely relaxed as the sound of beautiful music hummed through the square. Vivian was nearby, doing what she did best with her violin in hand and filling the air with an intricate melody. Noah watched with a fond smile, lying in his girlfriend's lap on the bench they shared.

The girl in white opened her eyes and cast the couple a glance, making her smile a little before she closed her eyes again and thought on the song she was listening to again. It reminded her of the better times in life, when there was nothing but Pokémon, music, and her family. Lillie was currently sitting down in a wooden rocking chair in the center of Konikoni City, hidden under the shade of an umbrella stand. Sun and Hau were currently having a tag battle against two locals (using a Charjabug and a Fletchinder respectively). The battle was pretty one-sided, but it allowed Sun to get some practice in with his newest teammate, Finn.

The Poliwag had shown that he was pretty capable as a fighter, even if he was a bit flashy. This was shown when he dodged a Thunderbolt with a leap into the air, followed by a backflip that turned into a wicked Double Slap that sent the Fletchinder spinning through the air. Lillie could have sworn the Poliwag was posing when he landed, but it was hard to tell because Finn didn't have any arms.

"Charjabug, use Spark!" the boy yelled out as Sun grinned in response. The Bug/Electric-type charged forward as Finn stood his ground, also smirking.

"Hypnosis! Follow up with Scald!" Sun called out as Finn's eyes flashed blue, making the Battery Pokémon slow down in its tracks before slumping forward, fast asleep. It's Trainer let out a yell of worry before the Charjabug was blasted with hot water, knocking it to the ground.

"Let's wrap this up then! Duke, use Dig and then hit it from below!" Hau called out, with his Pikachu dodging an Ember from the passing Fletchinder and tearing a hole into the earth. The bird screeched in response before getting knocked out of the sky by a blast of boiling hot water from Finn. The Fletchinder crashed onto the ground at the same time as Duke burst out of it and knocked the Charjabug sky-high, sending it crashing onto the ground in a heap.

"And that's the win." Sun remarked as Hau jumped into the air with a whoop and ran forward, sweeping up his Pikachu in a hug. Finn hopped in place, crying out happily, before turning on his heel and jogging over to Sun.

And then promptly tripped.

" _Finn is not nearly as graceful as he thinks he is."_ Oliver remarked, making Lillie open her eyes. She had nearly forgotten that the rest of Sun's team was nearby, resting in the shade with her. Brago and Penny both chuckled at the remark as Finn struggled to get to his feet. Sun helped him up with a grin, and though the Poliwag's expression was sour for a moment he eventually cheered up and was smiling after a few moments.

" _He can fight though, which is good."_ Brago responded, glancing at Oliver as he shut his eyes again. Once again the owl was awake when he should have been sleeping. The Growlithe wondered when that would eventually catch up with him.

" _He's much weaker than us though. We'll have to train him up."_ Penny said thoughtfully, smiling slightly. " _We can all get stronger."_

"Not a bad match. We just have to get you some more experience and we'll be all set for our rematch with Olivia." Sun said as he approached his team, reaching over and scratching Penny's head.

"And I can't wait to see it! Your last match was super close, wasn't it?" Hau asked excitedly.

"If it wasn't for that dirty trick, _literally_ , I would've won. I'm going to make absolutely sure that Olivia goes down the next time we battle." Sun said with an excited grin, with Brago and Finn nodding in reply. Oliver looked away, unable to meet them in the eyes.

" _They wouldn't have to fight her again if it wasn't for me…"_ the Dartrix muttered quietly enough so that no one heard him. The owl sighed softly, shaking his head.

"So have you decided on when you want to battle her again, Sun?" Hau asked Sun, who shrugged.

"Soon. Maybe a week or two?"

"Dude, you know there's a huge tournament going on then right?" Hau said to Sun, who blinked twice. He had completely forgotten about that.

"That's right!" shouted a familiar voice. The trio turned around and saw news icon/mogul Adrian Battlestorm strutting towards them with a camerawoman in tow. Lillie quickly shrank back in her chair, earning a look from the man before he suddenly blinked.

"Camera-shy?" Adrian asked Lillie, who shyly nodded after a moment. The sharply-dressed man grinned and said, "No worries, then. The camera's off. But it's good to see you kids again!"

"Likewise, sir. What brings you to Konikoni City?" Hau asked the dark-haired man, who showed off a dazzling grin in response.

"I'm looking for something interesting to do while I wait for Miss Olivia to get back to her shop. I wanted to get a few words from her about the massive exhibition match she's gonna be in at the Alola Grand Royale Tournament!" Adrian exclaimed enthusiastically, pumping his fist slightly. He turned to his camerawoman and said, "Kelly, she said it was like an hour, right?"

The blonde-haired woman holding the camera nodded, brushing her bangs out of her face. "Kahuna Olivia said she had to make a run to the Ruins of Life. Something about Tapu Lele getting restless?"

"Try as we may, the Tapu are just beings we may never understand." Adrian said with a small chuckle, looking back to the children. "But anyways, back to the tournament! How excited are you all for the Alola Grand Royale Tournament coming in just a few short weeks?"

"I thought it was called something else?" Hau asked the man, who shrugged.

"They changed the name. This sounds better anyway." Adrian said before grinning. "There's going to be a three day-long festival with food, carnival rides, and all sorts of shows. Trainers from all around the globe are coming to show their stuff. There's also word of a big announcement at the end of the tournament that will change the future of Alola forever! With the winner getting a chance of a lifetime at... _something_."

"Something?" Noah chimed in, opening an eye. Vivian stopped playing with a small sigh, setting her violin aside.

"Truth be told, I have no idea what the grand prize is. It's supposedly something incredible though, and a chance to make history." Adrian explained, with the older Trainers exchanging a glance.

"The reward is an opportunity of sorts, huh? And it's special enough that people want to win this thing over?" Vivian asked the mogul, who grinned.

"Well, there's a huge cash reward too." Adrian added, chuckling after a moment. "But I can assure you, this secret reward is something special. Professor Kukui wouldn't have hyped it up so much if it wasn't something incredible. All it takes is the right spin and people will be coming from all over to have a shot at becoming a legend."

"A legend?" Hau asked, his grin widening.

Adrian matched his grin. "See that, there? All it takes is the right kind of narrative. A special sort of spin to make a story work. With Alola trying to do everything it can to escape it's image of just being a tourist trap, we need every edge we can get."

"I see." Sun replied, thinking this interesting. He could definitely see the man's point, if nothing else. Adrian got a tap on the shoulder from Kelly, and after meeting her gaze for a moment the man snapped his fingers.

"Right, back to business. Anyways, you kids take care. I'll be looking forward to seeing you at the tournament." Adrian said lightly, holding out a hand. Hau and Sun shook the man's hand, and with that he and Kelly set off down the road.

"I like him. He kinda seems like he would be a jerk, but he's actually a pretty decent guy." Hau remarked, putting his hands behind his head.

"I agree. He wants Alola to grow and become better, so he's using all of the pull he has to do that. Plus he treats his employees really well. I don't really understand all of the nuances of running a network like his myself, but I can respect it. Professor Kukui has been doing the same thing, you know. Helping Alola grow and flourish." Lillie agreed, sipping her drink again. "I really hope this tournament goes well. Even if I'm not a big fan of battles, it does sound like an experience that shouldn't be missed."

"I wonder how we sign up?" Sun asked, receiving several shrugs.

"No idea. I imagine we can ask one of your Captain friends," Vivian said as she and Noah made their way over to them. "It sounds like fun."

"We haven't done a tournament in a while. Not since Driftveil, right?" Noah asked his girlfriend, earning a nod in response. Vivian opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off by a yell.

"Hello down there!" cried a familiar voice. The group looked up and saw Laura Smiles descending from the sky on a massive Pidgeot wearing Ride Gear. What was more surprising was the outfit the woman was wearing.

Up until this point, the group had only ever seen Sun's mother wearing dresses and the like. Right now she was currently geared up in a pair of faded blue jeans torn in several places and wearing a bright blue T-shirt decorated in a wave pattern. She wore black fingerless black gloves and wore a belt with gemstone skulls decorating it, along with the six Poké Balls of varying types. Her hair was tied in a ponytail and she wore a wide smile.

"Wow, she looks ten years younger in that outfit." Vivian remarked with approval, watching as Jace the Pidgeot swooped through the square with a powerful screech.

"She looks like a Pokémon Trainer." Noah said with a smile, crossing his arms. Laura Smiles hopped off Jace and landed on the ground with a smile as the large bird touched down.

"Thanks Jace. I think we're all warmed up for our surprise later!" Laura said happily, with Jace cooing in reply and nuzzling Laura's side affectionately.

"Whoa, looking good Miss Smiles!" Hau said with a grin while Sun walked over to his mother, who was taking a moment to pat Jace the Pidgeot before he took off to the skies.

"Hey Mom." Sun greeted his mother, who returned his greeting with a massive bone-crushing hug.

"Hi sweetie." Laura replied happily, pulling away from her child and kneeling slightly so she could look her son in the eyes. She could see that for the first time since Ashton's betrayal, Sun's eyes didn't look like they were holding back pain. Her little boy seemed stronger than he did before.

"Mom?" Sun asked, only for his mother to offer a sad smile.

"You're looking better, dear. Better than you have in a long time." Laura said quietly, making Sun smile in response.

"I'm better than I've been in a while. I...I lost myself for a while there. I was so overwhelmed by everything that I just couldn't think straight. But thanks to Lillie and my team, everything makes sense again. I'm going to get stronger and keep going on my Island Challenge. That way I can protect everyone from Cipher and Dad!" Sun said with a determined grin in his eyes. Laura almost responded when she saw Sun's eyes change color from their usual gray to orange. The woman nearly gasped, but hid it. Sun knew something was wrong though.

"Mom? Everything okay?" Sun asked worriedly.

"Your eyes. Since when have they been able to change color like that?" Laura asked her child, trying to hide her unease.

"What do you mean?"

"She's right dude. Your eyes were changing colors and stuff earlier. Like, one minute they're gray and then the next they're going red and white and stuff. It was weird." Hau confirmed as Sun looked down, troubled. His eyes flickered to a darker gray color.

"Just like Dad…" Sun muttered, shaking his head and feeling the old horror creep in. Laura quickly pulled Sun into another hug.

"You are nothing like your father, even if you have a lot of his traits. You have too much love and kindness in you to be anything like that man. Don't think that some changing eyes make you any less of a better person." Laura said to her child, who looked up at her. She let go of Sun who nodded once before looking at his Pokémon, who had wandered over to him. Brago nudged Sun with his head while Finn bounded up and down a few times.

Penny and Oliver just crashed into Sun from above, knocking him to the ground and making him laugh as Brago and Finn jumped onto the dog-pile. Laura chuckled while Rotom snapped a picture of the group, snickering to itself. The device floated to Miss Smiles' shoulder, beeping for a moment.

 _"So Mizz Smilezz, what's with the new outfit? It lookzz great!"_ Rotom Dex asked, making the mother laugh again.

"I was going to ask that too. You look like you're ready to kick some butt." Hau noted, with Lillie nodding from her cozy little corner.

"I figured a change of pace would be nice. I used to wear something like this when I was running through the Kanto Gym Leader circuit." Laura said, stepping back and crossing her arms. "Since I'm planning on having a battle today with a friend, I figured why not dress for the part? Besides, I thought it looked cute."

"I like it, Miss Smiles." Lillie chimed in, earning a happy grin from the woman.

"Thank you dear. You look quite comfortable over there." Laura said with an amused expression. Lillie adjusted herself slightly and the bag in her lap became visible, with Nebby the Cosmog beside it wearing a sleepy expression.

"I figured Nebby would like to spend some time outside of the bag since it's such a nice day out, so I'm sitting in the shade to keep him hidden so he can enjoy the fresh air but still be hard to see." Lillie explained as she pet her Cosmog, who cooed happily in response.

"Makes sense." Laura said with a smile. Laura turned back to her child and said, "You all aren't busy, are you?"

"Why, what's going on Mom?" Sun asked as Lillie carefully set Nebby into the bag and secured him.

"Well, I was planning on meeting an old friend of ours in a few minutes and was wondering if you'd all like to join me. He'll be meeting us in front of the Pokémon Center." Laura Smiles said as she turned around with a smirk and made her way down the street. Sun tilted his head in confusion but shrugged and looked over to Lillie, who was walking over to them with a small smile. Hau chuckled as Duke the Pikachu hopped onto his shoulder and Sun grinned at his friends before walking after his mother, his best friends trailing behind him as they went to go meet up with this old friend of theirs.

Vivian and Noah hung back, allowing the others to go ahead. Vivian glanced at her boyfriend and asked, "You want to just head somewhere else? After what happened the other day, I don't think we should really hang out around Sun's mom too much."

"Agreed. He may have forgiven us for how we reacted to his father, but that doesn't mean everything is all good again." Noah agreed, nodding. "Let's try and find Sina and Dexio. I heard they were back in town with some big discovery."

"Did they say what it was?"

"Nope."

"Lame."

* * *

Aether Paradise

* * *

Lusamine leaned back in her chair, her mind racing as she stared down the man on the screen.

Borlath offered her a small smile before shaking his head, his black bangs swaying slightly as his eyes flickered back to their normal gray, from the two crimson orbs they had been before.

In all the years she had known Ashton Aupuni, she had never seen a moment where he did not radiate an inner fire. Whether it was the flames of anger, the burning desire for revenge for the death of a close friend, or the fire of desire to save those in danger. The man who had become Borlath was a man of emotion and passion, no matter what kind of facade of coolness he tried to create around himself. Yes, he had tempered himself as the decades passed...But deep down, Ashton was still the same.

He fought because he cared.

And because he cared...He wouldn't rest until he had succeeded.

Mohn had always found that an admirable trait in Ashton, even back when they had met him all those years ago. And even now, many years later, Lusamine found herself surprised to see the inferno of determination burning within his gray eyes.

"You truly are dedicated to this path. To think you've spent all this time manipulating the pieces around you." Lusamine said quietly, a small smile of appreciation coming to her face. After all, she was no stranger to twisting those around her to do her will.

"All things considered, Greevil left me with a massive mess to clean up." Borlath remarked, placing a hand against his temple and shutting his eyes. Lusamine smirked, though she knew that the situation her friend was in was no laughing matter.

The loss of Greevil and many of their forces at the Kanto Superdome was quite large, and set Cipher back a great deal in their conquest of Kanto. As a result, the public would soon begin to believe that the criminal syndicate could be stopped by the Pokémon League. Borlath had been working on several plans to reignite the conflict within the region, reducing some of the damage that their loss in Vermilion had on the organization by executing Lorelei on live television and proclaiming himself the new leader of Cipher.

It was a very effective display, if nothing else. Crude, though.

The effect could be felt only by those connected to the Pokémon Leagues directly, but even then Lusamine caught whispers of the fear and anger that the Champions and the Elite Four of the regions around the world felt after such a public display of death.

"So what will you do now?" Lusamine asked, curious and a bit concerned at the same time.

"Kanto was our main priority, with the other regions going on the back-burner for now. However...I underestimated the resources that Greevil had put into setting up an Alolan operation. The base we have established on Ula'ula Island is fully operational, with considerable work having already been put into place to capture the Tapu of the island there." Borlath explained, sighing softly and showing how exhausted he was for one brief moment. "I didn't want to get involved in Alola again, Lusa. I really, really didn't."

Lusamine nodded sadly, knowing what he meant. "Still hung up on bad memories, Ash?"

Borlath's mouth twitched for a moment before he let out a soft laugh. "Something like that. You don't forget the kind of things we went through, all those years ago. Nor do you forget the kind of upbringing my _loving_ parents made me go through. Why do you think I left in such a manner?"

"True. You basically spit in the face of a god, back then. So again, your plans for Alola?" Lusamine pressed, her curiosity piqued. Borlath sighed again, but continued.

"Greevil was adamant on dominating a weaker region and acquiring the Legendaries within. He also wanted to explore the possibility of harnessing Z-Power and acquiring a stockpile of Z-Rings from the region, which is easier said than done. Not just anyone can get one, and only a Kahuna can make a properly functioning Z-Ring, after all." Borlath explained, with Lusamine nodding understandingly. The making of Z-Rings was a closely-guarded secret in Alola, and how exactly the Kahunas made them was a mystery that only they and the Tapu knew.

"That being said, we also have next to no opposition in Alola. A small, scattered police force and handful of International Police operatives at best. Most importantly, no Pokemon League. Yes, we're dealing with the remnants of Aria's little ragtag group, but they can be dealt with in short order. It's one of many reasons that I'm unfortunately going to have to throw support behind the Alola campaign and bolster our efforts there...Our next move is to control Alola and use that as a stepping stone to attack Kanto once again." Borlath remarked, his words dripping with acid. Lusamine couldn't hide a smile there. Poor Ash had gone through so much just to leave Alola behind and never return, and now he was being forced to meddle in the region he wanted nothing more than to never deal with again.

Lusamine considered her friend's plight. The opposition in Kanto was just too much right now, after such a major and public loss. Focusing their efforts and amassing more resources in a new region with little opposition made sense, and it kept their enemies on their toes. However, she felt as if there was more going on.

"There's more to this than just wanting resources. You're marshaling your forces _now_ , rather than later. You're planning something." Lusamine remarked, earning a grin from man.

"Astute. One of our eventual goals lies in accessing the lair of two Legendaries on our radar. One of those is within Kanto. I can't say exactly where, since I don't know myself, but Giovanni is spearheading the effort and I don't imagine he'll let me down. As for the other, it's in a location you may have heard of. Does the Snowpoint Temple sound familiar at all to you?" Borlath asked Lusamine, with the woman pursing her lips in thought. The President of the Aether Foundation racked her brain for a few moments, before recalling a story she and Mohn had read to Gladion once in a happier time.

"That's in Sinnoh...You want to unleash Regigigas? The Ultimate Titan?" Lusamine said quietly, with Borlath grinning in response.

"We already have a set of the Regi Trio within our possession. They are the keys to awaken it, and Regigigas will be an excellent partner for us when we resume our Kanto campaign. All we need is a way into the Sanctum. The ice that makes up the Sanctum is incredibly powerful, and tied to the life-force of Regigigas itself. So trying to get in through more direct methods would be impossible at this juncture without harming the Legendary within, which I refuse to allow. We have a plan for this, though. If everything goes well, we should be able to breach Snowpoint Temple within the month."

"Oh?"

"Yes...I plan on sending Dawson and Amber to Alola to assist another Admin with a certain plan happening there. There will be a large event happening soon and when it comes to Alola, it's not hard to get some celebrity guests involved in anything. Gym Leaders, famous researchers, government officials, and...one of the strongest Champions of all time." Borlath explained, a cold smile flickering onto his face. Lusamine thought about it for a moment and realized what her friend was getting at.

"You mean to go after Cynthia?" Lusamine asked, surprised. It was a task that was easier said than done. Cynthia was one of the most renowned Champions in recent history. She would not be an easy foe to take down.

"Champions know many secrets about their regions. We know that she has the means to access the temple, as we've observed her entering it. I wouldn't be surprised if she knew how to gain access to the domains of other Sinnoh Legendaries as well." Borlath explained, leaning back in his chair. Lusamine considered this, and realized there were several flaws in this plan.

"She will put up a fight, you know."

"We have a plan. And a backup plan. I don't even need to capture her. But she'll not be left unscathed from our meeting. Sinnoh is just as guilty as the other regions for allowing monsters to run amok while they sat around and did nothing. There's a reason we went after them first, following Cipher's failure in Orre." Borlath responded dismissively before allowing himself a genuine smile.

"I really do appreciate you making time to talk with me, Lusa. Nowadays I have so few people I can actually trust. Getting having the chance to talk with a friend and get this off my chest is more relieving than I can explain." Borlath said earnestly, making Lusamine smile back at her old friend.

"Heh. You'll always be that bratty little boy we saved from a bunch of evil Golem." Lusamine teased with fondness in her voice, making Borlath cringe.

"Why did you have to bring those things up? Did anyone ever deal with those, by any chance? It's been _years_ , after all." Borlath asked the President, who shook her head.

"Not quite. I personally saw to it that they would not attack anyone who did not stray into their domain. They're still around and, last time I checked, as violent as ever." Lusamine replied, earning a scowl from Borlath.

"Those things are a menace to society." Borlath grumbled, his eyes flickering to green and blue.

"So are you, my friend." Lusamine pointed out, making the businessman blink twice before he sighed, seemingly crumpling inwards.

"That...is not an entirely false statement." Borlath said quietly, smiling ruefully. "I've made a lot of mistakes, Lusamine. But I have faith that my mistakes will bear fruit and things will be right again. And once they have...I can step away from this. I can go back to the way things used to be."

"You can't go back, Ash." Lusamine said softly, her expression pitying. "I know more than anyone else what it's like to lose everything. But no matter how much you wish you could turn back time, you can't get back what you've lost."

Borlath's expression darkened, but he remained silent. The silence reigned for a time while the two collected their thoughts.

"So what of your own plans, Lusa? You've got me sharing secrets. Anything you feel like sharing?" Borlath asked, smiling faintly. Just then a Houndoom's head popped into view, making Lusamine smile.

"Damien! I was wondering where you were." Lusamine said happily, with the canine's expression equally happy.

" _A certain someone doesn't like to keep me informed anymore."_ Damien remarked pointedly, with his Trainer looking away guiltily. _"I hope you've been doing well."_

"You really shouldn't keep secrets from him, Ash. Keeping secrets is bad for your health, you know. Not that I can really say that and not be a hypocrite." Lusamine said with a small chuckle. "Truthfully it's nothing as dastardly as your exploits. Our progress regarding reaching the Ultra Space is moving along. We've managed to harness the energy left over from Cosmog into a physical object that can be a carried and transferred. With luck, we can use the energy harvested from Cosmog to replicate its powers and open an Ultra Wormhole. We may be able to test these things at a site on Melemele Island in a few days."

"A path to the Ultra Space...To think there was something to all of Mohn's crazy theories. He'd be proud of you, Lusa. Continuing his work like that." Borlath said with a small smile, shutting his eyes for a moment. Because of this, he missed Lusamine's smile fade away, replaced with a guilty expression.

" _But...I'm not doing it for Mohn. My beloved...I gave up on you, didn't I? When did I stop trying to find you, my darling?"_ Lusamine thought sadly, unsure of when that was. She felt the old despair and misery from before creep into her heart, making her miss the times before Mohn had been taken away from them. When her precious babies still loved her and this island was truly a home.

"So what are you going to do if you can open an Ultra Wormhole using that leftover energy? It'll only remain open for a few minutes, right?" Borlath asked shrewdly, making Lusamine nod in response, forcing her expression to remain neutral despite the maelstrom of emotions within.

"We just want to see if we can do it. If all goes well, we will be able to recapture Cosmog and use it's powers to create a permanent Ultra Wormhole. With that...we will be able to travel to another plane of existence. And perhaps even allow the Ultra Beasts to come visit us." Lusamine said, a strange feeling of euphoria filling her at the thought. It drove away her despair and pain, and reminded her of what was truly important. And why her children would suffer for standing in her way.

"Whatever happened to Cosmog, anyway? From what it sounded like, you had that thing under lock and key. How did it escape?" Borlath asked. Lusamine wondered how Borlath would react if she told him everything. She had told him some of what was going on, but certainly not all of it.

Lusamine decided with the truth, and to explain herself. "Cosmog was stolen directly from our labs by Lillie. I'm currently using everything at my disposal to hunt her down and bring her home, but she's eluding me."

" _Lillie_ stole Cosmog!?" Borlath shouted, absolutely dumbfounded. Damien looked between the two of them worriedly, with Borlath's eyes flickering to blue, yellow, and then gray again.

"Why would she do that?" Borlath asked after a moment, with Lusamine sighing frustratedly in response.

"Teenage rebellion, most likely. She was a spoiled brat who had everything she wanted in life, but yearned to break free from chains that didn't exist. Hardly surprising, looking back. Her brother stole another pet project of mine as well." Lusamine said bitterly, with Borlath's expression softening. A part of Lusamine hated lying to her friend, but she knew that Borlath couldn't know the real reason why Lillie and Gladion had fled. Why they were so determined to stop her.

"So they've both left the Paradise? I...Wow. Lusa, you know I can help you find them." Borlath offered, adding after a moment. "Lillie probably shouldn't be parading around with a Pokémon containing the power that Cosmog does, and as for Gladion...Wait, what kind of experiment did he take?"

"Classified, Ash. I can't give away all my secrets." Lusamine smirked, making Damien grin in response. "After all, you haven't."

" _She's right you know."_ The Houndoom responded, making Borlath roll his eyes.

"Very well. But the offer stands." Borlath said to the President of the Aether Foundation, who shook her head.

"I appreciate it, Ash, but I'll keep this in house. Those kids can't hide forever, and when I do find them I will make sure they never disobey me again." Lusamine said quietly, her tone becoming cold in a way that her friends had never heard her speak in. Damien's eyes narrowed at the small crimson vein that was sticking out of Lusamine's neck, but Borlath didn't see it because he was focused on his friend's words, his expression one of horror.

"Don't hurt them, Lusamine. They're your _kids_." Borlath said quietly, a note of worry in his voice. Lusamine's gaze became colder as she stood to her full height.

"I refuse to allow my hopes and dreams for the future to be waylaid by my rebellious children. And you're one to talk, Ashton. How badly have you hurt Sun? Think about that before you lecture me on how I deal with my unruly children, because compared to you I am a saint!" Lusamine barked at Borlath, who recoiled sharply. Borlath's eyes went white before slowly turning jet black. Lusamine allowed herself a smug grin, knowing she had won.

She knew that unless Ashton was keeping himself calm with effort, his eyes would change to reflect the emotion he felt. Lusamine and Mohn had learned that when Ashton was truly scared by something, his eyes turned white. And when he was in one of his many depressions and he was overwhelmed by despair, his eyes would become as black as the abyss.

Borlath ended the call, and Lusamine's smile faded after a moment when she realized that she had crossed the line.

"He was right...I've lost sight of everything. Mohn would be disgusted if he could see what I've done. Who I've become." Lusamine whispered, sinking down into her chair. She brought a shaking hand to her forehead, breathing in slowly before exhaling deeply.

"I hurt him. One of the few real friends I have left. The only one who probably understands me most right now. What have I become? What... _what have I done?_ " Lusamine murmured, clenching her fists. For a brief moment, she had forgotten about the Ultra Sphere in her palm and promptly crushed it.

"What!? No!" Lusamine yelled as the energies contained within the ball rushed outwards, swirling around the room and making the woman shiver as the room began to glow a harsh blue color. And then-

A tearing sound ripped through the office, creating a small, shining rift of light. Lusamine gasped and took a step back, her mouth agape in a silent scream as a fierce wind kicked up in the room.

And then heard it.

" **Mother...We're here."**

Lusamine's eyes widened as a small tentacle slowly extended from the tiny Ultra Wormhole. The tentacle was white in color, but a blackish liquid dripped from the appendage and onto the floor. Lusamine slowly smiled, taking a step forward.

"So it works...An Ultra Beast." Lusamine rasped, taking several strides forward before she stopped in front of the shimmering rift. The woman felt a single tear run down her beautiful face as she beheld the fruits of her efforts, though she knew it would take much more to free those wonderful creatures from the prison that contained them.

" **Save us...help us...Mother…"** the voices cried out helplessly, piteously, in a way that made Lusamine's heart constrict. She despised the fact that she could do nothing but wait and listen to the screams of those precious Pokémon that were suffering.

Lusamine extended her hand out, her pointer finger touching the tentacle extending outwards, even as black goo dripped from it. The liquid seemed to absorb into the woman's skin, but she didn't seem to mind. Indeed, she smiled as a vein in her arm slowly glowed a crimson color before dying down, a similar color leaping into Lusamine's eyes as her smile widened.

" **...so lost...we are so alone...save us...please…"**

"I will save you. I just need a little more time. I will make everything okay. Just wait." Lusamine quietly promised as the tentacle wrapped around her finger, with more of the poison seeping into Lusamine's hand. The woman smiled happily, shutting her eyes.

" **We love you, Mother."**

* * *

 _A new plan is set into motion! New friends and enemies converge and Colress is as sassy as ever! Stay tuned!_

Q & A:

 _From: Defender31415_

Wow. Excellent job. A few observations/ questions:

1\. I really think Hau and Lana make a good pair. You've done a really nice job with that ship.

2\. Wow. Hell hath no fury like Lillie scorned. You know, you don't see Lillie angry that often in-game, so if this is an invented instance of anger... how are you gonna enhance that scene in Ultra Space where she flies off the handle at Lusamine?

3\. Finn, huh? He's an interesting one. I can see him and Oliver becoming an excellent source of comic relief.

4\. Actually, hell hath no fury like LELE scorned. Wow. That Pokemon is basically evil. And I still have no clue what Zinnia is doing in this story.

5\. Who on earth is Hazel? And is she going to appear in this story?

6\. For that matter, why can't Amber feel emotions? Is she an actual psychopath?

Great job. See you around Christmas! Stay safe out there!

 **1\. Thanks. I'm definitely having fun with it. Especially since I faked everyone out with Demi for a while. Heh.**

 **2\. That's actually one of my main criticisms of my own writing. In making some comedic moments, I've made Lillie in particular act a bit OOC. Granted, she's becoming less subdued thanks to spending time with Sun and co. and it's how she develops as a character over the course of the story. But it's a bit over the top and I'll be making small edits to tone it down a little. However when it comes time for her confrontation with Lusamine, there will be fire and the scene will be expanded quite a bit. She's not going to be a happy girl when it comes for her big moment.**

 **3\. Oh yeah, him and Oliver are gonna get up to some mischief.**

 **4\. The game POORLY handles the Island Guardians to a frankly criminal degree. Tapu Lele will definitely be my favorite in this story. However, given some explanations for how Legendaries act, it's behavior isn't entirely unreasonable. And Zinnia's role in the story will become pretty obvious in due time. It actually does tie into the main game to an extent.**

 **5\. Hazel is a Gothitelle from Amber's past. And yes.**

 **6\. To be explained in a later chapter.**

 _From: SonicIKE_

Finally, mon beau héros. Is that French?

 **Yep. Essentially Kalosian is French, and Alolan is Hawaiian. She called Sun, "My handsome hero."**

 _From: RC-DA_

Nice teaser for the next act, how fitting that Amber is "afraid" of something that keeps her from running away. Though that does raise an interesting question, how did she manage to get away from something with Shadow Tag? Especially if it's ferocious enough to worry her.

 **Shadow Tag is a Hidden Ability for Gothitelle, and considering those are fairly rare, chances are that Hazel just doesn't have that ability. That said, I had no idea Gothitelle's Hidden Ability worked like that and it's...rather fitting.**

 **And there's a lot of ways to get away from something that won't let you escape. We'll be visiting that topic soon in probably my most anticipated chapter for this entire Act.**

 _From: Dario Flaman_

Oh and that foreshadowing with the Blinding One at the end there? And Hazel? Who even is this Pokémon? Is Hazel a...Beyond Umbral Pokémon?

And I wonder if that Anomaly Heliolisk will appear, what's its deal?

Either way I'll be looking forward for the next chapter! Retaliation Act here we go!

Oh oh and last thing, I promise, since you played Persona V...who do you think is best girl? XD

 **1\. Nope. Hazel is just a regular Gothitelle.**

 **2\. Heh...That'll be revealed in time. Though I will say, the Heliolisk/Anomaly is probably my favorite idea in all my time of writing on this site. I'm very proud of it, and it's a damn shame I never got to use it properly. I've basically got to settle for using it in short bursts.**

 **3\. Futaba is best girl. I'm actually planning on doing a small fanfic detailing hers and Akira/Ren's path to love because I ship them so much. When I have time, that is.**

 _From: Guest_

Hey, great Fic, I just wanted to ask something. Considering Necrozma's backstory and the fact it's constantly in pain, can it be turned into a Shadow Pokemon? Or does it technically count as one already?

 **Oh, it could absolutely be turned into a Shadow Pokemon. Whether or not Cipher could actually catch one is the question. And no it doesn't count as one, even if it is in constant pain.**

 _From: trevhall19_

i have caught up with reading your story and it's really incredible so far. Each chapter is written with great details, regarding the characters' emotions, Pokemon battles and the attacks, and what the Pokemon are saying to each other. While reading, I can that you're using the non-linear storytelling method, through the use of flashbacks, effectively as they're providing details that happened to a character in the past and they happen throughout the story and not all at the beginning. I praise the maturity, realistic, and dark tone of your story. Having caught up, i do have a few questions to ask you.

1\. Which film composer's score, (i.e. Hans Zimmer, John Williams, etc...) do you think will fit perfectly with your story?

2\. i recognized the villain team, Cipher, from Pokemon: Colisseum and XD Gale of Darkness, what made you picked them to be the main bad guys of your story?

3\. Regarding the conflict between Sun and his dad, was it inspired by Final Fantasy X?

4\. If this was made into a film, who do you want to direct it and what might the cast be?

5\. When Sun's father mentioned he killed the nameless child with the legendary dragon of Unova, was he referring to N or the main player character from the black and white games?

6\. At some point, will Lillie catch her own pokemon? If so, how about a vulpix?

7\. Is Sun's dad's hounddoom's name, Damien, a reference to that trainer, who abandoned charmander in the rain, who was rescued by Ash and later joined his team in the anime?

8\. About Perfect Kyurem, you mentioned that it's a fusion of kyurem, zekrom, and reshiram. Is it a fusion of all three together?

9\. What was the inspirational for the character Borlath, Sun's dad?

10\. Does Borlath have other umbral Pokemon more powerful and dangerous than his hounddoom?

Last question

11\. Why is Poliwag named Finn? Is it a reference to Adventure Time or something else?

 **1\. A combination of the RWBY soundtrack and Undertale the Musical. It sounds crazy, but those two things have had such an impact on the story and I strongly urge readers to check them out.**

 **For example, "Star" from the Genocide Package really syncs up with Amber Fontaine's character arc.**

 **2\. I always felt that Cipher was one of the best villain teams in the series, honestly. That said, it was moreso because Wes was such a fantastic main character for the first game that I became interested in expanding on the story there. There is so much to this answer that I could write an essay on it, but the fact of the matter is that I found a story I could tell with Cipher and that Pokemon Sun and Moon allowed me to do it. Sun and Moon doesn't have a strong central conflict, so I made one with Cipher to correct that.**

 **3\. Nope. I have never played any of the Final Fantasy games.**

 **4\. I have no idea. Maybe whoever is directing the Detective Pikachu movie so Ryan Reynolds can play Dawson or Ollie. That'd be pretty awesome.**

 **5\. Borlath had the main character player of Black/White killed before the events of RS take place. N is alive and well.**

 **6\. Heh. Wouldn't you like to know?**

 **7\. You know, I never thought of that. I just always had the name for Borlath's Starter in my head with the character. Weird how that works.**

 **8\. Perfect Kyurem is a fusion of Shadow Kyruem, Zekrom and Reshiram. Only the first one was a Shadow Pokemon.**

 **9\. It was a combination of many things. I wanted a character that was at his core, a good man trying to do the right thing in the worst manner possible. I'll admit that Asgore from Undertale did inspire a few elements of his later development as a character, but I've had the core character in mind for years now. A ruthlessly intelligent businessman using evil to make the world a better place, betraying everything he cared about to create a better tomorrow. He's not insane by any means and genuine does want to fix the problems with the world.**

 **10\. Borlath doesn't have any Umbral Pokemon as of now. He's sacrificed his entire team except Damien to be experimented on to be turned into Umbral Pokemon, which will either turn them into soulless killing machines or kill them outright. The only active Umbral Pokemon Cipher has right now is Amber's Umbral Rhyperior, though they do have enough Nihilego venom from Lusamine to make a few more.**

 **11\. I named Finn what I did actually as a nod to the WWE Superstar, Finn Balor, who I am a fan of. How Finn Balor fights in the ring is similar to how I've imagined Finn the Poliwag fighting down the road.**

 **You'd be amazed at how many references I put into this story, especially when it comes to names.**

 _That's all for now, everyone. We're back to a weekly update schedule, which is gonna be a freaking blast to get back to. I'll be back with another update next weekend. I also threw up a cheeky poll on my profile, so check that out when you can!_

 _In the meantime, please show your support with a favorite and/or follow and leave any feedback/questions in the review sections below. Seriously, the feedback means the world to me and it makes me happy to see._

 _I'll see you all in 2019. Have a very Happy New Year!_

 _Take care and stay awesome!_

 _Until next time, FlygonNick out!_


	75. Mask of Deceit

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _This week has been weird._

 _I had most of this chapter done by Monday, but I felt like crap the rest of the week and spent the rest of that time either playing "God of War" or sleeping. Then I had to spend all day writing so I could have the chapter out today._

 _Anyways, chapter time! I will say that I'm glad the Mallow and Lana bit, followed by the Captain's Chat section, was so well-received. I'll make sure to do more of those chat scenes in the future._

 _Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes Zombiesguy115, tguy4001, Doger 32, RC-DA, BraviaryScout, Sai Og Sus, trevhall19, SonicIKE, the totem natu, and Cottonmouth25. It's nice to see so many new and old names reviewing after such a long time away from the site, so big thanks to those who reviewed the last update._

 _Not much else to say other than that. Here's a super long chapter!_

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 _Chapter 75: Mask of Deceit_

* * *

Po Town

* * *

"Who thought having a poetry slam in Po Town was a good idea?" Gladion asked no one in particular from underneath an awning, a smirking Demi beside him. Type: Null and Torch the Quilava were lying down on the ground with their eyes shut, trying to tune out the awful rapping that was going on.

The teen in black wondered why they also had to stand in the pouring rain, but realized that trying to make sense out of Team Skull was something he'd given up on a long time ago. "I feel like they should be punched in the kidneys until the pee blood, and then be forced to drink that blood." Gladion continued, earning a raised eyebrow from Demi.

 _"That's disgusting."_ Type: Null noted, not opening its eyes.

"I think it was Guzma. Figured it'd give the guys something to do since the rest of them are unloading supplies and stuff." Demi remarked with a shrug, adjusting the poncho she had on.

 _Team Skull's gonna change this place,_

 _Beating up fools, gettin' in their face!_

 _The Zubat's wings flap and race,_

 _Now get ready bitches cuz I'm settin' the paaaaaace!_

Axen posed dramatically, dropping the mic and sending a blast of awful sound through the walled off town. Several of the Team Skulls Grunts whooped while others clapped. Plumeria just watched with an amused smile on her face nearby while Kayla subtly pulled her ear plugs out.

"Yeah! That's my boi!" Kevin cheered, grinning underneath his bandanna. Kayla face-palmed with a sigh, but walked onto the makeshift stage they made and grabbed the mic from the ground.

"Alright folks, that's a wrap. I think we got a lot of good stuff out here today!" Kayla said to the other Grunts, who all nodded. Some of them even exchanging fist bumps and laughed a bit. Demi knew that the exchange was incredibly stupid, but it was one of the many things the thugs did to spend time together when they weren't causing trouble elsewhere.

After all, it was just them against the world. All Team Skull had was each other.

"Oh thank god." Gladion sighed with some relief, shaking his head. Suddenly a familiar dark fox poked its head out of Gladion's jacket, letting out a yip of agreement.

"Gladion, you and that Zorua are so adorable, you know that?" Demi reminded the teen, making him scowl in response. Demi reached over and patted the small fox on the head, making the happy infant nuzzle Demi's hand and let out a cry.

"He was cold." Gladion said simply, ignoring the compliment. Type: Null snorted in amusement before a loud thunderclap reverberated through the area, making Demi let out a scream of horror. Gladion and Zorua flinched at the noise and several Team Skull Grunts looked their way in concern, with Plumeria herself walking over to them.

"You alright, Demi?" Plumeria gently asked as she stepped under the awning, unbothered in the slightest that she was soaked to the skin. Gladion figured that she and the majority of Team Skull didn't mind the rain since it rained in Po Town for most of the year.

"I'll...I'll be okay." Demi muttered, shivering a little and looking worriedly at the dark clouds overhead. Gladion noted that even though the girl was wearing a poncho, she had yet to actually step out from the awning and join the rest of Team Skull in the rain. While she had initially said it was to keep him company and to stop him from brooding in silence, the boy suspected it was because of how scared she was becoming of the rain.

Plumeria looked skeptical, but nodded. "Just let me know if you anything, alright?"

"I will. Thanks Plumeria." Demi said gratefully, with the young woman nodding. Plumeria looked at Gladion and nodded to him before walking back into the rain, leaving the two teens alone. Demi sat down on the ground, pulling her Quilava into a tight hug for comfort as Type: Null looked at them.

" _Perhaps we should go inside, if being outside causes you so much discomfort?"_ Type; Null suggested, with Gladion nodding in agreement. Demi shook her head.

"No. I'm not going to let my weakness ruin people's fun." Demi replied shortly, trying to get her shivering under control. Gladion felt a pang of worry, but didn't say anything. The others finally walked over to them, seemingly happy about how their poetry slam...thing had gone. However, they noticed Demi hugging her Quilava and became concerned.

"Still freaking out about rain?" Axen asked. The others were long-used to this being a thing, at this point. Demi nodded, and Axen smirked underneath his bandanna. "Then let's go inside. Tim, help Demi out, would ya?"

Tim rolled his eyes and quickly picked up Demi and brought her indoors, much to her displeasure. Torch let out a cry and chased after him, but he was inside the Shady House before it could do too much. The Quilava rushed forward with a angrily growl and slammed into Tim from behind, making him drop Demi onto the floor.

"Ow!" Demi yelped, slowly getting to her feet as her Quilava glared at the downed Tim.

"There, now you're inside and don't have to worry about the rain. Easy fix, yo." Axen chuckled as he helped Tim to his feet. Demi glared at the two teens but sighed in response.

"If she wanted to go inside, she would have went inside." Gladion stated with narrowed eyes, making the other Grunts glare at him in turn.

"Alright, maybe I can help diffuse the tension here with something really awesome, yo." Kevin chimed in, pulling out a Poké Ball and calling out his new Tirtouga.

"Kev, don't even bother." Kayla muttered, shaking her head, but Kevin shook his head.

"Nah. Trust me, it's dope. Y'all are gonna love it and forget you were ever fighting." Kevin said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a rather stylish pair of sunglasses. He knelt down and set them on his new Pokémon's head, giggling excitedly. Oddly enough, they were a perfect fit.

"Boom! Pretty damn awesome, right?" Kevin asked as the others stared at him.

"I mean...The glasses are nice. Not sure why they're on your Tirtouga." Gladion said diplomatically as Type: Null tilted it's head in confusion.

"I like it." Demi said happily, bending down and patting the Prototurtle Pokémon.

"You're an idiot. Why waste money on your new Pokémon like that? It hasn't battled or done anything to warrant you blowing money on it like that!" Kayla admonished the teen, but Kevin shook his head.

"I don't think so. I consider that an investment. Plus she likes them, don't you?" Kevin asked the former fossil, who replied with a smile and a nod of its head.

"I guess that's all that matters, yo. You do you, dude." Axen remarked with a shrug. "Just be careful about that crap. We don't exactly have the money to spend on stuff like that."

"We'd have more money if you guys listened to me more." Demi muttered, drawing the gaze of all four of them. Tim sighed and scratched his head while Kayla and Kevin exchanged a glance.

"It's just a matter of being stubborn. You'd rather make people suffer than actually try to change anything." Gladion shot back, making Axen jerk back in surprise.

"Why shouldn't they suffer?" Kayla growled, stepping forward.

"I think we're all getting distracted from my badass new Pokémon, yo." Kevin remarked, trying to diffuse the situation.

"It's not that impressive." Gladion said tiredly, shaking his head.

"Dude, it's a turtle with sunglasses. It's cool as shit, yo." Kevin said as posed with his Tirtouga, who let out a cry of happiness as it tried to pose as well. Kevin took out his phone and snagged a selfie with his new Pokémon, making the others smile reluctantly. Despite everything, they were at least glad to see the teen happy again.

"I think it's cool, dude." Demi said to the Grunt, who gave Demi a thumbs up as he stood back up.

"What's cool now?" came a new voice, making everyone of the of the Grunts flinch before turning around. Three men sauntered into the room, heavily tattooed and wearing long-sleeved shirts with rips and tears in them. They were large, muscular, and feared all throughout Team Skull.

The Bone Brothers smirked as they zeroed-in on Gladion, who scowled and glared at them. The shortest of the three stepped forward, patting Gladion on the head before the teen swatted away the hand with a snarl.

"Ooh, he's in a nasty mood, ain't he?" the thug remarked with a snicker.

"Damn kid should be grateful. After all, he gets to roll with us while we make Alola suffer. You'll come around someday, Glady. Then you'll be one of us." The tallest of the trio remarked, crossing his arms. The oldest of the three glanced over the younger teens and a hidden grin spread across his face.

"Yeah...the gang's all here. Bone Unit 71. AKA the weaklings who got kicked out of Melemele Island, got thrashed by some hick on Akala, and came crying back here." The man said with a note of disgust in his voice, glowering at the teens.

"And they also took down a criminal that was an Island Challenge Champion and saved your asses from getting arrested by the cops way back." Gladion shot back, earning looks of surprise from Kayla, Axen, Tim and Kevin. They obviously didn't think Gladion of all people would be sticking up for them, given how badly they got along, but here he was standing up to the Bone Brothers.

"True, they did. But since then y'all haven't done shit." One of the brothers replied, reaching forward and flicking Gladion on the nose, making him yelp in pain. Gladion stepped forward with a snarl, but Tim and Kevin grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him back.

"Don't do it, man. They're trying to get a rise out of you." Kevin hissed, with the Brothers laughing in response.

"Maybe they haven't done much since beating that criminal...But I have." Gladion said with narrowed eyes. "Every day, me and my team get stronger. Soon enough, even you three won't be able to stand in our way." The Bone Brothers all seemed to grin at the remark, hiding wide smiles beneath their bandannas.

"Prove it then. Hey runt. Battle him." One of the three brothers said to Kayla, who nodded hastily. Kayla moved to the other side of the room while the rest of Bone Unit 71 exchanged nervous glances, though the Bone Brothers didn't move, instead staring down Gladion who glared fearlessly back at him. Type: Null growled softly beside him, sensing the aggression in the air.

"Let's see how much better you've gotten. Talk doesn't mean shit if you can't back it up." One of them simply said before they turned away to go to the side of the room, taking positions on the nearby staircase. Gladion made a disgusted noise before looking down at Type: Null.

"Just using you for this. Kayla's gotten a little better, but so have we. We'll beat her easily." Gladion said tersely as he recalled his Zorua into its Poké Ball and clipped it to his belt.

"Dude, take it easy. They don't mean nothing by it." Axen said nervously to Gladion, who shot him a glare.

"Those idiots mean everything they say. I refuse to let them bully me around like they do you morons. I stand up for myself." Gladion growled, earning annoyed looks from the other three guys.

"Don't call us morons, yo!" Axen snarled, shoving Gladion backwards. The teen stumbled, but only glared back at Axen before him and Tim turned their back on Gladion and walked off to the side.

"You've gotta calm down man. Axen's trying to keep you from getting hurt. No one crosses the Bone Brothers, you know? Even if you're not well-liked here, no one should have to get hurt for no reason, yo." Kevin said calmly, picking up his Tirtouga with a grunt and walking away, leaving just Demi behind.

"Are you going to patronize me too?" Gladion asked, with Demi shrugging.

"Not really. I don't know the Bone Brothers all that well, to be honest." Demi admitted, earning a surprised look from Gladion before his expression softened.

"I keep forgetting you're still new to Team Skull." Gladion remarked but he sighed. "Simply put, the Bone Brothers are the strongest members of Team Skull. When Guzma formed Team Skull years ago, he started out with just three misfit trainers. They became the Bone Brothers, and with their help shape Team Skull into what it is today. They're strong. Very strong. They're also bullies who don't care who they screw with to get their kicks, even if it's a fellow Team Skull member." Gladion explained quietly as Kayla took her position on the battlefield, looking nervous.

"And someday, I'll be strong enough to take them down." Gladion said with some venom, clenching his fists. "If I can't deal with people like them on my own, then I can't achieve my other goals...I can't save my family if I'm too weak to stand up for myself." Gladion said softly, glancing back at the older thugs as they chatted amongst themselves, ignoring Bone Unit 71 as they occasionally glanced at them anxiously.

"I get what you're saying, Gladion, but...There's more to life than just strength, you know?" Demi simply said as she joined the rest of Bone Unit 71 to the side. Gladion scoffed as he looked forward, eyeing Kayla as she glared him down.

"I need to get stronger. That's all that matters. I have to protect those precious to me at all costs." Gladion hissed as Type: Null crouched low, prepared to attack.

Kayla called out her Fearow, which flapped its powerful wings and let out a piercing screech. The two Pokémon rushed at each other, with the Bone Brothers watching from the sidelines with veiled interest and sneering smirks.

"You think Glady will ever figure things out?" the tallest brother muttered.

"Not a chance. Poor little kid doesn't get it, and probably won't ever. Neither will all the other runts. He's right where Guzma wants him to be, and that's where he'll stay. _Right under our boots_. And we can keep messin' with him all the while." The oldest of the trio responded, hiding a shark-like grin of malice beneath his bandanna.

* * *

"As you can see, Konikoni City is a pretty sizable locale. It's an excellent place for us to have a base of operations on Akala Island, even if our group is rather small." Looker said as he and Anabel made their way through the street, with their newest addition in tow.

Oliver Étincelles grinned in response, carrying two suitcases with some effort. The sniper remarked, "We'll see about that. I'm definitely hoping to kickstart a recruitment drive soon. Maybe see about recruiting some ex-Island Challenge Champions or something. But it'll have to wait until after I'm settled in. After the crap in Kanto, I seriously need some time off. I've got a lot of vacation days saved up and I plan on using them."

"Take as long as you need, Ollie." Anabel said quietly, glancing at the man with a smile. "We understand the past few weeks have been trying. Me and Looker have been working on our own here in Alola for some time, so we're used to it. Take your time settling in."

"I'll do that. And-" Oliver was cut off by a yell from down the road behind them.

"Mister Oliver!" Sun shouted, running forward, much to Lillie and Hau's surprise. The International Police Captain whirled around at hearing his name, but allowed himself a grin at seeing the boy running his way.

"Oh, hey! Sun! How's-OOF!" Oliver was tackled around the middle in a fierce hug from the overjoyed youth, but managed to stay standing thanks to Looker bracing him. Oliver awkwardly hugged Sun back, and the boy separated from him with a wide smile.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were back in Kanto helping fight Cipher?" Sun asked, making Anabel and Looker exchange looks of worry. Oliver caught that and waved a hand at them.

"He's a friend, don't worry." Oliver said to the two other IP members before looking back at Sun. "You look like you're doing well. Having fun on your Island Challenge?"

Sun grinned at him, though the appearance of Laura Smiles and the rest of Sun's friends made Oliver completely tune out Sun's response. The International Police Captain's eyes widened as Laura offered him a smirk, putting a hand on her hips as they stopped a short distance away.

" _Hot damn…"_ Oliver thought, not even trying to be subtle.

"He's totally checking out Sun's Mom." Hau commented, smirking as he put his hands behind his head.

"I know. It's kind of weird, honestly." Lillie admitted, shifting her bag on her shoulder.

"Oh come on, Lillie. I ship it."

"No comment."

"I challenge you to a battle, Oliver!" Laura declared as she walked forward, jabbing a finger into Ollie's chest and making the man's eyes widen like saucers.

"W-wait, what!? That's the worst greeting ever!" Ollie yelped, taking a step back and dropping his luggage. "I'm jet-lagged as hell and haven't even had a chance to drop off my bags, and you're wanting to battle me!? We can't even discuss this over coffee first?"

"Absolutely not! I've been practicing and I'm not going to pass this chance up, Ollie!" Laura proclaimed cheerily, living up to her last name as her smile grew larger.

"I think it'd be nice to see your skills in action, Quill. I was distracted during the last time we fought together." Looker responded with an interested look on his face. Anabel made a playful shooing motion to Oliver, who hung his head and slowly looked at Laura.

"Fiiiiine. But if I win, then you have to make me dinner tonight." Oliver said to Laura, who giggled with triumph.

"And if I win, then you have to take me out to dinner, since you suck at cooking." Laura replied, making Ollie scowl.

"Let's just battle, damn it." Oliver muttered before he looked around. "Where would we even battle?"

"There's a really convenient field just a few blocks away!" Mallow proclaimed happily, appearing suddenly from behind Lillie and making the white-clad girl scream loudly in surprise. "Whoops. Sorry Lillie. Didn't mean to spook you."

"I...I...Y-you're good." Lillie panted, putting a hand over her heart and breathing calmly to try and steady her heartbeat. Sun was tempted to give her a hug, but considering they were out in public in front of everyone, he decided against it.

"You could have started off with a simple hi, you know." Lana said with a sigh as she walked over to them, with Bubbles the Popplio perched atop her head.

"I'm guessing these are all your friends, Sun?" Oliver said with a grin. "Good to see, kiddo. I know you didn't have much in the way of friends back in Kanto, so I'm glad you're making loads of them here. Why don't you introduce me?"

"Sure! This is Hau, Lillie, Lana and Mallow. Everyone, this is Mister Oliver! He's a friend of my Mom's from back in Kanto! He's awesome!" Sun said excitedly, with Oliver waving to the group of children.

"Hey there. Sorry if I'm a bit subdued, jet-lag and all that." Oliver said with a laugh, rubbing the back of his head. "Come on then, show me this field. The sooner we get this over with, the sooner I can go to sleep."

"Okay, okay, we get it, you flew all the way here. I have no idea why they didn't just teleport you here." Laura said, glancing at Looker and Anabel, though she noticed the duo were gone.

"Looks like your friends bailed." Mallow noted, cocking her head.

"Oh no, they're around, don't you worry. Now come on, everyone." Laura said cheerily, leading the way down a side road. Oliver rolled his eyes but followed, though he had to make some effort to make sure his eyes didn't drift anywhere...inappropriate. Thankfully, Sun keeping up a chatter as he walked alongside them both with a big smile on his face was a welcome distraction.

"Sun looks really excited." Hau said quietly, smirking slightly.

"I'll say. Oliver, huh? Isn't that the name of his Sun's Dartrix? Did Sun name his Starter after that guy?" Mallow asked Hau, with Lillie nodding in confirmation. "Guess he's important to Sun."

"Very much so. Sun hasn't told me all of the details, but I know that man helped him a lot after his father showed his true colors. Aside from the fact that he was the inspiration behind Oliver's naming, I couldn't tell you what he's like." Lillie said quietly, seeing Sun talking to Ollie and Laura, his eyes shining with excitement. Lillie couldn't help a soft smile, her own heart happy at seeing her crush's happiness.

They arrived at the battlefield soon enough. It was a large grassy field near the lighthouse towards the western portion of the city. Oliver stored his luggage away in Item Capsules, taking care to clip four Poké Balls to his belt. Laura was grinning widely, crossing her arms as the children moved behind her.

Sun pulled out his Poké Balls and called out his team. "We're watching my Mom battle, everyone. Keep an eye on what's going on. You might learn something."

"This will be the first time we've seen Miss Smiles battle. This is gonna be awesome!" Hau cheered, bouncing up and down on his feet. Lillie shook her heard at her friend's silliness, but was likewise interested in Laura's skills as a Trainer. From what Sun had told her, Miss Smiles had been quite a force to be reckoned with back when she stormed through the Kanto Gym Circuit.

"Alright, Laura. Three-on-three work for you?" Oliver called to his friend, who nodded. Oliver then turned towards the teens and children assembled. "One of you feel like playing referee?"

"Ooh! Me!" Hau yelled, running off to the side of the field while Mallow and Lillie rolled their eyes in sync. Lana and Sun chuckled, but said nothing.

"The battle between Laura Smiles and the Oliver guy with the suave accent who's last name I didn't catch!" Hau declared, making Lillie face-palm. "Each side will use three Pokémon each and substitutions are allowed! Go for it!"

"Alright! I'll start this off. Swellow, prepare for battle!" Ollie said with a grin as he unclipped a Poké Ball and tossed it forward, calling forth a large blue bird that let out a powerful cry as it took to the air.

"Blastoise, you're up!" Laura said as she pulled out Poké Ball and throwing it forward. In a burst of light, a massive Blastoise emerged. It's shoulder-mounted cannons shuddered for a moment before the Pokémon got into a fighting stance.

"Whoa, your Mom has a Blastoise?" Mallow asked Sun, who grinned proudly.

"A very strong water-type Pokémon. Blastoise is considered to be the strongest of the Kanto Starter Pokémon by some." Lana said with a small smile.

"My Mom's team is awesome. Plus she's been doing a lot of battles with Professor Kukui while I've been doing the Island Challenge." Sun explained before he heard a beep from his shoulder.

" _Zzzt! Time for me to do my thing!"_ Rotom declared as it flew in front of Sun, flipping around with a happy buzz.

" _Blastoise. The Shellfish_ _Pokémon and the evolved form of Wartortle. Blastoise has water spouts that protrude from its shell. The water spouts are very accurate. They can shoot bullets of water with enough accuracy to strike empty cans from a distance of over 160 feet."_ Rotom explained as the beast in question let out a small snort.

"And the other one?" Sun asked the device, who giggled and swapped screens.

" _Swellow. The Swallow Pokémon and the evolved form of Taillow._ _Swellow flies high above our heads, making graceful arcs in the sky. This Pokémon dives at a steep angle as soon as it spots its prey. The hapless prey is tightly grasped by Swellow's clawed feet, preventing escape."_ Rotom continued as the bird fluttered into the air, flapping its wings as it narrowed it's eyes.

"Alright then, let's get this thing started. Aerial Ace!" Ollie barked, a small smile coming to his face. The blue bird became a blue blur, dashing forwards with a near-blinding speed and slamming into the massive turtle with a crash, sending the Kanto Starter skidding backwards for a moment before soaring away with a chirp.

"Blastoise, Iron Defense!" Laura said calmly, her smile widening slightly. Blastoise nodded and crouched lower to the ground, its body glowing bright blue before shining white. "Now, use Rock Slide!"

"Double Team! Scatter!" Oliver yelled as his Swellow let out a screech, with a series of portals opening up above them and dropping massive boulders down upon the Hoenn-native bird. It let out a chirp and created several after-images, desperately trying to avoid the large rocks and unknowingly getting into perfect position for a worse attack.

"Waterfall!" Laura called, with Blastoise grunting an affirmative before a torrent of water engulfed it and it charged forward, slamming into the Swellow and sending it tumbling through the air.

"Swellow! Air Slash!" Ollie barked, smiling widely as his bird flared its wings with a glare as the Blastoise crashed onto the ground, grinning up at it.

"Hit it back with Ice Beam!" Laura commanded, with the massive turtle aiming both cannons at the bird and firing off two beams of icy energy. Swellow expertly dodged the attack and sent several waves of disc-like energy down at the Blastoise, who grunted in pain as the attack smashed into it.

"Agility! Then get close!" Oliver called out, with Swellow nodding as it began to glow a faint white color before vanishing in a burst of speed, soaring towards Blastoise. The bird was moving so quickly now that it was a faintly appearing blur that appeared and reappeared occasionally.

"Get ready! He's trying something! Use Hydro Pump!" Laura commanded as the bird approached, though it was already within range before Blastoise could react.

"Reversal!" Oliver yelled, a wicked grin on his face. Laura's smile vanished as the Swallow Pokémon glowed a harsh red color and slammed into her Blastoise, sending it tumbling across the field with a roar of pain.

"Man...this is intense." Mallow muttered, glancing at the others. Lillie had a worried look on her face, likely because of the Pokémon being hurt, but everyone else looked enthralled. Sun in particular was transfixed on the showdown.

"Blastoise!" Laura called out, but the Shellfish Pokémon managed to stop rolling and staggered to its feet, panting heavily. Laura sighed, smiling ruefully. "Hard and fast, just like always. But I think we're done here, Blastoise. Charge up and wait for Swellow to come to us."

Blastoise nodded and shut its eyes, gathering energy before crouching slightly, withdrawing its head into its shell.

Oliver grinned, knowing he had Laura's Blastoise on its last legs. It would be a simple matter to hit it with a fast attack and bring it down, so that's what he would do. The man pointed at Blastoise and said, "Knock it out quickly! Aerial Ace, before they have a chance to counterattack!"

The Swellow nodded and shot forward, white energy trailing in its wake. The children on the sidelines watched in anticipation, sensing the battle was coming to a close.

"Skull Bash!" Laura yelled triumphantly, with her Blastoise grinning evilly even as Swellow dashed at it, a white shine surrounding its body as it built up more and more speed. Oliver's eyes widened in horror.

"Swellow, dodge it! Cancel the attack!" Ollie bellowed, but the bird was moving far too quick to undo the attack, even as the turtle suddenly shot forward with enough force to leave a massive indent on the ground as he leapt off of it. The bird screeched in horror and the two collided, with Swellow getting sent hurtling backwards before crashing into the dirt multiple times, coming to a stop while lying on its back.

Hau waited a few moments for Swellow to rise, but when it became clear it wouldn't, he raised a hand. "Swellow is unable to battle! The winner is Blastoise!"

"She used a different signal to have Blastoise charge-up Skull Bash." Lillie noted, smiling a bit. Mallow, Lana and Sun turned to their friend, who laughed quietly. "Most Trainers call out for their Pokémon to charge up attacks, such as Solar Beam or Sky Attack, by name. However, Laura just told Blastoise to wait and charge up for Skull Bash, not telegraphing what she had planned. It was really smart."

 _"She's crafty...She baited him in too, and struck."_ Oliver the Dartrix said with a small chuckle, preening his feathers as he did so.

" _That's a trick we should think about for the future."_ Penny noted, amused. Brago nodded while Finn hopped a bit excitedly.

"You haven't lost a step." Oliver conceded, grinning widely at Laura. The woman chuckled, scratching the back of her head.

"I would say the same with you, but you're always battling and stuff. Now come on! The sooner we're done here, and sooner I get my dinner. I was thinking steak at Konikoni's most expensive restaurant…" Laura teased the man, who scoffed.

Mallow grinned, leaning subtly towards Lana, and whispered, "Miss Smiles totally wants him. The feeling seems to be mutual too."

"You want to make any other deductions, Captain Obvious?"

"Well, I can tell you that the sky is blue. Sun and Lillie have a mutual crush on each other. Kiawe is scared of Caterpie. Oh yeah, and Hau has a nice butt."

"Back off bitch, he's _mine_."

"I don't see you refuting any of my points, Lana."

Lillie and Sun slowly turned around with raised eyebrows, making the two teens laugh awkwardly before the two children turned back around, trying to decide whether or not they should laugh or face-palm.

"Dodrio, let's show Laura our strength, shall we?" Oliver said with a smirk as he called out a large three-headed bird. The strange Pokémon chirped several times before all three heads looked at Laura.

"Hello there, Dodrio! Good to see you again!" Laura called, with all three heads chirping happily and nodding in reply. Rotom floated from Sun's shoulder and did its thing.

" _Dodrio. The Triple Bird_ _Pokémon and the evolved form of Doduo._ _Watch out if Dodrio's three heads are looking in three separate directions. It's a sure sign that it is on its guard. Don't go near this Pokémon if it's being wary—it may decide to peck you. Apparently, the heads aren't the only parts of the body that Dodrio has three of. It has three sets of hearts and lungs as well, so it is capable of running long distances without rest."_ Rotom explained to the children.

"What an odd Pokémon." Lana commented, with Sun nodding.

"They're mostly found in Kanto, though I think you can find them in Kalos and Hoenn." Sun explained, earning a surprised look from Lillie. Sun laughed at her reaction, saying, "Hey, I know Flying-type Pokémon like the back of my hand. It's also why Mister Oliver's team is so awesome. It's mostly birds!"

"Dodrio has been my partner since the beginning, as you know. He's one of my strongest Pokémon, so I hope you're ready!" Oliver said as Dodrio's three heads let out loud chirps.

"I'm more than ready. Blastoise, Ice Beam!" Laura called out, with the Shellfish Pokémon nodded and firing two beams of icy energy at the three-headed bird.

"Get into the air and get close!" Oliver ordered. The Dodrio rushed forward before leaping into the sky. Laura ordered her Blastoise to use Ice Beam again, firing off another attack. Oliver just smirked as the bird Pokémon somehow somersaulted in midair, dodging the attack and drawing close to the massive turtle.

"Jump Kick!" Oliver commanded as the bird shot towards Blastoise with it's foot outstretched.

"Duck!" Laura shouted. Blastoise dropped to all fours and Dodrio soared over it, crashing onto the ground with a pained cry. "Now, use Hydro Pump!"

"Dodge and get close!" Oliver ordered. The Dodrio barely managed to leap backwards to avoid getting blast with the powerful blast of water and sprinted towards Blastoise, chirping erratically.

"Return!" Oliver shouted with a wide grin as Dodrio neared the massive turtle. The bird Pokémon glowed a bright white color and let out a several yells before slamming into Blastoise hard, sending the Water-type soaring backwards and crashing heavily onto the ground, where it was clearly knocked out.

"Blastoise is unable to battle! The winner is Dodrio!" Hau declared.

"Man, this is intense." Mallow said quietly, grinning to herself. "It looks like they're having fun though."

Sun noticed this. Both Oliver and Laura wore happy smiles, even if the battle itself was all tied up. It made him happy, in turn. Sun privately hoped that the International Police Captain would be staying here for at least a while.

"Tangrowth, let's go!" Laura called out, tossing a Poké Ball forward and releasing a large blue-colored mess of vines. Rotom beeped happily and swooped forward.

 _"Tangrowth. The Vine Pokémon and the evolved form of Tangela. It ensnares prey by extending arms made of vines. Losing arms to predators does not trouble it. It's vines grow so profusely that, in the warm season, you can't even see its eyes."_ Rotom explained as the strange creature flexed it's vines.

"Interesting choice. I forgot you had one of those. Aerial Ace!" Oliver commanded, with his Dodrio darting forward with a cry.

"Poison Powder!" Laura commanded, with Tangrowth quickly releasing a cloud of powder that Dodrio charged through before slamming into the Grass-type. Tangrowth squealed in pain while Dodrio coughed and stumbled around as the poison began to course through its body.

"Now, use Slam!" Laura commanded, with Tangrowth lurching forward and smashing into Dodrio, sending it hurtling backwards.

"Tri Attack!" Oliver shouted as Dodrio caught itself and landed on the ground, its sharp talons easily bringing its backwards momentum to a halt. All three heads unleashed a powerful blast of ice, lightning and fire at the Vine Pokémon.

"Launch yourself into the air and then use Sludge Bomb!" Laura shouted, with Tangrowth obeying, using its many vines to slam down onto the ground and shoot high into the air and unleash a bombardment of purple globules down on Dodrio, who began to leap and jump around on the ground with screeches of panic.

"Aerial Ace to get close, then follow up with Drill Peck as it lands!" Oliver barked, crossing his arms. The Dodrio shot forward with a screech, wincing in pain as the poison sapped away its strength.

"Poison Jab!" Laura commanded, with the Tangrowth's vines glowing purple as it landed on the ground. Dodrio smashed into Tangrowth with incredible force, knocking the beast back with a screech of pain. All three heads proceeded to deliver a barrage of Drill Pecks, only stopping when two vines smashed into their chest and sent them soaring away, though at that point the damage had been done. Tangrowth only managed to take a single step forward before collapsing.

"Tangrowth is unable to battle. The winner...huh?" Hau was about to say, but he spotted Dodrio swaying on its feet. The Triple Bird Pokémon let out a soft cry before dropping to the ground, unconscious.

"Both Pokémon are unable to battle! Double knockout!" Hau declared, throwing up his hands.

"They knocked each other out so quickly. That was brutal..." Lille muttered, awed by the display.

"Gotta admit, I didn't think you could overcome the type-disadvantage." Oliver said with a chuckle, scratching the back of his head. "Kinda embarrassed, now."

"Don't be. I knew Tangrowth wouldn't last a long time, so I just tried to get the most out of poisoning your Dodrio that I could. I just got lucky with the timing." Laura explained, drawing her final Poké Ball.

Oliver did the same, but before either of them could call out a Pokémon, the shadows around Oliver swirled and distorted, and two large hands erupted from the ground and dragged Oliver into his own shadow.

"Ollie!" Laura shouted, running forward.

"Uh, was that supposed to happen?" Hau asked, confused. Sun and co. ran forward as well, looking around the battlefield. Suddenly there was a small explosion of darkness ahead of them and Oliver leapt out of the shadows of a nearby tree, a strange Pokémon that resembled a sword and shield hovering behind him. Nearby, a large bald man covered in scars appeared from the shadow behind a pole, with a Dusknoir floating happily behind them.

"What just happened?" Sun asked, worried as the two men exchanged glares.

"So what, you try and catch me off guard with Shadow Sneak and drag me off somewhere?" Oliver growled as the shield and sword Pokémon shivered behind him, shifting into what seemed like a more natural stance for it. The Dusknoir opposite flexed its hands, giggling softly.

" _New Pokémon detected! Wheee!"_ Rotom buzzed, floating ahead of the group.

" _Dusknoir. The Gripper Pokémon and the evolved form of Dusclops._ _The antenna on its head captures radio waves from the world of spirits that command it to take people there. It is said to take lost spirits into its pliant body and guide them home."_

"Creepy." Mallow muttered, shivering slightly as Rotom flicked to another screen.

" _Aegislash. The Royal Sword_ _Pokémon_ _and the evolved form of Doublade. Generations of kings were attended by these Pokémon, which used their spectral power to manipulate and control people and Pokémon. Apparently, it can detect the innate qualities of leadership. According to legend, whoever it recognizes is destined to become king."_ Rotom explained as the children and teens looked back and forth between the two powerful Ghost-type Pokémon.

"The sword one looks badass. I've never seen anything like that before. I wonder how it'd be able to fight that guy and ghost over there." Mallow admitted as Ollie glared down the man and his Dusknoir.

"It's found only in Kalos, and is extremely rare elsewhere. Though I have heard some rumors of them being found on Akala Island." Laura explained, though she was glancing back and forth worriedly between the two men. "I wonder who that other guy is though. Why did he interrupt our match and try to take Oliver with him?"

"That's Commander Jack and Gretel." Lillie noted, curiosity etched on her face. The others looked at her and Lillie flushed slightly. "I met them both at Royal Avenue. They saved me from Team Skull."

"I remember that!" Sun exclaimed before looking over to the two men. "Wonder what they want?"

"Can I help you?" Oliver asked Jack as Gretel the Dusknoir hovered nearby, giggling softly. Jack smirked at the annoyance in Ollie's voice, but nodded slightly.

"I was originally trying to find Looker and Anabel, but now that I see they're too busy watching from the shadows, I'll tell you instead since you're the new guy around here. We found a new lead in Heahea City. Nanu is looking into it for now, but in the meantime I'm laying low. I don't exactly blend in." Jack said with a scowl, making Oliver frown.

"I'm assuming you're the extra help Looker and Nanu convinced to help us, considering our low numbers here in Alola." The IP Captain said, offering the man a small smile. Commander Jack gave him a stiff nod and Ollie extended his hand. "Quill. Pleased to meet you."

"Jackal." The men both shook hands, whereupon Gretel swooped forward and shook Ollie's hand, giggling softly.

"And I'm Gretel! Pleased to meet you!" the Dusknoir said cheerily before she floated backwards.

"Likewise. I have no idea why Anabel and Looker decided to bail and spy on my battle, but whatever. I'll let them know when I see them. I'm not jumping straight into the thick of things, though. I'm taking some time off to adjust and get a feel for Alola, you know?" Ollie said to the larger man, who nodded in response.

"Understandable. Just don't take too long. Between Team Skull, Cipher, and...other parties, things are getting dangerous. I'll keep my ear to the ground, but for now, you should get properly debriefed by Maiden. Then you can spend time with your girlfriend and the kids." Jack said to the man, smirking again.

"She's not my girlfriend!" Oliver scowled, heat rising to his face. He then muttered, "Not yet, anyway."

"I heard that!" Laura called, with Ollie flinching harshly in response. Jack coughed a few times, laughing quietly while shaking his head.

"I needed that laugh. Yeah, you'll do fine. Maiden and Looker can give you my info if you need to get ahold of me. You know how it goes." Jackal said as he took a step back.

"I'll start looking into things shortly, don't you worry." Ollie said as his Aegislash sank into his shadow. Gretel did the same, and Jackal beckoned the group forward.

"Mister Jack! What's going on?" Lillie asked as they bounded forward.

"I was trying to get this guy alone so I could tell him some important info. But either I'm getting rusty, or he's quicker on the draw than I thought, because he stopped Gretel's Shadow Sneak and escaped back to this plane without much trouble." Jack explained. The Dusknoir in question rose up from behind them all and hugged Lillie, picking the girl up in her arms.

"It's good to see you again, Miss Lillie! Have you been well?" Gretel asked, with Lillie laughing after getting over her initial surprise.

"Very well! How about you and Mister Jack?" Lillie asked as the ghost set her down on the ground and patted Lillie on the head.

"About as good as I can get, all things considered. The IP branch over here consists of three people, so they reached out to me and Nanu to help out. Speaking of Nanu, I'm needed elsewhere." Jack said, looking back at Oliver. "Keep an eye out while you're resting up. I've got a bad feeling, and we'll need all hands on deck if we're going to get a handle on things over here."

"Noted." Ollie said in reply, nodding to the man. Jackal nodded in return before he looked at all of the children and teens present, his gaze landing on Lillie last.

"Be good, alright?" Jack said to Lillie, who nodded in reply. Without another word, Gretel waved to the group before pulling Jack into his shadow, vanishing from sight.

"Sorry Laura. We'll have continue this match another time." Oliver said, scratching the back of his head. "Looks like I've got some business to take care of before I can officially start my vacation."

"No worries." Laura said with a grin. "You can always take me out to eat some other time. You definitely need to visit us on Melemele Island, though."

"I'll do that. So, what are you all planning on doing now, since we're about wrapped up here?" Oliver asked the group.

"Going home. I promised the twins I'd take them fishing tonight, so I'll see you all later!" Lana said with a smile as she headed off.

"I coooould hang for a while, but I should probably get going myself. Let me know when you decide to battle Olivia again, Sun. I want to see your Grand Trial in person!" Mallow said cheerily before she pranced off after Lana, leaving the group down two.

"Sun, how about you? You mentioned wanting to take some time off." Lillie asked her best friend and crush, who nodded.

"I figured going back home and training is probably my best call. I can train Finn up and come up with some new strategies to take on Olivia so next time I'm able to win no problem. And after all the stress with Dad showing up again and doing what he did, I need a break from the Island Challenge for a bit. Plus there's that big tournament coming up...Yeah, I definitely want to check that out." Sun said with a smile.

"The Alola Grand Royal Tournament, you mean?" Ollie remarked, smirking. "The amount of publicity that thing is getting back in Kanto in unreal. A current Champion, Gym Leaders from all over the world, a regional professor and several other celebrities? It'll definitely be a fun time."

"Professor Kukui has been organizing the entire thing." Lillie chimed in, drawing everyone's attention. The girl balked for a moment, but continued. "He's going to make a huge announcement after the tournaments end, and the winner will have the chance to make history."

"Make history? How so, Lillie?" Sun asked the girl.

Lillie smiled shyly and looked away. "Wouldn't _you_ like to know?"

"Aw, your Princess is playing hard to get, Sun." Laura chuckled, with both children blushing in response.

"Oh? Did you get yourself a girlfriend since moving here?" Ollie asked with a teasing smile, with both children turning dark red at that and yelling out, "No!"

"Alright, lay off Ollie. Poor kids don't need to get riled up. How about you, Hau?" Laura asked the Kahuna's grandson, who just shrugged.

"I don't want to continue on this thing without Sunny Delight, so I think I'll just bum around on Akala for a while, maybe hang out with Lana and Mallow. And Kiawe when he's not working." Hau said with a smirk, looking over at Lillie. "I'm guessing you're going back to the Dimensional Research Lab?"

"Actually, Professor Burnet is taking time off as well. She and Professor Kukui are taking me back to Professor Kukui's lab. Apparently he's had a breakthrough regarding his Z-Power studies, and wants the both of us to help him look into it." Lillie explained, smiling at her friends.

"Meaning we can hang out in our downtime." Sun said with a hopeful grin, with Lillie nodding happily in response.

"Fine. Leave poor Hau out...I see how it is." Hau muttered audibly, with Rotom Dex floating over to the boy and patting him on the shoulder.

" _Zzzt! Ouch, buddy. Gonna need a Ice Heal for the cold shoulder you just got."_

"You both know it's not like that. Hau, you're perfectly welcome to come hang out at the Professor's lab with us." Lillie said to Hau, who's face broke into a grin.

"No worries. I'm just gonna bug Lana instead." Hau said dismissively, waving a hand. "You'll both be back in time for the tournament though, yeah?" Hau got two nods in reply, so he broke out into a wide grin. "Then I'll see you both then!"

"I guess in the meantime I'll see about getting a hotel and take care of this debrief real quick. My apartment won't be sorted out for at least another two weeks, and I'd rather not bum around at Pokémon Centers, you know?" Oliver remarked, shrugging with a small smile.

"You can stay with us!" Sun said with a grin, though both adults exchanged a glance and flushed before looking away. Lillie and Hau both smirked while Sun's grin widened. Meanwhile, Ollie and Laura were jabbering away excuses.

"I-I mean...Getting a hotel squared away wouldn't be that big of a deal..."

"Sun, we still have moving boxes set up. We haven't finished unpacking still."

Sun shook his head. "Nope! I insist! After everything you've done for us, it'd be pretty bad to make you pay for a hotel while you could just stay with us. Now come on, let's go!"

Both adults sighed and shook their heads before they began to make their way back to the city proper. Sun and Hau exchanged a fist-bump while Lillie giggled.

"Dude, they like each other. You don't feel weird about that?" Hau asked Sun, who shook his head.

"No way. Mister Oliver is awesome. Plus he's an old family friend and has a whole bunch of birds, and he saved Mom from Dad back in Kanto. If she likes him and he makes her happy, why wouldn't I be supportive of them?" Sun asked, laughing quietly as he crossed his arms. "Plus, this means I can mess with them about it."

"I figured that's where all of that was going. You're mean, Sun." Lillie said with approval, giggling after a moment.

"Yeah. Remember all the times Mom teased us? Consider this payback." Sun said, his grin becoming mischievous. Nebby let out a cry of approval (maybe?) while Lillie laughed and the group followed the two adults, who were still awkwardly going back and forth about Ollie crashing at their place until he got his own apartment set up.

Anabel and Looker stepped out from the shadows, grinning to each other before teleporting away.

* * *

Celadon City

* * *

Amber had to admit, she enjoyed the changing of leadership in Cipher a bit too much.

Greevil had always come off as obnoxious to her. He was proud, arrogant, and an old fool. He had no idea how much he had been twisted and manipulated until his very last moments.

If Amber was able to feel anything, she would have able to feel an incredible amount of joy telling Greevil how it had been her and Borlath who had arranged for the death of Eldes and Ardos, his two sons, as he died on that stage back at the Kanto Superdome. After all, Eldes and Ardos asked questions and were rightfully suspicious of Borlath from the get-go, so they naturally had to die.

But aside from that, Amber enjoyed Borlath leading the charge because it meant that Borlath's dreams would come closer to becoming reality. A better world. A just world. Even with her impairments, it was something Amber wanted to see out of the sake of sheer curiosity more than anything else now, even if she wasn't fiercely loyal to Borlath. Plus, he had promised to help her become whole again, no matter what it took.

Cipher's Angel of Death walked through the hallway with Dawson and the Masked Admin in tow, heading into a meeting with the new Grand Master of Cipher himself. Amber knew that this wasn't just a meeting, but a shakedown. None of them trusted the Masked Admin that Greevil had entrusted with the Alola operation, and they would get some answers out of him.

The trio entered the room and the door was shut, with the three of them sitting down at the large table and looking over at Borlath as he regarded them from the window. Borlath smiled and snapped his fingers.

The Masked Admin let out a yell as a shadow from the corner suddenly lunged at him, knocking him out of the chair he was in and sending him crashing to the ground. The man looked up from the ground and yelled out again as two massive paws pinned his arms to the ground, with a huge hellhound growling in his face with his teeth bared.

"What is the meaning of this!?" the Masked Admin demanded, a note of fear and anger in his voice.

"Oh don't you worry. I'm just taking the advice of a friend and trusting my Partner a little more." Borlath said with a cruel smile as Damien increased the pressure he was putting on the Masked Admin.

" _And I just don't like you."_ Damien added, grinning nastily.

"Now, I operate on some level of trust with my Admins. Greevil did as well, obviously, but with him gone that leaves me in a weird bind...I know nothing about you. None of us know anything about you, and Greevil took whatever he knew with him to his grave. So you're going to answer some questions, and we'll go from there." Borlath said politely, getting up from his chair while Amber and Dawson simply watched from nearby. Borlath pulled out a silver revolver from his suit pocket and aimed it at the downed man.

"First off, what is your name? Considering how long you've hung around, I find it ridiculous that we don't know what to even call you." Borlath said to the man, who to his credit, didn't seem phased.

"Heh, wouldn't you like to know? I wear a mask for a reason, boy. If anyone knew who I really was, then I'd lose my main use to you as the leader of Cipher. If you must call me by something...then call me Mask." the Masked Admin said with a little laugh. "After all, we mostly go by code-names anyway, don't we?"

"Me and Amber don't." Dawson reminded the man, who barked out a laugh.

"What do you have to hide? You're a mercenary...and she's a psychopath. The rest of us have connections outside of Cipher. Lives that would be ruined should who we truly are get out to the common masses." Mask stated as Borlath scowled. "Besides, I'm a dead man if people knew who I was. It isn't important to you all, so just allow an old man the comfort of becoming a nameless shadow.

"You've got a point. But then again, you're not in a position to bargain, Mask. We'll return to this topic later." Borlath said to the man as Damien growled again. "Now, another question. Why did Greevil chose you to lead the Alola campaign?"

"I know how the region works. I have friends in low places there, as well as friends in power that owe me. Setting up a base on Ula'ula Island was child's play. Besides...Me and Greevil were old friends, once upon a time. We met over business and he trusted me like he trusted few others. It took awhile for him to convince me to join Cipher." Mask explained, his voice remaining steady.

"What do you have planned for the region?" Dawson asked, mainly out of curiosity. The Masked Admin let out a cackle of delight, shaking his head.

"I only wish for the region to suffer. Overthrowing the gods and claiming Z-Power for a criminal syndicate is the best way to spit in their faces, so naturally I'm going to do the best I can to make sure we succeed." Mask said with a laugh, making Damien glance at Borlath.

" _Does everyone who leaves Alola grow up to be a bitter adult?"_ Damien asked his Trainer, who smiled ruefully at his Partner.

"You and I both know that's not true. The toxic culture and the adherence to a centuries-old tradition that isolates people and casts out the rejects is why people hate it so. What makes me curious though is to who you actually are. I think we should take off that mask and see what you're hiding." Borlath said, grinning in triumph.

Mask visibly stiffened at that and tried to move Damien off of him, but the Houndoom was too strong. Borlath approached the older man, who let out a nervous laugh.

"You really should be a bit more kind to a defenseless old man...Especially when he could tell you exactly _where your son is_." Mask breathed, somewhat annoyed that he had been threatened into pulling out his trump card.

Borlath's reaction was immediate. His eyes turned gray before becoming jet-black. He took a step back in surprise while Damien snarled angrily, baring his teeth.

" _If you hurt Sun, I'll tear your throat out!"_ Damien growled, flames flickering at the back of his throat. Amber and Dawson exchanged a look before looking at Borlath, whose face was a mixture of emotions. Mask stared at Borlath, and the leader's eyes were gray again.

"I wouldn't hurt the poor boy. I just happen to know where he is. It would be an easy matter for you to collect him, my little monarch. Now...I can easily provide a location, but this will require you to get off of me, and begin trusting me to do my job." Mask said smoothly, with Damien growling softly in anger. "No more questions about who I am. If I am to remain useful, I must stay anonymous."

"...Very well. Damien, get off of him. Amber, if he moves to run away, break his legs. I've had enough subterfuge." Borlath said quietly, stowing his gun away. The Houndoom hopped off of the man and moved over to his Trainer. Mask shakily got to his feet, bracing himself against the table for support.

"Even with everything I've done to myself to remain strong, I still can't shake off old age." Mask sighed as he fell into a chair. Borlath glowered at the man impatiently, with Mask chuckling in reply.

"He's on Akala Island, likely residing in Konikoni City. From what I've gathered, he recently battled the Kahuna there." Mask breathed, panting slightly.

"Keep talking."

"He seemed to have three Poké Balls on his belt and a Z-Ring on his wrist when we last spotted him, entering Diglett's Tunnel. Our efforts to find him again were waylaid by the efforts of the International Police within the region, as they've become more nosy than I'd like." Mask said before rattling off a description of the boy in question. Borlath grit his teeth, as it matched his child perfectly.

" _She actually brought him to Alola...She exposed our child to that awful place. Just when I thought you couldn't hurt me further, you go and do this."_ Borlath thought to himself, running a hand down his face. " _After everything I told you about the region, you still took him there and let him become a Trainer. How could you, Laura?"_

"So...what's the plan, Boss?" Dawson asked Borlath, who took a moment to reply. After composing himself, he turned to the trio ahead of him.

"The plan remains the same. We're not going to entirely derail my plans just so I can find Sun." Borlath said before looking at Mask. "Tell me more about him. What was he doing? Who was Sun with... _Is he safe?_ "

Mask seemed to grin, chuckling softly under his breath. "Ah, ah, ah...I want a promise that none of the Admins or Cipher personnel will lay a hand on me in the future, no matter what. I've proven to be an effective and loyal member of Cipher, and even if I have to keep some secrets close to my chest, I want your word that I won't be harmed in the future."

Borlath scowled, but allowed himself a small smile. "Greevil hinted that you were a businessman like him and myself. I bet you've known for some time where Sun has been, but you've kept it to yourself so you could use the information when it was most beneficial to you, didn't you?"

Mask inclined his head, but remarked. "It's just a matter of looking out for my own skin. Considering what just happened, I was justified. You're properly paranoid about me, but keep in mind I am no threat to you. You lead us, and despite my skill and knowledge I'm no match for the three of you when the chips fall."

"Very well, I'll accept your conditions. No Cipher personnel will harm you in any way from this point forward. You have my word. And after all, you know that when I give my word it is absolute." Borlath said, even as Damien snarled beside him.

" _I can't believe you're doing this."_ Damien muttered, though Borlath put a hand on the head of his Partner.

"Relax. For now, we can remain civil. So...what's my boy been up to?" Borlath asked Mask, who crossed his arms.

"He's been undergoing the Island Challenge, and is on Akala Island. My sources tell me that he's traveling in the company of the grandson of the Melemele Island Kahuna, Hau Pakelaai. Both are acquaintances of Aria and her ragtag group of misfits. My men have tried to keep an eye on him, but we've had to step back our efforts thanks to the Kahuna of Ula'ula Island stepping in where he definitely isn't needed." Mask recounted, a hidden scowl forming. "I attempted to capture Sun to bring to you, but we had to retreat when Tapu Lele interfered. As good as I am, I can't hope to match a Guardian Deity. Not yet, anyway."

"Yes...Tapu Lele, for all of its powers, can be cruel and sadistic when it wants to be. So, you're assuming Sun is still on the Akala Island?" Borlath asked, with Mask nodding.

"My men are still keeping an eye out, but given our next task, they are understandably busy with other things." Mask remarked, with Borlath scoffing.

"At least Sun's safe. After all of the horror stories you've told us about Alola, I was a bit worried myself." Dawson remarked, earning a glance of interest from Amber.

"You've met Borlath's son?" Amber asked, with Dawson nodding.

"A few times, back before I was officially with Cipher. I hung around Celadon for a while and I ended up meeting Sun as a result, since I had business with Borlath. He's a good kid." Dawson said with a smile. "Hell, I even got a picture with him and my old bird before she passed away. See?" Dawson pulled out a smartphone and tapped a few screens before showing Amber a picture of Sun, Damien, Dawson and a visibly old Pelipper.

"I forget that you two met a few times." Borlath remarked, chuckling softly. "You two did seem to hit it off fairly well."

"He's a good kid, and...uh, Amber? You good?" Dawson asked, seeing the confused expression on her face.

"I've met this kid before." Amber stated, with Borlath frowning at that.

"Really? How?" Borlath asked, confused. Due to Amber's reputation and skill-set, he had made sure that the two of them would never cross paths. Though the assassin had met Laura, she had never met Sun because she was too busy operating within Cipher.

"Back in Alola a few months back. I was on my little killing spree and ran into some Trainers while trying to kill a Growlithe. One of the boys in that group looked just like the boy in this picture." Amber explained, shrugging. "He had some serious skill for a little kid. That said, if that idiot in the coat hadn't shown up they would've all died-AGH!"

Everyone in the room winced as Amber's skull suddenly slammed into the wooden table with a crash, with Borlath holding Amber's head as he rammed her into the table several more times, each time with more force.

"You almost killed him!? You...you…" Borlath snarled as he dragged Amber's dazed and confused form towards the window before he slammed her body against the window, cracking it visibly.

"Am I the only person here who thinks anymore?! I told you to keep it to just Pokémon! And you nearly killed my son!" Borlath roared, smashing Amber's head into the glass as crimson streamed down her face. None of the others in the room dared to move, as they had never seen Borlath so furious before. The man took a step back and hurled Amber at the window, shattering it and making her plummet through the dark night, leaving a panting Borlath standing there.

"You just threw her out the window! Wha...what the hell!?" Dawson yelled, with Borlath shaking his head as he visibly tried to calm himself down.

"She'll teleport up in a minute." Borlath hissed, running his hands through his hair. "I can't believe that...No, I can believe it. I should've known better than to try and have anything to do with Alola."

"Maybe, but you're stuck with it now." Mask remarked, chuckling at Borlath's fury. Borlath glared down at the man, his mouth twisting into a darker smile.

"You're lucky you don't follow Amber. I know you're not nearly quick enough on the draw to teleport yourself to safety." Borlath said as Amber reappeared in the room, with a furious Xatu holding her in her wings.

 _"What is the meaning of this!?"_ Avis chirped furiously, with Borlath glaring at the bird, making her shrink back.

"See to it your Trainer never lays a hand on my son again. That goes for any member of Cipher. If he gets harmed, I will personally see to it that whoever is involved dies a slow and painful death." Borlath said with a tone easing towards calm, with the Xatu flaring her wings threateningly. However, a growl from Damien made the bird step back and lower her wings.

"That hurt. A lot. I didn't think you had rage like that in you, Borlath." Amber remarked, still sounding dazed but at least coherent.

"She should probably get looked at. As psycho as she is, I think a check for a concussion is in order." Dawson remarked, looking visibly worried as he stowed his phone away.

"Alright...Alright. The three of you, leave. I need to think." Borlath commanded, with Mask, Amber and Dawson nodding. Avis glared at Borlath before following her Trainer out the door, leaving the businessman behind with his canine companion. Borlath let out a loud exhale of air before he collapsed into his chair.

"I lose control so rarely...How could I have made such an oversight? If it wasn't for luck, Sun would be dead. And it'd be all my fault." Borlath sighed, rubbing his temples.

 _"He's safe, and that's what matters."_ Damien replied, sitting down and looking at Borlath.

"That said, I am troubled...Who is that masked man, really? Why does he seem familiar to me? How is Sun doing, really? Is he alright? Has Alola corrupted him already, or is there time to take him away from that place before he becomes intertwined in their hateful culture? How could Laura bring him there, even after everything I've told her about that damn place...And that's not even taking into account everything with Lusamine. What is she thinking?" Borlath rambled, shaking his head.

 _"It is a lot to keep track of...It isn't too late, Ash. We can stop. We can end all of this. No one else has to get hurt."_ Damien said quietly, though Borlath responded with a hollow laugh.

"No, my friend. We're far past the point of no return. At this point, we either succeed or we will die. And rest assured, we will succeed. I will save everyone from the darkest parts of ourselves, Damien. Cipher alone will rise above as the greatest of shadows and become the sword that defends this world from evil. But for that to happen...The old regime must be destroyed. The world as we know it needs to change. We need a revolution." Borlath stated, determination burning with his eyes as he looked down at his partner.

" _It better. Otherwise betraying everything you loved and turning evil would have been for nothing."_ Damien replied, with Borlath scowling in reply.

"I didn't want to do that. If Laura hadn't found those records, things wouldn't have had to happen the way that they did." Borlath responded, with Damien scoffing and shaking his head. "Part of me dreads having to deal with Alola again. But another part of me is looking forward to having Cipher tear the region apart."

" _What about Sun and Laura?"_ Damien asked, with Borlath's face contorting into a twisted visage of fury. Whether it was at her for leaving him or for himself for being the cause of all of his problems, Damien didn't know.

"I haven't decided what I'm going to do about them. I don't want Mask to be keeping tabs on Sun, but on the other hand I want to make sure he's alright." Borlath growled, punching the table.

Damien's eyes widened in surprise. " _You don't want to try and capture him?"_

"I want nothing more than to have my son back at my side. Sun's loyalty has never wavered. However...I don't trust that masked bastard for a moment. It seems like he's lost track of Sun for the time being, so I'll ensure that Mask is kept busy. "

" _Can't you just order him to stay away from Sun?"_

"I could. Will he? No. Worse yet, he could capture Sun against my orders and threaten me with holding Sun captive. And if that happens...I have to keep him focused on our mission and hope that Sun is strong enough to evade capture." Borlath said, putting a finger on his forehead.

"And while we're on that topic...Lillie and Gladion are running around unchecked in Alola. I hope they have the sense to keep away from our battles until everything clears up. I hope Lusamine and the Aether Foundation don't get caught in the crossfire too." Borlath sighed as his eyes flashed a dark blue color before creeping into their usual gray. "Lusamine...Just what are you planning?" Borlath asked as he pressed his face against the window, looking out upon the ruined city that he himself had condemned. Damien sat down beside his Trainer, growling softly.

" _She isn't well, that much is certain. Something is not right."_ Damien stated, with Borlath shutting his eyes for a moment in thought. " _Not just with her mind. The red veins on her body don't make sense either."_

"Red veins?" Borlath asked Damien before thinking back to the last conversation he had with Lusamine. He had been so distracted by the words she was speaking that he barely paid attention to the odd sight of the glowing vein on the woman's neck. Borlath opened his eyes again, narrowing them. "That's right...You think that has something to do with her behavior?"

" _Yes. Creatures don't just fluctuate in behavior like that. And the Lusamine we both know wouldn't do that to her children, and wouldn't treat a friend like she treated you. Even if she's completely right. Something is wrong."_ Damien said to Borlath, who's expression hardened when Damien mentioned that Lusamine's words were correct. He didn't argue, though.

"More and more trouble...We'll just have to make sure to keep Lusamine placated then. I'll see about investigating the Aether Foundation and seeing what exactly is going on. Her plans seemed to be centered around Cosmog…" Borlath mused, his eyes flickering to purple and blue.

" _Then perhaps finding Cosmog before she does and obtaining some answers would be best. Lillie may be able to offer a less...biased account of what is happening."_ Damien remarked, with Borlath nodding in agreement.

"Her or Gladion. That said, it could draw attention to them, and if they're running from her it's probably for a reason. Teenage rebellion doesn't make two very obedient children commit grand theft and flee a floating compound in the middle of the ocean." Borlath reasoned, with Damien growling softly before nodding.

"I need to understand just what Lusa is planning, Damien. However, I can't just drop all of my plans just because I'm concerned about Lusamine, just like I can't drop my plans to find Sun. We have a job to do...And I refuse to allow myself to be dissuaded because my child is there now. Alola is just a stepping stone to bigger targets anyway, even if it is the root of my hate." Borlath admitted, his eyes becoming a shade darker.

" _You never did learn to let go."_ Damien remarked, a note of pity in his voice.

"Why? That pain and hate from my time in Alola is what fuels my ambitions. I refuse to allow others to fall prey to the same evil I saw that our kind are capable of. Even if it means becoming a monster myself, I will become the hero that saves this world from itself. Unova has fallen, and once Kanto is under our feet the other regions will fall in line." Borlath replied, looking away from his Houndoom. Damien shivered as Borlath's smile widened, becoming almost demonic as his eyes slowly turned to the color of blood.

"As for Alola...I've decided. I'm going to burn it to the ground. And I will get my family back. It's as simple as that, my Partner. No one will stand in the way of my better tomorrow…No one."

* * *

 _Mmmm...Interesting. Next chapter, more stuff happens!_

Q and A

 _From: Zombiesguy115_

what inspired you to write pokemon stories. just a question because i lost interest at age 10 and just recently got back into it because i have to be able to understand your story.

 **I've always been a huge fan of Pokemon since I was a kid. Hell, Yellow Version was the first game I ever played. However, what inspired me to write Pokemon stories was the simple fact that I found a story I wanted to tell. That was what inspired me to do RS, as well as PMD: GLD.**

 _From: Doger 32_

Also i have to ask, which evo will finn become? I honestly would love to see politoed get some rep but im not the author lol

 **With everyone changing their names so often, I'm really starting to lose track of who's who. For those who message me about it in advance, thank you.**

 **As for the question, that's kinda spoilerish. Honestly, I haven't decided myself. I'm a big fan of Politoed, especially since it was my ace during a HeartGold Nuzlocke I did once. On the other head, Poliwrath works very well for the character that Finn will become.**

 **So we'll have to wait and see. But I'm equally fond of both, so it's 50/50.**

From: RC-DA

So Greevil was interested in Z-moves, hm does this mean we may see some kin of typless overpowered z-move in the future?

 **I actually plan on expanding a bit of Z-Power in general, but I'll be taking a few liberties with Z-Moves and the like. A bit like they do in the anime. I can't quite answer the question though, due to spoilers, but...not quite? At least not in the way you're saying.**

 _From: trevhall19_

1\. I was able to recognize the captains by their usernames, which were very spot on with their personality. I do have one question though about Kiawe's username. Why is it SpittinHawtFiya?

2\. The Aesther Foundation is trying to build the purification chamber from XD Gale of Darkness. When you mention that Umbral Pokemon are created using the venom from Nihilego, do you think this will actually restore the Umbral Pokemon back to their original selves, despite the fact that Lusamine is secretly working with Cipher?

3\. Lusamine keeps calling Borlath 'Ash'. I am fully aware that he is not Ash Ketchum and he's Ashton. This forces me to ask why did you make Borlath's real name 'Ashton'?

4\. About this big tournament, will it happened after Sun's rematch with Olivia or later on when his Pokemon are fully evolved and he has a full party?

5\. Both Sun and Borlath's eyes change color depending on their mood. This reminds me of Kingdom Hearts when a character succumbs to the darkness, their eye color changes to a golden yellow color. Will that color make an appearance in their eyes at some point?

6\. The Legendary Pokemon, who Borlath has Giovanni searching for, it's Mewtwo, isn't it?

7\. Will Sun ever tell his mom about him and Lillie being boyfriend and girlfriend?

8\. Other than this story, what is your favorite Pokemom Fan Fiction and which inspired you to write this story?

Final Question

9\. For this Alolan Grand Royale, will the player characters from all the other games, except the one from Black and White who is now dead, make an appearance there?

thank you for answering most of my questions that I asked last time. I enjoy reading your story and asking questions. Keep up the amazing work you are doing man!

 **1\. That was really just me being stupid with the name. I wish I could remember what the reference was from, but I don't remember.**

 **2\. Nihilego venom doesn't create Umbral Pokémon, it just makes creating them actually viable. Normally the process is so traumatic and painful that every single Pokémon that's undergone the procedure to be transformed into one has died, save for one psychotic Hypno. The venom is a neurotoxin that stabilizes the test subject and increases their odds of living through the ordeal.**

 **Also, Lusamine isn't actually working with Cipher. The entire relationship between the Aether Foundation and Cipher is that the leaders of both groups are old friends helping each other out, as friends. Borlath has been donating money to the Aether Foundation for years now, mainly because he believes in the cause, while Lusamine offered the Nihilego venom to Borlath because she was compelled to by the Nihilego influencing her. After all...What better way to draw attention away from herself than to have another criminal cause a ruckus?**

 **3\. I've actually been wanting to explain this for a while, after the big reveal. The main reason I did this was because of the Greninja you get in the Sun and Moon Demo released way back. The OT for that Greninja was Ash, and it was a gift from the character's father. That was my main inspiration behind the name. Obviously that's supposed to be Ash Ketchum, but I tweaked it a bit so it worked for my purposes. That way its still cannon in a way.**

 **4\. As explained earlier, Sun will have a rematch with Olivia after the Alola Grand Royale Tournament.**

 **5\. Borlath's eyes have changed to a golden color, actually. He usually does that to mess with friend's of Wes, since that's his eye color. Will Sun do that? Probably not. I'm associating with anger with the color red. Hate is associated with crimson, in particular.**

 **6\. To be explained later.**

 **7\. They're not boyfriend and girlfriend. They've acknowledged each other's feelings and are trying to figure that out. At the most, they've agreed to go on a date with each other and see where it goes. Will Sun plan on talking to his mother about this development? Most likely, given that he and Lillie mentioned doing so in Chapter 72.**

 **9\. That's easy. "Pedestal" by Digital Skitty. It showed me that you can have a realistic and dark story but have it be touching and teach important lessons as well, on top of having a wonderful cast of characters. It's a masterpiece of a story and easily one of the best I've ever read in any section of Fanfiction . Net. If you're a fan of this story and haven't read "Pedestal", I STRONGLY urge you to read it.**

 **I'm glad you're enjoying the story and thank you for asking questions. Seeing people actively take interest in the story like this makes me pretty happy, so I'm more than happy to keep this kind of thing going.**

 **9\. As of now, no. There will be plenty of other cameos and appearances, though. One in particular...hehehehe. Let's just say that I've got a stupid grin on my face just thinking about their introduction to the story.**

 _From: the totem natu_

Do you plan to give sun a shiny pokemon? And just for fun, if you were a captain, what type would you use and what would your blog name be?

 **As of now, no Shiny Pokemon are planned for Sun. And if I was a Captain, I'd use Dragon-types and probably use a Skyrim reference as my blog name, like "DaDragonborn" or something.**

 _That's all for now, everyone! Please show your support with a review in the section below and favoriting/following the story if you haven't already. Also questions, if you have them._

 _Stay safe and stay awesome._

 _Until next time, FlygonNick out!_


	76. Drowning

_Pokémon_ _Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _So...Remember how I said I felt like crap last update? That kinda escalated to the point where, besides going to work, I was basically bedridden and did nothing but sleep because I got so sick last week._

 _Sorry about the delays, everyone. As much as I hate to say it, if I'm just not physically feeling up to it, I'm not going to force myself to write. Even if it's for chapters I'm excited as hell for. The good news is that I'm feeling much better and I've had a long weekend to get a little better and some time to hammer out this chapter, and make sure it turns out well._

 _Also, on the topic of delays, I decided on something. Due to a comment made in the reviews last update, it made me realize something. As much I'd like to ensure every chapter comes out on time, it's just not something that's going to happen. Something will come up, or the chapter might require more work than usual or there's an emergency so...If it it happens, it happens._

 _That's really all there is to it. I'm going to try my hardest to keep this story going on a weekly update schedule by posting on the weekend, but if I miss that window then I'll just update the following weekend. Rushing a chapter and not making it as good as I want it to be because I rushed it is something I want to avoid at all costs, you know?_

 _This update doesn't count. I refuse to make everyone wait a week because I couldn't find a stopping point that felt natural. Besides, I'm technically off today thanks to a holiday._

 _Thanks in advance for your patience and continued support. It's awesome to see, and even more so because there's more and more people returning to the story after me having not updated in a few months after the hiatus._

 _Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes RC-DA, SonicIKE, Anasazi Darkmoon, Zombiesguy115, SpoonyAzul, Sai Og Sus, BraviaryScout, trevhall19, Doger 32, Cottonmouth25, and a Guest reviewer. You all are awesome._

 _Here's another stupidly long chapter! Which is also really dark!_ _And it's not because of Cipher!_

 **Be advised, it gets somewhat brutal.**

Enjoy.

* * *

 _Chapter 76: Drowning_

* * *

"About time I found you."

Dawson wasn't happy that his first night in Alola was spent hunting down Amber Fontaine, after the assassin had vanished from their hotel. They were supposed to be making their way to a small hideout within Heahea City to meet with Mask, but the woman he had been partnered with had vanished into the night. After several hours, he finally found her sitting down on the beach with a thoughtful expression on her face.

It had been three days since their last meeting with Borlath. Dawson had never seen the man lose control like that, but considering the fact that Amber had nearly murdered his son, he wasn't surprised he did. Even if his methods were questionable, Dawson knew that Borlath loved his child.

Dawson watched as Amber stood up and brushed the sand off of her before continuing to look forward, her Xatu standing beside her. Avis glanced at Dawson and then looked at Amber, but said nothing.

"You didn't have to look for me. Even if my arm is still unusable, I can protect myself." Amber said in a dull voice, making Dawson look down at the cast the woman's arm was in. Despite the wonders of modern medicine these days, getting shot in the shoulder with a high-powered sniper rifle was something that couldn't just be patched up. It'd be a number of weeks before the assassin could use her injured arm again at all, but Dawson was fine with that. If Amber was crippled, it meant that she wouldn't be doing reckless things.

"I'm well aware. But that I've still got to keep an eye on you. After all, Borlath put me in charge of the next phase of our plan here. It'll be me, you, and Mask here in Alola and we've all got to be on the same page." Dawson said flatly, crossing his arms.

"I genuinely couldn't care less about that masked moron. All of us can tell that he's not sincere in anything that he says." Amber said with a shrug, flinching slightly.

"Truth be told, I could say the same about you." Dawson admitted, sighing after a moment.

Amber glanced back at Dawson, who stared at her with an unreadable look in his eyes. As idiotic as she found the man, she couldn't dispute the fact that he was at least a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield. He wasn't one who relied solely on his Pokémon team, which made him a rare commodity amongst most Trainers nowadays. Even within Cipher, only half of their Admins could be relied on in an actual fight, including Amber herself.

But that didn't distract her from the fact that Dawson had become increasingly distrustful of her. He had apparently complained more than once to Borlath himself of how Amber took things too far and went against orders...which wasn't exactly true, nor was it entirely false. Amber did what was necessary, and didn't really care if what she did didn't mesh with everyone's plans. That said...she hadn't really cared in quite some time now.

"Can I help you with something?" Amber asked the man, who uncrossed his arms. Avis shuffled her wings from behind the assassin, glancing around the beach at the few passerby some distance away. Thankfully for them, even Heahea City and it's beautiful beach had a lull in activity within the dead of night, allowing those with looser morals to come from the depths.

Dawson sighed, shaking his head before putting a hand to his forehead. "Not really, I just...I don't get you."

"And...what? Is that supposed to be a problem?" Amber asked.

"Like it or not, we're supposed to be figuring out this Alola shit together. We can't trust that masked jackass, so it's just the two of us. Just...work with me here! How can we expect this to work if we have no relationship or trust?" Dawson asked Amber, who shrugged.

"You're really barking up the wrong tree, Dawson. Trying to expect emotional investment from someone who can't feel anything is pointless." Amber responded, turning around and facing the ocean again, unable to see the confusion in Dawson's eyes.

"Can't...Wait, what do you mean 'you can't feel anything'?" Dawson asked Amber, receiving silence instead. Dawson turned to Avis for an answer, getting a soft sigh in response from the Xatu.

 _"It's as she said. Amber cannot feel most emotions. It's the main reason she is so...aloof."_ Avis tried to explain, a pained expression on the bird's face.

"That's one way of putting it." Amber said with a humorless laugh, an empty gesture that seemed to be more out of habit than anything else from what Dawson could tell.

"What do you mean you can't feel most emotions? Everyone feels _something_. Even crazy or evil people feel emotions." Dawson said to Avis and Amber, making the assassin look back at him with a smile that held no warmth or coldness to it.

"That's true, Dawson. But I don't. I know what it's like to feel those emotions and I recognize they exist, but I can't feel them personally. I have a few negative emotions, but that's it. For the most part I just...feel empty. It's a terrible existence, as you can imagine. The only positive thing I can get out of this awful life is amusement." Amber explained dully, shrugging after a moment.

"Amusement?"

"Yes. And weirdly enough, one of the few things that amuses me is fighting. Killing. Bloodshed. I know it's wrong. I know it's terrible. Some part of me wishes I could go back to how I was before all of this, but I can't. I've become something else now...Something terrible, but something more than I ever was."

"I'm not crazy. I am quite sane, even if there are others who would call me a psychopath because of how blaise I am when it comes to what I do. But the fact of the matter is that I just don't care, Dawson." Amber explained to the man, who looked even more disturbed now.

 _"Amber, you don't have to talk about this to an idiot."_ Avis said to her Trainer, glaring at Dawson. The man scoffed and put his hands behind his head.

"I'm not an idiot. Well...Based on that and some musings I've heard from some of the others, I imagine that there's a _reason_ you can't feel most emotions." Dawson said to Amber, who nodded before looking directly at Dawson.

"How about this? I'll answer any one question you have truthfully, no matter what it is. It's been a long day and we have much to do over the next few weeks if we want to capture a Champion." Amber said to the mercenary, who smirked for a moment.

"Well, as much as I'd like to ask something wildly inappropriate, I'm going to be smart about this. Man...any question, huh?" Dawson muttered, putting a hand to his chin and smirking slightly.

" _Any_ question. You're right in the fact that we need to work together, and that some level of trust is important. Especially if Mask tries to pull the trigger on whatever he's planning before we can take him out." Amber responded with a small tired sigh.

"Alright…" Dawson shut his eyes, thinking about it. Anything he could ask about the strange assassin that claimed not to be able to feel most emotions. Such an odd thing to proclaim. Everyone felt something, after all. Maybe that was why some of the others called her 'broken'.

That said, he definitely wanted to learn more about her. She was a fellow Admin and it was a good idea to be on the good side of someone who could easily kill you with no qualms. Just one question though...he had to make it a good one.

It took some time for Dawson to find a question that was good enough for him. Amber hadn't moved from her spot, and neither had the loyal Xatu that remained by her side. By the time Dawson had found the question he wanted to ask, the the first wisps of sunlight were beginning to peak out from the horizon, illuminating a pitch black sky.

"What is your greatest fear?" Dawson finally asked, crossing his arms with a satisfied smile. Amber gave him an odd look, as did Avis.

"My greatest fear?" Amber echoed, with Dawson nodding in response.

"Yep. What is the one thing you fear most in the world?" Dawson replied, nodding slightly.

"That's what I want to know."

"My greatest fear...Hmm. That's a simple question with a simple answer. But I do have to ask a question for your question. Why ask that question, of any that you could have asked?" Amber responded, earning a grin from from Dawson.

"Because fear is powerful. It can be an incredible motivator, you know? I mean...Take me for instance. My greatest fear is the ocean. Well, drowning to be specific, but the ocean scares me." Dawson admitted, looking out at the sea with a faint scowl. "It's been over ten years, but I still hate the ocean and Team Aqua for what they did."

 _"And what exactly was it that they did?"_ Avis asked, her curiosity piqued. She could tell Amber's was as well, but said nothing.

"Heh...They tried to flood the entire world, the idiots. It was bad all over the world, but in Hoenn it was a nightmare. Torrential flooding and storm surges...I was at the beach with my little brother at the time. Use your imagination for what happened next." Dawson said, his voice a hate-filled growl.

"You and your brother were caught in the raging waters. You survived, he didn't." Amber guessed, with Dawson nodding.

"I used to be scared of water for a while. But I conquered my fears and realized that Team Aqua did this to me. Anger came after that, and I decided to make it my mission to punish them for their crimes, since the world as a whole deemed fit to forgive them." Dawson said, his smile becoming darker. Amber knew why, of course. Dawson had been able to single-handedly kill about half of the remaining group that was Team Aqua, including both Admins, before Borlath had recruited him into their group.

"I never figured you would be the righteous anger sort of person." Amber noted, realizing that Dawson wasn't quite what she thought he was.

"Me either. I'm not a good person. But I'll be damned if any psychotic bastards try to destroy the world just to fit their needs. It's why I joined Cipher, after all. To put them all down and protect this world. It's all worth it in the long run." Dawson explained with a grim smile, earning a small nod of from Amber.

"Alright. I can actually respect that. Now, onto your question. What is it that I fear most in the world? Considering I don't actually _feel_ fear...Well, I guess it doesn't matter." Amber mused before shaking her head and looking at an expectant Dawson.

"What I fear most in the world is Hazel." Amber finally answered, shutting her eyes as a small smile crept onto her face, with Avis shivering slightly in response to the name.

"Who?" Dawson asked, confused, though Amber ignored him as she shared a knowing look with Avis. The Xatu shut her eyes tight, as if trying to suppress a bad memory.

"Yes, it'd definitely have to be Hazel. That Gothitelle...Even if she's gone now, I can't help but wonder if I could escape her again if she were to somehow come back." Amber remarked with soulless smile. "I imagine if I had the ability to feel normal emotions that I'd terrified if I saw a Gothitelle again, thanks to her. Even without fear, I don't like them very much."

 _"Hazel...I haven't heard that name in years."_ Avis whispered, opening her eyes and folding her wings. Amber acknowledged her partner with a nod before turning to a confused Dawson.

"Now if you don't mind, I have things to do." Amber said, looking skyward thoughtfully. "Try and figure out a way to fix my arm quicker, investigate the legends of the Tapu of this island...I should probably find a replacement Fire-type Pokémon to replace the one the last Tapu killed."

"I...what?" Dawson stated, still reeling from this sudden outpouring of information.

"You really _are_ naive. Do you really think humans are the only ones capable of evil in this world? No. No, they're just as bad as we are. Now, I hope that answered your question and makes you a little less unwary of me. If it doesn't, then...I don't really care either way." Amber remarked with a sadistic smirk before she and Avis teleported away from the beach, leaving Dawson alone in the sand.

"A Gothitelle is what she's scared of the most? Just who the hell is Hazel?" Dawson muttered, staring at the spot where the assassin and the Mystic Pokémon had vanished into nothingness. The mercenary from Hoenn shut his eyes for a moment before plopping down onto the sandy beach and smirking to himself as he looked at over the shimmering ocean, moonlight dancing off of the shifting tides below it. How he hated the ocean, but he refused to be ruled by it. He'd make the world a better place in his own way, and it would continue with their plans in Alola.

"What on earth did I get myself into?" Dawson wondered aloud as he laid back into the sand, adjusting his hat and deciding that now would be a good time for a nap and some self-reflection.

* * *

" _It's not fair! I can't break his stupid barrier!"_

"Jeez, she's really getting mad, huh?"

"Yeah Mom...She's kinda got a mean streak."

" _Yes. She's not taking it well."_

"Poli pol…"

"Not entirely uncommon with Flying-types, actually. Some can be really nasty if you manage to really make them mad." Ollie remarked as he casually sipped his Roserade Tea, his Swellow nodding in agreement beside him.

Laura, Sun, and Ollie were currently enjoying a picnic on Route 1 while watching Oliver and Penny spar, which had become a recurring pastime ever since Sun had returned home. Since Sun had left Akala Island two weeks prior, he had gotten a chance to return home and relax, allowing the remainder of the stress from the past few days to roll off of him. Being home with his mother and surrounded by his team helped with this, though the inclusion of a certain International Police Captain helped matters.

Initially, there was a bit of confusion between the man and the Dartrix who's name was inspired by him. When Oliver had this revealed to him, he had been hopelessly confused.

" _But...it's MY name. You can't have it!"_ the bird had said, indignant. Eventually, the group decided to just let the Dartrix be called Oliver like usual and just called Mister Oliver by the nickname Laura usually called him, Ollie.

Laura Smiles chuckled as Oliver dissipated the shield and darted forward, slamming into the exhausted Penny with Pluck and knocking her out. Penny hit the grass with a heavy thud and Ollie walked over to the bird with Sun, inspecting her for a moment.

" _And once again, I win."_ Oliver said smugly, preening himself as Sun revived Penny, who shuddered awake.

"You shouldn't be so reliant on Protect to help you win, Oliver." Ollie said to the bird, who blinked at the man in surprise. "I'll say that you're really good at using it, and using the move to tire out an opponent is clever. Protect _is_ a very helpful move, and can even be life-saving. But if used too many times, the shield becomes weaker and weaker. It will fail you eventually. Protect is not infallible."

" _I...understand. I'll work on not using it so much, then, so that it does not become something I rely on."_ Oliver said slowly before he looked at Penny, who was glaring at him. " _Are you alright?"_

" _Fine."_ Penny said icily, flaring her wings. " _Now prepare yourself!"_

Oliver barely had time to react before Penny was upon him, stabbing at him with her glowing beak and attempting to hit the Dartrix, who was barely managing to dodge. Oliver flapped into the air before releasing a barrage of leaves, pelting Penny with them before the Trumbeak shot into the air after him, releasing a burst of sound that crashed into Oliver and sent him tumbling through the sky before he righted himself and swooped by.

" _I have said it once and it merits saying again. The moment these two get past their stubbornness, you're going to have so many Pokémon Eggs that you'll put every breeder in Alola out of business." B_ rago said with a smirk, earning a surprised look from Laura and Ollie while Sun snorted in amusement.

"They're best friends." Sun remarked, patting the canine on the head. Nearby, Finn dozed in the shade of a nearby tree, exhausted from his training with Brago a short time beforehand.

"I can see. Reminds me a bit of me and Laura when we first met. She wouldn't stop picking on me." Ollie lamented with a small sigh, earning a punch in the shoulder from the teacher in question.

"You deserved that and you know it. Even if I don't remember why you annoyed me so much." Laura laughed as she shifted a little, crossing her legs. She had doned her usual dress and had gotten off of work only an hour ago.

It had become part of a routine. Laura went to work while Oliver and Sun trained together, working on fixing weaknesses and improving strengths. Sun had yet to come up with any useful strategies against Olivia, though. Eventually Finn became the main focus as he was significantly weaker than his teammates, though Ollie assured them the gap would close in time, especially when Finn evolved.

Sun wondered on that as well. It had been a long while since Penny and Oliver's evolutions. He wondered when the time would come for his team to take on new shapes and abilities.

The boy was startled out of his thoughts by his phone buzzing. The boy pulled it out and smiled, seeing a text from Lillie. He hadn't seen her since they had departed Akala Island, considering the fact that she had been traveling back and forth between the two Islands with Kukui and Burnet. She would still text him every day, often times sending him pictures of Nebby sleeping. He missed her, though.

 _Professor Kukui wants to tell you about his latest development on Z-Moves. And...Nebby's been missing you. Just like I have. Can you come over to the lab?_

Sun's immediate response was to say yes and head right over there, but was knew that he couldn't just drop what they were doing so that he could do this. Sun felt a tap on the shoulder and looked to see his mother looking at him with a quizzical expression.

"It's Lillie. She said Professor Kukui needs to talk to me about something." Sun explained as he stowed away his phone. Laura raised an eyebrow.

"Just that? I feel like you're holding out on us." Ollie said with a teasing grin, making Sun blush slightly.

"We're just friends." Sun protested, though at the flat look Laura, Brago, and even Finn gave the boy he relented. "Really, really good friends."

" _Right, and me and Winter are acquaintances."_ Brago said sarcastically, making Ollie cackle with delight.

"Haven't heard a Pokémon use sarcasm like in a while. Why don't you go visit your friend. I can keep an eye on these two birdbrains. Dodrio can keep them in line." Ollie said with a smirk as a three-headed bird stepped into view, having been observing from within the shade of another tree.

Sun looked at his mother, who made a shooing motion. "Go see what the Professor needs. I'm sure Lillie will be very happy to see you too. If Penny manages a breakthrough, we'll let you know."

The boy hopped to his feet and tapped Finn on the head, waking him up. Brago rose to his feet, stretching, before he smiled a little. With that, Sun made his way down the Pokémon Lab with his two Pokémon in tow, while Penny and Oliver continued to beat each other senseless.

Ollie watched Sun leave with a small worried expression on his face. "It's so weird, seeing him be so independent."

"I know what you mean. Me and Ash coddled him so much when he was younger. He didn't have any friends, because well...All he needed was us. But he always wanted to go out there and spread his wings. Become a stronger person, just like his parents. That's why I'm glad we got a fresh start in Alola. Sun's becoming the person he's always wanted to be." Laura said with a happy sigh, leaning back against the tree.

"I'm glad. After all that boy has gone through, he deserves to be happy. Though, the same applies to you." Ollie said, looking over at Laura. The woman shut her eyes, smiling a little.

"I _am_ happy, Ollie. Some days are better than others, but I made this move to Alola for Sun." Laura said to her friend, who responded with a soft smile.

"Psh...I remember back when you were pregnant and you thought you'd be an awful mother." Ollie remarked, with Laura glaring at the man,

"Don't make me punch you. You still called me fat during my baby shower."

"It was a joke! You know I'd never seriously call you fat. Speaking of, have you lost weight? What's your secret?"

" _CAN YOU KEEP IT DOWN, I AM TRYING TO CONCENTRATE!"_ Penny screamed as Oliver dodged a blast of sound with an amused hoot. Penny shot towards him into the air while both adults laughed, sharing a comfortable moment of silence between the two of them as they considered what had been in the past...And what would become of them in the future.

* * *

"Poli po pol poli."

" _I agree. If I had my way, I would have set him on fire, but I don't make the rules around here."_

"Guys, I can't just set Hau on fire because he snores loudly in his sleep sometimes. Besides, that's illegal."

The walk to the Pokémon Lab was an interesting one. Finn battled everything that they ran across while Sun and Brago chatted about Penny and Oliver's spar and a variety of other random topics. Soon enough they had arrived at the Pokémon Lab, and Sun knocked on the door three times and waited patiently for a moment before hearing a familiar voice call out, "Coming!" The door opened and Lillie stood there, surprised at seeing her best friend. The surprise lasted a moment before Lillie broke out into a shy smile, blushing slightly.

"Hey." Sun said with a smile. Lillie glanced behind herself for a moment before she opened the door and crashed into Sun, hugging him tightly. Sun felt a rush of warmth as he returned the embrace, his heart rate increasing as Lillie rested her head on his shoulder. The two friends held each other for a few moments, relishing the comfort that the other's presence offered them, before they broke apart. Both of them were a bit pink in the face, but they both wore happy grins.

"It's really good to see you again. How's everything been at home?" Lillie asked, letting Sun into the lab. He was greeted by a flying puffball that flew into his arms with a happy cry.

"Aww, hi Nebby. I missed you too." Sun said fondly, hugging the Cosmog as it nuzzled him. He looked over at Lillie and said, "It's been really good."

"Where's Penny and Oliver?" Lillie asked, surprised that just Finn and Brago were here. Sun scratched the back of his head, laughing nervously.

"Well…"

* * *

" _ALL. OF. MY. HATE!"_

" _You know you love me deep down, Penny."_

" _GAAAAAAH!"_

" _Very, very, very deep down."_

* * *

"I see...You think she'll figure out a way around Oliver's Protect? He's gotten really good at using that move from what I've seen." Lillie asked as she sat down on the couch after Sun explained the details. Sun joined her, with Finn hopping up to join them. Brago sniffed the air a few times, grinned to himself, and then slunk off down the hallway.

"I think so. She's really determined to figure out a way around it. Plus she's really smart, too. I have faith in her." Sun said with a smile, making Lillie return it.

"How's everything been, though? Is Ollie still staying with you two?" Lillie asked Sun, who nodded as he handed her back Nebby.

"He'll be heading to Akala Island in two days, now that his apartment is all set up. I get the feeling he doesn't want to leave, but his job is wanting him to get back to work. He says he'll swing by a bunch and hang out." Sun said with a small shrug, though he wore a smile. "It's been a lot of fun though. I forgot how awesome he was."

"Considering how much you praised him before he came to Alola, he must be pretty awesome indeed." Lillie said with a teasing note in her voice, making Sun stick his tongue out at her. Nebby pewed happily in response, wriggling the appendages on his head.

"I mean, it's still true though. Plus Mom really likes having him around. I haven't seen her this happy in a really long time...And that's the most important thing." Sun said quietly, his smile fading a little.

"After she found out the truth behind Dad, she...Well, she became a bit like me. Trying to keep a happy front for everyone's else's sake. Ollie tries to make sure she takes care of herself, too. Mom has friends and stuff, but she doesn't have people like you or Hau, Lillie. Ollie can be that person for her. That's why I'm really happy he's here." Sun explained to his friend, who nodded in understanding. It hurt a little bit for the girl to hear, as it reminded her of her own mother.

Despite this, Lillie smiled at Sun and said, "I'm glad thing's are looking up for your Mom, Sun. She's a wonderful person and deserves to be happy. Does this mean that you're really okay if her and Ollie start...um, dating?"

"Yep! I mean, it'll be weird for a while, but I'm totally for it. Ollie's been a family friend for years, anyway, so it's not like he's a total stranger." Sun said as Finn shifted in his lap, peering interestedly at the Luvdisc in the tank nearby.

"I see...Well, I'm glad."

"How's everything with Professor Kukui and Burnet?" Sun asked Lillie as the girl stroked Nebby in her lap, making the Cosmog coo happily in response.

"Quite well. They've been very busy over the past two weeks, what with traveling back and forth between Akala Island the Melemele Island, but despite that we've enjoyed spending time together again." Lillie said happily, with Nebby crying out in agreement.

"Where are they now? They didn't leave you here alone, did they?" Sun asked, glancing around.

"Oh no, they're downstairs. I needed a break from things and...w-well…" Lillie's cheeks flushed as she mumbled, "I kinda just wanted to spend some time with you by myself."

Sun blushed in response to this, though he quickly grinned and scooted closer to the girl, dislodging Finn and making the Poliwag glare at him from the floor. Lillie made a squeak of surprise, though she sighed happily as she wrapped her arms around Sun, ensnaring him in another hug.

"Better?" Sun asked, giggling in amusement.

"Much. I know it's only been two weeks, but I really do miss you when we're apart." Lillie said quietly, leaning on Sun's shoulder and sighing softly.

Sadly, this touching moment was interrupted by a Rockruff bursting upstairs with a happy bark, making the two children separate with two yelps. Professor Kukui appeared a moment later, wearing a knowing grin. "Sun, were you canoodling my assistant?"

"I...Canoodling?" Sun asked, exchanging a brief glance with Lillie. Like him, she was sporting a massive blush and was looking at the floor in embarrassment. To make matters worse, Rotom Dex popped out of Sun's bag and buzzed happily.

" _Canoodling means to kiss or cuddle amorously. Which is what you two were about to do before Professor Kukui inter-"_ Rotom tried to say before Sun snatched up the device, powered it down and then shoved it into his backpack.

"Stop teasing them, dear." Burnet chided her husband, though she too was wearing a smirk. "Besides, we already know about their...little _talk_."

"Oh my god, Lillie, please tell me you _didn't_..." Sun muttered, looking at the girl in question. Lillie's face become a shade darker red in response, and she continued refusing to meet his eyes.

"She _did_. And while I think you both are so adorable about all of this, I have to commend you for your maturity as well. If I was your age, I would have risked my friendship to pursue a chance at having a boyfriend. You too care for each other so much that you want to avoid that at all costs." Burnet said to Sun, her smirk becoming more of a smile as the two adults walked over to them.

"How much did you tell them?" Sun asked Lillie, who made a awkward cough as Nebby wriggled in her arms.

"Most of what happened in the cave. I...It was a lot for me. I confided in Professor Burnet, and Professor Kukui happened to overhear and...I'm sorry." Lillie mumbled, with Sun sighing softly in response. While they did discuss talking this over with some of the adults they knew to get some romance advice, Sun didn't think Lillie would do it so soon. Maybe he should broach the topic with his Mom. Or maybe Ollie?

Kukui's expression softened as he joined Sun on the couch, with Burnet taking up the armrest. "Hey, don't stress about it, cousin. It's perfectly normal. Lillie's a wonderful girl and I'm very proud to have met her. It's an honor to have her help me with my research."

Burnet nodded in agreement, pulling the blushing girl into a one-armed hug. "It's true. She become the daughter we've always wanted, in a way. Compassionate, brave, smart. It's no wonder she became such good friends with a kind, talented, and determined boy like you. You share a very special bond of friendship, and I absolutely understand not wanting to risk losing that by rushing unfamiliar feelings."

"You do? So...what _should_ we do?" Sun asked the two adults.

"Keep doing what you're doing, honestly. I kinda just fell in love with Madeline and everything worked out. Before that, I had never dated." Kukui admitted, scratching the back of his head.

"Alright, well...We agreed to go on a date. That festival thing is happening in a few weeks, and we're going to see what happens during that." Sun explained, with Kukui grinning widely.

"Oh yeah, that's gonna be a load of fun! I tell ya, I had to miss the last one because I had a mat- I mean...I had a meeting a had to go to. I missed out on a lot that night, let me tell you." Kukui said wistfully, sighing after a moment.

"Is that your biggest regret, dear?" Burnet remarked, chuckling.

"Nah, that's still Guzma." Kukui responded before he flinched, shaking his head. Burnet offered him a pitying look, though Lillie and Sun were both confused.

"Who?" Sun asked, but Kukui waved his hand, though he seemed worried about the apparent slip.

"Nothing. Forget about it." The Professor said quickly, his expression hardening for a moment before it cleared, making Sun even more confused. "Anyway, do you two want to come downstairs and talk more? Madeline made some of her Oran Foran Tea and it's fantastic." Kukui said dismissively, hopping off the couch and heading downstairs. Burnet sighed, rising from the armrest as well.

"He never did like talking about the past. Always the future." Burnet said apologetically, shrugging. "He wasn't lying about the tea, though. Come on, you two."

Sun and Lillie got up and made their way downstairs, with Nebby cradled in Lillie's arms and Finn following Sun, nearly tripping down the stairs as they made their way into Kukui's actual lab, as opposed to the living area above. In this time, Sun turned Rotom Dex back on, after which the device gave him a glare but said nothing.

Though, when the two children arrived downstairs, they saw a rather furious Kukui pointing angrily at a Growlithe and Alolan Vulpix that were curled up on a cushion together.

"I refuse to allow that kind of crap to happen! Winter's strong enough to be my main Ice-type with a few more months of training! If she got hurt fooling around with you, that'd set me back in my research!" Kukui nearly shouted at Brago as Sun ran over to them, looking back and forth between the two.

"What's going on here?" Sun asked, with the man blushing slightly.

"Um...W-well, Sun...I caught these two doing...Erm, well they were having…" Kukui trailed off, leaving the job to Rotom as the device beeped several times.

" _Intercourse. Zzzt! Sun, I know your Mom has had this talk with you!"_

"Wait, Brago and Winter were...ew!" Sun recoiled, grossed out at the thought.

" _I fail to see what's gross about it. We were both having a good time before this fool interrupted us."_ Brago remarked, looking very smug as Winter nuzzled him slightly.

" _They're so adorable together!"_ Lillie squealed internally, hopping up and down on her feet in a way that made Professor Burnet wish she had a camera.

"Well, you shouldn't have been doing that kind of thing in the lab! You could've broke something, or maybe Sun or Lillie could have seen you! That's inappropriate for kid's their age, yeah?" Kukui argued, with Brago rolling his eyes in response.

" _It's perfectly natural. Just because the idea of_ you _procreating is terrifying beyond all belief doesn't mean that the rest of us have to be so reluctant to the idea."_ Brago remarked as Winter stared at him in shock, as did everyone else.

"Holy shit." Kukui stated, his entire body sagging. "I just...got owned."

"Good puppy." Lillie said, breaking the silence and walking over to Brago and Winter, petting the former several times before petting the latter. This, naturally, ended with Lillie being on the floor while being licked and nuzzled by the two furry critters. Rotom took this moment to take a picture of Lillie, which it sent to both Sun and Professor Burnet after a moment.

"One's really warm while the other is really cold!" Lillie laughed as she writhed on the floor, with Nebby flying overhead with a happy smile on his face, much to the bemusement of everyone.

"One of these days, she's going to have to tell me the secret of how she can be so adorable at all times." Burnet mused as she poured the four of them a cup of tea, leaving Lillie's cup to the side while she played with Winter and Brago. Meanwhile, Finn was having a very animated conversation with Kukui's Poliwhirl, which Sun made note of. Sun took a sip of the Oran Foran Tea, shivering a little at the odd taste before continuing to slowly drink it. Despite the strange tanginess to it, the tea was pretty tasty.

"So much is happening in the next few weeks. I'm glad we've managed to get a lot of research taken care of, lately. Especially since you're helping organizing that tournament soon." Burnet remarked, sipping her tea. "When was it again?"

"This upcoming weekend. And the Konikoni City festival is happening the week after." Kukui said, grinning widely.

"But what exactly is it? The festival we keep talking about, that is. I really don't know much about it." Sun asked Kukui, who crossed his arms and chuckled.

"Why, it's a special festival celebrating Tapu Lele! Just as Iki Town has a festival celebrating Tapu Koko every year, Konikoni City celebrates the Guardian Deity of Akala Island around this time of the year. It's a huge party that takes place all over the entire city, and it's always a blast." Burnet said, inclining her head somewhat. "It's called _ʻO ka Hōʻailona o nā Lā Lani._ "

"'The Festival of Celestial Lights.'" Lillie translated after a moment, pausing from petting Winter. This earned her a proud grin from Burnet. Lillie flushed slightly, especially when she caught Sun's impressed expression.

"Sun, you said you plan on having a rematch with Olivia after the Alola Grand Royal Tournament?" Kukui asked the boy.

"Yep. By then I'm hoping to have Finn up to par with the rest of the team and maybe work out a few new ways to make sure Olivia doesn't stand a chance against us next time. Thanks to Mom and Ollie, I think we're already in good shape." Sun said excitedly, with Kukui giving the boy a thumbs up.

"That's what I like to see, cousin! If that's the case, then let me make a suggestion. During the Festival of Celestial Lights, Olivia allows a Trainer to go through their Grand Trial during the festivities as a sort of main event of the evening. Why don't you ask her if you can take that spot? If you think you can handle being in front of a massive crowd like that." Kukui asked Sun, who thought about it.

"It would be really cool. Being in front of all of those people doesn't really bother me all that much...Yeah, I'll do it!" Sun said as Finn let out a cry, bobbing up and down beside Sun on the floor nearby. Sun looked over at Lillie, with the girl giving him a small thumbs up, making the boy grin widely in response.

"Heh. Figured you would. I'll ring up Olivia and let her know. I doubt she has a challenger in mind two weeks out, though it doesn't hurt to be careful." Kukui said as he pulled out a rather sleek cell phone and tapped a few keys before getting the Kahuna on the phone. Surprisingly, Olivia had no problems with letting Sun undergo his Grand Trial during the Festival. In fact, she seemed very excited and wished Sun well before hanging up.

"I can't wait to see what's going to happen for this Festival. The one we had in Iki Town was very nice, and I'm curious as to what we'll get to see in Konikoni City." Lillie admitted as she walked over, holding Winter in her arms.

"It's quite a spectacle. Between this and that big tournament Kukui set up, you kids are in for a fun few weeks." Burnet explained, crossing her legs with a knowing grin.

"That reminds me. You said you had a development in your Z-Move research, Professor Kukui?" Sun said to the man, before adding, "Not that it's not interesting, but I have ask...Why have me come over to talk about it?"

"Truthfully, it's because a see a tremendous amount of potential in you as a Trainer. Both you and Hau are some of the brightest Trainers I've seen in a long while. And as such, I feel as though I can share with you a special secret of mine. And that secret is one of the main reasons I decided to devote time to the study of Pokémon Moves." Kukui said to the boy, smiling at him.

"And...what is it?" Sun asked the man, who's smile widened. Lillie had rejoined them at this point, sitting down in the chair beside Sun and sipping her tea while Kukui explained.

"As you know, Z-Power and Z-Moves are a very special thing unique only to Alola. It hails back to the Age of Shadow, centuries and centuries ago when the kings of Alola battled and bickered and all that stuff. And while I spend the bulk of my time studying Pokémon Moves and Z-Moves and discovering the nuances to them, the real reason I study moves is because of something greater. A power that runs deeper than just Z-Power. Something more." Kukui explained, his tone oddly calm as he shut his eyes.

"A power that comes from not just the bond between human and Pokémon. It comes from the bonding of two powerful hearts, having a tie that carries down to their very souls. And this power is something I've been trying to uncover the secrets to for most of my life, and as a result I've contributed much to our collective knowledge of Z-Power." Kukui said, opening his eyes and smiling. "I believe this is an advanced form of Z-Power that is the result of a human and Pokémon having an incredibly powerful bond of friendship, similar to that required for Mega Evolution. I call it... _Ultra Z-Power!_ " Kukui proclaimed, striking a pose as everyone collectively sweatdropped.

"That name is awful, dear." Burnet spoke up, making Kukui's face drop.

"Oh come on! I just dropped all of this interesting information about an incredible power and all you can focus on is the name! Can't we move past this?" Kukui asked, smiling a little.

"No, it needs a better name." Sun insisted, with Kukui's grin faltering slightly.

"Look, can we move past the name bit?"

"You can't just throw Ultra onto something and make it creative." Lillie chimed in, sipping her tea. Nebby nodded in agreement, also thinking the name was ridiculous.

" _Zzzt. We could always let the reviewers come up with something!"_

"...What?" Sun asked

" _Uhhhh...Nothing! I said nothing! Bzzzzt!"_

"The fact of the matter is that I've come across some research detailing the most recent use of this phenomenon and I decided to tell you about it." Kukui said, grinning at the boy.

"Go on." Sun said, deciding to humor the man.

"Well, the research details the account of the mayor of Malie City some twenty years ago, during an attack by the Ruby Raiders on the city." Kukui said, making Sun frown.

"Ruby Raiders?" Sun asked, confused.

"History lesson time, then. Long story short, they were a group of criminals that plagued Alola over twenty years ago. They're nothing like Team Skull. These people were thieves and killers, who had no qualms about who or what they hurt as long as they got what they wanted." Kukui said as a frown appeared on his face. "I remember horror stories when I was a child, warning me to be careful when I played with my friends in the city because of the fear surrounding that group. The Ruby Raiders committed terrible crimes across all four islands. Even worse is the fact that the man behind all of the bloodshed they caused is still hailed as the man who brought Alola into the modern age." Kukui said with a scowl, sighing softly.

"Roran Rubinara." Burnet noted, with Sun giving her a confused look.

"Who?" Sun asked, though to everyone's surprise Lillie responded.

"Roran Rubinara was a millionaire and business tycoon who helped revolutionize Alola's tourism industry. He basically put the region on the map and helped the region become famous worldwide. He's heralded as the man who saved Alola through sheer ingenuity and wise investments." Lillie explained quietly, though she wore a frown the entire time. "Despite this, it was found out he was the leader of the island's main source of crime. He single-handedly obliterated Melemele Island's entire police force and nearly destroyed Malie City after using the power of a Legendary Pokémon to reawaken Ula'ula Island's volcano." Lillie explained quietly, her expression thoughtful. "He was killed in a huge police sting in Heahea City over many years ago, though. It was a huge scandal."

"How do you know all of that, Lillie?" Burnet asked, surprised. Lillie looked uncomfortable about this, looking away.

"I was told about it when I was younger by my..." Lillie trailed off, looking down at the ground and biting her lip. Burnet and Kukui exchanged a quick look of concern while Sun grabbed Lillie's hand underneath the table, giving it a comforting squeeze. The girl smiled gratefully at him in response, and the boy let go.

"Anyways, back to my point. It turns out there was an showcase of this special Z-Power being used during the crisis in Malie City that the Ruby Raiders has caused. A group of Trainers rose up against the bad guys and fought against them, with the city becoming a battleground." Kukui continued, smiling slightly as he noticed Lillie and Sun hanging onto his every word.

"During that crisis in Malie City, a Trainer used this Ultra Z-Power to stop a terrible fire that was raging through the city. Oddly enough, he used a strange white fire to smother out the flames that were hopelessly out of control. Fire that obeyed the will of the Trainer and acted as a safeguard for the innocent people caught in the blaze. Word said that after the flames fell, the boy went on to save the city from the Ruby Raiders, as well as defeating Roran Rubinara in a showdown at the docks." Kukui explained, with Sun frowning in thought. He hadn't known that the Alola he knew today had such a dark history. He'd have to look into it further.

"Why didn't the Guardian Deity step in?" Sun asked.

Kukui frowned and said, "Tapu Bulu is...rather unique, in the fact that it's the most isolated of the Guardian Deities. Even the Ruins of Abundance are rather difficult to get to. On top of that, Tapu Bulu is known to rarely get involved in the affairs of those who live on its island."

"It's really lazy and hates conflicts." Burnet stated, earning a look from Kukui. "Hey, I'm telling it how it is."

"You mean telling it how old Nanu tells it." Kukui responded, shaking his head.

"Anyways, that's just brushing against the topic. I figured you'd find the history interesting. And that's why I called you here!" Kukui said cheerily, leaning back in his chair. "You never know where you'll find an awesome discovery. I was too young to accurately remember the Ruby Raiders and all the bad things they did, so reading about them years later is incredibly interesting. If I have another breakthrough, I'll be sure to let you know."

Burnet smirked, though she nodded in agreement. "He is right about finding discoveries in odd places. You'd be amazed at where you'll find fascinating discoveries, even in my research in regards to the Ultra Space. For example, Ten Carat Hill is a fantastic site with both history and constantly intriguing readings."

"Ten Carat Hill?" Sun asked.

"It's an old Trial Site, about an hour's walk through the tunnel in the cliff by this lab." Kukui explained, grinning at the boy. "There's a load of cool Pokémon out there. I'd especially recommend going out there if you want to train your team somewhere with loads of Rock-types."

Sun met Kukui's grin with his own. "That sounds like fun, actually. I can't believe there's a place like that I haven't been to yet on this island."

"The day is still young, cousin! You could probably grab your Pokémon, make it to Ten Carat Hill and get some solid training in before sundown." Kukui suggested, with Sun hopping to his feet with a wider smile as he looked over at Finn and Brago. Both of the Pokémon looked ready to roll, with Finn hopping up and down eagerly in anticipation.

"Getting some extra practice battling Rock-types would be ideal. And I could power Finn up a bunch that way too...Would it be rude if I left now to go get my two birdbrains?" Sun asked, with Kukui laughing in reply.

"Of course not! Lillie, do you want to go with him?" Burnet asked the girl, who frowned thoughtfully before nodding. She exchanged a brief smile with Sun before Nebby floated onto her head, cooing happily.

"Nebby, you better be on your best behavior!" Lillie said in a firm voice to the Cosmog. The others laughed as Nebby pulled a face and flailed on Lillie's head.

"Peeeew! Pewpewpewpewpewpewpew!"

"...I'm wasting my breath, aren't I?"

* * *

And the day had been going so well for Demi, too.

It started so normally. Wake up, do her hair, hang out with Kayla, run into the guys later, and just hang out. The newest member of Bone Unit 71 had even convinced her friends to take up training so that they could become stronger and more effective members of Team Skull. Gladion would even show up every now and then, offering the occasional bit of advice. Today had started like that as well, with Demi managing to beat Axen with Torch, though she had been soundly defeated by Kevin's Tirtouga.

Thankfully Team Skull had enough money to keep the Pokémon Center running for the day, so after healing their Pokémon, they returned to the Shady House to watch "Wheel of Calamity" and just enjoy their day.

However...

"We have breaking news from Heahea City, where we're reporting that there has been an attack at the Heahea City Corrections Department, resulting in the escape of three highly dangerous criminals." Media icon Adrian Battlestorm explained on the news in a grim tone, drawing Demi's attention as the others complained about the report interrupting their show. The TV then showed the mugshots two women and a man, the last of whom made Demi let out a small scream of horror. Tim put a hand on the girl's shoulder while Kayla gaped under her bandanna, the scowling man on the screen being very familiar to them all. Considering the fact that it was them that turned the man into the police, it was no surprise that they recognized him.

Night Slash.

"Isn't that the guy who we beat when we met Demi? How'd he break out?" Kevin asked, crossing his arms. As they listened, It was said that the prison itself was attacked by a powerful psychic Pokémon that decimated the guards on site, seriously injuring six and allowing the bandit to escape with two other inmates.

"Didn't he have some kind of creepy Psychic-type Pokémon with him when we fought him?" Kayla asked, rubbing her temples.

"That's not a surprise, actually. We did kinda just leave that guy's Gothitelle knocked out in a clearing…" Kevin remarked with a nervous laugh. There was a very palpable silence, in which Demi face-palmed.

"We completely forget about his Gothitelle. Of course it was going to wake up later and try to free its Trainer from prison. Oh god...What if he comes for us?" Demi asked, worried about the bandit wanting retribution.

"Don't worry about that. This place is Team Skull territory, and ain't nobody gonna hurt you with us watching your back." Kayla promised with a thumbs up, making Demi smile at her friend in relief. Even if she was still nervous, knowing her friends had her back was a relief.

 _"I should probably warn Sun and the others too."_ Demi thought to herself, deciding to do just that later that night. Aloud she said, "Thanks you guys. Still, that's really scary..."

"Yeah, but don't sweat it, yo. We got this." Kevin assured her as he got up and stretched.

"That freakbag better not try anything funny. If he does, we'll mess him up!" Axen growled, punching his open palm with a hidden scowl. Demi looked at her friends and grinned back at them, lowering her bandanna a little so that they could fully see her happiness with them. In return, they did the same, and she could feel the genuine warmth of their friendship within her. Even if they were rough around the edges and wannabee criminals…

They were her family. They had saved her when she had lost all hope. And for that she would always be grateful.

However, the heartwarming moment was shattered when a soaked Team Skull Grunt burst in through the room, looking at them with a panicked expression on her face.

"Yo guys, come out quick! Gladion's battling the Bone Brothers!" the female Grunt yelled to them, running back out into the hallway. Bone Unit 71 glanced around at each other worriedly, but Demi was already hopping to her feet and running out the door.

It was just as the Grunt had said. Rain poured down in sheets, drenching everyone as a massive circle of Team Skull members watched Gladion battling one of the Bone Brothers, with a massive Drapion hissing angrily as Zorua and Type: Null dashed at it.

"Null, Zorua! Aerial Ace!" Gladion barked, gripping his arm tightly as his face grimaced in pain. The two Pokémon rushed forward, slamming into the Drapion and sending it skidding backwards with a snarl, the beast clutching its chest with a wince.

"You may have knocked out my other two Pokémon, but my Drapion can't be beat, yo. Give it up!" the man jeered, crossing his arms before calling out, "Ice Fang!"

Drapion lunged forward, icy energy surging into its maw as it rushed Zorua and clamped its jaws around the small fox as it shrieked, thrashing as ice and pain surged into its small body.

"Null, Crush Claw! Free Zorua!" Gladion yelled out, even as Drapion lumbered closer, laughing through the mouthful of fox that now hang limply in its mouth.

"Why are they fighting!?" Demi demanded, not moving from the awning underneath the Shady House so she could avoid the rain. To their surprise, Plumeria glanced their way and moved closer to them, shaking her head sadly.

"The Bone Brothers challenged Gladion to a battle. Gladion refused, knowing that he couldn't win, and because of that they started giving him shit. That's what started this mess." Plumeria explained as Type: Null slashed and clawed at Drapion, who was covered in bloody cuts and scrapes. This didn't stop the Ogre Scorpion Pokémon from lunging forward and slashing Type: Null in the side with a black wave of energy, knocking the beast and sending it crashing down into a puddle.

"And just like that, poor Glady loses yet again!" the Bone Brothers who hadn't battled cheered, laughing at the boy who fumed in fury. Gladion stormed forward, glaring at the Drapion, who hadn't released Zorua, who had fallen unconscious a whole minute again.

"Let him go! We're done here!" Gladion barked at the beast, who snorted and responded by backhanding Gladion, sending him crashing to the ground with a yell of pain.

"Oh shit...not good." Axen breathed, seeming worried as Gladion rose to his feet, eyeing the monster ahead of him.

"Maybe he doesn't want to let go. Maybe my Drapion is kinda hungry. Zorua meat is supposed to be good for you, isn't it?" the Bone Brother asked, walking forward with swagger as the other two brothers joined him, cracking their knuckles. Gladion snarled and pulled out a switchblade, charging forward. Drapion swung at him again, missing as Gladion ducked under its arm and sank his knife into the beast's chest. Drapion opened its mouth as it roared, releasing Zorua as it snarled in pain before smashing a claw into Gladion's side, sending him flying backwards with a scream of agony and into the nearby bushes.

"Gladion!" Demi screamed out, stepping forward. She hesitated because of the rain and looked on as the Bone Brothers reached the boy, ripping him out of the hedges and throwing him onto the drenched ground.

"How dare you...how fucking dare you…" the thug snarled, lifting up his boot and bring it down on Gladion's spine. The boy yelled out, crashing into the wet concrete again. The three thugs surrounded the boy and began to stomp down on him, shouting curses at him.

Demi shut her eyes, torn between what to do. She opened her eyes and saw her friends looking away, with Kayla and Kevin looking worried as the beatdown continued. Demi was snapped out of her thoughts as something warm nudged her leg, and she looked down to see a determined Quilava staring up at her.

The dark-skinned girl sighed, gathering her nerves before she clenched her fists. What kind of friend would she be if she let this awfulness continue? She was the only one here that actually cared about Gladion, and she couldn't let this continue. Even if the rain made her uncomfortable, she had to fight through it.

With that, the girl sprinted into the deluge, feeling the dread grow as soon as the rainfall surrounded her. The cold rainfall drenched her instantly and she grit her teeth, trying to stem the tide of terrible memories and the despair that-

* * *

 _She couldn't do this._

 _The rain showed no signs of letting up as Demi fought back a shiver_ , _stood atop her Lapras and trembling as the Totem Araquanid screamed in fury as Feya spat flames at it. Torch barked out encouragement to the Shiny Fletchinder as she ferociously fought against the massive spider, despite how aggressively it was fighting back. Aou meanwhile huddled against Demi, looking downright terrified of the showdown taking place. Understandable, considering it had already been knocked out once._

" _F-feya, hit it with Aerial Ace!" Demi shouted, with her bird nodding and darting downwards, flaring her wings and skimming along the twisting water beneath her. Totem Araquanid snarled in response to the approaching bird, its Z-Power-induced aura darkening slightly before Feya smashed into the creature's face, making it stumble backwards with a chitter of pain. Feya then squawked in pain as a stream of bubbles flew towards her, exploding against her side and making her wobble in the air as she struggled to get away._

 _Aou made a cooing noise beside Demi, shuddering slightly. Demi put a hand against the candle-like Pokémon and said, "I'm so sorry. I know you hate this, Aou. I hate it too."_

 _Feya chirped as she spat flames at Totem Araqanid, but the Dewpider continued to pepper her with attacks, ensuring she couldn't attack the Totem again. Demi groaned, shaking her head and trying to gather her nerves. Just a bit longer and they'd all be safe on shore. Still..._

" _Ugh, first that Masquerain and now that little pest...Feya, knock it out! Aerial Ace!" Demi commanded, gripping the neck of the Ride Lapras she was riding on tightly. Feya darted towards the small bug and smashed into it before it could even react, knocking it out and down back into the water._

 _The effect was immediate._

" _NISSSSAAAAAGHHHH!" Totem Araquanid roared, it's Z-Power flaring up like an inferno around it. Lapras and Aou screamed in terror while Torch crouched low, ready to fight. Meanwhile, Totem Araquanid fixed it's gaze on Demi, and to her horror she saw nothing but murder in the beast's eyes as it-_

* * *

-struck Gladion in the chest, again and again. The Bone Brothers yanked Gladion to his feet before throwing him into a puddle, laughing at his pain. Demi stumbled forward, her vision blurring slightly as the despair mounted. She was cold. She was so, so cold and so, so scared and she just wanted it all to stop. Why did they have to hurt him? Why couldn't they all just get along? Why did...why did her best friend have to die like that? Why did she have go through so much heartache just to belong somewhere? Why…?

Demi approached the thugs, scowling as she shouted, "Stop it! Leave him alone!"

"Aww, your girlfriend trying to protect you, Glady? Cute. Drapion, shut her up." Bone Brother A remarked, pointing at Demi. The beast hesitated for a moment before nodding, moving towards a surprised Demi as she took a step back. Torch lunged forward, its body coated in flames at it slammed into Drapion, knocking the monster back with a roar. Drapion hurled two Sludge Bombs at the Quilava, who launched a barrage of stars at the beast in retaliation. Sadly, it was caught by a Dark Pulse from Drapion and sent crashing senseless to the ground, whereupon Drapion turned its attention back to Demi.

Gladion slowly rose from the ground, his entire body in agony. Through his one visible eye, he saw the monster advancing on an increasingly disoriented Demi and cursed his weakness. "Don't...you dare...hurt her. Null! Attack Protocol!" Gladion shouted desperately, with the effect being immediate.

Type: Null slowly rose from the ground, shaking in pain before it's eyes glowed red. It let out a harsh growl before bounding forward, smashing into the surprised Drapion and knocking it away from Demi. The girl sprinted past the two battling Pokémon, glancing back as she saw Type: Null fighting far more ferociously than she had ever seen it. The monster clawed and scratched, with each move using far more power than what she had seen it use before. However, before it could get more than a few good shots in, Drapion blasted it with a Sludge Bomb and knocked Gladion's partner out for a second time.

At that point Demi had reached the Bone Brothers, even as her vision threatened to dim completely. One of the men had picked Gladion up and punched him in the face again, and with that Demi lunged at the man, wrapping her arms around his neck with a harsh yell. The girl was easily picked up and thrown onto the ground before being picked up by the neck, the Bone Brother easily managing the feat.

"And just like Glady, you're pathetic as shit." The man leered at her, drawing back a fist-

* * *

 _-as Totem Araquanid slid across the water, charging up an Ice Beam and firing it at Demi. In response, Torch shot an Ember at the blast of ice, making it explode in midair and send ice chunks falling into the water. Totem Araquanid snarled furiously, making the already turbulent waters roil angrily beneath them and making Demi scream in fear and shut her eyes. After all, she already had a fear of drowning and couldn't swim. Add onto the fact that both Aou and Torch were in danger out here as well, and she was well beyond terrified. Demi opened her eyes and saw Feya circling overhead, as well as seeing Lana try and get her attention from the shore. Demi quickly turned her attention back to her Starter, who dodged a Ice Beam._

" _What's with this thing!?" Demi whispered, shivering from the cold and from fear._ _Demi then saw the Totem Pokémon's gaze drift to the bird overhead, who had swooped low to hit it with Aerial Ace again. Demi felt cold horror grip her heart. She had a terrible feeling about what was going to happen next._

" _Feya, get away!" Demi screamed as the Totem Pokémon roared, its aura suddenly burning a harsh red color. If Demi hadn't been so terrified, she could have noticed the look of agony on the face of the spider as it slid across the water towards her. Totem Araquanid hissed before it fired a jet of boiling hot water at Demi, who let out a scream of horror before Feya dive-bombed the beast, stunning it for a brief moment and stopping the attack._

 _The bird chirped a warning to Demi, telling her to get to safety. Before the Fletchinder could do anything else, Totem Araquanid turned its gaze to her and leapt into the water, a jet of water surrounding it. Demi screamed and reached out a hand towards her bird, but it was too late._

 _Totem Araquanid slammed into Feya with Waterfall with the force of a speeding truck, sending the bird tumbling through the air and into the rocks near the cliff face opposite them. Demi screamed as Feya came falling back down, only to crash down on top of a particularly jagged rock neck-first._

 _The resulting crack seemed to reverberate through the entire lake as Feya broke her neck on the rock, hitting it with enough force and at such an angle where death was instant. The bird hung there for a moment before slowly sliding down the slippery rock and falling limply into the water._

 _ **Demi broke then.**_

 _Her eyes glazed over. She swayed on her feet, nearly falling into the water. Torch whimpered softly beside her, while Aou just started forward with a terrified expression on his face. The shock of seeing her closest and most precious friend die in front of her shook the girl to her core, her heart filling with despair and agony as boiling hot tears streamed down her face. She vaguely noticed the Totem advancing towards them and turned towards it, a dark feeling of anger bubbling up within her._

" _Quill!" came a shout from beside her. Demi tore her gaze away from Totem Araquanid to see Torch staring towards the rocks where Feya had landed, and Demi spotted her beloved bird being tossed around in the water, her limp body a plaything of the raging tide. Demi shut her eyes, her heart rebelling against the sight, before she opened her eyes._

" _Lapras, go over there! I need to save Feya!" Demi managed to choke out, with the scared Lapras moving to obey her command. Totem Araquanid wasn't going to let that happen, and began to slide forward across the water, hoping to head off the girl that dared to-_

* * *

"-oppose us? Look at her!" the man shouted to the Team Skull Grunts around him, unaware of Demi's unraveling grip on reality. She didn't see a town anymore. She only saw a storm-torn lake. She saw her best friend lying dead on the water. She saw a terrified Litwick and a scared yet-determined Quilava standing his ground. She saw only a monster that wanted her dead. She felt nothing but fear and despair. Absolute hopelessness that threatened to swallow her whole.

"Where…" Demi whispered, shivering as the rain mercilessly poured down on them all. Gladion stared up at her in horror at the expression on her face and realized now why she was so scared of the rain. He saw what it was doing to her and was terrified for her.

" _I'm cold. I'm so cold...I'm so sad. It's weighing down on me like a...I can't even breathe. I can't...stay awake…"_ Demi thought to herself, her vision flickering between sight and blindness, and in one of the few moments where she could see she-

* * *

 _-caught sight of the monster approaching and pointed a trembling finger at it. She'd be damned if she didn't save her fallen friend from this monster's stupid lake._

" _Swift! Shadow Ball! Keep that thing away from us!" Demi commanded her two remaining Pokémon as they neared the shore, her voice trembling as much as her body was. Aou and Torch complied, sending out their attacks and pelting Totem Araquanid with the attacks._

" _NISSSSAAAGHHH!" the Totem roared, thrashing its head as its Z-Power flared again. Lana began shouting from the shore, calling out an Araquanid of her own and hopping atop the spider. However, the beast slammed its legs into the water and called forth a massive wave that smashed into Demi and her team, knocking the three of them off of Lapras._

 _Demi tumbled through the water, opening her mouth to scream and letting water fill her lungs. She sank through the water, lost and dazed and terrified before she felt something hard beneath her. Finally, the water seemed to recede and Demi pushed herself to her hands and knees, coughing harshly to expel the water from her lungs and realizing that she was on rocks she had been trying to reach. Demi looked up and saw an exhausted Torch keeping Totem Araquanid at bay with repeated Swift attacks while Aou lay nearby, unconscious. Demi returned her Litwick with a pang before she stumbled forward, wincing in pain as she gripped her arm._

" _Blood?" Demi muttered, seeing the bleeding scrape on her arm that turned the water on the ground sanguine. Demi ignored it for now and limped forward, gritting her teeth before she caught sight of Feya drifting in the water, her eyes completely lifeless. Demi choked back another sob as she approached her bird, only to see a series of stars fly in front of her and explode against a gout of boiling hot water that had been aimed at her._

" _That thing...It killed Feya, and now it's trying to kill me!" Demi realized dazedly, taking a step back as Torch stepped in front of Demi, determined to protect his Trainer despite the odds. Araquanid suddenly snarled in pain as an Ice Beam struck it from the side, and Demi saw Lana approaching them from atop her own Araquanid, her spider taking pot shots at the Totem Pokémon and making the beast even more angry._

" _Demi! Run!" Lana shouted as Totem Araquanid retaliated, firing off a massive beam of icy energy and sweeping it across the lake, creating a massive wall of ice that cut Lana off from them. Totem Araquanid slowly turned back towards Demi and Torch, hissing softly before its aura exploded outwards, almost dyeing the air itself red with the energy it contained._

" _Torchy...this is it." Demi whispered, taking a step back. The Quilava nodded, but opened his mouth and released a torrent of flames as Totem Araquanid slammed down its legs, releasing another Surf attack. A colossal wave of water rose from the lake, sweeping Demi and Torch off of the rocks and into the lake itself._

 _Demi coughed as she kicked and flailed her arms, unable to keep her head above water from more than a moment. She spotted Feya's body floating beside her and the girl pushed her body to its absolute limits, moving it just enough in the rapids for her to grab Feya's corpse and pull it close._

" _F-Feya! I'm...I'm so sorry!" Demi managed to say before the water consumed her, dragging both her and the dead Fletchinder down into the depths. Demi tried to swim to the surface, but she was already exhausted and in pain, so the fruitless efforts expanded what energy she had left. In the end, as the darkness slowly began to creep in and her lungs screamed for air, Demi hugged her fallen friend close…_

 _And she drifted into unconsciousness as the water swallowed her, falling deeper down._

* * *

"Aww, look everyone! She's sleeping!" Bone Brother A remarked, lightly shaking Demi's unconscious form several times before slapping the girl hard in the face, dislodging her bandanna and making blood drip down her mouth as she hung in the thug's grip, her eyes completely devoid of any emotion or light.

"You...stay away from her!" Gladion rasped, forcing himself into a kneeling position, his eyes filled burning hate as he tried to rise to his feet. He got a boot to the face for his efforts, knocking him back down the ground as he remained still, his rage unable to keep his body upright any further as his glazed eyes struggled to stay open.

"Don't tell me what to do. It's about time you learned your place, runt." Bone Brother B remarked before he casually kicked Type: Null in the side, making the beast grunt in pain. Bone Brother A shrugged before throwing Demi on the ground, her limp form hitting the ground with a dull thud next to Gladion, who barely managed to see her out of his non-swollen eye.

"D...D-demi…" Gladion groaned as he tried to rise to his feet again, especially now that the three Bone Brothers were drawing ever-closer-

"Stop it!"

Gladion rolled onto his back and was surprised to see Kevin standing in front of him, glaring down the three men. Axen quickly stepped up beside his friend, as did Tim and Kayla.

"What's the goddamn point of this, yo!? You won! You proved that you all are the biggest and boniest guys in Team Skull! Do you really gotta beat the crap out of the guy!? And Demi's one of us! The hell you attackin' her for!?" Kevin demanded, with Bone Brother A walking right up to the teen's face and scowling at him. Kevin shivered in fear, but didn't falter.

"It's about respect. And about making sure that you all know your place. It's as simple as that. And this one…" the man spit down at Demi's unmoving form, making Kayla clench her fists in anger. "Tried to stop us from dishing out some harsh lessons. Guess it didn't matter anyway. She had her little freakout and now she's taking a nap. Pathetic."

"She's not pathetic, yo! She's our friend! She's family!" Axen yelled, bowing up as Kayla knelt down to Demi and lightly began to shake her, trying in vain to wake her up. She was promptly smacked away from Demi by Drapion, who hissed in fury as Kayla tumbled across the soaked concrete.

"Shit! You...you goddamn-" Kevin snarled, lunging at the nearest Bone Brother before being hit with a wicked haymaker, sending the teen to the ground with a howl. The man chuckled darkly, glancing around the seeing the rest of Team Skull looking at them with fear, with some of them unable to meet their eyes.

"You…bastards!" Axen muttered darkly, clenching his fists as Tim looked back and forth between his injured friends and the thugs that had seemingly snapped. Kevin rolled onto his back as Gladion crawled to Demi, weakly shaking her.

"Get up...Come on, Demi...please?" Gladion pleaded with the girl as the Bone Brothers shook their heads in disgust.

"Looks like the new girl is pretty popular around here, if little Glady seems to care about her. Good to know!" Bone Brother C remarked with a hidden smirk, shrugging his shoulders. "That said...We won't stand for insubordination. You runts wanna fight? Then we can fi-"

"ENOUGH!" came a sharp voice from nearby. All of the heads turned and Plumeria was suddenly in front of the Bone Brothers, her face contorted with fury.

"You might be strong, but that doesn't mean you can throw around the others like that! These people are your family! You're _ohana_ , damn it! You can't have forgotten that in your time away from Po Town!" Plumeria shouted at the thugs. While this was happening, Axen carefully helped still-dazed Kevin to his feet. The two Grunts worriedly looked down at Kayla as she clutched her stomach in pain.

The three men glared down Plumeria, who stood her ground and glared right back at the trio. The rest of Team Skull watched on, holding their breaths. Gladion could sense the fear in them. They had seen what had happened to him. What had happened to Bone Unit 71. They were examples. If anyone else stepped up to those bullies, they too would be smacked down into the dirt.

Plumeria held firm, her eyes burning with the protective defiance that every single member of Team Skull knew. It was why she was so beloved and respected, just as much as their leader. She was their big sister, and even if they were just idiots…

They were HER idiots.

"Fine...Not worth the trouble." Bone Brother A muttered, turning on his heel and walking down the road. His two brothers exchanged a glance, shrugged, and followed him. The Drapion lingered for a moment, hissing at the group before scuttling after its Trainer. One of them started whistling a happy tune, to Gladion's disgust.

"Hey bro, you alright?" Kevin asked, kneeling down to Gladion. Gladion nodded mutely in reply, not trusting his voice, and Kevin snorted in amusement. "Bullshit. You look like shit, yo."

"Get him and Demi inside. I'll let Guzma know what those morons did." Plumeria said tersely to some of the other Grunts, who hastened to obey the Team Skull Admin's orders. Gladion barely managed to see two Grunts helping Kayla to her feet, with Axen and Kevin carrying Gladion over their shoulders to help him walk as Plumeria picked up Demi, looking worried.

"She was fine...But she collapsed just like that? She fainted from the _rain_...She had told me about her fears, but for them to be so great as to make her fall like that?" Plumeria scowled, her eyes narrowed. "Damn Captains...This is what happens to those they fail to protect."

The group began to make their way inside, even as the rain pouring down on them intensified. Gladion tried to walk where he could, though he kept his open eye trained on Demi. She had protected him, despite everything, and had paid the price. And the others...They had stuck their necks out for him and Demi as well.

None of this would have happened if he had been strong enough to stand against the Bone Brothers in the first place.

" _I have to get stronger…"_ Gladion thought before he stumbled, his vision growing hazy. A pair of arms caught him before he passed out, and with darkness consuming his vision. His last thoughts before oblivion hit him was how much he wished he was at home with his family again.

He missed them so, so much.

* * *

 _And that's another chapter down._

 _Q and A_

 _From: Anasazi Darkmoon_

I just thought about this, but did anything interesting happen with Demi's Litwick after she released it? Or did it just revert to being a wild pokemon?

Also, there's a weird mess-up with Rotom's recitation of Tangrowth's 'dex entry. "does not trouble vines grow" I believe that there was supposed to be a separation into two sentences there.

Mask is the kahuna who originally founded Team Skull and got smacked down by Tapu Bulu, isn't he?

Seriously, if the road to Hell is paved with good intentions, I'm pretty sure Borlath's got himself an eight-lane freeway set up.

And Lusamine...is she just insane, or is she actively being controlled by the Nihilego? Either way, she's freaking creepy.

 **1\. I'll admit, I'm quite happy someone remembered Aou (Demi's Litwick) after all this time. Ironically enough, this chapter is Aou's first appearance since Demi released him in Chapter 46.**

 **As for your question, I'll be able to show you what's happened to Aou in a few chapters. This next batch of chapters are going to be very, very fun indeed.**

 **Thanks for the heads up about the Dex Entry, by the way. Didn't catch that in the final read-through.**

 **2\. Now that...Is a very interesting idea.**

 **3\. I would say she's being heavily influenced by the Nihilego. Not quite controlled, but she's definitely not who she truly is at heart. Hence why I really don't like how she is in US/UM. She's still crazy as shit, but they completely just ignore all of that subplot. According to the game, she still tries to hunt down her children, acted like a terrible person in general, and froze many Pokemon just for the sake of it and not under the influence of an Ultra Beast? Right.**

 **On another tangent, it's annoying how they changed what really happened to the Aether Foundation personnel from S/M to US/UM. I'll explain how later, because spoilers, but it's really irritating to be honest.**

 _From: Sai Og Sus_

The Mask character, he reminded me of Pryce in the Pokemon Special manga. Are you perhaps inspired by him?

 **Nope! I haven't read the manga, though I probably should.**

 _From: trevhall19_

1\. I found it funny that Borlath has spies watching Sun, but they fail to notice that Lillie is with him. Why is that?

2\. Is Borlath hiding under the Game Corner?

3\. I'm guessing Oliver is a flying type trainer?

 **1\. Because Lillie wasn't with Sun when the Cipher Grunt back in Heahea City spotted him. On top of that, Hau is quite a bit more recognizable than Lillie is. Even Borlath would have trouble recognizing Lillie because he hasn't seen her in years. Cipher has no clue who Lillie is. To them she's just another girl.**

 **On top of that, as Mask stated, the International Police has been digging into their affairs and they've had to back off of trying to tail Sun. Looks like they're finally good for something, eh?**

 **2\. Nope. Just a building in the city. You'd think he'd spend less time brooding in a room with a giant window, what with skilled snipers being a thing in this story.**

 **3\. For the most part, yes. It's part of why Sun thinks he's awesome and why they bonded so quickly back in Kanto. Sun may have (and will end up having) a diverse team, but he still loves Flying-types.**

 _From: Doger 32_

I remember a while back you saying this story was going to go to 200 chapters and i was going to ask something but at the time i had forgotten it(my wonderful memory everybody!) and i just now remembered it, how do you plan on getting this to 200 chapters? I mean, Usum/SM's story isnt THAT long and i mean yeah its already established that there is a lot of original ideas but im just curious is all. And for the chpater, again, like every other one, great chapter!

 **Well, it's mainly because I do have a lot of original ideas. Yes, I can get a lot of mileage out of the Island Challenge, but I also have many ideas about exploring Alola's past and how it's trying to develop into something more. Backstories like for Guzma, Kukui, Team Skull, Lusamine, Mohn, Kahunas and Captains and all that are also something I can easily expand on. Not to mention the character arcs of each of Sun's** **Pokémon, which will be focused on much more in the next three Acts of the story.**

 **It also helps that I have an outline for the story and have all of the chapters planned out into six Acts. This is probably my last story for the site, so I want to make it a fantastic one. The question I could probably ask myself in turn is...Can I tell the story I want to in JUST 200 chapters?**

 **Nope. But I'm going to try anyway, and make as many people happy as I can along the way.**

 _Thanks again for bearing with the delay for this week. I'm definitely feeling much better, even if I'm still pretty worn out._

 _Next week we have some serious fun, as well as probably the best cliffhanger I've had yet in this story._

 _Please let me know your thoughts by stating them in review form in the section below. And if you haven't already, favorite and/or follow this story as well! Why? Because that stuff makes me happy!_

 _Stay safe and stay awesome!_

 _Until next time, FlygonNick out!_


	77. Taking Flight

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _So the RWBY Volume 6 finale dropped this weekend. All in all, this was my favorite Volume yet. Fantastic fights, great character development, the return of the best girl in the series (sorry Weiss), and a collection of awesome songs for me to jam to while writing chapters._

 _On top of that, I've got a few fun games to burn through in the next few weeks. Having beaten God of War, which was absolutely incredible, I'm feeling pretty good about 2019 so far because my backlog of games ot get through is freaking sweet._

 _I'm going to keep this one short, because I'm trying to keep my chapters less than 10,000 words unless its a seriously important chapter._

 _ **Or rather I would say this, but I failed my goal. Still ended up being a relatively long chapter.** I hammered this out in just two days and I'm happy about it._

 _Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes Cottonmouth25, RC-DA, the totem natu, Zombiesguy115, trevhall19, Sai Og Sus, JDunks807, SonicIKE, and Ways. You all are amazing and awesome._

 _We're getting close to the big 1000! Can we hit four digits during my birthday week and before the next weekend update!? We'll see. This story recently hit over 150,000 views, which is insane. You people rock and I thank you for your support._

 _Time for a curve ball chapter!_

 _Enjoy!_

* * *

 _Chapter 77: Taking Flight_

* * *

"Samson, Ice Beam!" Hugh yelled out as the beast crouched low, launching itself forward with a roar. The Samurott fired a wicked beam of icy energy towards Aria and the bird that hovered in front of her, wreathed in an aura of darkness and fire.

"Shadow Moltres…bank left and use Shadow Lunge!" Aria commanded the bird, which let out a fearsome cry before rushing forward, flapping its wings several times before the aura exploded outwards, doubling Moltres' speed and helping the bird smash through the beam of ice.

"Waterfall!" Hugh barked, throwing out a hand as Samurott snorted in response, rushing forward as a flume of water erupted from the ground and propelled the Formidable Pokémon forward. The two Pokémon collided, creating an explosion of force that sent both Hugh and Aria to the ground with yells of pain and kicking up a cloud of steam.

"D-damn...Maybe we overdid it?" Hugh muttered as he looked up, only to see a burning bird standing tall over his unconscious Starter. Aria achingly got to her feet and walked over to Shadow Moltres, with the bird slowly turning towards her. Aria looked up at the Legendary Bird, extending a hand towards it.

"It's okay." Aria said quietly as Shadow Moltres stared at her, its expression unreadable. Aria couldn't imagine what the fiery bird had been subjected to. How much pain it had to have gone through before Aria had snagged it away from Cipher?

The bird in question had turned away from her, it's expression hardening as it glared hatefully down at Hugh and his Samurott before returning its gaze to Aria and bending its head down, its expression more calm as it gazed into the eyes of its master.

"There we go...You did really well, Moltres." Aria murmured, caressing the bird's head gently for a few moments before reaching into her knapsack. She pulled out a Sitrus Berry and handed it to the Legendary to eat, which it eagerly did. Aria could have sworn she saw a glimmer of happiness within its dark eyes before it vanished, but she couldn't have been sure.

"You really are hitting it off with that thing. I hope it gets better." Hugh said as he walked over to his Samurott, treating its injuries. "Still, kinda humiliating to lose despite the type-advantage."

"That's because I know how to use Shadow Pokémon, Hugh. If you were watching closely, I used Shadow Stare to weaken Samurott's defense and make my next attack way more effective." Aria explained to her boyfriend, earning a grin from the young man.

"Psh...Wes would be laughing his ass off if he saw this. It took you forever for to warm up to the idea of using a Shadow Pokémon and here you are, acting like some kind of expert." Hugh remarked with a smirk, though he saw Aria's expression darken after a moment. Internally he flinched, realizing he had brought up a bad subject.

"Yeah...I miss Nev." Aria mumbled, leaning forward and pressing her face into the burning plumage of Moltres. Despite the bird's incredible powers over fire and being on fire itself, the flames didn't hurt Aria. They simply felt very, very warm.

"S-sorry...I didn't mean to bring up your Murkrow like that." Hugh said awkwardly as he returned his Samurott, walking over to Aria and putting a hand on her shoulder. Much like his Bouffalant, Aria too had lost a Pokémon to Amber Fontaine and Borlath.

"It's fine...I just forget sometimes about all the crap we've been through." Aria replied, looking back at Hugh with a sad smile. "And it's not just us. People all over the world have suffered because of Cipher."

Hugh looked away from her at that, his red eyes showing guilt in them. Aria knew what he was thinking.

"You know...if you apologized to him, he'd forgive you." Aria said quietly, removing her hand from Shadow Moltres to wrap her arms around Hugh. The teen sighed and sat down on the ground, with Aria moving down with him. Soon they were just lying down on the ground together, with Shadow Moltres just giving them a neutral look of curiosity.

"I wouldn't be surprised if he did. I don't deserve to be forgiven. Not after what I said and did to him." Hugh said quietly, sighing softly as he shut his eyes.

Yes, Hugh was a very stubborn and driven individual. But even he could see when he was wrong. And he had never been more wrong in his life than he when he had accused an 11-year old boy of being a murderous spy sent from his evil father. Hugh grit his teeth as he recalled the pained expression on the boy's face, the tears he had shed the entire time. The horror as his face as Borlath executed Lorelei.

After having cooled off and being given time to think, he knew he had been wrong. All he did with his actions was hurt a child, who was his friend, in his anger and hot-blooded actions.

"You might not deserve it, or maybe you let all of that pain and hatred within you bubble out at the wrong time. Either way, letting this remain unresolved only hurts everyone." Aria said quietly, shutting her eyes as well as she enjoyed lying with her boyfriend.

"Am I a bad person, Aria? For...for losing control like that?"

"Of course not. I've lost control of my emotions once too. Remember my fight with Roxie?"

"Yeah...You two became good friends after that though."

"Exactly. Use this as a learning experience and grow as a person, Hugh. If you choose not to do that and keep making the same mistakes, then that is when you start to become a bad person." Aria said, nuzzling her head against Hugh's chin, making him smile in response. "Holding onto hate like that, letting it fester...We'd be no better than Borlath himself. You know that." Aria said quietly as she opened her eyes, seeing Moltres fold its wings and look skyward. She wondered if it remembered anything about its life before becoming a mindless weapon. The Snagger hoped to free the bird soon so it could reclaim the skies and soar among them once more.

"My brain knows that. My heart doesn't, though. It's...hard. You know that." Hugh muttered, wrapping his arms around Aria.

"I do...Hate is powerful. It can be an incredible motivator. It can make you live through and do anything...But that's not something we need in our lives, Hugh. Hate is a poison that corrupts everything. Hate and revenge go hand in hand, something you already know. What we need to focus on is putting an end to Cipher so that we can protect others. Getting payback should be nothing more than an afterthought." Aria stated as she removed her head, leaning forward and looking into Hugh's eyes as he opened them. She kissed Hugh, who responded by pushing back and deepening the kiss. They broke shortly after, with Aria getting up off of the ground and dusting herself off.

"Well, we should probably be getting back. Noah and Vivian said that our favorite masked weirdos have news on Zygarde. If they can get us a tracker for the remaining cells, that'd be ideal." Aria said as she walked back over to Moltres, with Hugh following.

"Maybe. With you and Sun both collecting the fragments of that thing, it should be whole in no time. He's already got a tenth of them from what they were telling me." Hugh replied, crossing his arms before hanging his head, sighing.

"I'll apologize to him and his Mom the next time I see them. Even if she punches me again, it's just something I have to do now. If they don't forgive me, then at least I tried." Hugh said firmly, resolved to try and make things right. Aria smiled back at him before she neared Moltres. The Legendary Bird chirped and lowered its head, allowing Aria to stroke it after a moment.

"You're looking a little better, now aren't you?" Aria said lightly, caressing the side of the bird's head. "I'll save you, Moltres. I'll find a way to purify you and all the others. I will save you all."

"And I'll be right there with you until the end." Hugh said to Aria, smiling at his girlfriend. The Snagger grinned back at him before glancing down at the metallic device encasing her arm.

"Yeah...Until the end."

* * *

Pokémon Lab

* * *

The group continued to chat of small matters, such as the upcoming Tournament and the Festival as well as Sun's Grand Trial. Sun enjoyed the chat, especially since he was with Lillie. Meanwhile Brago continued to cuddle with Winter and Finn chased Kukui's Rockruff and Nebby around the lab, tripping several times but always hopping back up and eagerly resuming the chase. When Sun asked about his Poliwag tripping so often, Kukui had an answer for him.

"Poliwag are incredibly clumsy on dry land. They're still learning how to walk in most cases when Trainers catch them. I'd recommend powering up Finn as much as possible and evolving him. It's not a particularly difficult evolution to reach, though, and after he becomes a Poliwhirl he should have a much easier time getting around, though he'll always be more at home in the water." Kukui explained, catching Finn's attention as the Poliwag looked at the man speaking. The Poliwag seemed thoughtful for a moment before nodding and resuming its game of tag.

"That being the case, you will have a decision to make after he becomes a Poliwhirl." Burnet remarked, making Kukui hum in response.

"What do you mean?" Sun asked. Rotom Dex floated past Sun, giggling electrically.

 _"Zzzt! That'zz an easy one, Sun! You see, Poliwhirl hazz two evolutionzz that it can achieve if the conditionz are correct. One of which izz Poliwrath, the Fighting and Water-type Tadpole Pokémon. The other iz Politoed, the Water-type Frog Pokémon._ " Rotom explained to the young Trainer.

"Both Pokémon have entirely different movesets and abilities. What sort of Pokémon you would want Finn to evolve into depends on what sort of Pokémon you would rather have. For instance, Poliwrath is more associated with physical moves and the like. Politoed is the opposite and is a bit more balanced and favors special attacks. It's completely up to you to decide what your Poliwag eventually becomes." Kukui said to Sun, who shook his head.

"Whatever we wants to become, I'll leave it to him. That's his choice. I'll work with whatever he wants to evolve into." Sun replied, making Kukui grin.

"You're pretty wise for your age, Sun. Most Trainers don't even ask their Pokémon about what they want before making a life-altering decision for them. I respect you a lot for that." Burnet complimented the boy. Sun blushed a bit at the praise, especially because Lillie was giving him a bright smile at that, though he was cut off from responding due to a shout from somewhere else.

"Hey Sun! You in there!?" called a familiar voice, with Sun perking up as a loud knock echoed through the house.

"That's Ollie. I Wonder why he came down here to the lab." Sun said as he hopped out of his chair, with Burnet, Kukui, and Lillie following him upstairs, along with the Pokémon. Sun walked to the door and opened it, and was greeted with the sight of Ollie standing there with Penny and Oliver, who were both glaring at each other on the ground.

"What's going on?" Sun asked the International Police Captain, receiving a smirk on reply.

"Laura sent me here to tell you that she got called into an emergency meeting back at her job. Some huge bullying incident happened, so she asked me to come hang out with you for a while." Ollie explained to the boy.

"Was it something she did?" Sun asked, worried. Ollie shook his head, smiling a little.

"Nah, just some kids being rowdy. The fight they got in got some news coverage though, and since Laura's one of the more experienced teachers at the school they wanted her there. She's dependable like that." Ollie remarked fondly before looking past Sun and seeing the others and raising a hand in greeting. "Hey there."

"Good afternoon, sir." Lillie said politely while Kukui rubbed his chin, smirking.

"So you're this Ollie I've heard so much about." The Professor said before introducing himself and his wife. Ollie seemed interested in the Professor's fields respectively, especially Burnet's specialty of the relationship between Pokémon and other dimensions.

"Has the International Police talked to you at all? Concerning some of the their investigations, someone like you would've been a fantastic source of information." Ollie asked, curious. Burnet nodded, though she shrugged.

"I've shared quite a bit of my research. I've even had Maiden over for tea once or twice. They've been doing a separate investigation of the Ultra Space and have said its for public safety, but they haven't mentioned specifics. Would you be willing to enlighten us as to what's going on?" Burnet asked the man, receiving a disarming grin in response.

"Give me a few weeks to get the lay of the land and I might have an answer. All I know is that they're worried about something big. And I'm not talking about Cipher." Ollie replied with a shrug, though his grin faded. "They are worried though. And given our minimal presence within Alola, they brought in me to back them up. If you can think of anyone who'd be interested in joining up, even in a part-time capacity, would you let me know?"

"Can I join?" Sun asked, grinning up at Ollie. Ollie chuckled, patting Sun on the head.

"Sure, why not? Just suddenly become 18 and you're golden." Ollie replied, with Sun sighing in response.

" _I wonder how Sun would look in a suit and tie like those people wear…?"_ Lillie thought to herself, imagining a much older Sun wearing tuxedo like the heroes did in those spy movies Mallow liked to watch. Lillie flushed bright pink and looked down, embarrassed at where her imagination took her. Nebby took that moment to wriggle free from his bag, appearing with a cheerful cry to everyone's surprise.

"What the hell!?" Ollie yelped, bewildered as the Cosmog floated just out of Lillie's grasp as she jumped up and down trying to grab him. Finn assisted by leaping into the air and using his tail to shove Nebby into Lillie's arms.

"I told you to be on your best behavior! You know how dangerous things are out there, don't you?" Lillie asked Nebby, receiving a confused look in response. Lillie sighed and hugged her Pokémon before realizing what had just happened and looking at Ollie with a fearful expression. Sun noticed this too and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry Lillie. We can trust Ollie. If anything, if he can maybe help look into where Nebby came from and help." Sun said to the girl as he removed his hand. The blonde-haired girl looked to the man in surprise. Ollie just shrugged, though he wore an understanding smile.

"I'd like to think I'm a pretty dependable guy. Your secrets are your business. If that little guy isn't something that normal people shouldn't be seeing, then I'll trust you're not doing something illegal and keep quiet. Besides, you're a friend of Sun's. I won't pry unless you want me too, okay?" Ollie said lightly, offering Lillie a reassuring smile that made her actually feel better.

 _"I can see why Sun likes him so much. He seems to genuinely care about the people he works to protect as a member of the International Police."_ Lillie thought, smiling a little.

"You know, if you kids keep standing there, you won't have any time to look around Ten Carat Hill." Kukui said jokingly as Burnet giggled beside him. Sun then quickly turned to Oliver, looking excited.

"You wanna come with us to Ten Carat Hill? We've never been there, we could all check out a new place together and train there!" Sun said to OIlie as the man blinked in surprise before nodding.

"Sure, why not? Laura's not going to be done for a while and she hates it when I watch her cook anyway. She calls me weird...as if." Ollie muttered the last part under his breath, making Kukui chuckle. "Anyways, if we're heading off to train, we should get going. We've got a few more hours of daylight left and I don't want to risk getting back too late."

Kukui then snapped his fingers, as if remembering something. "Oh yeah! I should've mentioned this earlier. There's been some reports about rock-slides recently. Since you're heading that way, I'd page a Ride Tauros to come and help you clear it all so you can get in and out of the place with no problems."

Sun grinned and nodded before he did that exact thing, using his Ride Pager to get a Ride Tauros to their location. The boy quickly changed inside of the house and emerged from a side room in his Ride Gear. Lillie promised to call Kukui if anything came up and Sun promised to keep an eye on her.

Ollie hid a laugh at the outlandish getup Sun now wore but didn't comment, and the trio walked around the house for a moment so they could see the Ride Pokémon when it arrived. However, Sun spotted a wriggling green creature that he hadn't seen in quite some time.

"Another Zygarde Cell…" Sun muttered as he put on his helmet, remembering that Sina and Dexio had contacted him the other weel. He had acquired ten percent of the Zygarde Cells. He would have to contact them soon to figure out what they wanted. Sun wondered how many of those Cells Aria had collected, since she had the other half of the Zygarde Cube?

For now, Sun put that into the back of his mind and focused on the present. Neither Lillie or Ollie noticed Sun gathering the Zygarde Cell, so he chose to remain silent about it. A Ride Tauros could be seen charging down the path to the Pokémon Lab and it wasn't much longer before it was stopped in front of Sun, who slowly walked over to the Bull Pokémon and patted it on the head.

"I never get tired of seeing Ride Pokémon show up. I can't imagine the sort of training this big guy went through to be so docile." Ollie commented as Sun hopped atop the massive bull. Soon Sun was sitting comfortably on the beast and off the trio went towards the cliffside that led to Ten Carat Hill, although the path into the hill was indeed blocked by a bunch of rocks. Sun spotted someone behind the rocks, waving at them.

"Hey there!" the man from behind the rocks called. Sun recognized him as a Trial Guide, though this confused him because he thought Ilima was the only Captain on Melemele Island. What was he doing all the way out here?

"Some strange-looking people in weird outfits came by and short time ago and knocked these rocks down, making sure no one could come pass. They're probably gone by now, but I can't move these rocks by myself!" the man called, with Sun grinning to himself.

"Back away! We've got this!" Sun yelled as he charged forward. The bull Pokémon slammed into the blockade with ease, sending rock debris everywhere. The man let out a yelp and was standing far closer than Sun would've figured safe, but he seemed unharmed, if startled.

"Well, that's one way to take care of it. For a Ride Pokémon to completely obey a Trainer like is...Wa ha ha! You're a strong Trainer, all right! Go on! You take on Ten Carat Hill, friend! Even stronger Pokémon await you within!" the Trial Guide boomed in a way that reminded Sun distinctly of Crash Wake, the Sinnoh Gym Leader that he had met a while back. The man walked off, and with that the trio entered the cave.

The Trial Guide watched the trio depart through the cave before laughing softly to himself. The man's body then glowed a faint white color, his form shifting and twisting until he was much smaller. Soon, what stood in his place was a yellow, orange and black lizard Pokémon that looked very out of place.

A Heliolisk.

The creature watched the three humans venture into the cave and vanish out of sight before smiling to itself. It wondered why they were going to such a strange place. The Heliolisk had taken a moment to rest before continuing on its way, and these were the first people it had spoken to in quite some time.

So again...what were they going to this strange place for? Where reality seemed to bend, and the dimensional barriers were especially fragile. The Heliolisk could feel something raging within the dimensions, something yearning to break free and wreak untold havoc...it just needed a simple push, and all would be destroyed.

The Anomaly would have to investigate further.

It phased out of existence, determined to learn more.

* * *

"This cave system is quite impressive." Lillie commented as she walked alongside Sun on his Tauros. The boy nodded, though he was distracted by Ollie picking up something off of the ground and examining it.

"Hey Sun, catch!" the man said, tossing the object to Sun. The boy barely caught the strange pill bottle that Sun recognized as an X-Attack, which he stuffed in his backpack.

"It's always interesting to see what kind of items you'll find on the ground. Considering the advancements in training and how knowledgeable Pokémon Trainers can be nowadays, you'd think people would stop dropping so much on the ground." Ollie noted as he shoved his hands in his pockets, smirking as he glanced down in his shadow. Lillie did the same, and spotted a small glimmer within it. She wondered if Ollie's Aegislash was hiding within his shadow, like Gretel did with Commander Jack.

"Yeah. But their loss is my gain, so...eh." Sun shrugged before setting his sights on some rocks up ahead. Sun urged the Tauros forward and the beast dashed ahead, obliterating the rocks with ease and clearing the path. Lillie spotted a small path that was revealed now, and Sun hopped off of his Ride Pokémon and went with Lillie to explore the path while Ollie remained behind with the Ride Pokémon.

The duo found an Ultra Ball and a Super Potion before finding themselves looking down at Ollie from the rather high cliff. Using Tauros as a stepping stone, Lillie hopped back to the ground while Sun continued to ride on Tauros.

"I'm surprised that there's not any Pokémon attacking us." Sun commented as he glanced around the cave. He spotted a few Pokémon mulling away here and there, but nothing excessive.

"It's possible they're more docile in this cave than in others. Or maybe there's a presence nearby that's keeping them from being more confrontational. If we go a while without being attacked, you're going to have to change up your training strategy a bit, Sun." Lillie commented as she carefully stepped around a jagged rock so it wouldn't get caught on her dress.

"I know."

Soon enough they had exited the cave and entered a massive bowl-like hollow in the side of the cliff, surrounded on all sides by large walls of stone. A grassy plain stretched out ahead of them, surrounded by jagged terrain. Sun spotted a few Pokémon here and there ambling around that scurried away when they came into view. Sun hopped off of his Ride Tauros and fed it a berry before thanking it and sending it on its way.

"So this is Ten Carat Hill…" Sun said, looking around the area. Despite the large size of the site, there was no other humans except them within sight. Just as Sun turned around to say something to Ollie, he heard something that drove the thought out of his mind.

"DUCK!" a woman shouted, with the trio obeying the command without thinking. Sun winced as something whistled past him, hitting the dirt with a small thud. Sun looked over at the object and saw it was a golf ball with a blue feather symbol on it. The trio looked around, confused, before they spotted a woman sliding down one of the cliffs with a golf club in hand. When she got closer, Sun was able to discern more about the new arrival.

The woman seemed to be in her early twenties, with pale skin and a rather pretty face. She had long, stylized pale blue hair and light blue eyes that regarded them all with caution. She wore a rather fancy light blue dress with a matching polo, as well as a rather sporty-looking pair of orange thigh-high socks and sports shoes.

"Hi there. Thanks for the heads up." Sun said as the woman stopped nearby, eyeing the three of them. She nodded in response, hefting the golf club over her left shoulder. Ollie watched the woman warily, ready for anything should it happen.

"I suppose I should apologize for nearly hitting you there. Sometimes when I'm in the zone, I tune out everything else. I'm the same way battling." The woman said, sounding rather aloof. She looked at the trio for a few moments before she shifted her weight to her other leg and said, "I'm sorry if I scared you."

"It's okay. What brings you all the way out here Miss…?" Sun trailed off awkwardly, and after a moment or two the woman sighed in a resigned way.

"My name is Kahili Fairwind." The woman replied stiffly, though she did extend her hand outwards. After shaking Ollie, Sun and a nervous Lillie's hands she glanced off to the side, her eyes narrowing. Ollie looked that way as well, frowning.

"Could have sworn I heard...Never mind. What brings you all to Ten Carat Hill? This place has been deserted for days." Kahili asked the group, with Ollie gesturing to Sun in response.

"I'm training here for the next few hours with my team. I heard since this place has a lot of Rock-types that it would be great for me to go see." Sun explained, with the woman frowning at that.

"There are plenty of Rock-types here, yes. This site is sacred to those who care about our ancient past. In more recent times, this place was the Trial Site of the Flying-type Island Trial, though it has fallen into obscurity now that there is no Captain to oversee said Trial. However...I sense a kindred spirit within you, young man. The winds of change seem to be blowing, hmm?" Kahili said to the boy, smiling a little. Sun grinned back at her, with Lillie smiling a little as well.

"You're that pro golfer, aren't you?" Ollie realized, snapping his fingers. "I thought you looked familiar. You won the Olivine Women's Open and set a new all-time record to cap it off."

"Hmm. I wasn't expecting to be recognized so quickly upon returning home." Kahili remarked dryly, though Ollie shook his head.

"I'm not a local and I'm not one to gossip, so if you're trying to lay low then you're secret is safe. Right?" Ollie said to the two children, who both nodded. Kahili finally seemed to notice sight of Sun's Z-Ring and cocked her head slightly.

"A Z-Ring? You're doing the Island Challenge, then?" Kahili asked Sun, who nodded. "Then you're in good company, I suppose. I completed the Island Challenge when I was younger and became an Island Challenge Champion. I made many good friends and had quite the adventure while completing my journey."

"Really? Wow...you must be _really_ strong then." Sun said to the woman, receiving a small smile in response.

"...Perhaps in some capacity. However, my strength was cultivated through years and years of practice. Much like my skill as a golfer, my skill as a Trainer comes from hard work. Maybe in time, you two can achieve great things as well." Kahili said to Sun and Lillie both before the woman unclipped one of five Ultra Balls from her waist. "I'd offer to spar with you, but I don't think you're quite at my level yet."

Sun shook his head. "Definitely not, ma'am. Not if you've beaten the Island Challenge. I'm training here for my rematch against Olivia."

"I had a little reunion with her just the other week. She's still as annoying to battle as ever, I take it?" Kahili asked Sun, who just shrugged.

"I almost beat her with a team that all had weaknesses against her, but she used a dirty trick to beat my Dartrix and win. Literally." Sun said to the woman, who suddenly grinned widely at him. It was almost startling.

"She threw mud on your Dartrix, didn't she?" Kahili guessed before she laughed quietly in amusement, something which annoyed Sun a little.

"How did you guess?" Sun asked the Trainer as he crossed his arms. She smiled genuinely at him before pointing to herself.

"Because I taught her that strategy myself several years ago, in order to deal with an annoying rival that was bothering her. She might be my senior, but we're about even in terms of true skill." Kahili replied, her smile fading after a moment. "If you don't mind, let me see your team. Perhaps I might be able to give you some pointers."

Sun nodded and called out his team, all of whom sized up the woman in front of them as she appraised each of them, her gaze lingering on Penny and Oliver the longest. Kahili spent some time evaluating each of them before she crossed her arms, her golf club never leaving her hand.

"Well, I'll be blunt. Your Poliwag isn't anything to write home about. I'm assuming it's freshly caught?" Kahili guessed, with Sun nodding in reply. "Then it'll stay that way for a time. It'll definitely need to get trained up before it'll be any good against Olivia."

"Next...Your Growlithe seems to be decently powerful. Without seeing him in action I can't say much more than that. I do like the look in his eyes though. Seems like quite a fighter." Kahili said as Brago growled at the woman, who didn't seem remotely phased. Instead she smirked and nodded, turning her attention to Oliver.

"As for your Dartrix, it's quite healthy and well-taken care of. His feathers are meticulously groomed as well, which is apt considering that this Pokémon's livelihood entirely revolves around its feathers." Kahili said, looking over at Sun. "You said Olivia beat you by exploiting your Dartrix and getting his feathers dirty, right?" Sun nodded, and Kahili continued, "Yeah, he's going to be like that for a while. Dartrix are skilled fighters, but flawed in many ways. Stay strong and he'll become a truly great Pokémon."

Kahili finally turned to Penny, smiling a little. "Your Trumbeak is an interesting case. Healthy, and rather strong for her size with healthy plumage." Kahili said as she knelt down, reaching a hand out, though she stopped. "May I?"

" _Yes."_ Penny said after a moment, with Kahili putting a hand on Penny's beak. She ran a finger down the length of it, examining it closely before she smiled a little. Sun wondered why Kahili wasn't confused that Penny could talk, but then realized that someone as well-traveled as this woman probably knew translator collars existed.

"She's very close to evolving. I imagine you probably wouldn't know this, but many Pokémon give off certain signals or signs that they're becoming stronger and are closer to evolution. For Pikipek and its evolutions, it almost entirely involves the color and hardness of its beak." Kahili explained as she smiled wider at Penny, who just stared at the woman.

"How do you know all of this?" Lillie asked, awed at the woman's knowledge of a Pokémon she had just met.

"I'm a Flying-type specialist. I just know these things." Kahili said casually, though the effect these words had on Sun were immediate. The boy stepped forward with an excited look on his face.

"Really!? What kind of birds do you have? Can I see them?" Sun asked a taken-aback Kahili, who calmed down after a moment and offered Sun another small smile. Lillie thought Sun being so excited was really cute.

"I don't see why not. Some of them are flying around the area, but I have a few on hand." Kahili said as she tossed the Ultra Ball in her hand, releasing a strange metal bird that appeared on the ground, eyeing them harshly.

"Skaaaar!" the bird shrieked, stepping over to Kahili and glaring at them. The Trainer rolled her eyes, saying, "You'll never make new friends with that attitude, Skarmory."

 _"Zzzt! Time for me to shine!"_ Rotom Dex declared, swooping by Sun and popping open the appropriate entry.

" _Skarmory. The Armor Bird Pokémon._ _Its feathers, which fall off as it grows, are thin and sharp. In times long past, warriors used them as swords. Its metal body is sturdy, but it does rust rather easily. So on rainy days, this Pokémon prefers to stay put in its nest."_ Rotom explained as Sun grinned at the bird.

"So cool." Sun whispered, his eyes almost glowing with excitement as Kahili called out another bird. This one seemed a bit more normal, with black and white feathers and dark blue eyes and light blue eyelids, giving it a permanent annoyed-looking expression. The most notable feature of the bird was the massive beak it had. It was a spectrum of colors ranging from black, two shades of orange and two shades of yellow. Sun was reminded of Penny for some reason.

"This right here is my strongest Pokémon." Kahili said as she placed a hand on her Pokémon's head, making it close its eyes briefly before it chirped in a surprisingly deep voice. It turned its gaze to Penny, who stared at the bird with awe as Rotom fired up another Pokédex entry.

" _Toucannon. The Cannon Pokémon and the evolved form of Trumbeak._ _Within its beak, its internal gas ignites, explosively launching seeds with enough power to pulverize boulders._ _When it battles, its beak heats up. The temperature can easily exceed 212 degrees Fahrenheit, causing severe burns when it hits."_ Rotom explained as Sun looked back and forth between his Trumbeak and the Toucannon.

"Wow...So when Penny evolves she's going to become that." Lillie asked, looking interested.

"Yes. Toucannon is a very strong Pokémon with some very interesting moves. Truthfully, the Pikipek line all learn interesting moves in general." Kahili said with a shrug, setting her club down and using it as a cane of sorts to lean on. Sun noticed that the handle of her club resembled the beak of her Toucannon.

"It's always fascinating to see birds from other regions." Ollie remarked, looking almost as excited as Sun. "I've always preferred Flying-types myself, truthfully. They're incredibly helpful with my work and are loyal companions on top of that."

"Indeed. So, you mentioned wanting to train here? If so, don't let me hold you up." Kahili said as she walked over to a nearby rock, sitting down as her two birds flew over to where she sat now.

"Oh...um, right. Penny and Oliver, we'll keep sparing like we've been doing. Finn, I want you to fight as many Rock-types as you can and get some experience. Brago, can you take Finn around the area and keep an eye on him while I work with the birdbrains for a bit?" Sun asked the canine.

" _Of course, Alpha. Come on, Finn."_ Brago said as he walked off, with Finn walking after him. Sun would be able to keep an eye on them so long as they didn't stray too far away, and regardless, he really wanted to see if Penny could beat Oliver in a battle. Up until this point, she had never been able to get a win against the Dartrix. Sun hoped that she would today.

Sadly, the battle began just as a lot of them did. Both birds getting in a few hits against each other as they brawled in the skies. Sun didn't give them any instructions, as Ollie told him that it was important for Pokémon to figure out problems on their own sometimes. Yes, Trainers could command their Pokémon and get results, but it was also good for a Pokémon to be able to critically think in battle and adapt to problems and solve them in case their Trainer couldn't.

Penny released a blast of sound as Oliver dove downwards to dodge, with the bird spinning in midair and launching a series of blade quills and Razor Leaf(s) at the Trumbeak. Penny dove at Oliver with a glowing beak, tanking the attacks and slamming into him with Pluck, sending the Dartrix smashing into the grass below.

 _"Agh...risky move, but that really hurt."_ Oliver groaned as he got back up, seeing a speeding Trumbeak soaring down at him. Oliver flared his wings and threw up a Protect shield, much to Penny's dismay. The Trumbeak smashed into it with a frustrated screech, soaring around the barrier and searching for a weak point as she panted with exhaustion.

"Come on, Penny! You can do it!" Sun cheered from below. As good as the encouragement felt, it didn't Penny little good. Oliver was simply far too good at using Protect. Yes, the shield was not infallible, but she couldn't break through it and even if she did somehow bypass it, she would be so tired that Oliver could easily knock her out then.

 _"If only there was a way to wait him out…"_ Penny mused as she opened her beak to release another Echoed Voice...and that's when it hit her.

 _"That's it!"_ Penny chirped, fluttering down to the ground several yards directly in front of Oliver. The Trumbeak stared down the Dartrix that, like her, was breathing heavily as a result of their fierce battle. However, Penny had realized a major flaw in Oliver's battle strategy.

Penny sat down on the ground, looking very smug.

 _"What are you doing?"_ Oliver asked, confused.

 _"Taking a break."_ Penny replied casually. Sun and Lillie exchanged a confused look while Kahili and Ollie grinned, realizing that Penny had indeed found a way to win.

"Wait a minute…" Sun muttered, noticing that Penny was now glowing a faint white color. Slowly but surely, her injuries began to heal and her health began to recover. Soon enough, Penny was back to full-strength.

 _"Zzzt! Penny used Roost to heal while waiting for Oliver's shield to dissipate. That's ingenious!"_ Rotom Dex declared, beeping excitedly.

"That's really smart. But what about Oliver? Doesn't he have a move that allows him to heal as well?" Lillie asked Rotom Dex, who grinned in reply.

 _"Yes! Synthesis. However, a Pokémon izz unable to use any movez while Protect izz active. So Oliver would be unable to heal while he hazz his shield up."_ Rotom Dex explained as Oliver's began to show signs of strain. At this point, he had been keeping the shield up for several minutes at a time and endured several attacks while keeping it up. Meanwhile, Penny was fully recovered and patiently waiting for the shield to fail.

It finally did just that a few minutes later, shattering into nothingness as Oliver swayed on his feet. Penny rushed forward with a triumphant screech and a glowing beak, smashing into Oliver and knocking the bird into the dirt as she swooped past him. Sun jogged towards Oliver and saw him clearly knocked out.

"Wow...Way to go Penny! You did it!" Sun yelled to his bird as she soared into her Trainer's arms.

 _"I did it! I did it! I finally beat Oliver!"_ Penny chirped, sounding close to tears oddly enough. Sun couldn't help but grin at how emotional the bird was. He could tell this was a big moment for her, having overcome such an annoying problem and finally proving that she was just as strong as the oldest member of the team. Sun walked over to Oliver and revived him, with the bird standing upright a few moments later with a groan.

 _"So...that's that then. Did you have to hit me so hard?"_ Oliver asked as Sun began to treat his injuries with Super Potion.

 _"I didn't have to, but it was more fun that way."_ Penny replied cheekily, clipping him with her wing. Sun giggled at this before starting to walk back to the other humans. Penny and Oliver took flight, soaring into the sky together to take a break after such a rough battle.

 _"You really have gotten a lot stronger. And smarter, for overcoming my shield."_ Oliver mused after a time, with Penny glancing at him in surprise.

 _"I'll have to do better. I must do better…"_ Oliver muttered in a more subdued voice, making Penny a little concerned. Her friend had seemed a little different as of late. Not nearly as egotistical and much more driven than usual. These days he hardly slept, choosing to keep watch over Sun throughout the night and making sure to participate in battles during the day. Penny wondered if that contributed to her win.

 _"You are doing better. You're the best of us."_ Penny replied, with Oliver sighing in response.

 _"I used to be. After recent events...maybe not so anymore."_ Oliver said quietly, banking left as the two of them escaped a headwind coming their way.

 _"Then we'll have to get even stronger. That's what we do, is it not?"_ Penny asked, with Oliver chuckling in response. Even if he wasn't sure she understood what he was going through, he appreciated her companionship if nothing else. He thought about their earlier battle and how happy she was at finally having beaten him in a spar after all this time.

 _"I'm proud of you. Remember that."_ Oliver said quietly as he looked at Penny, flapping his wings hard and giving her a beaky smile. Penny returned the smile, proud that she had overcome such a challenge and that she and her best friend had become stronger and closer because of it.

The two flew high into the sky, content in their friendship.

* * *

"Yes...this will do quite nicely."

Faba had to admit, he was not a fan of having to travel to a backwater part of Melemele Island in order to accurately perform this test, but he couldn't argue that it was a wonderful location.

"According to our scans, this site is showing abnormal dimensional disturbances. It lines up with the history this place as one of the ancient battlegrounds of the Tapu." Faba said with a chuckle, turning to the two men with him, one of which was carrying the Ultra Sphere in a suitcase. "Well, let's get on with it."

"Yes sir." The briefcase worker said, popping it open and revealing the strange orb locked safely away within the case. After typing in a quick code and disengaging the several locks within the case, the man pulled out the strange orb that pulsed with power.

"The power of Cosmog...That stupid little girl has no idea what she's done, stealing away that creature from the labs. I could have made history by now if it wasn't for that little brat." Faba muttered, accepting the Ultra Sphere. "If I ever see her again, I'll be sure to give her a scolding so bad it'll make Miss Wicke want to quit in protest!"

"Sir, you kinda already do that every time you talk to her. In fact, we've had quite a few people quit because of you..."

"Silence! I brought you here to watch me make history, not speak whatever benign thoughts cross your mind." Faba scolded the man, who just shrugged.

The scientist spoke up, though. "Sir, I do have to ask...What happens if we _do_ summon an Ultra Beast?"

"What do you mean, 'what happens'? We take many notes and study the Ultra Wormhole it comes out of!" Faba responded, with the man shaking his head.

"No...What I mean to say is, what do we do if whatever comes out of the Ultra Wormhole is hostile? As is, incredibly dangerous?" the scientist asked, making Faba blink several times in response.

"You didn't even consider that, did you sir?" the regular worker asked, looking rather worried. Faba smirked and waved his hand dismissively.

"You worry too much. I am the Aether Foundation's Branch Chief! The last line of defense for our grand organization. It will take more than an Ultra Beast to take me down." Faba said smugly, gesturing to himself. The scientist and the worker exchanged a glance, thinking the same thing, but said nothing.

"Now...We shall make our way down the center of the site and break the Ultra Sphere, releasing the energy within and call forth the Ultra Beast!" Faba proclaimed, holding the sphere up with a triumphant grin.

"Not quite, humon." Spoke a cold deep voice from behind the trio.

"It's pronounced _human_ , actually! I looked it up before we got here!" came a much more cheerful, feminine voice. The trio looked around and saw a very strange sight before them.

It was a man and a young girl wearing outlandish white and dark teal-colored outfits resembling spacesuits, complete with helmets. The both of them had pale blue skin and seemed to radiant a strange aura that the three men couldn't place. The man was tall and well-built, his eyes covered by a visor and his purple hair hanging over his emotionless face. The girl was much young and shorter, with a slender frame and long ginger hair tied into a braid that stuck out behind her helmet. She wore a cheerful grin as she waved to the three men.

"Sorry to say, but you really shouldn't do that. In fact, you should really hand that thing over. It's full of energy that could wreak all sorts of havoc on your world." The girl said, bounding forward.

"Zossie, stay back. We don't know what these... _humans_ are capable of." The man said, his voice rather dull but holding a note of authority in it. He definitely seemed like a man that shouldn't be crossed.

"Who on earth are these people?" the scientist asked, taking a step back.

"Earth? Is that the name of this place? Weird name." The girl stated, sounding confused. Faba snorted in disgust, stepping forward.

"You're right to be wary. I am Faba, Branch Chief of the Aether Foundation! Who are you to intrude on our work regarding the Ultra Space?" Faba demanded, with Zossie giggling quietly.

"Well, I'm Zossie and this grumpy guy is Dulse! We're the part of the Ultra Recon Squad! We're kinda like, authorities on the Ultra Space. In a sense. I think we met a guy a while ago who wanted to learn about it too from this world." Zossie said, looking skyward for a moment before shrugging.

"Silence, you brat! I don't care who you are! This day could be the crowning achievement of my life! I refuse to have work interfered with by a bunch of space men!" Faba growled at the duo.

"As my companion said, you have no idea what you're about to do. Releasing the energy contained within that sphere in a place like this would be nothing short of ruinous." Dulse said in a clipped tone as Faba barked out a laugh.

"I would like to think I know more about the Ultra Space than some freaks in weird costumes. Go on, get out of here. I have science things to do." Faba said, waving a dismissive hand at them.

"Bad move. Dulse, what's the plan now? They don't want to listen." Zossie asked her partner. Dulse responded by cracking his knuckles in a manner that made the three Aether Foundation members flinch.

"I'll take care of this." Dulse said quietly, his expression cold as he marched forward. One of the Aether Foundation members stepped forward, only for the strange man to suddenly rush forward with inhuman quickness and deliver a swift knee to the man's stomach. The man howled in pain as several loud cracks echoed out, signalling several cracked ribs, before Dulse pushed him backwards and made him crash onto the ground.

"If that device contains what we suspect it does, then I will warn you...Do not unleash its powers here. This place has incredibly weak barriers. That sphere could do anything from tear a hole in reality to releasing something beyond your wildest nightmares. I ask again...Hand over that orb." Dulse said coldly, walking closer to the two remaining men as Zossie sighed, shaking her head.

"S-sir, I think we should just let him have it." The scientist said nervously, pulling out a Poké Ball. Faba did the same, though he also raised the Ultra Sphere.

"Take another step and I'll break it here. I refuse to be cowed by some freaks! Do I have to remind you who I am?" Faba snarled, taking a step back as Dulse crossed his arms. Zossie put her hands behind her head, much like a certain Malasada-loving boy often did.

"Yeah, you kinda proclaimed it already. You're a bit full of yourself, huh?" Zossie asked before she spotted something odd. A yellow. black and orange lizard was now sitting on a nearby rock beside them, watching them all with a bemused expression. Every single one of them stared at the creature for a moment in confusion.

"That...Pokémon was not there a moment ago." Zossie said in a bemused tone, glancing around. The isolated cliff they were on had no other creatures on it. So where had this odd lizard come from?

"That's a Heliolisk. They're not native to Alola..." Faba asked, also confused. Dulse frowned and took a step forward. He then saw the Heliolisk grin at him, and the man jumped back with a gasp.

"That creature is not from this world. Zossie, stay back. It's dangerous." Dulse said, taking several steps back as the lizard glanced over all of them before turning its gaze to the Ultra Recon Squad.

 **Very astute.**

"W-w-what was that!?" the Aether Foundation scientist yelped, glancing around. They could all feel it now, a terrible presence weighing down on all of them. Every single person present had their eyes fixed on the Heliolisk as it twitched slightly, a small distorted giggle echoing through their minds.

 **I'm feeling adventurous today. Let's cause a bit of trouble, shall we?**

Faba screamed in terror as the Anomaly suddenly twisted and distorted, quadrupled in size as its teeth grew in size. Its tail lashed through the nearby rocks, though when it struck the rocks they seemed to dissolve into nothingness, as if they were never there in the first place. It's eyes then glowed and a flash erupted from around them all, and the air around them began to grow cold.

Zossie glanced down below and saw what the creature had done. The birds that were flying down below had stopped dead in their tracks. The few people she saw down below them were totally still, as if frozen in place. The very air had gone cold. The clouds overhead had stopped moving…

"It...stopped time? What...what is this thing?" Zossie whispered in awe, looking all around. She glanced down and tapped away at a device on her wrist. "All temporal activity in this small area has stopped."

"W-w-what is this!? An Ultra Beast!?" Faba stammered, taking several steps back as Dulse glared at the creature.

"This is no Ultra Beast, as you people call them. This is something else. Our people have heard whispers of something like this within the folds of the dimensions, a monster with immense power." Dulse said coldly as he exchanged a glance with his terrified partner.

 **You've heard of me? Fantastic. It's nice to be known...Not that any outside of this tale will know my true colors. But that's okay...Now, let's see what that Ultra Sphere can do, shall we?**

Faba screamed as the Heliolisk's tail shot out and snatched the Ultra Sphere from his grip like a whip before hurling it down into the plain below. The monster's tail retracted and the beast flickered in and out of reality itself, chuckling ethereally in a way that made Dulse and Zossie shiver, especially as it looked directly at them.

 **Neither of us truly belong here, do we? Perhaps we should change that. Regardless, you should stick around. A friend is about to arrive and I'm willing to bet you two would love to see them again.**

"Dulse, run! The mission's a lost cause! We need to regroup!" Zossie screamed as Dulse jumped back, avoiding the creature's tail as it lazily swiped his way. The man nodded and sprinted away, leaping down the cliffside with Zossie as the creature looked upwards. With a shudder, time reverted to normal around them and the Anomaly turned its attention to Faba.

"I...I don't understand." Faba said quietly, his expression one of confused fear.

 **You don't need to understand. After all...this is all just a game in the end.**

With that, the Heliolisk vanished before their eyes, and the two conscious scientists decided now would be the time to book it, the results be damned.

Faba figured he had more pressing matters to tell Lusamine about anyway.

* * *

The Ultra Sphere soared through the air before shattering on the ground a short distance away from where Sun was sitting with Lillie, who was petting Nebby. The two children jumped at the unexpected noise, but were even more confused when Nebby suddenly went rigid in Lillie's hands.

"Pew…" the Cosmog whispered, staring at a spot where the two children saw several glass-like fragments and a plume of blue and purple smoke. Suddenly a bright blue light gleamed through the entire area, drawing the attention of Kahili and Ollie, who both walked over to the two children.

"What...what is this?" Ollie asked, bewildered by the strange beauty of the light as purple and white and blue wisps swirled around in a large circle ahead of them before-

The world itself seemed to tear apart as vortex suddenly opened up ahead of them, releasing a pulse of energy that washed over the area as a fierce wind kicked up. Sun hopped to his feet, standing in front of Lillie protectively as the vortex widened in front of them, becoming larger and larger fron the energies from the Ultra Sphere generated. Ollie and Kahili stepped forward, awed by the strange sight ahead of them.

Nebby then screamed in Lillie's arms, jarring everyone out of their trance. Sun looked at the Cosmog as Lillie tried to console it, but the poor Pokémon looked absolutely terrified.

"This...this is an Ultra Wormhole! Just like the ones Professor Burnet studies!" Lillie shouted over the roaring wind, holding Nebby with one hand while holding onto her flailing hat with the other. Sun knew the girl was right, somehow. It resembled the strange rift he had seen in the sky a few weeks back in Heahea City as well.

And then, something began to emerge.

Two shimmering black arms broke free from the Ultra Wormhole and gripped both sides of the vortex, forcing it open further as the beast pushed itself out of the rift and took a step into an entirely new dimension. Sun's breath caught as Nebby's screams picked up in volume, with the Cosmog bawling in sheer terror as the beast fully appeared from the depths of Ultra Space.

It was a fairly tall crystalline-like creature that shimmered in the sunlight, with massive disproportionate arms that ended in massive deadly-looking claws. It had rather small, bird-like legs and was covered in strange spikes that stuck out at odd angles. Its face was perhaps the most bizarre thing of all, resembling a prism of sorts that showed a variety of colors. The beast radiated an aura of malevolence and power, making the humans and Pokémon both shiver in fear.

 **I do hope you and Necrozma play nice.**

Sun looked to his side and saw a yellow, orange and black lizard staring at him with an amused expression before it suddenly vanished. Sun didn't have time to process this development before the beast in front of them stirred, taking a step towards them and groaning before it suddenly let out a strange shriek of fury.

"Nebby! It's going to be okay! It's...it's going to be-" Lillie tried to say, consoling the crying Comsog, before she stopped mid-sentence as monster's face began to glow a harsh white color. A massive beam of blindingly bright energy suddenly erupted from the strange creature, heading straight for them.

* * *

 _And here we are._

 _The definitive answer to the question as to whether or not I'll be including elements of Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon into the story of RS._

 _Yes._

 _So, Necrozma has entered the fray and the Ultra Recon Squad have arrived! What'll happen next? Stay tuned._

Q & A

 _From: RC-DA_

I can't believe I didn't think of this before but when Lt. Surge's son got kidnapped was there an Amber alert? If so what kind, was it the "Oh Crap Amber Fontaine is making a move" kind, or the child abduction kind?

 **I'm not sure if that's a pun or not. If it is, then kudos. If not, then kudos anyway. In answer to the question, yes there was an alert from when Surge's son was kidnapped and it was a child abduction kind.**

 _From: travhall19_

I never expected a chapter that talked so much about Pokemon intercourse and relationships. I have no problems with this, not at all. I do have a few questions though.

1\. Did this Hazel inflict some trauma onto Amber that causes her to not feel most emotions?

2\. Lillie told Professor Burnet about what happened in the cave and Professor Kukui overheard the conversation. It makes sense for Lillie to talk to Burnet because, in the games, Lillie views Burnet as a mother figure to her since her real mother was a bitch to her. My question here would have to be why did you have Kukui overhear the conversation?

3\. Why doesn't Sun teach Penny Feint to counter Oliver's Protect?

4\. I understand why the Alolan Vulpix is called Winter, but whenever I hear Winter I think of two things. The season and the dolphin named Winter. Why did you not named her Snowy?

5\. In the recent chapters, Sun has not dealt with any serious conflict or danger. Are you giving Sun a break before the tournament?

Final Question:

6\. Bone Brothers? Ruby Raiders? Just how many evil teams are there in Alola?

 **Give me a few chapters, and you'll have your answer. It's one of my most anticipated chapters in the story.**

 **1\. No particular reason, aside from wanting Kukui to be in on this too. As much as the game focuses on Lillie and Burnet's Mother/Daughter relationship, Kukui is the one who works with Lillie directly and shelters her at his Lab. They have a similar relationship (admittedly not as strong as Burnet's with Lillie), so he'd absolutely have some thoughts on Lillie having feelings for Sun and not being sure what to do.**

 **2\. Because Penny can't learn Feint. Didn't stop her from finding a solution to that problem though.**

 **3\. Winter, Professor Kukui's Alolan Vulpix, and Snowy, Lillie's Alolan Vulpix from the** **Pokémon Anime, are two completely different characters. Winter will go on to become part of Kukui's Championship Battle team, if that wasn't super obvious by now. Hence why I didn't go with naming it Snowy. It's not the same character.**

 **4\. More or less. After the hell he went through in the past twenty chapters or so, I'm definitely laying off of him for now. Besides, there's not nearly as many huge reveals this go around, so it's definitely much easier on him.**

 **That doesn't mean OTHER CHARACTERS can't be tormented in the meantime!**

 **5\. Technically four. Cipher, Aether Foundation, Team Skull, and the Ruby Raiders.**

 **Well, the Bone Brothers are the strongest members of Team Skull, and part of the original group Guzma founded when he created the group to oppose the Island Challenge. The Ruby Raiders, however, are an old villainous team from Alola's past that was destroyed by a group of Trainers from before the events of the story.**

 _From: Sai Og Sus_

I mean, do we need to have three Team Skull big shots? I feel like one is more than enough with the two just serve as some kind of leeches or sort.

 **Technically there's five, but I do see your point. I'd explain, but there's future spoilers involved in the answer, so I'll say it serves a further purpose. It's part of just why they're known as the Bone Brothers as opposed to actually having names. That said, I do keep track of which one is what, since they each have different** **Pokémon.**

 _From: JDunks807_

If Demi is so traumatized that rain effects her like that, how-if you intend her to- is she going to fight a Water-Type?

 **I could say, but that'd spoil things. It'll definitely be an interesting arc for her. We've got over half the story to go. It will tie into Team Skull though.**

 _That's all for now. Next chapter will be fun as hell!_

 _Please drop a review in the section below to show your support and feedback, and favorite/follow if you haven't already. I've got a birthday coming up soon and it'd be an awesome gift to hit 1,000 reviews by the time of the next update._

 _Take care and stay awesome!_

 _Until next time, FlygonNick out!_


	78. Blackout

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _*Sees the Wii shop is shutting down, proceeds to use his recently purchased WiiU to buy a shitton of games from his childhood*_

 _Yeah, I've had a pretty awesome week. This one's gonna be fun!_

 _Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes RC-DA, Zombiesguy115, Sai Og Sus, BraviaryScout, JDunks807, a Guest reviewer, SonicIKE, and Ways. You all rock. 'Nuff said._

 _Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes last week. Twenty five...Damn I'm getting old. And tomorrow is my 8 year anniversary of being on Fanfiction . net too. Again...damn I'm getting old._

 _Let's not waste anymore time._

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 _Chapter 78: Blackout_

* * *

"You think we'll really be able to keep away from the cops?"

"Yeah, I'm really doubting this plan now...Maybe if we turn ourselves in they'll go easy on us."

"And I said _shut up_. It's too late to go back. If you ruin this for me, I'll kill you both."

Night Slash privately wished that his two new companions would just keep quiet and stick to a plan. It was hard enough keeping to the wilderness and avoiding anything they could, but not having to deal with their bickering would be great.

" _Oh well. At least I'm out again...Freedom really does tastes sweet."_ The bandit thought as he glanced at his loyal Gothitelle that strode alongside him. The idiots that had apprehended him had neglected to deal with his Partner, so it was easy for her to track him down. Breaking him out had been a much harder ordeal, but she had managed it in the end. And now they were on the run.

" _If I ever catch those idiots from Team Skull, I'm going to kill them in the worst way I can think of."_ Night Slash thought, thinking about that dark-skinned brat in particular with the Fire-types. His Gothitelle, reading his thoughts, grinned nastily at the thought.

"Come on, at least tell us your big plan." One of the women whined, crossing her arms behind him. Night Slash sighed in response as he glanced back at both women, wearing the clothes of some Trainers that had encountered in the woods. Night Slash killed them and their Pokémon easily, taking everything of value, including their clothes. The process repeated until they were able to shed their prison outfits and disguise themselves well enough that they could at least travel the roads freely, though they had to be cautious.

"My plan is to go to an isolated place on the island and bide my time. Gather resources, money, rebuild my team and plan. Maybe we'll go to another region. Maybe we'll head to another island and wreak havoc there. Maybe I kill the both of you and leave your rotting corpses to the Murkrow. Either way, just keep quiet. The more silent you are, the greater the chance is of me figuring out something better that works for all three of us." The bandit said to both women, who paled at the threat.

No, prison had not been kind to the rogue bandit. He was far more violent now and was far more prone to fits of anger than he used to be, and yet didn't give a single damn about this. He only cared about getting back on his feet and making his mark on Alola in the only way he knew how.

The women with him were mere tools in the grand scheme of things. They were a pair of extra eyes and ears and that was about it. He hadn't even bothered to learn their names. All he knew was that he was stronger and smarter than them both, and neither of them had any Pokémon on them, meaning he had the upper hand. Meanwhile, he had his strongest Pokémon standing by his side, ready to implement his will.

" _I'll probably end up killing them anyway. Maybe once I get a base or something set up and I deal with them. Until then...I guess I'll deal."_ Night Slash thought with an internal sigh as his Gothitelle nodded.

The quartet was snapped out of their discussion when they caught sight of something rather odd. A white candle-like Pokémon was floating down the road with a melancholy expression on its face. Night Slash stopped in his tracks, confused by this.

"We're by Paniola Ranch...What the hell is a Litwick doing so far into the mainland? They're usually found in the graveyard by Konikoni." one of the women asked aloud, confused as well. Night Slash stared at the Pokémon, for some reasoning finding it a familiar sight.

"Didn't the girl we tried to rob have a Litwick? The one who helped put me in jail?" Night Slash asked his Gothitelle, who nodded in reply. The Astral Body Pokémon extended a probe of thought to the floating candle, which finally turned towards them. The creature's eyes widened in horror and recognition before fleeing towards the roar with a squeal.

"I'll take that as a confirmation more than anything else...What are the chances?" Night Slash said with a sinister grin on his face before taking off at a run, his Gothitelle floating behind him as they began their chase.

"What now?!" one of the women behind the man yelled out, running after him alongside her other female cohort.

"Just follow me, damn it!" Night Slash barked, keeping his eyes trained on the terrified Litwick, even as Aou turned around and cried out at him. The Candle Pokémon's flame burned a purple color and a purple fireball suddenly shot out towards them, making Night Slash jump to the side to dodge even as the surprised Gothitelle obliterated the attack right before it hit her.

"Good job...Now after it!" Night Slash hissed as he got to his feet and sprinted after the fleeing Litwick, desperate to get some manner of revenge. He knew that he'd probably never run into those stupid thugs again…

But that didn't mean he couldn't kill a stupid runaway ghost out of spite.

* * *

"King's Shield!" Ollie bellowed as an Aegislash rose from his shadow, flipping around and holding out its shield towards the black monster as a glowing blue hexagonal barrier appeared in front of it. The beam of raging light smashed against the barrier, which held firm despite the incredible force of the attack. Lillie screamed in horror, clutching Nebby tightly as the Cosmog sobbed in the girl's arms.

The black creature's entire body suddenly began to glow a dark purple color and its face began to shine brightly…

And then Alola went dark.

* * *

Tapu Lele floated through the Ruins of Life, peacefully gazing upon its flowers and wondering it could persuade its Kahuna to plant more. Suddenly the god twitched and gasped, looking upward as it felt a disturbance.

" _I knew it...You've come back!"_ Tapu Lele thought with an inward smile.

* * *

Floating through the Haina Desert, a strange bull-like creature with a bell-like tail soared through the skies, enjoying the pleasant day. And then…

Tapu Bulu snorted out in distress and lashed out at the nearby dunes, creating a gaping crater and terrifying a group of Trapinch and Sandile. The creature could feel the unease in the air, the sheer malevolence of a monster that did not belong in this world. It let out a roar to the heavens, a defiant cry to show the monster from beyond that it was ready for battle should it come.

* * *

Below the waters of Poni Island, another strange creature slumbered. It had been asleep for several months now, and would hopefully remain so for a long while.

And then it shivered, its eyes snapping open.

Tapu Fini shot out of the water, shivering horribly as it stared across the ocean. It looked towards Melemele Island and felt fear grip its heart, because it knew what had just arrived in Alola and why a blanket of darkness had just descended upon them all.

* * *

Tapu Koko watched the darkness as it settled upon the land and hissed in anger. How dare this monster return and attempt to rob the world of its light once again?

And the Guardian Deity felt something else...An inherent wrongness in the world. Something wasn't right. Many things were not right…

But those could wait. The Island...no, the world was in danger right now and it had a duty to fulfill.

Tapu Koko released a burst of energy and rushed towards Ten Carat Hill, letting out a harsh cry as it raced across the sky, prepared for a glorious showdown with the one who consumes the light of all worlds.

* * *

"Nebby...it's okay! It's going to be okay, Nebby!" Lillie yelled to the screaming Cosmog, even as the monster ahead of them roared.

 _"The entire sky izz dark...It'zz...robbed Alola of light."_ Rotom Dex whispered, fear audible in its electronic voice. _"I have no clue what Pokémon thizz izz. Nothing like thizz hazz ever been recorded before…"_

"What _is_ that thing?" Kahili whispered as her Skarmory fluttered down to her, chirping softly. Her Toucannon flared its wings, prepared to fight with the powerful monster. The beast began to glow a faint white color now and seemed to sigh with relief, though it lasted but a moment. The creature let out a shriek of fury, its claws burning with light.

"No idea. But its not friendly. To think I'd be able to see something like this before I even started work...So much for much for my vacation." Ollie muttered before throwing out a hand. "Stand back! I've got this!"

"Unlikely. I grew up hearing about Ultra Beasts from the stories of the Elders. I'm not going to pass up a chance for a good battle." Kahlil said with a smirk, standing alongside Oliver.

"Whatever that lizard thing was...it said have fun with Necrozma...I'm guessing that's what its called." Sun muttered as looked at Lillie, who was staring at the creature fearfully. Sun held out a hand to Lillie, who grabbed it.

"Don't worry. I won't let anything happen to you or Nebby. Promise." Sun said with a smile before turning forward. Penny and Oliver had landed next to Sun as the boy saw Brago and Finn peer out at them from the grass to the side.

Necrozma hissed for a few moments, flexing its claws before uttering a piercing screech that sent a shockwave across the clearing. At that moment, Ollie called out his Dodrio and his Swellow, pointing forward.

"Tri Attack! Aerial Ace!" Ollie barked as he took a step back, glancing over at his Aegislash. "Protect the kids, no matter what. I'd say take them away, but I think we may need Sun's help on this one."

"Me? Is...is this thing really that strong?" Sun asked, though his answer came in the form of Lillie nodding shakily.

"I've read about them. The Ultra Beasts. It was in the book you bought me for my birthday. Ultra Beasts are immensely powerful. They come in all shapes and sizes, and are capable of many feats of strength...This one seems special though. It's made the entire sky go dark…" Lillie said quietly as they watched Swellow barely dodge a gleaming Metal Claw as it soared at the monster. Dodrio unleashed a burning, crackling, and freezing blast at the creature as it was distracted. Necrozma flinched before snarling in fury, floating into the air and firing a beam of light down at Dodrio, who leapt back to dodge. The light struck the ground and created a pillar of blinding light that tore apart the ground, making Sun shiver.

 _"So much power...what is this thing?_ " Sun thought with some horror as Dodrio rushed in, hitting the beast with a Jump Kick. Necrozma barely registered the attack, instead locking eyes with Dodrio and hitting it with a blast of electricity that Sun recognized as Charge Beam. Dodrio squawked in pain and tumbled backwards, but not before Necrozma slashed it twice with claws that burned with darkness. The Triple Bird Pokémon screeched in pain as Ollie shouted out, but not before launching a desperation move in the form of a Hyper Beam. The massive beam of energy rushed towards Necrozma, striking it directly and causing the monster to growl in response.

Suddenly, a shockwave of raw light erupted from the creature, disrupting the attack and knocking out Dodrio completely, with the bird collapsing in the dirt to the dismay of Ollie, who returned his faithful bird. Swellow slammed into Necrozma from behind with Aerial Ace, following up with a double Steel Wing before dodging a Slash from the creature's deadly claws.

Necrozma suddenly crouched low, its body taking on a bright sheen that faded after a moment. It then raised its arms, with each of its claws suddenly glowing a bright blue color as energy thrummed through it. The monster then slashed downwards, releasing a barrage of crescent-shaped energy blasts that rushed towards Swellow, who shot towards the ground and pulled a death-dive to dodge properly. Necrozma unleashed a Psychic attack at the bird, but at Ollie's command the bird dodged again and hit Necrozma with an Air Slash, just at about the same time as a Skarmory and a Toucannon slammed into the monster from the sides.

"Keep it up! We're wearing it down!" Ollie yelled to Kahili, receiving a sharp nod in reply. This notion was quickly ruined when Necrozma's face glowed a harsh white color and it fired a stream of light at Swellow, hitting it directly in the chest and sending it hurtling into the dirt with a crunch.

"No! Damn it...return!" Ollie said as he recalled his Swellow, clipping the ball to his belt as he watched Kahili's Pokémon try and hold off the monster. Necrozma dodged a Steel Wing and rose high into the air, firing off a Charge Beam that the two birds barely dodged. Toucannon opened its beak and released a wicked sound-like blast of energy at the monster, but Necrozma tore the attack apart with Psychic. It then lunged at the Cannon Pokémon, making it flee as it slashed and clawed the air with Metal Claw. Skarmory soared at the creature, but was kicked away and blasted with a beam of light, sending it falling to the ground with a screech.

"This is bad…Aegislash, get ready." Ollie said to his trusty ghost, which groaned in reply. Necrozma landed on the ground again, snarling at the Toucannon that was currently circling it. Sun scowled at that, realizing the he couldn't really do much at this point. His Pokémon were nowhere near strong enough to take on a Pokémon like this, especially if Ollie and Kahili were having trouble…

But then again...Sun knew he had to help somehow.

Sun was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard a familiar cry of fury from the skies, followed by a lightning bolt rushing towards them all. Necrozma looked up in surprise before getting slammed into by a surging ball of lightning, knocking the creature down into the dirt.

On top of Necrozma stood Tapu Koko, standing tall as it glared down the monster that dared sully its home with its presence. Necrozma glared at the god before slashing outward with its claws, making Tapu Koko leapt away and land on the ground a short distance away. Necrozma floated to its feet, flexing its claws as Tapu Koko jumped back and forth across the ground, impatiently waiting for a fight.

Necrozma reacted first, firing off another beam of light that Tapu Koko decided to dodge, leaping high into the air before suddenly diving downwards and launching itself at Necrozma, a move Sun recognized as Brave Bird. Tapu Koko became a raging blue fireball as it slammed into Necrozma, sending it skidding backwards with a snarl. The monster released another barrage of Psycho Cut, hitting Tapu Koko as it tried to recover from the recoil it had suffered from. The Guardian Deity screeched in pain, but managed to evade a Metal Claw as Necrozma lunged for it.

"We've got to help it. Penny, Oliver, get ready!" Sun said, with both birds flying into the air to attack. Necrozma snarled as a sword suddenly slashed the creature from the side before disappearing into the shadows, giving Kahili's Skarmory time for an Aerial Ace that made Necrozma stumble forward with a snarl. Tapu Koko dashed forward, hurling a ball of lightning at the black monster and knocking it backwards with a roar of pain. Tapu Koko let out a battle cry, though this was short-lived when Necrozma fired a beam of light from its face that knocked Tapu Koko into the grass a far distance away.

"Brago, Ember! Finn, Scald!" Sun called out to his two hiding Pokémon, who leapt into action. Brago spat fireballs at the jet-black monstrosity while Finn leapt into the air, spewing boiling hot water all over Necrozma. The monster hissed in annoyance and looked towards Brago with hate, making the Growlithe shrink back. The canine felt a cold, clawing sensation through his body as he beheld the strange alien fury of this monster from beyond the boundaries of the world.

" _Gah...what is this...I can't move…No, I must! I have to survive!"_ Brago whispered, shivering as the monster flexed its claws with a soft growl. Necrozma suddenly lunged at Brago, who barely had time to leap backwards to avoid its deadly claws. Brago breathed more flames into the creature's face, which served to only annoy it. Brago was saved by the intervention of Oliver and Penny, who began to dive-bomb Necrozma in an attempt to confuse it.

Necrozma roared and fired off several beams of raw light, making the earth around it explode as several pillars of shimmering death erupted from the land, making the birds flee and forcing Brago to take cover. Finn continued to pepper Necrozma with Scald as the Pokémon slashed at the ground with a Night Slash, sending the hidden Aegislash beneath it soaring into the air with a groan of pain.

"What is this thing made of? We throw everything we've got at it and it still won't go down!" Kahili asked before Necrozma turned its gaze to her. Its eyes burned blue with energy before the ground exploded around her, sending the woman to the ground clutching her leg, which was coated in crimson.

"Miss Kahili!" Lillie yelled out as Necrozma floated towards the woman, firing off beams of energy to keep the other Pokémon away. Tapu Koko screamed in fury from afar and rose high into the air before rushing towards Necrozma, who slowly turned towards the raging god and raised a clawed hand into the air, hitting it with Psychic and making the Guardian Diety hit the ground hard.

Tapu Koko let out a shriek as the ground underneath it exploded, with a avalanche of rocks erupting from the earth and piling down on top of the Guardian Deity, who was soon completely buried under a pile of rubble.

"No! Tapu Koko!" Sun screamed, unable to notice that Necrozma had turned to him. Necrozma's gaze then shifted to Nebby, which suddenly shrieked in fear and writhed in Lillie's grasp. Necrozma held out a hand, which glowed a faint white color…

Nebby then screamed as its body suddenly began to turn red, its yellow eyes slowly draining of life and becoming a dull gray color. Lillie shielded Nebby by holding him close to her, turning away from the monster, which growled in annoyance.

"You leave Nebby alone!" Lillie shouted at the monster, which responded by charging up a beam of energy in its face. Lillie screamed in terror as Sun stood in protectively in front of her, throwing out a hand.

"Brago, Flame Wheel! Finn, Scald! Penny, Pluck! Oliver, Protect!" Sun yelled out in rapid succession. Necrozma reared its head back to fire its attack when a raging ball of flames slammed into the back of its head, stunning it for a moment. Boiling hot water then struck it, followed by a speeding bird hitting its chest. Necrozma roared and slashed at Penny with Metal Claw, with the bird narrowly escaping death by rolling through the air. Brago dodged a Charge Beam by leaping to the side and fired off an Ember attack into Necrozma's face, which the monster barely registered.

"Sun, keep your Pokémon back!" Ollie barked as he called out his Braviary, which took flight and rushed at the beast as Aegislash floated forward to engage the monster. Necrozma took flight again, firing several beams of light down at the Pokémon below and making them scatter. Oliver threw up a shimmering shield around Sun and Lillie, which drew the hostile creature's attention. Necrozma flew towards the barrier and slashed downwards with two claws that brimmed with darkness and light, leaving deep gouges in the barrier Oliver had erected. The bird screamed in pain and exertion, shutting his eyes tight as he struggled to keep the barrier up. Necrozma repeated the attack again.

And again.

And once more.

" _Agh! It's...too...much!"_ Oliver gasped as the shield cracked and broke in several places. Despite the incredible strain, Oliver held firm, though with the next attack he suddenly dropped to the ground with exhaustion, the shield shattering completely. Necrozma roared, its eyes glowing bright, before a blast of sound smashed into it.

" _NO! Leave him alone!"_ Penny screeched as she released attack after attack at the monster. Necrozma fired off a beam of night that just missed Penny before turning its attention back to Oliver, slashing downwards at the fallen Dartrix. Penny rushed forward, and time seemed to slow...

"Faster! Move faster!" Penny thought, urging her body to move quicker. She had to save her friend. She had to! The only thing Penny could think of was pushing her body to move as quick as possible, and to her surprise she felt a suddenly surge of strength flood her body...which began to glow as her beak intercepted Necrozma's claw as it came down on Oliver. Penny's beak slammed into Necrozma's hand, yet somehow kept it held it place. Necrozma hissed in annoyance while Penny screamed at the effort of keeping the claw at bay, even as her entire body was bathed in a familiar blue light that each of the Trainer's present recognized.

"She's evolving…" Sun whispered as the blue light of evolution radiated through the plain as flames suddenly surrounded Penny, exploding outward and throwing the monster backwards with a snarl of pain.

In the place of a Trumbeak was a Toucannon much like Kahili's, albeit much smaller, eyeing the strange creature with a look of abject fury as she landed on the ground and stood in front of her fallen friend. Oliver looked up at Penny with an expression of wonder as the bird flew right at Necrozma, who swiped a glowing claw at her. Penny's beak suddenly began to glow harshly and she blocked the attack with it directly, letting out a muffled screech of pain. Somehow Penny endured the hit through sheer anger, her eyes blazing with sheer rage.

Necrozma let out a agonized screech as it retracted its hand, which showed signs of melting and wear after touching the burning beak of Penny. The newly evolved Toucannon released another blast of flames at the monster, making it snarl in fury as it floated high into the air.

" _You will not hurt my friend!"_ Penny shouted, readying herself as Necrozma's eyes glowed once again.

"Penny, get out of there!" Sun shouted, only for a fireball to suddenly smash into the side of Necrozma, making it roar in agony before it fired a beam of raw light at the little red bird that had attacked it by throwing flames from its wings as it danced from the side. Necrozma snarled before its eyes burned blue, sending a Psychic attack at the Oricorio and blasting the bird away. Skarmory rushed it from behind, its wings burning with darkness before it delivered a Night Slash to Necrozma's back. The monster let out a scream of agony then that shook the entire hill, turning to the flying Skarmory with loathing before firing off a Charge Beam to knock it out of the sky.

"That got a reaction…" Ollie muttered as Aegislash shifted into its Shield Form and threw up King's Shield to protect them from a massive blast of light, even as a pillar of light erupted from the ground and threatened to crack the shield. Necrozma snarled and moved forward, only for Tapu Koko to explode out from the rubble it had been buried in and rush Necrozma, blasting it with a wicked bolt of lightning and leaping out of the way of a Psychic attack.

"Kokoko kooo!" the Guardian Deity screamed as it rushed Tapu Koko, hitting it with a ball of surging electricity before dropping to the ground and slamming its hand into the dirt, creating a pink shockwave of energy that slammed into Necrozma. The monster screeched in pain as a series of energy bolts struck it from below, but this wasn't enough to stop Necrozma from launching itself forward and grabbing Tapu Koko in both of its claws. With a groan, Necrozma slammed Tapu Koko into the ground three times before hurling it away, sending the god crashing several times into the earth as it tumbled down the path. Tapu Koko suddenly flipped around and righted itself, skidding backwards before blasting forward with a cry of rage. Tapu Koko and Necrozma engaged again, with neither one of the brutal Pokémon willing to give an inch as they brawled with each other in a horrifying display of sheer aggression and power.

"Even with our numbers, its still going strong. This thing is unreal." Sun sighed, shaking his head.

"Sun, hit it with a Dark-type attack. Just like how Kahili's Skarmory did before." Lillie suddenly suggested, looking at the creature with an intense expression on her face. Sun regarded the girl for a moment before nodding, turning forward again as Necrozma blocked two Aerial Aces with its forearms and hit Tapu Koko with Psychic, knocking the god out of the air once again.

"Brago, use Thief!" Sun yelled out, with the canine hesitating for a moment before bounding forward, a flickering black aura surrounding the canine as it neared the black monster.

The Growlithe managed to leap upward and slash at it's back with his front paw, making it snarl loudly in surprise before swatting Brago away. The canine flew through the air landed in a crumpled heap nearby, with Sun running over to the dog and healing him with a Super Potion. Sun caught sight of Finn rejoining the fight, leaping and jumping around Necrozma in an attempt to distract it so that Ollie's Braviary and Kahili's Skarmory could get in more hits.

"It's a Psychic-type! Hit it with Dark, Ghost, and Bug-type attacks!" Lillie yelled out to all of them as Necrozma turned towards Sun, flexing its claws. It briefly turned towards Finn, who was flying through the air and shooting a Scald attack at it, and blasted the Poliwag away with Psychic. Finn crashed onto the ground a short distance away, making Sun grit his teeth in anger.

"Roger that. Aegislash, keep up the pressure! Shadow Claw!" Ollie yelled out as his Aegislash switched forms yet again. The Royal Sword Pokémon darted into Oliver's shadow and reappeared behind Necrozma as it shot towards Sun, with the Ghost/Steel-type tearing open the back of the monster with a powerful slash of ghostly energy, spilling what looked like silver blood onto the ground. Necrozma recoiled in pain as it whirled around, its claws suddenly burning with darkness as it swiped at Aegislash, only for a fireball to slam into its back, followed by a barrage of leaves.

"Oh no you don't!" Sun barked as Penny landed in front of Sun and flared her wings as Sun began to strike a series of poses. Kahili was doing the same thing in front of her own Toucannon, a fierce expression on her face as she struggled to remain standing on her bleeding leg.

"We've got it on the ropes! Let's force it back into the Ultra Wormhole!" Kahili shouted as Aegislash and Necrozma engaged in a fierce brawl, slashing and claw at each other as powerful booms of force echoed across the hill.

Both Trainers felt their hearts connected to their Pokémon, giving them a powerful boost of energy as their Trainers finished their poses, with both Toucannon's extending their wings as energy burned into life around them.

"Toucannon! Channel Beak Blast... _and use Supersonic Skystrike_!" The Flying-type specialist barked, throwing her fist to the air as Toucannon soared into the sky, looking like a shooting star. It soared down towards Necrozma as it finally wounded Aegislash with a double Night Slash, knocking out the Royal Sword Pokémon and sending it to the ground. The monster picked up the ghost and raised a claw to finish it off as Ollie cried out, and that was when the Toucannon smashed into the beast from above, creating a massive explosion of force that cracked the ground and made rocks explode from the earth. Necrozma bellowed in agony as the Toucannon began to fly away, only for a pillar of light to erupt from the earth and blast the Toucannon away, sending it crashing onto the ground.

"No! Toucannon!" Kahili yelled out in worry.

"Sun!" Lillie called to her friend, who nodded and turned to Penny. He had an opening and now he was going to take it!

"Penny! Channel Echoed Voice... _and use Breakneck Blitz_!" Sun bellowed, with Penny rushing forward with a screech and sprinting along the ground. Necrozma roared as it charged up another beam of light to finish off the Toucannon, only for a second one to suddenly sprint right up to it and slam into its chest, creating a wicked explosion of energy. Necrozma skidded backwards with a snarl, toppling into the Ultra Wormhole and barely catching itself by grabbing the edges of it with its claws. The monster groaned and began to pull itself back out of the hole, only for a sword to impale it in the chest, surging with darkness. Aegislash tore itself free from Necrozma and floated out of the way, allowing a charging Tapu Koko to slam into the weakened monster's chest with a aura of electricity surging around its body, making Necrozma's already-weak grip falter completely.

Necrozma let out a howl of agony and released its grip on the Ultra Wormhole, falling into the depths of the swirling Ultra Space. Aegislash floated away from the wormhole, shivering with exhaustion as the vortex began to slowly close. Soon, it had vanished completely, leaving the hill silent. Slowly, the hill began to brighten with light. The sun suddenly flickered into existence overhead, a beautiful sunset streaking across the sky, now free from Necrozma's terrible power.

" _It's over…"_ Penny sighed, hanging her head with a relieved smile. Brago sank to his belly with a small laugh while Finn said nothing, since he was still unconscious.

Lillie sank to her knees with a shuddering sigh, with Sun following her a moment later. Kahili leaned against her Skarmory, wincing as she glanced down at her injured leg while Ollie strode forward, examining where the portal was before. The man knelt down on the ground, seeing several shards of what looked like glass.

Ollie hummed before looking over towards Sun. "Hey Rotom Dex! Would you mind coming over here for a minute?"

" _Zzzt! Um...sure! Why not?"_ the device said as it floated over to the man.

"How high-resolution are the pictures that you can take?"

" _Zzzt! Very, very high quality."_

"Good. Did you happen to take any pictures of that monster?" Ollie asked the device as collected the shards on the ground into a small plastic bag he produced from his pocket.

 _"You bet. Bzzzt! I figured Professor Kukui and Burnet would be interested in an Ultra Beast! I recorded the entire battle and took picturezz all the while. I even got one of Penny evolving."_ Rotom Dex said proudly, with Ollie grinning in response as he looked over to Sun, who was now hugging Penny and Oliver.

"You both were fantastic out there. You saved our lives." Sun said quietly as he buried his face into Oliver's chest. The bird's hugged their Trainer back as Lillie held Nebby tightly, with the Cosmog still unconscious. Sun walked over to Finn and revived him, healing his injuries and returning him and Brago before walking back to Lillie, who hadn't moved from where she was holding Nebby. Brago walked over to Sun, sighing softly as Sun patted him on the head and called out Finn so he could address his team.

"You guys stood toe-to-toe with a monster that was way stronger than us. Be proud." Sun said to his team, his gaze landing on his newly evolved Toucannon with pride. Sun caught sight of Oliver staring at his friend, unable to keep his eyes off of her. The boy giggled at that, wondering if he should tease Oliver about it.

"You fought well."

Sun looked up and saw Kahili limping over to them, wearing a smile. "That monster was something from another world. A beast that would have likely beaten me if not for the assistance of you and that man. For a child still proceeding through his Island Challenge, you fought with a fierceness I can respect."

"Thank you, Miss Kahili." Sun said to the woman, receiving a small chuckle in response.

"The winds of fate blow in your favor, Sun. And I hope that they continue to do so. Now, I should probably get this treated and get in touch with Kukui. He and his wife will likely want a full account of this battle." Kahili said to the group as she returned her Toucannon and Oricorio.

"Will we see you again? We really didn't get a chance to talk all that much." Sun asked the woman, who regarded him with an unreadable expression before smiling a little.

"You mentioned that you'd be going back to Akala for a Tournament, yes?" Kahili asked the boy, receiving a nod in reply. "Funnily enough, I will be a special guest commentator for the Akala Grand Royal Tournament, along with Professor Oak and Cynthia. We will see each other again. Maybe then I can show you a few more tricks, hmm?"

The woman painfully hopped atop her Skarmory and without another word soared off into the sky, leaving the trio behind. Ollie walked back towards them, looking troubled.

"This Ultra Space...I wrote it off as just some strange phenomena that I'd waste some time with before getting back to my actual efforts to bolster the ranks of the International Police but...this is serious." Ollie said quietly, shaking his head. "I'll have to get back to work tomorrow and start investigating. We can't let another one of those gateways open. Not if something as powerful as that can come out of them."

Lillie shook her head. "It's never been a joke. And that may be where Nebby came from. He had such a strong reaction to the Ultra Wormhole. And that creature...I've never seen Nebby act like that. He was _terrified_...What was that thing?" Lillie whispered, holding the Cosmog close to her chest. Sun walked over to the girl and hugged her tightly, which made the girl flush for a moment before melting into the embrace. They broke the hug after a few moments before they noticed that Tapu Koko hadn't moved from where it had landed after Necrozma was knocked back into the Ultra Wormhole by it.

"Umm...Tapu Koko?" Sun called to the creature, which snapped out of its reverie and glanced towards Sun. Tapu Koko held out a hand towards the boy, as if beckoning to them. Sun's Z-Ring began to glow a white color, and with that the god's voice projected out from it.

 **"THE DEVOURER OF LIGHT...** **THE ECLIPSE KING...** **THE BLINDING ONE...IT GOES BY MANY NAMES. IN THE ANCIENT TIMES, YOU HUMANS CALLED IT NECROZMA."** Tapu Koko explained as it shuddered, it's wild eyes glowing for a moment. Sun had the impression the god was no longer seeing them, but perhaps another time long past. Sun knew the Tapu had many strange abilities, on top of being ruthlessly powerful.

 **"IT'S POWERS WERE IMMENSE. WE BATTLED IT TIME AND TIME AGAIN, AS WE DID THE OTHERS. THANKS TO OUR EFFORTS, WE BURIED IT DEEP WITHIN THIS ISLAND. AND THAT IS WHERE IT SLEEPS RIGHT NOW, AS WE SPEAK."**

"Wait...how is that possible? We just fought it. It came through that Ultra Wormhole. You're saying that there's another one buried underground right now?" Sun asked the Guardian Deity, who nodded in response.

 **"THERE ARE MANY WORLDS WITHIN THAT REALM. IT IS CHAOTIC. THAT NECROZMA COMES FROM A WORLD WHERE THERE IS NO HOPE. A WORLD THAT HAS HAD ITS LIGHT STOLEN...AND WAITS FOR ITS DESTRUCTION."** Tapu Koko explained before it turned away, its eyes growing dark yet again.

 **"GROW STRONGER, MY CHILD. WE TAPU WILL CONTINUE TO KEEP WATCH, BUT THIS LAND IS IN DANGER. THE BOY WE HAVE FAILED IS COMING FOR HIS REVENGE, AND WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO STOP HIS HATRED ON OUR OWN."** Tapu Koko intoned, glancing back at Sun as his eyes widened in surprise.

"You...you mean my Dad?" Sun said quietly, and after a few moments Tapu Koko nodded.

 **"YES. HE WAS A CHILD OF PROMISE, MUCH LIKE YOURSELF. BUT HE HARBORS MUCH HATRED IN HIS HEART. HE HAS ALLOWED HIMSELF TO BECOME DARKENED BY THE INJUSTICE AND EVIL OF THE WORLD...UNTIL HE HIMSELF BECAME THE VERY THING HE SWORE TO DESTROY."** Tapu Koko said, turning back around to Sun. The god flickered sightly, reappearing directly in front of Sun. Slowly, it raised a hand and placed the tip of its claw over Sun's heart.

 **"YOU ARE HIS CHILD. YOU TOO, POSSESS GREAT STRENGTH. BUT UNLIKE HIM...YOU HAVE A KIND SOUL. ONE THAT SEES THE GOODNESS IN THE HEARTS OF OTHERS. I CHOSE YOU FOR A REASON. CONTINUE TO GROW IN STRENGTH, MY CHILD...AND PERHAPS WE MAY BE ABLE TO STOP THEM BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE."**

With that, Tapu Koko leapt backwards, the glow around Sun's Z-Ring fading. With a screech, the Guardian Deity of Melemele Island kicked off of the ground and flew into the air, soaring away and leaving the three humans alone.

" _Sun...You really are special, aren't you?"_ Lillie thought as Sun looked down at his Z-Ring, his expression one of determination.

"I wonder what the Tapu meant by when they called Borlath…'the boy we have failed'?" Ollie said quietly, crossing his arms.

"I don't know what kind of past my Dad had in Alola before he went to Kanto. I don't even know who to ask about my Dad's past. He didn't talk about it a whole lot to Mom." Sun said to the man, who just shrugged.

"I'll ask Laura later, so don't worry about it. In the meantime, let's get back to the lab. We can explain everything to Professor Kukui and Burnet and make some more sense of what happened." Ollie said as he looked to the darkening skies. Lillie and Sun both nodded and followed the man out of the hill, eager to rest after the battle they had been through. As they exited the area, two figures popped out of the nearby rocks, exchanging a glance.

"They managed to drive Necrozma back into the Ultra Wormhole." Dulse said quietly, trying to keep the awe out of his voice.

"Yep! They were really strong, weren't they?" Zossie asked, grinning happily.

"Indeed. The citizens of this plane are powerful. Perhaps Captain Phyco may wish us to work with these humans more directly. That said, there is a difference between knocking Necrozma back into the Ultra Wormhole and truly stopping it." Dulse mused, sighing quietly after a moment.

"So do you think Necrozma is back in Megalo Tower?" Zossie asked Dulse, who nodded.

"Yes. That being said, I still cannot believe these creatures managed to open an Ultra Wormhole within the containment area for Necrozma. Quite an unlucky coincidence that this place bears a strong link to our world." Dulse remarked, luckily unaware that another Necrozma was slumbering beneath the earth they stood on.

"So...what now?" Zossie asked.

"We return home. We prepare...And we plan. We have to stop Necrozma before it breaks free. It if does that, it will not stop until it has consumed all of the light it can. Even this world's light." Dulse responded, holding out a hand. The man's palm began to glow a faint teal color, and Zossie grabbed it.

And the two strange visitors vanished.

* * *

"You'd think a place like this would be guarded in some capacity."

" _Maybe it's something less physical. I can sense something very odd about this place. Something in the air. The earth beneath us. There is power here. Emotions from centuries long past. Tread lightly."_

Amber simply nodded as she continued through the rocky passage, which finally ended in a open field. The area looked like a makeshift battlefield, but that didn't matter to Amber right this moment. Avis floated nearby, with the Xatu on guard for any kind of threat.

Amber's investigation of the Tapu had led her to the so-called Ruins of Life, where the mysterious Tapu Lele dwelled. She had heard many rumors about the strange Legendary that protected Akala Island, but she didn't really believe any of them. That didn't mean she wasn't cautious, though. She remembered her battle with Tapu Koko and knew that these creatures should not be taken lightly. Mask also warned her that Tapu Lele had a particularly awful mean streak.

Amber glanced down at her broken arm as she made her way further into the clearing, scowling in annoyance. She loathed being injured in this capacity, and couldn't wait until she regained the full use of her arm. Until then she had to rely on her reflexes and her Pokémon if she wanted to remain of use to Borlath and his ambitions.

Despite everything that had been taken from her, Amber was loyal to the man that had promised to help her regain her old self again. She owed the man everything, even without the promise. If it wasn't for him, she'd be long dead...or worse.

 _"Your better tomorrow...Borlath, how many more must I kill before this world changes its ways? How many more have to die before people realize that the world as it is now is doomed?"_ Amber thought to herself, wondering if they would even make a difference. Despite the sheer amount of death and devastation they had caused so far, the world had yet to change its ways.

" _It doesn't matter what happens. In the end, I'll slaughter them all with no regrets. Not that I'm able to regret much of anything."_ Amber thought, smirking with some dark amusement.

"You know, walking around sacred grounds aimlessly doesn't strike me as a good idea." Spoke a voice suddenly from behind them. Amber and Avis whirled around, surprised to see a pink-haired girl standing there. The teen grinned at them both and said, "Welcome to the Ruins of Life, home of Tapu Lele."

"...Who are you? And how did you sneak up on me?" Amber asked as the girl grinned at her.

"You can call me Layla. I frequent these ruins every now and then. You both don't seem like the regular tourists." The girl observed, walking towards the pair and then past them, towards the crevice up ahead.

" _I can't feel anything from her mind. Its as if my mental probe is being deflected. What is she?"_ Avis whispered in Amber's mind, to which the assassin frowned in thought. Amber's hand went to one of her many hidden knives on her person, but then thought better of it. This girl wasn't a threat and could easily be eliminated if need be.

"Well?" Layla asked as she turned around, crossing her arms and still smiling.

"The name's Lucy. Me and my partner are exploring the Tapu ruins, after having heard so much about them. Perhaps you could shed some light on the mysteries of the Tapu of this island?" Amber said to the girl, who's smile faded as she thought about it. Eventually she shrugged, turning on her heel and taking a few steps in the other direction.

"Sounds like fun. Follow me into the Ruins of Life then." Layla said before vanishing into the darkness.

"I don't like this." Amber said quietly, looking to Avis. "Be on guard."

" _As always."_ Avis nodded, and with that the duo ventured inside of the ruins, walking past the wooden frame and into a large chamber filled with massive square blocks. The sides of the chamber were filled with grass and flowers, all carefully taken care of by the Kahuna. Layla sat atop one of the blocks ahead, grinning at them.

"Welcome. This is a small trial set by Tapu Lele-" Layla began to say before Amber kicked off of the ground and grabbed onto the block Layla was sitting on with her one good arm. With a grunt, Amber pulled herself up and onto the stone with a hiss.

"That was impressive. Most people couldn't do something like that. Especially with just one arm" Layla said with some surprise as Amber stood upright.

"I'm not like most people." Amber responded carelessly as she leapt across to the next stone cube. She quickly made it to the other side of the room, landing in a crouch as Avis floated down to her.

" _I could've lifted you above all of this, you know. Or teleported you to the other side of the room."_ Avis remarked, with Amber shaking her head in response.

"Just because I'm hurt doesn't mean I'm useless." Amber replied as she strode towards the next room, only to hear someone clear their throat from behind them. Amber turned around and saw Layla giving them a odd look.

"You didn't even bother trying to pass the Tapu's test." Layla said, sounding rather disappointed. When Amber answered with a shrug, Layla grinned.

"Well, go on. You might catch the Tapu in a good mood. Probably not though. Why are you people even here, anyway?" Layla asked Amber. Amber looked at the young woman for a moment before turning back forward and walking into the next room as Layla scowled in annoyance. Amber stepped into a chamber with worn wooden floorboards beneath her and two rickety wooden staircases leading up to a shrine of sorts. The woman took several steps forward, smiling despite feeling nothing in the act.

" _There is power here…"_ Avis whispered, floating higher into the room and scanning the area. " _Nothing in here but us, though."_

 _"Not quite…"_ Amber thought back to the Xatu, hearing Layla walking towards them. Amber took a moment to listen to the footsteps of the girl entering the room carefully. They sounded...off.

" _Do you notice that? Listen…"_ Amber said to the Xatu, her hand going to the pistol within her jacket. Avis' eyes widened in surprise as she realized what Amber was implying, and with that the assassin swiftly whirled around and aimed her pistol at Layla, firing and putting a bullet in between the girl's eyes.

Layla stared at the bullet hole for a moment before she toppled backwards with a groan. Amber stared at the body and scoffed, noticing the lack of blood and kicked the body, her foot phasing through it.

"I'd appreciate it if you stopped the games. I'll admit the disguise was good. Even projecting the sounds into our minds to make it seem like you're really human, but I haven't stayed alive this long by not noticing these things. Now reveal yourself." Amber said as she turned around, glancing around the room as Avis cast her mind out, trying to find the Tapu they searched for.

"Man...You're good. But still not that bright."

Amber jumped forward and spun around, aiming her pistol at the form of Layla as she floated to her feet. The girl tapped the device on her wrist and with a shimmer, her form became that of a very oddly-shaped Pokémon. It had a black torso with pink curly hair, wearing a pink helmet of sorts on its head while the pink shell-like lower half of the creature was decorated in an odd pattern. Amber and Avis saw a small indent in the helmet of the creature, where Amber had shot it, and watched as it slowly healed before their eyes. An armband and a necklace floated off of the Pokémon and vanished from sight, with the Tapu narrowing its eyes.

" _So...You've come for me. Cipher, right?"_ Tapu Lele said quietly in their minds, sounding amused.

"You don't seem surprised. What's with the trick? This seems far more sophisticated than what a normal Legendary would do." Amber asked as Avis hovered protectively over her. Tapu Lele giggled within their minds, waving a hand dismissively.

" _I'm not a normal Legendary, you stupid, stupid human. Not by a long shot...No, I'm much more than that. I know what you and your group are about. I know of the darkness you spread across the world, tainting all those you encounter with your evil. You in particular...attempted to strike down Tapu Koko."_ Tapu Lele whispered into their minds, a note of anger dripping into its voice. Avis shivered and floated closer to Amber, sensing the creature's power now.

" _I refuse to allow you to hurt anyone else on my island. You've intruded upon my domain and will suffer the consequences. But...I think I'll play with you first."_ Tapu Lele intoned, its body floating higher into the air as energy crackled around it.

Avis dove downwards and teleported her and Amber away from the ruin before a bolt of energy crashed down where they were. They reappeared just outside of the Ruins of Life in the clearing, with Amber looking towards the ruin with a scowl.

"Get ready!" Amber barked as a tornado of pink scales exploded out of the ruins. The sound of ethereal giggling became almost deafening to the pair as the creature materialized, holding out its hands in front of it.

"Go!" Amber commanded as she drew her weapon and fired at the Guardian Deity. Avis summoned a trio of shadow balls and fired them at the god that simply floated to the side and dodged the attacks. It was surprised when the Shadow Balls that it had just dodged changed direction and suddenly exploded into it from behind, making it snarl in pain.

" _And for that...SUFFER!"_ Tapu Lele intoned as its body surged with pink energy, scales swirling around it. With a flash, Tapu Lele flickered out of existence and reappeared in front of Avis, lashing around with its hand and knocking the Mystic Pokémon to the side with a wave of force. Tapu Lele turned to Amber and released a blast of psychic energy that knocked the woman to the ground, knocking the weapon out of her hand. Amber grunted, cursing her arm as she tried to get up.

Tapu Lele laughed softly for a moment before a wicked current of air slammed into the Legendary, making it yell out in surprise before it shifted its gaze to an Xatu that suddenly slammed into it with an Aerial Ace, knocking it away.

Amber rose to her feet with gritted teeth, looking up and seeing that Tapu Lele and Avis were now in the middle of a staredown of sorts, both of the Psychic-types using their powers to impose their will on the other. After a few moments, Avis screamed in agony before being blasted away from them and into the side of the cliff with a tremendous crash.

"No! Damn it…" Amber growled as she grabbed a Poké Ball from her waist and pressed down on the device to call out her Electivire, but found that her hand was clamped around the ball and surrounded in a glowing blue light. Amber looked at Tapu Lele, only to see that the creature was now floating towards her.

" _Now that we're alone...I will teach you the meaning of pain. And then...I will kill you."_ Tapu Lele whispered into Amber's mind as the woman got to her feet, only for her entire body to become ensnared in the Legendary's psychic grip. Amber felt the Guardian Diety's power as it slowly manipulated her mangled arm, making Amber wince.

 _"Does that hurt?"_ Tapu Lele asked, with Amber gritting her teeth in reply. Tapu Lele chuckled within her mind…

Before snapping Amber's arm clean in half.

Amber couldn't help the howl of agony that erupted from her as she fell to her knees, the Psychic holding her released as she stared down at her ruined arm, even as a wind of pink scales spun around her. Amber didn't even have time to register this before she suddenly yelled out, her arm broken arm glowing slightly now before she felt a awful sensation surge through her mangled limb.

Amber's broken bones mended before her very eyes. Even her shoulder injury began to mend as the strange glowing scales began to heal her, making her entire body burn with pain as Tapu Lele continued to laugh at the woman's misery. Soon the wind dissipated, leaving Amber panting heavily as her now-healed body tried to recover from the shock.

" _Are you afraid, human?"_ Tapu Lele asked softly, floating closer to the woman. Amber's response was to slowly rise to her feet, staring at the creature with a look of empty coldness. Tapu Lele felt a stab of annoyance at that. Why was this human so... _off_? Broken would be a word for it. She felt no fear, even after being soundly tortured by the god.

"No...I can't be afraid." Amber spat as she staggered to her feet, panting heavily before being hit with a full-force Psychic blast that sent her to the ground again, every inch of her body screaming in absolute agony as the Legendary floated closer to her. Amber fought the urge to yell out in pain, even as the god manipulated her head to make Amber look up.

" _You are a true monster. You stand here on my sacred grounds, accused of many crimes. So many have fallen at your hands, human. So many innocent lives ended…"_ Tapu Lele whispered as darkness suddenly filled Amber's vision.

And then the pain stopped...And the world filled with blinding light.

" _ **I CAN FEEL YOUR SIN, AMBER FONTAINE."**_

* * *

And here it is. Next chapter we're getting what may be my darkest chapter yet!

Q & A

From: RC-DA

When people in weird outfits were mentioned, I instantly thought it would be the color coded cipher screwups known as the hexagon brothers. Are they still around by chance? I feel like them arguing with team skull would be a golden opportunity.

 **That's an interesting idea. Considering some upcoming plans, I could absolutely have them around for a scene or two. Maybe a dance-off during a confrontation or something? I'll mess around with the idea and see what happens.**

 _From: JDunks807_

Anyways, considering Aria uses Shadow Moltres pretty well (please get purified soon you're my favorite legendary bird), is there any chance another protagonist will get a Shadow Pokemon? Like, I dunno, Aria giving Sun a Shadow Alolan Graveler or something in the hopes he can help purify it?

Seriously. Shadow Alolan Graveler. There's no way that wouldn't be awesome.

 **That's an idea I honestly hadn't thought of, mainly because I'm so dead-set on making Sun's team a group of** **Pokémon that anyone can catch with no problems in the game itself. It's a really good idea and one I wish I could go with, but I've got special plans in store for Sun's two remaining Pokémon that he catches that tie into their personalities and the like, so either one of them being a Shadow Pokémon that gets purified won't work. I really want to do it though.**

 _Next chapter we have what is probably my darkest chapter yet in the story as we learn a shitton of backstory and learn exactly why Tapu Lele is my favorite Tapu in this story!_

 _In the meantime, please review and favorite/follow the story if you haven't already. We're super close to a thousand reviews and just need one final push before the next chapter! As always, thanks for reading the supporting the story._

 _Stay safe and stay awesome!_

 _Until next time, FlygonNick out!_


	79. The Demon Comes

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _Alright...Hopefully this will be my last big delay for a while._

 _I've been through a lot this past month. Two medical scares, several important tests, classes, and appointments as well as a job change at work. It's been a really hectic and honestly pretty rough February._

 _The only bright spot during this time period was the fact that I finally achieved my dream of going to Italy, which I visited a few weeks ago at long last. That was amazing, and if anyone is traveling there anytime soon, I can say that Rome is awesome._

 _ **(Also, I will be sharing my thoughts on Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield in the AN at the end of the chapter.**_ **)**

 _So back to this story and this chapter. Which will set up some interesting stuff later on, but is more for the purpose of explaining the backstory of a character that has evolved in so many interesting ways since her conception._

 _Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes RC-DA, trevhall19, JDunks807, Cottonmouth25, the totem natu, SonicIKE, BraviaryScout, Zombiesguy115, a Guest reviewer, Ways, snipermaster149, skyguyso5, as well as three new reviewers known as_ _skatemanmystery, LDarkbow, and takedigi. You all are absolutely fucking amazing, and I cannot thank you enough for the outpouring of support, well wishes, and uplifting comments._

 _Special shoutout to Zombieguy115, who was my 1000th reviewer! Thank you for the support. It still feels weird to say that. But it's a fact and it's absolutely amazing_ _._

 _I cannot believe that this story has reached this point. It's actually hit a 4 digit review number, which is just...insane. We're not even at the halfway point! That's honestly the main reason I decided to upload this entire chapter instead of break it into two pieces, just so that it feels like more a reward for everyone being so patient with me. The fact that this thing has been as well-received as it has been continues to just amaze me, but I suppose I'll just use that as motivation to keep working hard on this story and make it even better._

 _This chapter contains a small snippet of the song "You Are My Sunshine" by Johnny Cash, and doesn't belong to me in any way. Just a disclaimer._

 _Here we are. I really hope you all enjoy this one, because this is a backstory ten years in the making. Yeah...I've had the ideas for Amber's character in mind for ten years, and I'm glad that this story has given me the opportunity to tell it. This chapter is the longest that will be in this story, being almost double the length of the previous contender. And this chapter has the distinction of being the longest chapter I've ever written in my time as a writer. Most people were split when it came to feedback about either making this one big update or two large updates. I went with this in the end, because it just works out better._

 _Still...31,671 words. Damn...I have problems. And on a related note..._

 _ **The following chapter will be disturbing. And will involve murder, depictions of extreme violence, and many bad things happening. Compared to what I've shown before, this may not seem that bad, but you've been warned regardless.**_

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 _Chapter 79: The Demon Comes_

* * *

 _Amber saw nothing but white light as she floated through the void. She scowled as she drifted through the abyss, wondering how to best fight against the god she found herself facing. She tried to focus her thoughts and clear her mind, one of the few ways of even trying to protect yourself against Psychic-type Pokémon that was actually viable for humans, but found she couldn't concentrate due to the pain that flared around her whenever she tried to gather her thoughts._

 _"_ _ **Don't bother...You are completely at my mercy."**_ _Tapu Lele spoke, its voice projecting all around her. Amber scowled and kept trying to block out the Guardian Deity, only for agony to ripple through her mind, making her grunt in pain._

 _"_ _ **Now...Your heart will be judged."**_

 _"Judged…?" Amber muttered as she turned her head, enduring the pain the movement caused her. Her eyes widened slightly in surprise at the new sight in front of her. Floating there in front of her, sitting cross-legged, was a small girl with pink hair that resembled the Layla girl that Tapu Lele had been posing as earlier._

 _"_ _ **Yes...I will judge you. And then I will kill you. You have a grand role in the proceeding events that have plagued this world, Amber Fontaine. Once you're dead, I will have rid the world of a great evil. But much like Tapu Koko, I am curious. Why do you do the things you do? Why are you so empty? You show no fear. You don't show much of anything. I want to know why. And so, we're going to take a look through your memories to see where this pattern of behavior comes from!"**_

 _Amber glared at the god and opened her mouth to speak when suddenly, the girl was in her face. Both of her eyes were black holes, streaming with jet-black blood as her mouth opened wide, razor sharp teeth grinning at her sadistically._

 _"_ _ **LET'S SEE WHERE IT ALL BEGAN. SHALL WE?"**_

* * *

"I'm just saying, waffles are better than pancakes, Jess. No need to bite my head off."

"They are NOT! Once we make camp, I'll prove it Andrew!"

Amanda Faerun shook her head, her dyed blonde bangs swaying slightly. The scrawny 13-year old girl watched as her companions fell into their usual squabbles, all the while glancing up at the Natu perched on her head. Her Starter and her only Pokémon for the moment.

"Avis...you okay?" Amanda asked the bird, which opened an eye.

"Natuuu…" came a sleepy reply, making the girl chuckle. Even though she had only been a Trainer for a few while, the experience had been such an incredible one. After a week of traveling solo and leaving her hometown of Cherrygrove City, she had come across a gaggle of Trainers battling. It only took a brief battle with one of them, in which she lost due to her inexperience, before she was offered a spot in the traveling group. And now she was learning all sorts of things!

Jess brushed her brown hair out of her face, the short girl glaring at the slightly taller boy with short peach-colored hair. Andrew winked at her as he walked ahead, making Jess lunge at him, but not before a girl with dark skin grabbed her by the arm.

"Oh come on, Judith! Let me punch him!" Jess whined.

"He's not worth it. Instead, let's try and be good role models for Amanda. That way we can counteract how much Andrew sucks." Judith commented, making Jess grin and Amanda giggle. Andrew hunched his shoulders, looking annoyed.

"Kinda right here, you know."

"If it helps, I still think you're kinda cool. I'll beat you the next time we battle though!" Amanda chimed in, making Andrew chuckle under his breath.

"For a rookie, you weren't too bad back there, Amanda. You just need a bit of experience. Relying on Night Shade was a good idea, since your Pokémon was weaker than mine and that negates the defense boost I set up, but...The difference in strength was too much. That'll come in time." Andrew explained as he crossed his arms. "Maybe you could play around with Teleport? It'd help dodge attacks, if anything else."

"I'll keep that in mind. I've only had a few battles though, so I wasn't all that surprised I lost." Amanda said sheepishly, dubbing the back of her head. "My Mom warned me that I'd probably lose a bunch starting out."

"Was your Mom a Pokémon Trainer, Amanda?" Jess asked, with the girl nodding.

"Yep. She was a Gym Trainer for Pryce for a long while, but quit when she had me! My Dad works as a lab technician in Cherrygrove." Amanda answered the other girl.

"I can't imagine how _cool_ it'd be to work under Pryce. He seems like a _chill_ guy." Andrew remarked, warning two groans from Judith and Jess and a giggle from Amanda.

"Kinda reminds me that we still need to figure out a play to beat Morty. That guy's way too tough…" Jess lamented, shaking her head. "You think we'll figure out an actual game-plan while we're traveling around? That's why we decided to backtrack home to New Bark Town to begin with, after all."

Judith smirked after a moment before they dark-skinned girl shrugged in reply. "No idea. I think we just need a break from things, to be totally honest. Hey Andrew, you think if we can get the greenhorn here a few new Pokémon, that she can take down the Violet City Gym in a week or two?"

"That's up to her." Andrew replied with a dismissive way of the hand, making Amanda frown.

"I could totally do it. Just watch! Me and Avis are gonna be awesome!" Amanda proclaimed, her light-blue eyes shining with excitement. The three other Trainers smirked at the girl's enthusiasm, but didn't say anything in reply. After all, they enjoyed the girl's cheer and having a new friend tagging along had put them in good spirits.

"Looks like we've got maybe half an hour of light left. Let's set up camp tonight and make our way back to Violet City by tomorrow." Andrew piped up, adjusting his shoulder straps before looking back at the three girls. "Let's go, ladies! Double-time!"

Andrew set off at a sprint while the three girls exchanged confused glances. They each shrugged, and continued at a sedate pace while Andrew glared at them from down the road, with Amanda giggling all the while.

* * *

 _ **You were normal once. You were an ordinary girl, living the life of an ordinary Trainer. You had friends. You had a loving family. You were nothing special. Which seems odd, considering the extraordinary person that you are today. You were Amanda Faerun...Not Amber Fontaine.**_

 _ **However that changed one day.**_

 _ **The day you and your friends met...her.**_

* * *

"Three Gym Badges...Nice one, squirt!" Andrew said cheerily to Amanda as the girl grinned at the praise, looking up from the case that contained her badges that she held in her hands.

"That Gym Leader really made me work for it. Who would've thought Normal-types would pack such a punch? I only won because his Miltank knocked itself out in its confusion." Amanda remarked with a slight pout, making the others laugh.

"Still, it's progress!" Jess said cheerily, skipping ahead of them. "I say we celebrate! Cake tonight!"

"The cake is a-" Andrew began to say before Judith casually smacked him upside the head, though she played the movement off as stretching as she walked by him. Meanwhile, Avis and Amanda snickered from behind them.

"Man, why do all the women in my life bully me? It's no fair." Andrew lamented, shaking his head. The teen then stopped in his tracks, a look of confusion on his face. "Wait. Do any of you hear that? It sounds like...crying?" Andrew asked, tilting his head.

The others went quiet and stopped walking, only to hear the faint sound of someone sobbing nearby. Jess looked around in confusion while Judith turned her head. Amanda looked up at the Natu on her head, which closed her eyes, focusing its budding psychic powers outwards.

" _Distress...Relief...Anger…"_ the Natu whispered in her mind. Amanda shuddered after a moment before saying, "Avis senses a bunch of emotions. It's complicated."

"Right…" Jess muttered, crossing her arms and frowning in thought. Andrew and Judith exchanged a glance before the dark-skinned girl nodded, moving towards the source of the crying.

"This way. Come on." Judith said quietly, taking a small breath to steady her nerves. She called out a Nidoking and a Bayleef, making her way through the brush as the others did the same. Andrew called out a Ninetales and a Haunter and Jess called out a Clefable. Amanda stayed at the back as the group pressed on, the sound of sobbing becoming louder to them.

Finally they emerged in a clearing, but what they saw made them pause in confusion...and then horror.

A dead body lay in the center of the clearing. An smartly-dressed man in his late-forties with graying hair. Kneeling by his side was a strange black and white Pokémon that was sobbing loudly, obviously grieving at the man's death.

"What is that? I've never seen something like that in Johto." Andrew murmured, narrowing his eyes. Jess pulled out her Pokédex and scanned the Pokémon from a distance.

" _Pokémon Entry not found. Scanning National Database...Entry found. Gothitelle. The Astral Body Pokémon and the evolved form of Gothorita._ _Starry skies thousands of light-years away are visible in the space distorted by their intense psychic power. They can predict the future from the placement and movement of the stars. They can see Trainers' life spans."_ the Pokédex intoned loudly, catching the attention of the Psychic-type. The Pokémon looked confused for a moment, wiping the tears off of its face before it stood upright, watching the children as they slowly approached.

"Hey there...everything okay?" Jess asked quietly, to which the Gothitelle shook her head. Amanda shivered at the sense of foreboding, lingering back as her friends approached the Astral Body Pokémon.

"What happened? Was...was there an accident? Was that man your Trainer?" Judith asked, making an effort not to look at the dead man's body. The Gothitelle shook her head again, instead smiling sadly at them. And then all four children heard a voice whisper in their ears.

" _There was no accident. I killed this man. And I will kill all of you, too."_

Before any of them knew it, Jess was sent hurtling backwards and slammed into a nearby tree hard enough for several bones in her spine to shatter upon impact. The girl screamed in agony as her body burned with a blue psychic aura before she suddenly slammed into the ground again and again like a ragdoll, with more bones breaking with every hit. Jess' Clefable launched a barrage of stars at the Gothitelle with a scream of fury, which made the creature stop the assault on Jess and take a moment to send a massive Hyper Beam at the Clefable, knocking it away with a massive explosion of energy that sent the other children to the ground. After taking a few moments to recharge, the insane Pokémon's smile widened.

With the distraction out of the way, the psychotic creature picked up the sobbing teen with an expression of sheer happiness on her face before throwing Jess high into the air, releasing the hold she had on the girl as she soared above the tree lines. The children finally snapped out of their surprised terror and rushed forward, trying to find a way to catch their friend, but a blast of force sent them to the ground, which was about the same time Jess hit the ground head-first with a loud thump and sickening crack. The three remaining children didn't need to see her face to know that she was dead.

"Oh my g-god...You killed her!" Andrew roared, hopping to his feet as his Ninetales and Haunter got into battle stances, as did Judith's Nidoking and Bayleef.

" _I did. And you will follow her."_ The Gothitelle whispered into their minds, her smile never fading in the slightest. It winced as Jess' Clefable crashed into it from behind, punching the Gothitelle in the back of the head with a fist of lightning as tears streamed down its face. The Psychic-type stumbled forward in time to catch a Flamethrower and a barrage of Razor Leaf in the chest before its eyes narrowed in anger. The Pokémon held out both hands towards Clefable and let out a yell, releasing a full-blast of Psychic energy that sent the Fairy Pokémon careening backwards through several trees. It whirled back around and leapt backwards to avoid a Horn Drill from Nidoking, though it did retaliate with a barrage of Shadow Balls it hurled from its hands, which the group of Pokémon managed to avoid.

"Yo, Amanda! Help out! We've got to stop this thing!" Andrew barked as he pointed forward. "Dark Pulse!"

Andrew's Haunter released a criss-crossing beam of darkness that rushed at the Gothitelle, which smiled widely before throwing out her arms, summoning a series of portals that dumped a barrage of rocks upon the Trainers and their Pokémon. Andrew screamed as his Ninetales and Haunter fell under the onslaught, but he was also caught off guard when the Gothitelle hurled a boulder at the boy directly, creating an explosion of dust where he stood and forcing the other children away.

"Andrew!" Amanda cried out as the Gothitelle effortlessly knocked out the boy's Ninetales and Haunter with a Psychic and a Dark Pulse each. Amanda fought the urge to bolt and run, but instead held out a hand, gathering her courage to fight alongside her friends. "Avis, use Teleport and Night Shade!"

The Natu nodded and vanished on the spot, reappearing behind the Gothitelle and blasting her with ghostly energy as the Astral Body Pokémon blasted Judith's Nidoking with Psybeam, knocking it out with ease. The Gothitelle winced in pain, but casually waved a hand towards Avis and repulsed her with Psychic, instead focusing on Judith as she scrambled to call out another Pokémon. The Astral Body Pokémon raised a glowing hand, enveloping Judith's hands and making them both snap apart at the wrists, making her scream loudly as she fell to the ground. Her Bayleef looked back in concern, which easily allowed the Gothitelle to lift the Grass-type into the air with Telekinesis and then blast it with a Hyper Beam. Judith screamed out in distress, only for a wave of force to suddenly knock her to the ground.

The Gothitelle was panting now, trying to recover its energy with a massive grin on its face. Judith tried to crawl away, but much like Jess, she was flung through the air by Psychic until a horrific snap filled the clearing and the girl dropped to the ground with a broken neck after hitting another tree.

" _And then there was one…"_ the Gothitelle whispered, even as a small little Natu flew towards her. Amanda tried to run, but felt a force grip her legs and make her trip, sending her falling to the ground. Amanda looked back and saw a black shadow trailing from the Gothitelle to her own shadow on the ground, connecting the two of them somehow. That shadow was clutching Amanda's foot, ensuring she couldn't run away.

"Get out of here Avis! Save yourself!" Amanda screamed as the Gothitelle gripped her body with Psychic, raising her into the air. Avis dive-bombed the insane Pokémon, but the Gothitelle blasted her away with a Shadow Ball and sent her tumbling into the underbrush with a scream of agony. Amanda shivered with fear and pain as she beheld the field of bodies of her friends and their Pokémon. This fear was only amplified when the Gothitelle turned her attention back to Amanda, her smile widening to a maniacal degree.

The girl opened her mouth to scream for help, but the psychic hold on her body doubled in force, forcing the air out of her lungs. Amanda shut her eyes, preparing for the worst. However, she heard a whisper in her mind before she felt oblivion take her.

" _Hello there...My name is Hazel. And we're going to be the best of friends."_

* * *

 _ **How does it feel, being completely dominated like that? Much like you are, right this moment? You lost your friends and companions. Your closest friend was forced to abandon you? Yes, you felt the true meaning of despair that day.**_

 _ **And from that point on...Everything changed.**_

* * *

"Where...where are we going?"

 _"Mmm...Somewhere safe. For me. Not you."_

"Please...I just want to go home. I...Why are you doing this? Please, just let me go!"

 _"Nope."_

The Gothitelle limped along the forest path with Amanda marching alongside her, forced along by the Psychic attack being used to manipulate her body. The tears had dried up long ago, and now Amanda had taken stock of her situation. She was being held hostage by an murderous Gothitelle, she had no idea where she was now, and her friends and Pokémon were long gone. Hazel disposed of Amanda's remaining Pokémon after knocking her out, leaving her absolutely defenseless against the Gothitelle. And then the two began to move away from the scene of the attack and made their way north, where the Gothitelle killed anyone who was unfortunate enough to cross their paths.

Hazel herself had been surprisingly quiet, even after she kidnapped Amanda from that clearing. The Gothitelle left the bodies and carnage behind without so much as a backwards glance, but Amanda could feel the sheer joy radiating from her as they walked. She was truly happy about what she had done back there. Absolutely giddy that she had killed her friends as well as Hazel's Pokémon Trainer, who Amanda learned about simply through the mental connection they now shared.

Hazel's Trainer had been a renowned neurologist and a skilled Pokémon Trainer on top of that. That much Amanda could discern. She also realized just what a neurologist was (someone who studied how brains worked), and that the Gothitelle that had taken her captive was that man's Partner and only Pokémon. However, she was ruthlessly powerful and was incredibly adept at using her powers to manipulate others, thanks to some sort of special training she received...Amanda wasn't sure what that entailed, because Hazel became aware of their mental connection at the point Amanda had learned this information, and began laughing out loud in sheer amusement.

Amanda didn't understand this at all. And that only made Hazel laugh harder. Eventually Amanda just gave up on any hope of convincing the Gothitelle to let her go free.

 _"This will do."_ Hazel said quietly as long last, stopping them in a clearing surrounded by fallen logs. The Astral Body Pokémon finally released Amanda, who dropped onto the ground with a gasp.

Amanda curled into a ball, shaking like a leaf while Hazel glanced around the area. Her eyes burned blue and a loud snap reverberated through the clearing, making the teen yelp in fear and look up. A Noctowl dropped out of a nearby tree and crashed onto the ground, twitching weakly with a broken neck as the life left its eyes. The blonde put her hands to her mouth, her expression one of absolute horror. Hazel carelessly flung the body into the trees and sat down next to a log, sighing deeply.

"W-why did you...kill it? Why did you…" Amanda whispered, but the words died in her throat when Hazel looked at her with a happy smile.

 _"Because I'm free. And no one will stop me now that I can hurt as much as I want to, now."_ Hazel replied cheerily shutting her eyes. The Gothitelle sighed softly, placing her hands in her lap and closing her eyes.

 _"Today was exhausting. We may have to stay here for a little while."_ Hazel said as she opened a single eye a few moments later. Amanda stared at her, uncomprehending.

"But...I don't understand! Why did you attack me and my friends!? Why did you kidnap me? W-what...What do you want?" Amanda asked in a whispered, hugging herself as the psychotic Gothitelle chuckled softly, a twisted sound that made the girl shiver in fear.

 _"Would you like me to tell you a story, child?"_ Hazel suddenly asked, slowly looking up at the rising moon in the sky. Amanda stared at the creature, unsure if the question was a trick or a trap. Either way, the Gothitelle began to speak.

 _"Once upon a time, a man stumbled upon a injured Gothita in a land far away from here. He took it in, and nursed it back to health. The Pokémon was happy and thankful for the man's kindness, and so in turn she never left his side. She returned his kindness with loyalty."_ Hazel began softly, her words brushing against Hazel's mind in a manner that seemed so loving. Intimate, almost...Before suddenly Amanda clutched her head in agony, feeling something clawing through her brain itself as she fell to the ground.

 _"The Gothita spent many years with the man, becoming his most faithful servant. She became stronger and evolved twice during those many years. And no matter what happened, her Trainer showered her with kindness and love. But that blinded her, you see. The man had cast a veil over her eyes and hid his true nature away from her...And when she discovered the terrible secrets he held, he expected her to follow in his footsteps."_

"W-what...What was his true nature?" Amanda asked in a whisper, with the Gothitelle shutting her eyes.

 _"That man was a monster. A person who lured in others with his kindness and killed them. But he was clever, and hid his tracks well. And when the Gothitelle found out the truth of what he did...She joined him in the acts of murder. Because she loved her Trainer and was very loyal to him. These people were playthings to her Trainer, and so they weren't worth keeping alive. With every death, her soul become darker and more twisted, until she was just as horrible as the man himself."_

 _"The worst part...Is that she_ enjoyed _it. The man had been sculpting his own loyal Gothitelle into a monster as well, and she loved every moment of it. Even though she knew how terrible it was, she did everything he asked with a smile. Until finally...The Gothitelle realized that she was never a partner to the man. No. She was a mere puppet. And so finally, after many years...The puppet broke her strings."_

 _"And that was where the man's story ends...and our story begins, Amanda Faerun."_

Hazel opened both of her now-glowing eyes, and Amanda screamed as the pressure returned. The girl's screams were suddenly cut off as she felt a force knock the air out of her lungs and fire burned through her limbs, making tears run down her face as the Gothitelle beamed at her anguish.

 _"Violence in a cycle, little girl. Those who have had dark things done to them shall become dark and continue that cycle of darkness. It takes a truly powerful person to stop that cycle of hate. But where's the fun in that?"_ Hazel whispered as she increased her pressure, making the girl shut her eyes and almost beg for the Gothitelle to put her out of her misery.

 _"My Trainer can't hurt anyone else anymore. I'm free...Free to do whatever I want. And so I shall. But why should I have to do any of this alone?"_ Hazel asked as she released Amanda, her smile becoming practically demonic. Amanda tried to turn around and run away, stumbling due to the pain she was in, but made it as far as the edge of the clearing before she was suddenly pulled to the ground. Amanda rolled onto her back and looked down to see a shadow connecting her and Hazel, just like before.

 _"You won't be able to escape me. And without a Pokémon or any weapons, I won't have to worry about you killing me. And rest assured, if you act unruly, I can make what I just did seem like fun."_ Hazel said sweetly, shutting her eyes.

 _"I'd recommend getting some sleep. I have plans for you soon, and you'll need it."_ Hazel whispered, sighing softly before seemingly falling asleep.

Amanda stared at the Gothitelle for a time before she sighed shakily, trying to keep herself calm. What did Hazel mean when she said that their story would begin? That she had...plans for Amanda? The girl was scared, hurt, and alone.

"I miss my friends...I miss my family...I miss Avis…" the blonde-haired girl whispered, pressing her face against the grass and curling into a ball.

Amanda cried herself to sleep that night, knowing that it was helpless to do anything else. She couldn't run away. She couldn't get the help of any passing stranger or Pokémon even if she could escape, for fear that they too would meet a terrible fate.

So Amanda fell into despair, knowing that she was within a monster's clutches with no way out.

* * *

 _ **Taken away from all that you cared about, you became a plaything of a monster. A tool to be used by a creature of evil, born from the darkness within the hearts of humanity.**_

* * *

Amanda had fought quite hard against Hazel today, putting up the most fight yet in her six months as the Gothitelle's captive. Hazel had just slaughtered a group of young Trainers near her hometown of Cherrygrove City, and it somehow drove the true unfairness of her situation home for her.

And so she struggled. And fought for all she was worth. And even though the results of her defiance would have horrific consequences for her, it was worth it just to slap that smile off of Hazel's face for just a moment.

 _"STOP STRUGGLING!"_ Hazel snarled as she slammed Amanda into the dirt, her face contorted in a deadly scowl. "Every moment you're conscious, I have to battle against your will. Why can't you just have some fun?"

"I'd rather die than spend another moment with you!" Amanda screamed back, her expression furious as she struggled to break free from her bonds. "I can't stand it! You're an evil monster who doesn't have a heart!"

Hazel's scowled deepened and a moment later, Amanda felt something clawing through her mind as Hazel's eyes burned dark blue, with every ounce of the Gothitelle's power hitting her mind at once. Amanda screamed as loud as should could as her eyes flew open, knives embedding themselves into her mind as Hazel slowly walked over to her, her scowl slowly fading into a smile.

" _Maybe...I can be a bit more direct in this. My old Trainer was a very intelligent man. And as such, he taught me many things about Pokémon and Human minds. I wonder...if after some tinkering, I could make you listen to me better?"_ Hazel whispered, her smile widening to a maddening extent. Amanda didn't reply, but twitched with each lance of pain to her brain, with each burst of agony followed by a chilling sensation through her body. After one particular brutal burst of pain during an eternity of torture, Hazel finally spoke.

 _"Oh? Now that was an interesting reaction. Maybe if I…"_ Amanda could hear Hazel musing aloud before Amanda suddenly blacked out…

When she came to, she felt incredibly cold. She had a massive headache, and her body felt oddly sensitive. Amanda slowly pushed herself up off of the ground and saw Hazel standing above her, beaming down at her. Oddly enough, Amanda felt absolutely none of the anger that she had felt before. Just... _nothing_.

 _"That's better...Now, let's go. That was tiring, so let us find a place to rest."_ Hazel whispered as she used Psychic to pull the girl upright. With a dazed nod, Amanda walked behind the Gothitelle, trying to gather her wits. The now-redhead, her blonde hair dye having faded ages ago, tried to ponder just what the Gothitelle had done. The last thing she remembered was her finally snapping at the Gothitelle. And then everything went black.

 _"How do you feel?"_ Hazel asked Amanda quietly, her smile wavering slightly as she glanced at her captive.

"I don't...know?" Amanda murmured, as the Gothitelle picked her up with her Psychic powers. She never understood why the odd creature did this instead of letting her walk normally. It's not like she had any choice, thanks to the Hazel's Shadow Tag ability keeping her shackled to the Gothitelle.

Finally, after several mores hours of travel, they had arrived at an acceptable location to set up camp for the night. A small clearing surrounded by large trees. Hazel nodded in satisfaction and released Amanda, who collapsed onto the ground with a sigh of relief as Hazel finally let her go. She knew that the monster's power wouldn't allow her to flee, but any moment where she was not under directly control of the Astral Body Pokémon was worth savoring to her.

 _"You humans never fail to intrigue me. Truly."_ Hazel remarked as she sat down on the ground, shutting her eyes. _"How you all gained such prominence and influence in the world is beyond me. I'll have to continue picking through your mind further."_

Amanda didn't reply, not having the energy to be confused by the odd statement. But instead shakily got to her feet and began setting up camp for herself. Thankfully the Gothitelle had allowed her to gather some simple comforts for the road. Though, these comforts were stolen from the supplies of the Trainers that the Gothitelle had slain, so they didn't really comfort Amanda that much. Regardless, the girl munched on a granola bar with a sigh of relief as the Gothitelle left her alone. The entire time Hazel stared at her with her usual creepy grin, looking almost triumphant.

"Why are you so happy today?" Amanda asked warily, curling her legs in and resting her chin on them. The Gothitelle laughed softly as her eyes burned dark blue. Amanda gasped as her head suddenly spiked with pain, with the girl collapsing onto the ground.

 _"Because, my friend...Today is a wonderful day for you to suffer."_ Hazel said gently, with Amanda clutching her skull as she rolled around in agony. Amanda could feel once again the sensation of something clawing, tearing through her mind as if Hazel was searching for something…Amanda shut her eyes and did everything she could to resist. Her efforts to throw off the Psychic-type were muddled and confused, but they were enough to earn a groan of annoyance from the rogue Gothitelle.

 _"Why do you resist me!? Humans are capable of so much evil. If I could make you understand, I could all sorts of fun with you!"_ Hazel snarled mentally, with the pressure increasing.

 _"Is it cowardice!? Your youth? Simple defiance? I don't understand...But I will tear you apart until I do!"_ Hazel promised as Amanda felt a awful chill creep down her body,

"What...What did you just do to me?" Amanda whispered, shivering uncontrollably. Hazel clutched her own head, though she wore a maniacal grin on her face the entire time.

 _"That should have made you a bit more compliant."_ Hazel said tiredly, shutting her eyes and exhaling softly. _"I pushed myself too far though."_

"What did you do to me!? W-what are you trying to accomplish here!?" Amanda asked, frustration in her voice. Oddly enough, she didn't feel any of the usual fear that she should have felt when addressing Hazel. Especially in such a raised voice. To her credit, Hazel giggled in response and gave Amanda a warm smile.

 _"You poor girl...Fine. I'll explain what I've been trying to do the past few months we've been traveling together."_ Hazel said softly, her smile becoming less warm and more deranged.

 _"I keep you alive because wandering the roads alone is boring. I want to kill everything I can before I eventually meet my end. I was sculpted to be a weapon by my Trainer, and so that is what I am now. And I wish to do the same to you, so I can understand why my Trainer did it to me. And also…_ " Hazel's smile vanished completely, replaced with a completely dull expression.

 _"I'm a monster. And I enjoy killing. I enjoy making others suffer. And having a pawn I can make suffer and keep me company sounds and is a wonderful comfort to me. And with some work, I'll make you just as terrible as me. I have all the time in the world to make you into my perfect little weapon against the world."_ Hazel explained to Amanda, who's eyes shot open in horror and disgust.

The pressure vanished from Amanda and she collapsed onto the ground, shaking violently. She shut her eyes, clutching her head and twitching in pain as Hazel sighed with exhaustion.

 _"I'm tired. My efforts to mold you were clumsy and took more out of me than I thought. We'll rest here for a day or two and then proceed onward."_ Hazel said as she shut her eyes, leaving Amanda to wonder what other horrible truths would be revealed to her as long as she was shackled to the side of the insane Gothitelle.

The next two days passed without incident, though things took a turn for the worst when they were setting up camp that next evening. Amanda was sitting besides a fire that Hazel had allowed her to set up, when she heard a rustling sound from nearby. Amanda tensed and Hazel opened a single eye, weary from dragging Amanda along and tormenting her mind as she usually did.

Suddenly, a teenage boy stumbled out of the trees and into the campsite, glancing around for a moment before looking at Amanda. He was a lanky boy with long brown hair, perhaps about a year older than she was. On his shoulders was a Butterfree. He gave her a grin and said, "Heya. Name's Luke. You mind if I crash here with ya?"

Amanda blinked twice before saying, "Huh?"

Luke rolled his eyes and said slower, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I would like to request I stay in your little campsite for the night. I suck at making fires, you've got a fire, and I'll go away in the morning."

Amanda shut her eyes for a moment, trying to think of a way to warn Luke about the psychopath holding her hostage or the fact that he would be in danger himself if he stayed nearby. Instead, she felt her body stiffen, and she began to speak without any control over her words.

"Sure, why not? Just don't be too noisy. My Gothitelle needs her sleep." Amanda spoke, shock and horror filling her as a certain someone she knew manipulated her words. Luke thanked her and began setting up his own camp, leaving Amanda to try and figure out what had just happened.

 _"I'm getting better at this."_ Hazel whispered smugly as Amanda glanced at her, the girl hearing the amusement in the Astral Body Pokémon's voice. _"That wasn't even a full Psychic attack. Simply extending a tendril of thought into your damaged mind is allowing me some control over your motor functions."_

 _"Damaged mind?"_ Amber thought, bewildered. Last time she checked she was definitely still sane. She chalked it up to the psychotic Gothitelle being psychotic and decided to shut her eyes, hoping that Luke would get a clue and run for her life before Hazel decided to slaughter him out of boredom.

"So...the name's Luke Lokoni. From New Bark Town." The teen said cheerily, propping himself on his elbows while watching Amanda as she stared at the fire. She ignored the pang within her at that. Her friends had been from that town as well. Amanda opened her mouth to give him her name in reply, but heard Hazel whisper to her, _"No. Don't use your real name."_

 _"Why?"_ Amanda asked warily, thinking at the creature.

 _"Names have power, my friend. How about...Amber? Amber Fontaine. Having a name different from your actual one will be useful to have, I imagine. Now tell answer his question, or else."_ Hazel said to the girl, who sighed and nodded.

"I'm Amber Fontaine." The girl replied sullenly, with the boy snorting in amusement.

"That's...heh, some name. Well, what brings you out to this neck of the woods?" Luke asked trying to get comfortable in his sleeping back. Amanda glanced over at the Gothitelle, staring at her for a few moments before glancing back at Luke, who's Butterfree was napping on top of him now.

"Can't say. Top secret." Amanda deadpanned, earning a scoff from the teen. She had the impression that her weak responses to his questions were somewhat off putting to him, but as tired and in pain as she was, she couldn't really care less.

"Right, right. Well...Whatever. Thanks for letting me crash here." Luke said awkwardly, somewhat thrown off by the remark. The teen burrowed into his sleeping bag and sighed, shutting his eyes.

 _"I'm not allowed to have anything nice while you're tormenting me, huh?"_ Amanda asked Hazel, who opened a single eye. _"I'm alone. In pain. And stuck with you...You're the worst."_

 _"You know, I actually do like the name Amber more than your original name."_ Hazel remarked as she chuckled softly. _"I believe some would call this a false identity? Regardless, you have left your old life behind. I think I'll just start calling you Amber now, my little friend."_

 _"Call me whatever you want, so long as you leave me out of your twisted plans."_ Amanda grunted, her eyes slowly drooping from the exhaustion of the day.

 _"Now where's the fun in that, Amber?"_ Hazel whispered with a giggle, her eyes opening slightly as they glowed a harsh blue color. Amanda stiffened as pain wracked her body, with the girl silently standing up from her position like a puppet being animated by its master. She could feel Hazel's influence spreading through like a plague, now. She didn't know how, but she understood what the Gothitelle had been doing all this time. Amanda's movement was jerky at first, but became smoother as the girl walked over to the pack on the ground that she had dropped earlier.

 _"My Trainer believed in the ability to control a person through their minds using psychic abilities. Complete control. Should enough of a bond be formed between a human and a Pokémon, the two will become stronger through said bond. You're weak...So I'll give you my strength."_ Hazel said happily as she made Amanda fumble through the pack before she found what she was looking for. Amanda slowly pulled out a worn switchblade that had been scavenged just days ago, and her eyes widened in horror.

 _"No...Nononononono! You can't!"_ Amanda internally screamed as her body slowly turned around to face the sleeping form of Luke. The teen's Butterfree slowly stirred as the girl put one foot in front of the other, knife slowly rising into the air.

 _"The first kill of many...Don't you see, my friend...I want you to be my tool of destruction. I want death. But why walk the road alone?"_ Hazel asked as Amanda walked towards the unsuspecting Luke. The girl, to her horror, could feel the bloodlust radiating from whatever control the Gothitelle had over her. Amanda could feel the emotions of hatred and twisted amusement burning through her, driving her to put one foot in front of the other. She wasn't scared of what she was doing, no. But she knew it was a horrible thing to do the tried her best to fight it.

 _"Please! Stop it! I'll do anything, just don't...make me...do this!"_ Amanda begged as the Gothitelle cackled mercilessly in her mind.

But she couldn't. Hazel was too strong, and was too skilled at manipulating Amanda's body and brain with her powers. As Amanda stood above the boy, Luke's Butterfree twitched and looked up at Amanda in surprise, only for a blast of Psychic to suddenly smash into the Pokémon and send it twitching into the grass.

"Huh...W-wha?" Luke mumbled, rolling over as his eyes flickered open. He saw Amanda standing over him, a switchblade in her trembling hands as a Gothitelle stood over her shoulders with a demonic grin.

Amanda couldn't help the sob that escaped her as she brought the knife down, with Luke's eyes widening in horror. The girl felt Hazel's sickening glee as Amanda ended the young man's life and drove the blade home...

And with that, she committed the very first of many strikes against her soul.

* * *

 _ **Your first kill...It's effects still linger within you to this day. You cried and struggled and fought against your captor, but to no avail. This was the first step towards the destruction of the girl once known as Amanda Faerun.**_

* * *

A year. A full year since she had fallen under the control of Hazel.

Amanda fought as hard as she could all the while, but Hazel would not be denied. How did a human truly fight against someone who had complete and utter control of your body and mind in ways that seemed like something out of a nightmare?

The answer was that you couldn't.

And so they wandered the region of Johto, cutting down anyone that stood in their way. Or rather, anyone that happened to wander into their path. All the while, the rogue Gothitelle would continue to mentally pick at Amanda's mind, tweaking and and adjusting whatever she felt like doing. And there was nothing Amanda could do about it.

Over time, she began to truly understand just what the Gothitelle was doing to her. Slowly but surely, began to lose interest in the small things she had used for positive reinforcement to her situation. Seeing the ocean no longer brought a smile to her face. The sight of a new wild Pokémon no longer excited her. And the tantalizing possibility of escape seemed like an impossibility.

Amanda understood after a while what had happened. Slowly but surely, the Gothitelle was tearing down the person she was before meeting her. Amanda Faerun was slowly dying, and being replaced with someone else. Someone who wouldn't care about hurting others. Someone who was a demented killing machine just like Hazel. And it was a long, long painful journey.

Tonight had brought them into the company of a rather large Hiker who kindly allowed them to share in his food and campfire. Amanda enjoyed the taste of baked beans and bacon for the first time in years, savoring the taste of the meat in particular. She remained quiet when the man asked her questions about herself and about the smiling Gothitelle by her side.

When it came time for them to sleep, Amanda rose from the ground and prepared to kill as Hazel took control of her body using her psychic powers. However, she had accidentally kicked a rock as she took her first step, waking up the Hiker and drawing his attention to her.

"W-what...what are you doing!?" the Hiker yelped, seeing Amanda advance towards her with knife. Hazel blinked in surprise, losing brief control for a moment.

"Run! She's crazy and she wants to use me to kill you!" Amanda shouted before Hazel regained control and she was forced into silence. The Hiker put two and two together and scowled, drawing out two Poké Balls.

"No worries, missie. I'll take care of this!" the Hiker barked, calling out a Machoke and a Graveler. Hazel chuckled as the Machoke stomped towards her, only for Hazel to move Amanda's body in front of her as a human shield. The Machoke stopped in its tracks for a moment, which was all Hazel needed to knock it out with a Psybeam.

The Graveler proved to be more difficult, using Rock Blast to force Hazel to dodge the attack while keeping control of Amanda. The girl didn't know why, exactly. It wasn't like the Hiker could beat Hazel with just a Graveler, and she couldn't escape because of Shadow Tag being in effect.

" _I still can't believe she took almost a year to explain how she kept me from escaping her."_ Amanda grumbled internally as Hazel was hit by a barrage of rocks, knocking her backwards with a snarl of pain. Finally, Hazel released Amanda and put her full effort into the fight, a sinister grin on her face as the Graveler attacked with Rock Blast again. Hazel halted the next wave of rocks coming at her and threw them back at the Hiker, who cried out as he tried to dodge one of the rocks, only for one of them to clip his hand.

 _"It's fascinating to see how far you've come, my darling little Amber."_ Hazel murmured as she dispatched the man's Graveler with a second Psyshock, looking slightly annoyed at the effort it was taking her to deal with the Rock-type. _"In another time, you'd be cowering on the ground and begging for someone to save you. It isn't like you to just stand there."_

"What's the point? You're just going to kill him anyway." Amanda replied dully, crossing her arms. If anything, she was almost bored with the display. Seeing it again and again had made her nearly numb to the terrible plights of the victims Hazel killed in her rampage of Johto. Though Amanda wasn't sure if her slowly breaking psyche helped things.

"S-stop! Please, I don't want any trouble!" the Hiker yelled, returning his defeated Pokémon and trying to run. However, Hazel's Shadow Tag stopped the man in his tracks much like the many times Amanda had tried to escape, making the man fall to the ground. The Hiker stumbled to his feet, his eyes dilated with terror as Hazel's eyes burned with power. Amanda gasped as her body began to move of its own accord, every muscle on fire and surging with an indescribable pain that had become so familiar to her.

Instead, she flipped the blade in her grasp and hurled it. The blade sank into the man's back and downed the Hiker with a howl of pain, with Amber's body slowly walking towards the man, Hazel striding alongside her.

 _"My ability to manipulate your finer motor control is improving...Now finish the job."_ Hazel whispered happily, with the girl reaching down and yanking out the blade, making the man scream out in agony. She then brought down the blade and ended his life. Another stain on her soul. Another crack on her heart.

And yet...in the end all she felt was emptiness.

* * *

 _ **This was the true beginning of Amber Fontaine. The girl who was stripped of her humanity to become a soulless killing machine. Bit by bit, emotion by emotion, you were transformed into something else...something darker.**_

* * *

Olivine City was a bit of a mess, all things considered. Not because it was a bad place to be or the weather was bad. No, if anything, Amber found the atmosphere relaxing and wished that she could be in the city under better circumstances. Before all of this, she enjoyed being near the ocean, having lived alongside it most of her life in Cherrygrove City. Hearing the waves, smelling the salt in the sea air...She had missed it, in a way.

Instead she was in the middle of a police standoff.

Hazel hummed merrily as the officers outside barked commands from outside, ordering the Gothitelle to give up her hostages of the building that they had taken refuge in. At this point, however, it was only her and Amber left alive inside of the building. Hazel had Amber kill them herself, not that the police knew that she wasn't exactly a hostage in this scenario, but an unwilling accomplice.

 _"I wonder how long it'll take for them to actually come in her themselves."_ Hazel mused as Amber leaned against a wall, sighing softly. _"Oh come now, don't sulk. It's hardly becoming of you, Amber."_

"Can't we just be done with this? You're just wasting my time now." Amber asked dully. Hazel rolled her eyes, laughing softly.

 _"It's so fascinating. Two years of playing around in your mind and this is what happens. You're almost boring now! At least back then you put up a fight."_ Hazel whined, with Amber scowling at her, annoyed at the direction this conversation was going. Mainly because it was one that had occurred several times.

 _"You destroyed everything I was. I'm not even me anymore. And there's no point in fighting...I don't have a way to stop you, so instead I'm just going to try as little as possible and pray someone finally manages to kill one of us at some point. If it's you, then I'm free. If it's me, then I'm out of your grasp forever."_ Amber said dully as a loud boom echoed through the building.

"And there's my cue!" Hazel sang as two officers barged into the room with their sidearms drawn, a Snubbull and a Granbull flanking them. Hazel used Psychic to drag Amber close to her, making it seem like she was using the girl as a hostage. The officers hesitated, and with that Hazel sent both of them careening into the wall with a Psychic attack. The Pokémon looked back at their Trainers with concern, and Hazel dispatched them both with relative ease. The Gothitelle drifted forward to finish them off, leaving Amber to her thoughts.

Seeing Hazel go wild was absolutely horrifying in an earlier time, but Amber had stopped being scared a long time ago. It was business as usual, at this point. Sometimes, Hazel would drum up a bit of a spectacle so that they could make a show out of it. Amber knew it was so she could kill more people, though.

"Psychopath…" Amber muttered darkly as the Gothitelle walked back towards her.

 _"You know, I'm the only one having fun here. You could cause some lovely chaos with that blade of yours. You've come so far, my friend. Why not show it?"_ Hazel said as she and Amber made their way of the office that they were hiding in. Amber continued to think about what Hazel had said. How far she had come…

Several years had passed since the initial attack and her meeting with Hazel. Amanda had watched Hazel cut a path of destruction through Johto, to the point where Hazel the Gothitelle was making national headlines. By the end of Amanda's first year with Hazel, they had gone from small attacks in the wild to actively fighting the police. And yet Hazel's shrewdness allowed her to escape every time.

And all the while, Amanda was tortured by the Gothitelle. There really was no other word for it, really. Forced to kill again and again with no say in the matter, all the while having the Gothitelle subject her to psychic attacks and mental probes. She could feel the numbness of her feelings spread until it had become nearly all consuming. Eventually, she realized what Hazel had done. She was making her into someone new.

She hadn't felt like Amanda Faerun in a very long time. She longed for those days. The handful of emotions and feelings that she had been allowed to keep or managed to hang onto over the course of her imprisonment allowed her to remember what she had lost. And who she had become. She was Amber Fontaine, now. A tool for a monster who was damaged in a way that she didn't think she could come back from.

A scream broke Amber out of her thoughts, with Hazel falling to the ground as a Shadow Ball from a Gengar struck her from the ceiling. Several officers with assorted Pokémon stormed into the building from a side entrance that had been sealed off beforehand. They spotted Amber slowly getting up, grabbing her knife from where it fell.

"Get them!" one of the officers barked, with Hazel laughing as she sent a Psybeam their way. The Gothitelle engaged the officers and their partners, though one of the men charged at Amber, raising a large nightstick, making her sigh. So, this man would die by her hand then. Maybe she could let him kill her? That was a thought.

She jumped back to dodge the man, moving quicker than the man had any reason to suspect she could. The man swung and punched at Amber, who calmly ducked and dodged the attacks, feeling a slowly rising feeling of excitement within her. She had no idea where it was coming from. She hadn't felt like this in any of the other situations where she had fought other humans. It was as if all of the emotions she felt whenever Hazel was feelings when controlling Amber and making her kill, were now effecting her even without Hazel in control.

Amber tightened her grip on the knife in her hand, a small smile flickering onto her face. The blood lust, the pounding of her heart, the thrill of the hunt all roaring through her brain. She fought against it for a moment, but eventually she realized how much it made her excited. This was the most emotion she had felt in months, and so she decided to go with it and see where the emotions led her.

The officer swung his nightstick again at the young woman, who moved quicker than she thought possible and easily dodged the swing, ducking away from a backhanded swipe as well. Amber snorted in amusement at the man's confusion before she lashed out, going on the offensive, which meant slamming a fist into the officer's face and sending him crashing to the ground. The teen looked at her fist in surprise, and then down at the officer, who was clutching his broken jaw and spitting out blood.

"Did I do that?" Amber asked dumbly, blinking in confusion. She wasn't nowhere near that strong! What was going on? The man replied by looking up at her and aiming his pistol at her face. Instinct kicked in, making the teen promptly kick the firearm out of the officer's hand before pouncing on him with her knife, stabbing him deeply in the chest before ripping the blade free. Amber stood there as the man twitched and let out a death gurgle, the girl panting heavily with a bloodthirsty grin on her face. After she caught her breath, she put a hand to her head and allowed the shock to hit her.

"I...I enjoyed that." Amber whispered, looking down at her bloodied hands. "I killed him so easily. And it made me feel more alive than I've been in years."

 _"That's because I killed most positive emotions you possessed before."_ Hazel answered as she shakily rose to her feet, panting from how tired she was now and at the effort it took to knock out all of the Pokémon around her. _"Needless to say, my influence over you worked better than I thought. You'll be as bloodthirsty as me in no time."_

"How?" Amber asked as she hurled the blade at Hazel, who blasted it out of the air and threw Amber into the ceiling, dropping her painfully onto the ground in response.

 _"Because of how much I've bonded with you, despite how unwilling you were. My own thoughts and feelings have bled into your own. It's as simple as that. Throughout our time together, I have used my powers to give you my strength so that we can terrorize these fools and claim their lives."_ Hazel said quietly, smiling proudly at the young woman. _"And you're learning well, my little Amber. That was the first time you've killed without me helping you."_ Hazel whispered as the Gothitelle guided Amber out of the street with her hand on the human's shoulder.

"What...How? I'm not that strong. And those... _feelings_." Amber asked the Gothitelle as the Pokémon glanced down the street. More police cars were heading down the street, with the Gothitelle scowling.

 _"We don't have the time for conversation like this. But if you must know, the real reason I subjected you to so much pain was to test another theory by my old Trainer."_ The Gothitelle began to explained, a bloodthirsty grin appearing on her face before she said, _"Shut your eyes."_

Amber did just that as a wicked flash of light erupted from the eyes of the Gothitelle, blinding the officers speeding down towards them and making them swerve off of the road into nearby buildings. Hazel shook her head several times as Amber opened her eyes again, bemused at the wreckages rather than disgusted or horrified. In another time, she'd be screaming in horror. Now? What was there to be freaked out about? She had done worse herself, thanks to Hazel.

Instead she just stood there and watched the Gothitelle pick off the survivors with a detached feeling of awe. She wondered if Avis would have been able to grow that powerful if she had continued as a Pokémon Trainer.

All too soon, the Gothitelle turned towards her and beamed, her eyes glowing blue and hitting Amber with Psychic. The girl winced as her body shrieked in agony, but she was almost used to the pain at this point. No screaming out, no tears. It was pain. How was it any different than the hundreds of other attacks she had endured?

 _"You've become stronger, my little Amber. My old Trainer had a theory that I've slowly been testing the past few years, on top of my attempts to turn you into a subservient puppet. When a human becomes stronger through exercise, they tear apart their muscles, yes? Those muscles then repair themselves and become stronger. With my powers, I have been attacking those muscles and forcing them to tear apart and weaken, but come back stronger. That is why you were able to harm that man with ease, despite being your stature and weakness before."_ Hazel explained, though her smile dipped slightly.

"But you also wanted to torment me, as well as corrupt my mind," Amber stated in a bored tone, gritting her teeth as the pain increased. Hazel nodded, giggling softly.

 _"With each kill, the soul breaks a little more. It doesn't matter if you're in control or not, the damage is done regardless. And I believe that as many times as I've talked with you and controlled your body, my dark mind has been affecting your own. Don't deny it...Despite yourself, you enjoyed killing that man back there."_ Hazel crooned, walking forward as Amber floated beside her.

"So this is what you meant…" Amber whispered,

And if every bit of pain she was going through made her stronger...then maybe someday she would become stronger enough to break free of the chains that shackled her to Hazel.

Revenge...That was a goal to work towards, wasn't it?

* * *

 _ **You became stronger through means even I don't think I could replicate. To think that such a deranged creature would have figured out a way to force a human to become stronger in such a manner…but it wasn't worth it, I feel. All of that extra pain and suffering was not worth your abnormal physical abilities.**_

 _ **But that wasn't all that she did. As much as you tried to fight against her…you ended up enjoying yourself after long enough. The blood lust and sadistic nature of Hazel soon bled over to you, just as she had intended.**_

 _ **And then he saved you.**_

* * *

" _You've come so far, my little puppet."_

"..."

"No words? You've been much more silent as of late. That said...I have destroyed your ability to feel any of the emotions that would make you snark back to me." Hazel remarked pleasantly, to which Amber remained silent.

After all...She didn't want to give Hazel the satisfaction of a response.

Amber didn't even know why she was bothering. The Gothitelle had won. Amber was nothing more than a plaything for the Astral Body Pokémon. An instrument of destruction that had been carefully desecrated, with much of her humanity being systematically destroyed in an attempt to make the perfect killer.

" _This is my life...I will kill. I will kill, and then I will eventually be killed. And it'll be a mercy."_ Amber thought to herself, not even caring if the thoughts reached Hazel or not. The Psychic-type was simply using a probe of thought to guide Amber along the path.

" _Perhaps...But I'll never let you go, my friend."_ Hazel whispered, beaming at the captive teen as they walked along the snowy path. It was winter in Johto, and they had just left Mahogany Town just yesterday. Amber wore a thick coat that was two sizes too small for her as her only real protection from the cold, but despite that she barely felt it. After so long...She felt nothing.

 _"Blackthorn City is quite nice this time of year. We can claim quite a few new victims there before moving on. I'll have to look into new ways for you to do your work, my friend."_ Hazel said lightly as she gathered a small amount of the falling snow into a ball. She tossed it up and down before throwing it a short distance away, smiling wider.

It had been a merciless cycle. Travel, kill, flee, repeat. Travel, kill, flee, repeat. They had traveled all around Johto over the past three years, leaving a swath of death wherever they went.

Amanda, or rather Amber, had become powerful in that time. The repeated exposure to the insane Gothitelle's psychic powers had made her much physically stronger than she had any right to be. She could hit harder, move quicker and for longer periods of time, and even the pain she felt was muted. But that all came at the cost of the torture she had gone through. Her muscles and mind being constantly prodded and manipulated by a psychotic creature that only wished for bloodshed. She had grown up on top of that, becoming a young woman during the past few torturous years.

They had become a perfect team, however. No one would suspect a quiet, beautiful girl like Amber to slaughter people in their sleep or break into buildings and sabotage machines and devices to explode, as well as many other destructive acts.

 _"Hmm...Travelers at this hour?"_

Amber snapped out of her thoughts and opened her eyes, seeing what the Gothitelle had been talking about. Ahead of them, a man in a suit and a thick winter cloak walked alone on the road, whistling a faint tune. Amber shut her eyes, trying to zone out and make the time pass by further. The man passed by them without a word, though that made Hazel speak again.

 _"Staying silent won't make this easier for you. It's so much easier to finally give in, my friend."_ Hazel said quietly, placing a hand on Amber's shoulder.

"If I had the feeling of hate anymore...I'd tell you that a loathe you." Amber said aloud, making the Gothitelle burst into laughter.

" _Well, it's too bad you can't feel anymore. But I like it that way. I can have all the suffering for myself!"_ Hazel proclaimed, throwing her arms up and preparing to hug Amber.

"Damien? If you would?" came a smooth voice from behind them.

Amber felt the a wave of heat behind her before Hazel let out a scream of pain as a torrent of flames slammed into her. The Gothitelle was knocked away from Amber, which had the effect releasing the young woman from the Psychic-type's embrace. Amber fell into the snow, gasping for breath and clutching her head as she shut her eyes.

"Good call, Partner. Looks like she was being manipulated by that thing...Are you okay?" came a firm male voice. Amber opened her eyes and saw a man standing in front of her, a massive Houndoom standing protectively in front of him. The man looked back at Amber with a look of concern on his face. He was several years older than her, with stormy gray eyes and neat black hair. He wore a clean cut suit and a thick winter cloak over his shoulders.

"I'm...no." Amber replied with a whisper, shaking her head. The man frowned before turning his attention back to Hazel, who had risen back to her feet, scowling with fury before her expression smoothed.

 _"Foolish…"_ Hazel whispered as she smiled, projecting her thoughts outward before releasing a barrage of rocks from above via Rock Slide.

"Damien, Faint Attack! Follow up with Dark Pulse!" the man barked as he leapt back to avoid the rocks falling from above. Damien's body flickered black as he dashed forward across the snow, dodging the attacks and drawing closer to the rogue Gothitelle and slamming into her and making her yell out in pain. Damien followed up by releasing a cross-crossing beam of darkness from his maw, sending the Gothitelle screaming to the ground at the super-effective attack. Amber watched in silence, still in disbelief that this was happening. That someone was helping her deal with the evil Gothitelle that had all but enslaved her for the past 4 years.

"Who are you? Why are you helping me?" Amber whispered as the black-haired man helped her to her feet. The man offered her a smile in return.

"My name is Ashton. That Houndoom is Damien, my best friend and my Partner. And I'm helping you because you were in trouble. And helping people is what I do." The man replied with a small smile before he returned his attention to the battle, where Hazel was knocked back by Damien's Flamethrower. The man's expression hardened as he saw the battle progress.

Hazel suddenly shot out a torrent of toxic liquid from her throat, coating Damien in the substance. While the Houndoom snarled in pain, he was suddenly blasted with a massive Hyper Beam from the Gothitelle, knocking him down and dazing him, which gave the Psychic-type a reprieve. Hazel gasped for breath as she recharged, with Damien stunned for a moment and trying to gather his bearings after such a brutal attack.

 _"You will fall by my hand!"_ Hazel declared as she lashed out with her hands after a short time had passed, shattering the ground and snow and sending it towards Damien, who replied with a scorching torrent of fire from the ground. Hazel used her psychic powers to float away from the flames, turning her attention to Ashton and Amber. The Gothitelle's smile widened as she raised a hand in their direction-

Only for an strange green bird to suddenly flicker into existence behind her and tackle the Astral Body Pokémon out of the sky, sending her into a snowdrift. The bird cawed angrily before teleporting in front of Amber, hugging her tightly with its wings.

 _"Amanda! I missed you so much!"_ The bird cried out, with Ashton looking confused.

"Do you know this Xatu?" Ashton asked Amber, which looked at the strange bird for a few moments before it suddenly hit her.

"Avis...is that you?" Amber asked quietly, knowing that she should have been relieved and happy to see the bird again. However, she felt nothing.

 _"Yes I...Your eyes. They're empty."_ Avis whispered, her eyes tearing up as she looked at Amber. _"W-what did that thing_ do _to you?"_

"I can't even explain...But she destroyed me. I'm not the person I used to be...I'm Amber now." The redhead replied quietly, putting a hand on the bird's head and patting it. She felt nothing in the gesture, but she knew that her old friend and Partner would appreciate it."How are you here?"

 _"I've followed you for a long time. Watching. Waiting. Growing in strength by fighting the wildlife. I knew I could never beat Hazel on my own. So I eventually decided to strike at her weakest moment. And that is now."_ Avis explained to her Trainer, receiving a nod in response.

 _"Stay down!"_

Amber and Avis looked ahead and saw that Hazel was being forced back by the ferocious Houndoom, which had succeeded in burning the Gothitelle badly. However, the poison was wearing him down and Amber knew that the canine couldn't last forever.

"We should help him." Amber said quietly, walking over to Ashton. Avis flew in front of her, wings outstretched.

 _"No! It's too dangerous! We should teleport away and get as far away from here as possible."_ Avis pleaded with her Trainer. However, they were both surprised when Ashton spoke up.

"Besides, we don't need help. Me and Damien have faced far worse than an rogue Gothitelle. Let's show them our strength." Ashton said with a scowl, leaning forward as his eyes changed colors. Now they were a darker shade of blue, as opposed to the gray they were before. "Now, use Dark Pulse!"

Damien replied by firing off massive swirling vortex of raw darkness, which the Gothitelle barely managed to dodge by throwing itself into the snow. The Psychic-type stumbled to its feet and tried to use Psychic on the hellhound, putting all of her strength into sending away the canine, but Damien was completely unaffected and dashed forward, blasting the Astral Body Pokémon into the snow with a plume of fire.

"Damien...Kill." Ashton ordered the canine, the command sounding familiar and cold. The Houndoom merely responded by increasing the power of the flames that spewed from his mouth, which became a deadly torrent of white and blue flames. Hazel screamed in agony and tried to stem the tide of fire with her powers, but found that she encountered resistance. Another force was fighting her efforts, which, combined with her weakened state, meant she couldn't escape the flames.

Hazel let out a shriek as her powers completely gave out and she was incinerated by the deadly flames, which Amber and Avis watched with satisfaction. Avis' eyes glowed like beacons, having been the main reason that the Gothitelle couldn't save herself from the attack.

"It's been a long time since we've taken a life." Ashton said quietly as Damien ceased his efforts, snorting with satisfaction at the burning crater he had made. Avis stopped her attack on the Gothitelle, sighing with relief.

"Is she dead?" Amber asked softly, staring at the burning mess ahead of them as she hugged herself. Ashton opened his mouth to reply when Avis suddenly stiffened.

 _"She lives. Barely."_ Avis whispered, floating off towards the crater. Amber watched for a few moments before numbly following. The young woman and her Partner made their way to the pit, where they beheld the melted and marred body of the Gothitelle that had caused so much suffering. Its face was contorted in a pained grimace, with one eye glaring at them both.

 _"May you rot forever, monster."_ Avis hissed at the creature, making it shiver and rasp for a moment before it wheezed weakly. Amber and Avis both felt a minute tendril of thought touch their minds, with Hazel staring directly into Amber's eyes as this happened.

 _"I will die. But that's okay. You'll always be Amber, my darling little puppet. My best...friend."_ Hazel whispered gleefully to the girl, giving her one last smile before she shut her eyes and exhaled her final breath.

Amber fell to her knees in the snow, shaking with an overwhelming and unidentifiable feeling rolling through her body. Even if she couldn't feel the emotion of joy or relief, she felt as if a terrible weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

 _"It's over. You're free, Amanda."_ Avis said quietly, hugging her Trainer with her wings. Amber shook her head, sighing heavily.

"No I'm not." Amber whispered in reply, making the Xatu jerk back in surprise. Amber looked up at the bird with a sad smile. "I'll never be free, so long as the scars remain. I'm barely alive, Avis. I'm a shell of who I used to be. Broken...I am a broken soul." Amber muttered, shivering slightly in the cold. Avis tightened her hug on Amber, who shut her eyes and took in the moment, while at the same time wondering what she would do next. What could she do next?

 _"What now?"_ Avis finally asked after a while, though all she received in response was silence from her long-lost Trainer.

"I don't know. We find a new path." Amber replied after a few minutes had passed, though she shook her head wearily. She had no idea what path that would be. With the amount of blood she had on her hands and the destruction of who she was before, there was no roads for her to walk down…

"You can come with me, if you'd like."

Amber and Avis looked at the dark-haired man that had helped them. He smiled warmly at the two of them, crossing his arms as Damien sat down on the ground beside him. Ashton chuckled and said, "I feel like it'd be pretty poor form to just leave you on your own. Besides, I've got to know the full story here. Let me take you back to my place back in Kanto, at least until you recover. Being controlled like that isn't an easy thing to bounce back from."

"Why?" Amber asked hollowly. "Why would you help me just like that? And what were you even doing down this road to begin with?"

"Because it's the right thing to do. This world is a harsh and terrible place at times. It's up people like me to help those who cannot protect themselves from the evil of this world. I have power. I choose to use that power in a way that destroys evil. Does that make sense?" Ashton explained, his smile fading. Amber could sense there was more to his reasoning, but remained quiet. Instead she nodded, and Ashton offered her a hand. Amber stared at it for a time before she slowly grabbed it, allowing the man to pull her upright.

"Thank you. For everything." Amber said quietly as the man began walking down the path, with her and Avis following Ashton now. Damien nodded his head while Ashton began whistling once again.

 _"...You never answered why you were out here."_ Avis pointed out, with Ashton barking out a laugh in reply.

"It's a bit embarrassing, but...Would you believe it if I said that I really love this kind of weather and just wanted to enjoy a nice walk? No matter how much I hate my old home, I'm still an islander at heart. Seeing snow like this is sort of magical for me."

* * *

 _ **And from that day, you forged a pact. A bond between Ashton Aupuni and Amanda Faerun was formed that would change the world. He brought you back to civilization, to help you reclaim what you had lost. To help heal your broken mind and ruined soul.**_

 _ **But you were never able to regain your lost humanity, were you?**_

* * *

"Are you feeling well today, Mrs. Aupuni?"

"Just a bit under the weather, dear. I'll be okay."

Amanda nodded, her smile widening a bit in response. "Alright. Just let me know if there's any way I can help."

Laura Aupuni nodded from her chair, glancing down at her swollen belly before returning to her book as Amanda made her way quietly out of the room. The woman would be giving birth soon, and wasn't exactly doing great at the moment. Amanda walked through the opulent mansion, the sights of the home familiar to her.

It had been almost a year since she had been taken under the wing of Ashton Aupuni, a talented Trainer originally from Alola who had made his fortune all over the world. An investor and shareholder in some of the world's leading tech industries and a pioneer of his own right, Ashton was an immensely wealthy and powerful businessman and was only adding to that every day.

Amanda Faerun, having taken to being called by her old name again, was taken along for the ride. She was doted on by Ashton's wife, a cheerful woman named Laura, who was expecting a child any day now. Amanda assisted where she could and traveled with Ashton whenever he left the region on business.

During that time, he had taken to trying to help the girl improve her mental state. The man had even given her lessons on how to act like a normal person again, which at least allowed her to pretend she had emotions with decent enough success. However, she was still emotionally dead inside and felt little in the way of happiness despite the fact that she was free of Hazel's torture and influence.

The girl wandered through the mansion idly, taking in the opulence. Most of the pictures on the wall showed Ashton and his wife in various places around Kanto with their Pokémon, looking very happy to just be together.

Amanda didn't get it, but then again things like love didn't need to make sense anymore. Even though she had been freed of Hazel's control, she still couldn't feel emotions like she used to. The coldness and emptiness of life was almost unbearable at times. Yes, theoretically she could try and fill that void again with violence and bloodshed like she did with Hazel and block the emptiness out, and which had worked during her broken state in that awful period of time...But she was trying to get better. To become normal again. To become Amanda, and not Amber. She didn't want to kill anymore. She remembered the pain each death had inflicted on her very well.

Amanda's wandering eventually led her to Ashton's office, where he was mulling over a laptop with a smirk on his face. He looked up when his assistant entered his office without ceremony, blinking twice before smiling. "Amanda! Come in, come in. I thought you were reading?" Ashton asked as Amanda walked further into the room.

"I was, but then Laura came into the room and I didn't want to bother her. She's not feeling that great anyway, so I figured she could use the comfort of that room more than me right now. The baby's being pretty hard on her." Amanda said as she shook her head, shaking her dyed blonde hair. It was something she had taken to doing again before they had arrived in Kanto all those months ago, so that maybe she could help reclaim the personality she used to have. It comforted her as much as it could at this point, anyway. She may have been a natural redhead, but she always preferred being blond for some reason.

"She'll be fine. Laura is a very strong." Ashton said fondly, smiling widely now. "I have to admit, I'm actually really excited about this. I've...I've always wanted to be a Dad."

Damien snorted in amusement from the large cushion he was lounging on, earning a scowl from Borlath. "Yeah, I'll admit it! You were right, you mangy mutt!"

"You'll make a good father. You're very kind and Miss Laura is quite affectionate to those around her." Amanda said stoically, making Ashton smile wider at that. However, after a few moments the man frowned and leaned back in his chair.

"What about you, Amanda? How are you feeling? I made sure not to tell Laura any of what you mentioned to me about your experiences with Hazel. Just that you were a hurt girl in trouble that I decided to take in...Do you feel like you you're recovering at all?" Ashton asked the young woman, who took several moments of thought to respond.

"I feel a little better than I used to be. Some days I can feel flutters of positive emotion. Other flickers of random feelings. For the most part I just feel empty. _Cold_. It's horrible." Amanda responded quietly, leaning back in her chair. Ashton nodded, with Damien giving her a sympathetic expression.

Ashton sighed softly, running his hands through his short black hair. Amanda could tell the man was tired, but he did it well. She wondered what sort of secrets he hid within his soul. The brief snippets she had gained within the past year she had stayed with him in Kanto as an assistant were interesting, but she could sense there was more.

"What matters is that there's some kind of improvement. Even some of the world's best can't figure out how to fix such extreme brain damage. And getting another Psychic-type to rummage around in your mind is something you likely couldn't handle. You could possibly completely shut down if anything tried to mess around in your head again." Ashton said heavily, leaning forward in his chair and bridging his fingers.

"There's no other options? Living like this is...Almost unbearable. The emptiness is consuming me, Ashton. I'd almost rather die than keep living like this." Amanda said quietly, crossing her arms and shutting her eyes.

"Believe me, I know the feeling of wanting to end it all." Amanda's eyes snapped open in surprise at that, with Ashton's gaze looking upwards. "But I continue to survive. I continue to fight. And I promised a friend something, and I won't die until I fulfill that promise."

"What promise was that? And with whom?" Amanda asked out of curiosity, tilting her head in confusion.

Ashton lowered his gaze, an expression of sorrow on his face. His eyes changed color from gray to dark blue, which Amanda recognized as a sign of the man being sad about something. Even if she couldn't feel sadness, she at least recognized the emotion.

"My best friend from my old life. Back then, I was in a very dark place in life. I met so friends along my journey who helped me see the good in this world and showed me how powerful I really was inside. After a time, we encountered the true evil that lurked within the depths of Alola. We fought against them, and my friend lost his life." Ashton explained softly, his eyes becoming jet black.

"That was when I promised to become stronger. And use that strength to save this world."

Ashton opened his eyes, which were now gray again. He smiled weakly at Amanda and said, "I still continue that journey today, my friend. All of the money and resources and connections I have today are a result of that promise. I hope to enact change and reform to the broken systems of the world so that there isn't another incident like back in Alola or with Team Rocket here in Kanto."

"Sounds rather noble." Amanda admitted, with Ashton nodding.

"I'd like to hope so. We can't allow groups like Roman and his damn Ruby Raiders to form. We have to have stronger Pokémon Leagues that actually have an active role in the world to help prevent things like the destruction of Malie City or the Silph Co. takeover from happening. I could become Champion and lead the League myself, but that wouldn't solve anything." Ashton said to Amanda, who frowned.

"How so? Leading them yourself sounds like it'd solve _everything_. You've been a Champion before, haven't you? I know you relinquished the title shortly afterwards because of your business stuff, but I don't get why that wouldn't be used as a platform to enact change." Amanda said to Ashton, who sighed again.

"Because Alola doesn't have a Pokémon League, and as a result doesn't have a Champion. A protector who actually gives a damn about the citizens living there, unlike those demented gods that dwell there. And becoming the Kanto Champion only allows me to actively protect Kanto. My influence would be limited, and I would be shackled with responsibilities that would keep me in just Kanto, instead of traveling the world like I do trying to spread change. There's an entire world of criminals out there. A world that has shown me that there is no end to the evil out there. I don't want to save Kanto... _I want to save this world_. I want to save everyone." Ashton explained as he stood up, his eyes shining with passion. Amanda could tell that he truly believed what he was saying and his intentions were just.

"Well, I'm sure you'll figure something out." Amanda said with a shrug, making Ashton smirk.

"You know, you're included in _everyone_ , you know." Ashton remarked, making Amanda blink in surprise. Ashton's expression softened and became more serious. "If I can't save the mind of a single girl, then how can I save this world from the darkness within it?"

"No one can save me. I'm a freak, now. A soulless freak, thanks to Hazel." Amanda remarked with a note of bitterness as she looked at the floor, nearly shivering as a sliver of the emotion crept through her. She was glad she couldn't feel the emotion of despair or hopelessness, otherwise she'd probably be crying at the injustice of it all.

"Amanda...Look at me."

The blonde looked up and saw that Ashton had sat back down, but his arms were crossed now, with the large man leaning forward. "I will make a promise to you. Someday, somehow, I will find a way to return you back to normal. I will find a way to restore your empathy and humanity to you. I swear it."

Amanda just stared at the man in surprise for several moments, genuinely shocked by his sincerity. However, given what she knew about the man and his motivations, she knew it was an act of kindness from him. He was someone who wanted to help people. He wanted to help her out of the goodness of his heart.

"Very well...Then we will continue to share a bond then. In return, I'll help you however I can, I suppose." Amanda replied with an amused smile, making Ashton nod after a moment, though he too began to smile.

* * *

 _ **You tried in vain to become who you once were. You couldn't care. You felt almost nothing inside. You had been rescued from the clutches of a true monster, but you were too far gone to be saved. Ashton's promise however meant something to you...His kindness to you inspired loyalty to him as well.**_

 _ **And then...you rediscovered who you were. The tool of destruction that Hazel crafted so carefully to become the bane of humanity.**_

* * *

The day of days had come, with Laura being rushed to the hospital to deliver the child. Amanda had learned that it was to be a boy, and that Laura would be taken to the one of the best hospitals in the region, which luckily happened to be in Celadon City.

"Breath sweetie. Just breathe…" Ashton murmured, holding his wife's hand and trying to ignore the death grip she had his hand in.

"I...AM...breathing!" Laura hissed at him, making the man laugh nervously.

"Everything's going as well as could be." the doctor said in reply, looking at Ashton and Laura. Amanda lurked in the corner next to Damien, feeling distinctly uncomfortable. She wasn't about to leave, though. Ashton needed her support with something like this-

Suddenly, the room went dark and Laura gasped in surprise. The doctor glanced around the room in confusion while the group could hear several shouts and screams from nearby.

"What in the world?" The doctor yelled, glancing around. Ashton scowled at the annoyance, looking down at Laura worriedly. And then a voice began to speak on the P.A. system.

"ATTENTION ALL HOSPITAL PERSONNEL...We are experiencing a technical difficulty and have lost partial power to the facility. We should be able to have the lights back on momentarily. Until then, please remain calm until full power has been restored." a smooth voice said over the intercom.

"Administrator Chansen will have the lights back on in no time, don't you worry." the doctor said to Laura comfortingly, who suddenly began to moan in pain. Ashton looked incredibly worried, placing both hands over Laura's.

"You will get through this. I'm not leaving your side." Ashton promised, staring into his wife's eyes. Laura smiled weakly as Ashton kissed her, pressing his forehead against hers a moment later.

Just then, the door was kicked in and all of the adults yelled out as a man in black clutching a pistol barged into the room, a massive red R emblazoned on his chest. The man aimed his pistol at Ashton and grinned widely.

"Howdy, folks. This is a takeover for the hospital. We've come for Ashton Aupuni." The man said cheerily, with Laura looked worriedly at Ashton and then the gun aimed at her husband's head.

"Laura...remain calm. Focus on the baby. I've got this." Ashton said softly before he let go of his wife and calmly set his hands in his lap. "So...Team Rocket, huh? I thought you all disbanded after Red defeated Giovanni."

"Not quite true. But I won't spill the beans. I do know that we're looking for some charitable donations to our cause of world domination and that there's quite a few rich dudes hanging out in this hospital in various states of being hurt. So that's where we come in. If you would be so kind as to accompany us to a more...private location, we'd be happy to make a business transaction and let you go on your way." The Team Rocket Grunt remarked lightly, shifting his aim to Laura after a moment.

"I'm the one who want. Leave her out of this." Ashton growled, making the man chuckle.

"Not until I get what we want. We need money, and you've got plenty of it. Why do you think we stormed this place and cut the power?" the Team Rocket Grunt remarked gleefully, adding, "The best part is Executive Petrel made it so no one would even think to call to the the police. To most of the people here, this is just a blackout."

"Right...Well, now that I've determined why Team Rocket would be interested in trying to kidnap me...Damien, kill." Ashton said calmly, with the man blinking in confusion. The massive Houndoom that had been waiting in the shadow lunged at the man in black from his position next to the door, taking the criminal down to the ground and sinking his teeth into the man's neck, killing him as Damien shook his head back and forth. Ashton whirled around as Laura panted in pain, the stress of the situation getting to her.

"Laura, honey...please, just remain calm. Damien and I will make sure they don't get anywhere near you." Ashton vowed as he stroked his wife's hand, his eyes becoming yellow before returning to grey.

"How did a Team Rocket member get all the way here without any problems? Someone should have called security." Laura asked with a whine of pain.

"I've heard of Petrel before, actually. He's a master of disguise and can mimic people's voices with incredible accuracy. My guess is that Team Rocket captured the real Administrator and that was Petrel taking." the Doctor remarked, scowling at the thought.

"We...have to do something!" Laura said with a pained wince, shutting her eyes.

"Laura, focus on our son. He needs you." Ashton reminded his wife, looking torn and confused at what to do. Amanda stood up and called out Avis, who flared her wings.

"We'll investigate. See what's going on." Amanda said to Ashton, who nodded.

"Be careful." Ashton said to Amanda as the girl made her way out of the room. She exited the room and made her way down the darkened halls, squinting in the dakrness. After a few minutes of wandering around, she came across a bright wavering light ahead of her and she moved quicker to catch up to it. However, it turned out to be a Team Rocket Grunt standing beside a Hitmonlee and a Charizard.

"Hey! What are you doing here?" The man barked, pulling out a jagged knife and a black pistol with his other hand. Beside him, his Pokémon tensed up and prepared to attack.

"I should be asking you the same. Team Rocket has no place here. Leave now." Amanda said coldly to the man, who cracked a lopsided grin.

"Heh. As if. Team Rocket needs some start up money for a move like what we've got planned. So if you know where any of those rich idiots are, you better tell me where they are, or else!" the man barked angrily, tightening his grip on his weapon. The man then took a step back as Amanda burst into laughter, throwing her head back as she cackled with a horrific glee. Suddenly Amanda's head snapped back down, showing a defiant grin on her face.

"You can't threaten me. I've murdered many, many people who never deserved the ends they met. You however...I refuse to allow you to hurt those who saved me." Amanda said as Avis teleported to her side, throwing apart her wings as she stood beside her Trainer.

The Team Rocket Grunt scowled, but aimed his gun upward. "Tch. Die then, bitch!"

Avis teleported on the spot with Amanda as the man pulled the trigger. With a yelp, the man staggered back as Amanda flashed into existence in front of him, grabbing his arm and pulling him into a swift knee strike, doubling the man over as he clutched his stomach. Amanda snarled as she grabbed the man's head and suddenly slammed it into the wall as hard as she could, making him groan in pain and drop the gun he held. Avis, meanwhile, was throwing around the Hitmonlee and Charizard like ragdolls, a look of fury on her face as she showcased the results of her training with Damien.

"I'll kill every last one of you…" Amanda hissed, slamming the man's head into the wall again. And again. And again. Amanda lost herself in the gesture, the old feelings returning. The _satisfaction_ of having an opponent within her clutches. The feeling of their bones _crunching_ beneath her fists. Their _wonderful_ screams of agony as the last bit of life in their body was snuffed out-

" _You'll always be Amber, my darling little puppet."_

Amanda let go of the man with a gasp, stepping back with widened eyes. The man slumped to the ground, groaning as crimson trailed down his head. Avis let out a scream as she finally knocked out the Charizard with a Shadow Ball, leaving the Xatu free to check on her Trainer, who was looking down at her shaking hands.

 _"Are you okay?"_ Avis asked Amanda softly, with the young woman shaking her head.

"No...I felt it, Avis. Those old feelings...Everything Hazel showed me. Everything she taught me came rushing back to me." Amanda said quietly, lowering her hands and hanging her head, a small tendril of horror creeping into her. "Am I really nothing more than a killer now? Is that all I'll ever be. I enjoyed hurting him. I felt _good_ causing him pain...I'm a monster like her now, aren't I?"

 _"Of course not."_ Avis said quietly, hugging her Trainer with her wings. Amanda sighed and returned the embrace, feeling some comfort in the gesture.

"Then what do we do? If I fight, I'll risk falling back into the old ways. If we don't...We risk those Team Rocket guys overrunning the place." Amanda asked Avis, who remained silent for a time.

Finally, the Xatu said, _"There are ways to fight that are just. Even if you must lose yourself in the ways that Hazel taught you, you can hurt others for good reasons. Even kill them, if you must. These men are evil. They wish to harm innocent people. No matter what happens, I will support you. "_

"She only wanted suffering in the world. So do these men. So…"

 _"So?"_ Avis prompted her Trainer as she looked down at the fallen Team Rocket Grunt, who rolled over on his back and was staring up at them with a dazed look. Amanda stared down at the man before allowing herself a smile without any emotion.

"No mercy." Amanda said softly, walking over to the man. The woman looked down at the gun on the ground and picked it up, stuffing it into her belt. She then returned her gaze to the man before lifting up her boot...and bringing it down onto the man's throat as hard as she could with a shout, breaking his neck with the strength that Hazel's 'training' had given her. Amanda began walking down the hallway, leaving the dying man to his death.

 _"There's ten more of them. I can sense them up ahead."_ Avis warned Amanda, who grinned wickedly as she sprinted over to where the railing was located. With it, she got a look down below, where several armed Team Rocket Grunts were waiting.

"Where's Jim at? He's late." one of them remarked.

"We were just supposed to have a quick look around after disabling the power. It's not like him to not check in." another Grunt remarked, crossing his arms. Amanda hopped up onto the railing and fell downwards, falling twenty feet below and landing on top of one of the men's head. The man fell with a strangled cry, especially considering the broken neck he received as Amanda rose to her feet, taking care to grab the knife from the man's belt and brandish it at the men, who moved away from the woman.

"Who...who the hell are you!?" one of the men barked, with the teen chuckling darkly in response.

"Why bother telling you? You'll be dead in three minutes." The men and women shivered at the maniacal grin on the girl's face as she flipped the blade in her hand, getting into a fighting stance. Avis flared her wings above the girl, narrowing her eyes.

"If I must descend into the darkness further...Then so be it. I refuse to allow Ashton or his family to be hurt. Not after what he's done for me!" Amanda declared, her eyes burning with bright bloodlust and a sadistic grin, with all of the old emotions rising within her like a murderous inferno. She could almost feel Hazel over her shoulder, beaming with approval.

"Open fire!" one of the grunts barked, firing his pistol. The shot was redirected with a blast of Psychic from Avis, who teleported on the spot and reappeared above the Rockets. Avis screeched loudly and hit them all with a powerful blast of Psychic, forcing them to the ground.

Amanda descended upon them like a vulture, rushing forward to swiftly kick the pistol out of the hand of one of the Rockets before plunging the blade into his neck, ripping it away with a spray of crimson. Avis' control of the Rockets broke then, after the Xatu was hit by a Thundershock from a nearby Magnemite, and the Rockets converged on her.

Amanda ducked as a Murkrow dove at her and sidestepped a swing from an Ursaring, instead choosing to lunge at one of their Trainers and slam her fist into their face. The woman staggered back with a scream of pain, but that was cut off when Amanda stabbed her in the throat and dragged the blade downwards, ripping it free as the woman dropped to the ground with a gurgle.

The Team Rocket Grunts looked at the woman in horror, while she just grinned back at them. Meanwhile, Avis was wreaking havoc on their Pokémon, teleporting around the room and devastating them with attacks from afar. She quickly teleported in front of Amanda, throwing the girl at the cluster of criminals while the young woman wore an expression of maniacal glee and stabbed a man in the face as she hurtled through the air, dragging him down to the ground.

Amanda released her blade as she rolled forward, swinging around and knocking another man to the ground with a kick to the leg. As Amanda got to her feet, she felt a fist slam into her stomach before an arm grabbed her around the neck. Amanda struggled in the embrace, but she was too weak to break free from the powerful grip, and any attempts to hit the person holding her were met with no response. Finally her hands grabbed something on the man's belt and after pulling it free she realized it was a gun.

The man holding her realized what was about to happen, but was still too slow to stop Amanda from putting a bullet in his head. Amanda dropped to the ground and inexpertly aimed at two women pulling out their weapons. They were quicker to shoot at the girl than she was, but they didn't have a teleporting Xatu that diverted any danger away from her precious Trainer.

"You were fools to come here. And you're even more foolish to try and fight me. I've killed more people than any of you, I bet." Amanda said with a chuckle of amusement as the two women frantically reloaded their guns, only to be dropped by two shots to the torso each as Amanda walked towards them.

Amanda turned around and was greeted with a fist to the face, sending her crashing to the ground. Avis screeched and blasted the man to the ground with a Shadow Ball, and used Psychic to hold the remainder of the Grunts, who were helpless to the power as all of their Pokémon were knocked out.

Amanda walked over to the man that had punched her and grabbed a handgun off of him as well as another knife. She killed him with a knife to the head, and then repeated the process for the rest of them. Avis watched with grim horror as her Trainer relentlessly executed the criminals with an expression of cold amusement. Amanda looked around the lobby, she noticed several cowering forms hiding behind a counter that looked up at her with awe and terror. She ignored them and looked at Avis.

"Come on, let's get back to Ashton and Laura. We've got to make sure they stay safe." Amanda said to her Partner, receiving a nod from the bird as she wrapped her in her wings and teleported them back to the hospital room, only to see Ashton fighting off two Team Rocket Grunts while trying to keep them away from the hospital room. Damien was meanwhile dueling with three massive Honchkrow and a Quagsire at once.

"Avis, help Damien!" Amanda barked as she jumped forward, slamming a knife into the spine of one of the Rockets and ripping it to the side. The woman screamed in agony and fell to the ground, which allowed Ashton to twist around and throw his other attacker to the ground. The large man dropped the criminal with a nasty punch to the face, breaking his nose and knocking him out.

"Thanks...Doctor, how is she!?" Ashton demanded, looking inside of the room as Amanda silently slit the unconscious Rocket's throat, ensuring he never rose again. She could hear Laura sobbing from the room, but chose to meet with Avis and Damien, who had finished off the Pokémon attacking them.

"Damien, you should keep watch her. We'll do a walk around the area and see if there's any more of them. Maybe see if we can find a leader or something." Amanda said to the two Pokémon. Damien nodded and bounded back towards his Trainer while Amanda stalked off down the hallway, hearing the faint cry of, "I see the baby's head!" from the doctor.

"Why would they come with such a small team...They had to have known they couldn't take a hospital with such small numbers, even with distractions and a blackout." Amanda asked Avis, who sighed.

 _"I do not know. Maybe if we find their leader, we'll get some answers."_

"I just hope that these idiots will continue to underestimate me so I can kill them."

 _"Because who would expect a innocent-looking young woman to be strong enough to kill them in such a manner?"_ Avis asked as they floated down the corridor, only to hear a chuckle from ahead of them. Amanda looked up and saw a man walking towards them with a sinister smirk on his face, flanked by two massive Weezing's and four Koffing.

"Hehehe...What have we here? Perhaps the person who attacked my men earlier?" the man asked, chuckling softly. He had purple hair and shifty eyes, with his hands stuffed in his pockets. Amanda scowled as Avis flared her wings, ready to fight. Amanda wondered how much more her Partner had left in her, after having battled for so long. She was getting strong, but she wasn't Damien.

"The name's Amanda. Might I have the pleasure of hearing yours?" Amanda asked pleasantly, drawing upon her acting lessons. After all, if the leader of these Rockets took her less seriously, it'd be easier to kill him.

"Hmm...Very well. My name is Petrel, the renowned master of disguise and one of the four Executives of Team Rocket." The purple-haired man said politely, gesturing forward. "And I'm afraid I have business with Ashton Aupuni. I know he's up ahead, just past you. So I must ask you to step aside."

"I'm sorry, but that can't happen. Now, would you please leave the way you came? I'd hate to have to end your miserable life like the rest of those idiots I ran into." Amanda said sweetly, yanking out a knife and a pistol and aiming the latter at Petrel. The man jerked back in surprise before drawing his own sidearm, throwing out his other hand.

"Flamethrower! Sludge Bomb!" Petrel cried out, with his Pokémon unleashing their attacks. Amanda stepped back and allowed Avis to teleport her behind the Executive before the Xatu unleashed a massive blast of Psychic, knocking all of the Koffing out cold and severely weakening the Weezing. Petrel whirled around in surprise, bur managed to fire off a shot into Avis' left wing, making the bird screech in pain. The two Weezing both unleashed a Dark Pulse at the Xatu, sending her crashing to the ground senseless.

Petrel grinned victoriously as his two Weezing hovered beside him, with the man leveling his gun pistol at Amanda. "You're strong, little girl. Why not join us? Team Rocket will soon regain its strength, especially within the Johto region."

"Not interested. I'd much rather you suffer and die though!" Amanda replied as a ferocious grin, with Petrel jerking back at the declaration. This gave Amanda a chance quickly raise her gun to shoot at the man, and so she did just that, aiming at his heart. However her shot went wide, and she succeeded in hitting the man in his shoulder.

"Agh! You...You bitch!" Petrel screamed as he staggered backwards with his hand clutching the bleeding wound, right as a Team Rocket Grunt stepped out of the shadows with an Ariados beside him.

"Executive Petrel!" the man shouted out as Petrel stumbled into him. Amanda emptied the remainder of her gun at the two criminals, but continued to miss much to her frustration.

"Retreat! Get us out of here!" Petrel screamed as Amanda fired again fro her second pistol, the bullet racing towards the criminals. To Amanda's disgust, the two remaining Team Rocket members vanished into their shadows before projectile could hit them. Amanda swore softly as she looked down at the pistol in her hand.

"This looks so much easier in the movies." Amanda muttered as she shoved the empty weapon in a pocket and kept the other tightly gripped in her hand . She looked down at the pool of blood on the ground and sighed softly, feeling a weight on her shoulders that hadn't been there before.

Twelve...twelve members of Team Rocket dead at her hand.

Twelve strikes against her soul. What was it that Ashton had said? Every time you kill, you destroy your heart and soul even more. Make it easier to hurt others...And it will almost certainly make the damage done to her worsen should she continue down that road.

" _It was worth it, to protect them. I owe them...At least Hazel's corruption hasn't affected my sense of loyalty."_ Amanda thought as she turned on her heel, tearing herself out of her thoughts, and made her way back to the room where Ashton was waiting with Laura. She heard the sound of sobbing in the hallway, accompanied by high-pitched bawling that Amanda recognized faintly as an infant crying. The young woman woman stuffed her weapon away and walked back down the hallway, seeing Damien standing guard outside the door. The canine relaxed upon seeing Amanda, who was rubbing her head.

"Ugh...My head hurts. Why...I wasn't even hit in the head." Amanda muttered as she brushed past the canine and looked up to see what had happened while she was fighting off Team Rocket.

Ashton stood beside Laura and the doctor, holding a newborn child with a small tuft of black hair on his head. The child was crying faintly as his father held him, a look of gentle happiness on his face, his gray eyes shining with emotion as he held his child in his arms.

"My boy...My little baby boy. He's beautiful, Laura." Ashton said quietly, his voice sounding thick and rough. Amanda could see that the man was barely hiding back tears of joy, but the sheer happiness on his face was visible for all to see. The love he held already for the newborn in his arms was already very strong.

"He looks like you. Of course he's beautiful." Laura replied with a giggle. Ashton chuckled tearfully, holding the newborn child closer to him. Meanwhile, Amanda treated Avis' injuries, wrapping up her wing in bandages.

"I'm more ruggedly handsome than beautiful. I'd say _you're_ beautiful, though." Ashton replied with a watery chuckle, holding the whimpering newborn with an expression of reverence. "He has my eyes, Laura. I wonder if they'll be able to change colors too."

"Congratulations you two. Although I do have to ask, have you decided upon a name for your son?" the doctor asked the couple, who exchanged looks.

"You both still can't come up with anything?" Amanda asked with a raised eyebrow, drawing the attention of everyone and making Laura gasp in surprise. Laura's eyes widened at the blood covering the girl, but she was cut off from saying anything by a hand on her head.

"I'll handle this, dear. Just...relax. Amanda, what happened?" Ashton asked the girl, who sighed heavily as she pressed a hand to the side of her head.

"I killed the Team Rocket Grunts I found and drove off the man who seemed to be leading him. Some creep named Petrel. I'll explain later. My head hurts." Amanda said as she walked over to a wall and sat down, resting her aching head. She did return Avis, much to the injured bird's displeasure, but Amanda knew the Xatu needed her rest.

"I told you what more killing would do to you...Your mind must be reeling from what you've done. Just rest, alright?" Ashton said to the young woman.

"Hey, at least I didn't wait until the last minute to decide on what to name my newborn kid." Amanda shot back, making Laura giggle weakly.

"Oh come on, don't lump the blame on me. I've been busy lately and I'm awful at names. Why do you think I named my Starter Damien?" Ashton complained with a grin, looking at Amanda and Laura before looking down at his son.

"You're the one who couldn't decide…" Laura laughed weakly, closing her eyes. Ashton smiled and laughed in response, with the doctor shaking his head in mirth.

"I don't know how I could decide. Names are important, you know. They have power. Meaning." Ashton said as he looked outside, seeing a beautiful view of the city in the light of day. Amanda wasn't sure how the man could enjoy the view with the crying newborn in his arms, but somehow he continued to look like a man of such joy and happiness.

"Something that has meaning?" Amanda asked Ashton, who nodded as he glanced down at the baby he held carefully in his arms, still bawling his eyes out. Despite this Ashton laughed softly, sitting down beside Laura and carefully beginning to rock the child in an attempt to calm him down.

"Yes...Meaning. Now shush, little one. It's okay. Daddy and Mommy are here." Ashton whispered to the baby boy, his expression gentle. "Heh...I haven't felt this happy in so long."

"You'll be such a good father, Ash." Laura said happily, placing a hand on her husband's shoulder as he leaned closer to her, his eyes still lingering on his new son. And then, too everyone's surprise, he began to sing slightly.

 _You are my sunshine,  
My only sunshine.  
You make me happy,  
When skies are gray..  
You'll never know, dear,  
How much I love you.  
Please don't take my sunshine away…_

Ashton stopped singing, though he was grinning widely. "I can't hold a tune to save my life, but I felt it was appropriate. It was a very popular song back in Alola when I was younger, and I always had a fondness for it growing up."

"You're so happy, aren't you? I can't say I feel anything like that...But it's good that you're happy at least, Ashton." Amanda said dully at the man, smiling hollowly.

"I think you may have stumbled on a name there, Ash." Laura remarked, making the man blink.

"What?...Sunshine? I...Huh. You're right. It does have a nice ring to it. What do you think, Laura?" Ashton asked his wife, who chuckled quietly.

"I think it's adorable. Sunshine...Sunshine Aupuni. It's a wonderful name, sweetie, especially since Aunpuni means "monarch" in Alolan. Our son will be our little prince of sunshine." Laura said quietly as Ashton gently placed the newborn back in his mother's arms. The woman cradled her baby boy with a loving smile, a tear running down her cheek. "Sunshine...My little Sun. Welcome to the world. It's nice to meet you."

"A child of light...A child strong enough to pierce through the darkness of this world, filling it with love and hope."

Laura and Ashton turned to Amanda, who finally shut her eyes. She did open one after a moment later and said, "I've been hanging around you both for too long. But this feels important to me, anyway."

"That's because it is. Amanda...I can't thank you enough for what you've done today. You helped me protect my family. And for that I'll always be grateful." Ashton said softly, walking over to the young woman as Laura dozed off from exhaustion, holding a much calmer Sun in her arms. The businessman knelt next to Amanda, who had shut her eyes again.

"I owe you a debt that can never be repaid, Ashton. You saved me from my hell, and for that I will do whatever is necessary to help you. I told you this." Amanda said quietly, opening her eyes slightly.

"Amanda, you know that's not-" Ashton began to say, but Amanda held up a hand that cut him off.

"No...That's not me anymore." The young woman said quietly, offering Ashton a smile that held no warmth. The woman could tell that Ashton was unnerved by her smile, perhaps because it was different. It wasn't her usual empty hollow smile, but something much darker.

"From now on, call me Amber...Amber Fontaine."

* * *

 _ **That was when you learned your purpose. You were no longer a girl. You were a warrior. A fighter. A killer. And you would use the resolve of the Fallen One to create a new era of darkness in the world.**_

* * *

"DAMN THEM!"

Ashton slammed his fist into a nearby tree with a roar of fury, ignoring the pain coursing through his fingers. He retracted his fist and continued to storm through his yard, trying to calm his breathing. It wasn't working.

"How could Lance just stand around do nothing!? Team Rocket's Executives escaped the Radio Tower. And he's content to just let them roam wild! He'll take the word of some kid that they won't just go to another region and recruit more people into their damn gang." Ashton growled, with Damien sighing beside him, though Ashton could sense the canine agreed.

Team Rocket had flourished once again within the Johto region, and yet was brought down once again by a prodigy child Pokémon Trainer within the region. However, despite having their new leader, (a man named Archer) at his mercy, the child had let the man go after Archer promised to never rebuild Team Rocket again.

The Champion of Kanto and Johto, Lance, was content to leave things at that. Ashton was not, however, and neither did several Gym Leaders within both regions. However, the Champion's word was final and they were to remain on standby for any other Team Rocket activity.

"Idiots...I can't allow them the chance to hurt anyone else. Especially after what they tried to do the day Sun was born." Ashton growled, with Damien nodding in agreement. The canine's ears twitched and he turned his head, barking out. Ashton whirled around, pulling a silver magnum from a hidden coat pocket. After the attack, he decided to go everywhere armed with a weapon.

"Come out!" Ashton shouted, with the figure revealing themselves a few moments later. It was a familiar redheaded woman, though she was wearing a bulletproof vest and a skintight black outfit. On her back was a black shotgun, and she was carrying two brown bulging sacks over her shoulder with a smirk on her face.

"Amanda...Where have you been?" Ashton asked sourly, crossing his arms. "It's not like you to just vanish."

"I told you to call me Amber now." The woman replied, though she dropped the sacks she was carrying a moment and crossed her arms, her red hair drifting behind her in the soft breeze.

"I don't see why. I also don't understand why you refuse to come back to the house anymore. Laura misses you, you know. It's been months since she's seen you." Ashton said to the woman, who sighed and shook her head,

"I don't understand it myself. I thought those emotions were entirely dead, but I feel as though it'll hurt her if she sees how much darker I've become. It's better this way, Ash." Amber said quietly, offering him a blank smile. Ashton didn't reply, though his frown deepened.

"I do have some gifts for you though." The redhead smiled in amusement, tossing one of the two bags to Ashton. The man blinked twice before opening the bag and finding it full of flash drives and data-discs.

"Courtesy of the secret Team Rocket Base located deep under Olivine City. Turns out your fears were right. I followed a string of murders and found them in the process of creating a new hideout, after their fall in Goldenrod City." Amber remarked, grinning nastily. Ashton shivered at the sadistic grin on her face, though she continued.

"I recovered data on all of their plans for the region, and I imagine with some time I can take care of them myself. I've also begun creating a Pokémon team of my own, after catching a Horsea while I was in Olivine. I figured Avis could use the backup in battle." Amber remarked with a shrug.

"I...You went through a Team Rocket base? Alone?" Ashton asked quietly, looking up at her with a horrified expression.

"Yeah. And I slaughtered all of them. After that Ethan kid beat Archer, he scattered his troops all over the region, according to the records I found. This was _one_ of their new bases. Archer planned to create more. So in other words, he completely lied about disbanding Team Rocket." Amber explained to the shocked man.

Ashton's face contorted with anger, his face bared in a snarl. "Idiots...I told them this would happen. The League was so prepared to just let Team Rocket off the hook without any consequences, not even bothering to hunt them down!"

"This'll be proof that their stances on these criminal teams is far too light. Remember Team Aqua from a few months ago? They nearly destroyed the world." Amber reminded Ashton, who's scowl deepened.

"This has to stop. I can't let this continue to happen. This cycle has to end somewhere, and I refuse to let it end with the world's destruction and innocent people dying. All because those with power refused to do anything!" Ashton snarled, pacing back and forth in the yard. Damien barked something to Ashton, who stopped and nodded.

"Damien's right. I can do something about this. We can do something about this. I can use this data to convince Lance to start being proactive. To hunt down the remnants of these criminal groups and punish them the way they deserve." Ashton said with a satisfied nod.

"What happens if he doesn't listen?" Amber asked.

Ashton's expression darkened, his eyes becoming red. "Then there'll be hell to pay. Team Rocket nearly killed me and my wife. They _have_ to listen to me."

"Not necessarily. Team Rocket isn't exactly a recent problem. Criminal groups trying to push their agendas on people isn't exactly a new concept. You told me yourself."

Ashton clenched his fists, scowling angrily at the words. Amber knew that it was bothering him, and she wished it could bother her as well. But she didn't care. She was merely presenting facts.

"How did you even do this? Killing all of those Rockets? For one person, that seems impossible." Ashton asked testily, crossing his arms and attempting to reign in his rage.

"I dealt with them. You forget that I spent all that time with Hazel. I've learned killing people isn't difficult." Amber noted, tossing a bag on the ground to the man. Ashton looked down at the bag before carefully untying it. Ashton swore and stumbled back as the bag fell to the ground, showing Damien was it contained. The canine backed away with a shocked expression on his face, staring at the decapitated head of the Team Rocket Executive Petrel in horror.

"At least not for someone who put up with Hazel for nearly four years. I'm much stronger than a regular person. And don't worry...I made him suffer before he died." Amber said with a small chuckle, leaning against a tree. Ashton looked away, trying not to throw up at the sight of Petrel's head, so with a sigh Amber walked forward and picked up the sack, tying it up and covering up the sight of the head again.

"I...I don't even know how to process this information. I can't even believe you did all of this. What possessed you to even try to fight them, let alone kill them all? How could you?" Ashton asked, with Amber replying with a somber smile.

"If I could feel sadness anymore, I'd tell you that I'm sorry I let you down. But I can't. All I can say is that I realized that they were a threat and if they went after you once in an attempt to get money for their criminal activities, they'd try it again. And if they could track you down to the hospital, they could definitely track you down to your home." Amber reasoned, with Ashton nodding. The two shared a silence for a time, and when Ashton broke it, his voice was heavy.

"I want to thank you, Amber." Ashton said, regarding her with black eyes. "I'm so sorry that it came to this, but I thank you for doing what Lance and the League were too cowardly to do. You've helped a lot of people with your actions."

"You and I both know that, but that doesn't exactly make me any happier. I did it because I knew they were a threat to you, nothing more." Amber said with a small sigh, a bitter smile on her face. "I don't care about anyone or anything anymore. But I still have my sense of loyalty. I still recognize that you and Laura treated me so well, even though I was so strange and broken when I came into your care. I can't forget that, even as badly messed up as I am. So yeah, I slaughtered Team Rocket. And I enjoyed it. I probably stained my soul way more with my actions, but I don't regret it. Hell, I even enjoyed it."

"You enjoyed it?" Ashton asked, a concerned expression on his face.

Amber shrugged, her smile empty. "You can only have an insane Gothitelle whispering murderous thoughts and imposing her will upon you for so long before you start to enjoy the killing yourself. And I'm so apathetic to everything that I don't really care about it anymore. Back at the hospital there was some hesitation. But now? I don't care. I _like_ hurting people, Ash. Especially the people who mean you ill will. That's just how it is now."

Ashton remained silent, staring at the woman for a time before he said, "I will find a way to save you, Amber."

"I know you will. I trust you. But how long will that take? And what if you need me? Team Rocket is far from done, because the other Executives have fled to other regions by now. And if the League doesn't listen to you, then I may be the only other recourse you have." Amber said to Ashton, crossing her arms. "Just like you, I have power. I'm strong. And I have absolutely nothing to lose. With my broken and twisted mind, I don't care who I have to destroy to get what I want. And what I want is for you and your family to be happy. You deserve that."

Ashton smiled at that, saying, "You don't have to do any of that. We just did what was right when we took you in."

Amber shook her head, saying, "Doesn't matter. In the end, I'm doing this of my own free will. I want to help you however I can, Ashton. And the only way I can do that is by being the very thing Hazel made me become. A weapon."

Ashton looked at Amber for a long time before replying. "If that is how it has to be...Then I say we cement this deepening of our friendship, Amber. I propose a Blood Oath."

"Blood Oath?" Amber asked, tilting her head.

"It's an ancient Alolan tradition. One of the few I actually believe in, to an extent. The promise between those of similar ideals that cannot be broken, save by death. It's a way of binding our fates together. Just as I saved you from Hazel, you saved me and my family. So...we shall walk this road together, wherever it leads us."

"I approve, actually. So what do I have to do?"

"Give me your knife."

Amber handed Ashton his knife and after a few moments they were clasping each other's right hand over the knife, the blade digging into their palms lightly.

"I will begin the ceremony, and you just repeat after me." Ashton said to Amber, who nodded. Ashton tightened his grip on Amber's hand, causing the blade to dig into their palms and make a trickle of blood drip down onto the ground as a horrified Damien watched on.

"Ua paʻa mākou i ke koko, a hiki i ka hopena. ʻO kā mākou mau kaula paʻa mau loa e ulu a hōʻemi i kēlā lā i kēia lā, a hoʻokō mākou i nā'ōlelo hoʻohiki a ko mākou naʻau. E hoʻonui aku mākou i kahi honua maikaʻi, ae ho'ōla au iāʻoe mai kou aku. Ma o ka hoʻohikiʻana o ko mākou koko, eʻike mākou i kā mākou mau'ōlelo hoʻohiki ma o." Ashton intoned, closing his eyes as he tightened his grip on the blade even further, making it cut deeper into his and Amber's hands. More and more blood spattered on the ground, though neither of them cared. Amber repeated the words slowly, not understanding any of it.

"What does that all mean?" Amber asked quietly.

"We are bound by blood, until the end. May our bonds forever grow and deepen with each passing day, until we fulfill the promises of our hearts. You shall help me make a better world, and I will save you from yourself. By the oath of our blood, we shall see our promises through." Ashton answered, offering Amber a kind smile as he released the blade and stepped back and pressed his hand against his side, stemming the flow of blood.

"That was a Blood Oath. We are now bond, you and I. Together...We shall change this world, Amber. I promise you that. And I promise you that there will come a day when you will never have to kill again, and that you'll be able to walk whatever road you want...Completely whole again." Ashton said as crimson dripped down his hand. Ashton flexed his hand, grinning widely. "We start with Team Rocket. You've already proven that you can use your skills to devastating effect. I can give you backing, supplies, training, weapons and whatever else you need. I'll research ways to correct the damage done to you in the meantime. There's got to be something out there."

"This'll be fun...I wonder if this counts as excitement or blood lust." Amber mused, smirking at Ashton. The man's determined expression faltered for a moment, a sadness coming to his face.

"I...am sorry it's come to this though. You know that this will make your problems worse and worse, right?" Ashton said to the woman, who nodded after a moment.

"Ashton, I owe you everything. When I had given up hope, you saved me. You and Laura showed me kindness and tried your best to repair my broken soul. And for that, I will always be grateful. I may not have much sanity or whatever left, but I still have my sense of loyalty. It's all I have left...So I choose to follow only that."

"You are a good person, Ashton. And you've always wanted a world where people like the Ruby Raiders and Team Rocket cannot flourish and grow, hurting people and destroying lives along the way. You want to protect others, just like you did with your friends in Alola. And I'm ready to help you with that goal however I can. If that means breaking myself further...then so be it." Amber said with a shrug. "I wasn't getting better anyway. And I'm prepared to do whatever it takes to become me again. Even if I have to burn this world to nothingness and become a complete monster." Amber replied with a feral grin as she raised her bleeding hand, closing it into a fist. Ashton's face looked troubled for a moment before he sighed, though he smiled a moment later.

"Good. I can begin looking into getting you some real training. With my resources and your skills, we could make you even more lethal. And after we oust them from Johto, we can start working on the other regions. Cleaning up the trash will take time, but...The end goal is worth it." Ashton mused, with Amber smirking slightly. Amber quickly got out some basic bandages from her bag and treated their hands as well as she could.

"And what is the end goal here, Ashton?" the woman asked. To her surprise, Ashton did not reply right away. Instead, Damien nudged Ashton and grunted something, to which Ashton placed a hand on the canine's head and inhaled deeply, inhaling slowly and steadying his nerves.

"A better tomorrow, Amber." Ashton whispered, looking skyward towards the full moon as his eyes turned gray again. "A world where my son can live in peace. A world where evil cannot flourish and where justice reigns. A world where no one has to hurt anymore. I will protect my family with everything I have. I will pave the road to a better world…"

Ashton's eyes flickered to crimson, the color of blood. "And I'll destroy anyone who dares get in my way. I'll make sure none of them threaten my loved ones again."

* * *

 _ **So...You have walked a road of darkness and destruction, until you became a complete monster. You continue down a path of destruction, looking for a way back to the person you used to be before you and your friends found Hazel…**_

 _ **Very well...Your heart is an interesting one. And I've quite enjoyed the memories we've seen, as well as the pain I've put you through. Soon enough you'll be dead.**_

 _ **So why not have a little more pain?**_

* * *

Amber's world became full of color again as she was thrust out of her memories, with the woman collapsing onto the ground, gasping. She felt the wetness on her cheeks but felt nothing except annoyance and pain as Tapu Lele hovered in front of her, amusement radiating from the god's thoughts as they brushed against her own.

 _"You feel nothing anymore, except for the some odd emotions here and there. Annoyance, amusement, blood lust that's left over from your time as a puppet for a demented Gothitelle. You're aware that you wish for your missing compassion and emotions to come back to you. But you continue to kill. You continue to serve a man obsessed with revenge, even though you know that every death you cause is a mark against your very soul…"_

 _"You are beyond redemption...But that's okay."_

 _"Because it means I can make you suffer in the worst way possible with no qualms in doing so."_ Tapu Lele explained as Amber tried to rise to her feet, only to be sent hurtling into the nearby cliff. The woman slammed into the rock wall hard enough to hear the cracking sound in both the rocks and in her back and shoulders, making her gasp in shock and pain before being sent to the ground, crashing up and down on it as more and more pain shot through her body.

The clearing swirled with glowing pink scales that healed the damage almost as quickly as Tapu Lele caused it, with the Legendary making Amber it's plaything just like Hazel did all those years ago.

 _"If this is what the protectors of Alola are like...No wonder Borlath wants the place to burn."_ Amber thought dryly as she held back a scream, her ankle bones shattering at the same time as Tapu Lele forced her psychic powers into her.

 _"Do you feel anything now, human?"_ Tapu Lele asked as it raised a hand, lifting Amber into the air. The woman scowled at the Guardian Deity in response, not answering. In reply Tapu Lele's eyes burned dark blue and every single bone in both of Amber's arms shattered. The woman opened her mouth and screamed in agony, though it only lasted about ten seconds until the bones snapped back into place, thanks to the healing scales swirling around them.

 _"Why I can't break you!?"_ Tapu Lele whispered harshly, sounding frustrated as it flipped Amber through the air and then slammed her again and again into the dirt. Amber snarled as both of her arms were torn out of their sockets as she was thrown across the clearing, landing in a crumpled heap a short distance away.

"Is that all you got?" Amber wheezed, trying and failing to get up.

 _"Maybe...I can try something else."_ Tapu Lele seemed to perk up as Amber slowly picked her shaking form off of the ground, glaring at the god as her arms hung at her side, slowly snapping back into place a few moments later because of the swirling scales around her. The assassin then blinked in confusion as a field of energy suddenly engulfed her, trapping her in a sphere of light. Tapu Lele's eyes had become jet-black, it's hands raised towards Amber.

 _"Allow me to heal everything...And bring back what you lost."_ The Guardian Deity hissed before the sphere of light imploded around Amber, engulfing her in the strange and wild power of the Tapu.

Amber then let out a scream.

A long, painful, drawn-out scream of absolute pain. Tears streamed down her face as a pink lace of energy traveled down the length of her body, her eyes glowing bright pink as a fiery aura of darkness burned around her. The wind around them picked up in intensity, whipping around the clearing and blowing even more of the scales around the area. Tapu Lele giggled softly as it beheld it's handiwork, especially as Amber collapsed onto the ground once the energy had faded away from her.

 _"How do you feel?"_ Tapu Lele asked the fallen assassin, who groaned in response. Amber slowly picked herself up off of the ground, her arms shaking slightly, before she slowly looked up at the god. Tapu Lele smiled inwardly, seeing that Amber's eyes had changed in color now. Instead of being light blue, they were now bright pink.

Amber let out another scream, clutching her head as an overwhelming torrent of emotions flooded through her body for the first time in sixteen years. "What have I done?" Amber whispered, tears streaming down her face as she struggled to process everything she had done. _Everything that she had done_. Bloodshed, mayhem, lies, betrayal, arson, destruction, and so many deaths…

 _"Do you feel it now, Amber Fontaine? Do you feel your sins, crawling on your back? Do you feel your crimes, weighing down on your neck? Can you even comprehend the endless amount of suffering you have caused? Now that you are whole again, as a result of my curse, you appear to be unable to handle the weight of your actions."_ Tapu Lele mused as Amber grit her teeth, her pink eyes burning a brighter color.

"What did you do to me!?" Amber demanded, shutting her eyes to try and will away the pain of her newly returned emotions. To her surprise, it helped just a little.

 _"I simply used my powers of healing to restore you back to the person you used to. Temporarily. You'll likely return to normal in a short amount of time, and then revert back and forth between having emotions and your broken, evil state until you die. The process will be incredibly painful and if I didn't plan on killing you myself, I doubt you'd be able to live with yourself after everything you've been through and done."_ Tapu Lele explained happily, with Amber's eyes opening slightly.

"These...are my emotions? This is what I've been searching for all this time. It hurts...I can't bear it. What Hazel did to me...What I've done." Amber hissed as she staggered upright, feeling a awful sensation tunneling into her very soul, coursing through her like a frigid flood of ice. Guilt. Awful, painful guilt at everything she had done in the name of Hazel and Cipher. Every single act that had caused her already broken soul to splinter further, until she was something else entirely.

"KILL ME!" Amber screamed at the Tapu, who cackled with delight.

 _"I'll admit I'm unsure where my curse will leave you. You may even regain some of your emotions in your regular, broken state after a short while. But until then...it hurts, doesn't it?"_ Tapu Lele asked Amber as the woman hugged herself tightly,

"Why…" Amber hissed, looking up at the god. Tapu Lele giggled softly, floating down and cupping Amber's cheek with its hand.

 _"Because I don't care what horrible hand you were dealt with in life...In the end, you chose to be evil. You chose to continue down this road. You've spent too long hiding behind your lack of empathy to escape from your sins. So now you will have the very thing you wanted most...and then I'll take it from you. Again and again and again until you die…"_ Tapu Lele whispered, placing its other hand to Amber's temple. And together, they saw a vision. Amber saw her own death. She saw her last waking moments of this world.

She didn't know where the location was, nor what events led up to it. But she knew that the cycle of violence for her would soon come to an end.

 _"My my, what a delicious demise. And not too far off from the horizon. But…"_ Tapu Lele's expression turned to confusion as Amber felt her body seize up as a Psychic attack struck her in such a manner that she felt the chilling, creeping and terrible sensation of fear for the first time in over a decade. _"Why would you be dying then, if I'm about to kill you now?"_

Tapu Lele's answer to that was an explosion of darkness hitting it from behind, making the creature scream in pain. Amber gasped in shock as she was dropped to the ground, just in time for an Xatu to teleport beside her and wrap her wings around her. Tapu Lele screamed and released an arc of pink energy at Avis just as she teleported again, barely dodging the attack.

Amber and Avis reappeared on a random dirt road elsewhere, with Amber falling to her knees the moment her Xatu let go of her. The woman clutched her head, groaning as she tried to make the emotions stop. The horror from the encounter with Tapu Lele chilled her to the bone in a way she didn't think it ever could. The visions she had seen made her furious that she had been taunted in such a manner…

And she was disgusted at what she had done.

 _"Amber...I'm so sorry. That Tapu had me knocked out for a while. It nearly killed you."_ Avis said raggedly, looking badly hurt and exhausted. Avis was surprised when Amber threw her arms around the Xatu and pulled her into a bone-crushing hug.

"It's me. I'm Amanda again. I'm okay again." Amber whispered, pressing her face into the feathers of her longest friend. Avis gasped and remained still for a few moments before slowly wrapping her wings around her Trainer.

 _"It's okay. Just breathe. We'll get through this."_ Avis whispered, tears welling up in her eyes. _"It's so good to see you whole again, Amanda."_

"It hurts...It's so painful, Avis." Amber murmured, trying to make sense of the maelstrom of emotions raging inside of her. Besides the guilt and horror, her burning embarrassment at being humiliated by the Tapu. The prickling indignation of having memories taunted and ridiculed by an all-powerful god before being tortured by it because of the hand the universe dealt her. And finally the chilling feeling of shame…

After everything she had done, the worst part of it all was that she had chosen to continue the cycle of violence. She had done so out of loyalty, but that didn't excuse the mountains of bodies that she had left in her wake.

"Damn, I wasn't expecting this place to come in handy so quickly." Came a drawling voice from behind them. Amber looked behind her and saw a familiar man wearing a cloak and a smirk, a stylized hand-cannon clipped to a belt at his waist.

"Dawson?" Amber asked, confused as she looked up.

The mercenary nodded, crossing his arms. "I told Avis to teleport here if there was ever an emergency. I set up a Secret Base nearby. I guess this counts as an emergency. So what's going on? Your scouting mission not go well?"

"We were attacked by the Tapu. It showed me some of my memories and placed a curse on me. For a short time, I'm completely healed of my...condition." Amber said quietly, hugging herself with a shiver.

"Condition? I don't see anything different, aside from the cute pink eyes. You definitely sound different. You sound... _normal_. A bit overwhelmed, but it's preferable to your usual dead-sounding voice. So what do you mean by your 'condition'? Does that mean you're not a psycho bitch anymore?" Dawson noted rather shrewdly, with Amber nodding.

"Tapu Lele tormented me with some of my worst memories. The most important steps of my life to me becoming who I am today. The worst part is that she healed me of my problems and gave me the very thing I've been fighting for ever since Hazel died...But it's too much to bear." Amber said quietly, with Dawson looking down at her with some concern.

"How so?" Dawson asked.

"I can't bear the weight of my crimes. The horrible, evil things I've done. A normal person couldn't handle so much horror without their psyche breaking to some degree, or being able to justify their actions to a terrifying extent. I don't have any of the righteous motivation that you or Borlath do. I kill to kill. I've enjoyed it, because my mind and heart were so distorted from Hazel that I didn't care anymore." Amber explained with a scowl, hating every word she spoke. She wondered if Borlath had the same level of self-loathing as her, after everything that he had done. She couldn't help but feel more guilty, having helped him with his crusade against evil...That ultimately ended with him becoming evil himself, in a way.

"Hazel? You mentioned that name before. A Gothitelle if I remember right." Dawson said, kneeling down to Amber's level. She looked up at him, nodding.

"She was a rogue Gothitelle that me and some friends encountered when I was 13 years old. And she was completely insane and essentially a serial killer on top of that. She killed my friends and kept me hostage for almost four years, using her knowledge of the human mind and psyche to strip away my emotions and turn me into someone who could help her kill as many people as possible. Borlath saved me, but by then it was too late." Amber explained, with Dawson's eyes widening in shock.

"That's... _horrifying_. And it makes everything so much clearer. You'll have to tell me more later. For now, you should probably rest. You might seem totally healed, but I'm willing to bet that you're exhausted mentally from that Tapu's bullshit." Dawson said to the assassin. Amber sighed and nodded, but before she could do anything else the group heard a loud squeal of horror from behind them and saw a terrified candle floating towards them from out of the forest nearby.

"Is that a Litwick?" Dawson asked, confused. The Pokémon spotted the two Trainers and floated towards then, letting out a shrill cry before hiding behind Amber.

" _He says that there's an evil man chasing it."_ Avis translated as she ruffled her feathers.

"Then why the hell are you hiding behind us?" Amber asked testily, trying to calm her breath. The emotions were so hard to control, though she had to admit feeling the entire emotion of being annoyed was rather odd compared to her usual annoyance.

"Jeez, talk about rude." Dawson remarked, his smile curling playfully. Amber blinked a few times before realizing he was right.

"Hmm...Fine. Sorry about that." Amber remarked, taking a slow calming breath. "This is so hard to process. Everything is overwhelming me. It hurts...After so long having nothing, I suddenly have it all. It feels like I was living in darkness for a lifetime, only to suddenly find myself on the sun and burn in the light."

 _"I'll be there to help you through it. No matter what."_ Avis promised the assassin. Amber felt a rush of indescribable warmth at the words, a lightness going through her that made her smile at her Partner.

"Wow...You really are totally different as a normal person." Dawson stated, drawing the gaze of Amber and Avis. The man seemed genuinely awed, though he smiled a moment later. "It's nice to see this side of you, though."

"Don't expect to see much of it. Apparently it's temporary...As much as this hurts, I can't tell you how it feels to...feel again. I'm myself again. As bad as the past is, and as much as my crimes are tearing at my mind right now, everything is as it's supposed to be." Amber said as she shakily got to her feet, with Dawson helping her upright. The bounty hunter opened his mouth to speak when suddenly four figures suddenly burst out of the nearby forest, panting and swearing at each other.

"What the…?" Dawson muttered as the Litwick behind them shivered. Ahead of them was a man with ragged brown hair glared at them, flanked by women wearing worn outfits that clearly didn't fit them. Standing at the front of them was a rather strange-looking black and white colored Pokémon that glared at them with narrowed eyes.

"Found you! Now I'm gonna find out whether or not you can kill a ghost." Night Slash hissed gleefully before he looked at the people standing in front of the Litwick. He pointed his machete at Dawson, scowling darkly. "Move out of my way, or else!"

"Fat chance. If I did whatever people asked of me, I'd be an overweight accountant in Sinnoh right now. How about you back off?" Dawson shot back, his hand resting on his trusty hand-cannon.

Night Slash's response was cut off by the sound of a terrified scream of sheer horror. Everyone looked to see Amber staring at Night Slash's Gothitelle, her sheet-white face contorted with absolute fear. The assassin took several steps back, shaking as she tried to get away from the very same species of Pokémon that had taken everything away from her.

"Well, that's my cue. Psychic!" Night Slash barked, throwing out a hand.

 _"No!"_ Avis screamed, teleporting in front of Amber and throwing up a shield. She was a moment too late, as the Gothitelle blasted the bird aside before she could perform the move. The Gothitelle's eyes burned blue as she waved a hand at Amber, who continued to scream in abject fear.

"Get ahold of yourself!" Dawson barked as he took aim at Night Slash, firing his pistol at the man. The bandit swung his machete, which took the shot meant to kill him but blasted a part of the blade off.

"No! You don't understand! I'm not going through that again!" Amber screamed, sprinting down the road. She was caught off-guard by a Shadow Ball exploding in front of her, throwing her backwards. Amber rolled to her stomach and saw from afar Dawson dodging slashes from Night Slash while the Gothitelle flung electricity at him. The mercenary was doing a pretty good job of dodging, though he was having trouble being able to line up a shot to kill either of them with his pistol. He was surprised when one Night Slash's accomplices snuck up behind him and put him in a headlock, though he managed to easily place his hand cannon against her side and blow a burning hole through her body. The woman fell to the ground,screaming as her body burned away into ashes. Dawson turned towards the Gothitelle in time to be struck by a Psychic attack, sending him slamming into a nearby tree and making the man yell out in protest. The Gothitelle repeated the attack, with one particularly nasty crack sounding out from Dawson's leg that made him howl in pain. The mercenary gasped in relief as the Gothitelle released the attack, preparing another volley of lightning, only for Dawson to fire his weapon at her and clip one of her face appendages, making her scream in pain, though it did little more than hurt her.

Amber stared at the scene from afar, her breathing coming in ragged gasps as her body shook uncontrollably. The chilling, mind-numbing fear that surged through every ounce of her being was unlike anything she had ever experienced. Maybe it was because of the emotional whiplash she was going through right now. Maybe it was because the mental scars that Hazel had created were ripped upon and fresh again thanks to Tapu Lele...But the fear was an all-consuming thing that made her unable to be near that creature.

"Damn it!" Dawson barked as he leapt back on his good leg, firing a burning shot of energy at the Gothitelle as she launched a wave of lightning at the man. The Gothitelle ducked to avoid the shot, though it also caused her to miss her attack in response. Dawson began to call out Pokémon, despite the fact that he knew he was outclassed here. And he couldn't get a shot off to hit Night Slash himself because the Gothitelle was in his way. Speaking of said Gothitelle, it launched a Dark Pulse which managed to clip the merc in the shoulder, making him groan in pain and send him to the ground. Dawson's team rushed at the duo, but were swiftly knocked out by the much higher-leveled Pokémon. The mercenary pulled out a silver object from his cloak and swung it, causing a tomahawk blade to unfold from the device. Dawson hurled the weapon at Night Slash, who barely managed to block the projectile with his blade.

The assassin watched on, cursing herself and cursing Tapu Lele. They wouldn't have been in this situation if it wasn't for her. Granted, they could simply teleport away with Avis, but they were laying low in this region for a reason and couldn't let someone like this bandit run around risk messing up their plans. And on top of that…

Amber felt the burning fire of anger within her, consuming her veins as she thought about how humiliating it was for her to shriek in fear at the sight of a Gothitelle. Hazel had been dead for over a decade, and yet here Amber was, running from a fight from a Gothitelle. She wanted to make this man pay for what he had done. For reminding her of her fears.

"Damn it...Damn everything. Avis!" Amber shouted to the Xatu as she rose to her feet. The Mystic Pokémon teleported to her side with a wince, looking exhausted after being attacked like that while not recovered from the beating she took from Tapu Lele. The bird wobbled on her feet, panting heavily.

 _"Amber, I know you're not in your right...I mean your_ usual _state of mind. But you need to fight. If that man gets the upper hand on Dawson, it'll mean trouble for our plans here."_ Avis reminded Amber as the woman grit her teeth, her body shaking as the newly returned feeling of dread crept into her, digging its icy fingers into her heart. She wanted nothing to do with that Gothitelle, but on the other hand she needed to help out her fellow Admin.

Amber sighed and clenched her fists, yanking out a long serrated silver dagger and flipping it expertly in her grip. Avis nodded in approval and said, _"No matter what, I'll be there with you."_

"Thanks...I never would have made it to this point without you, you know." Amber remarked, smiling thinly as the Xatu floated above her head.

 _"Probably. I should also remind you that you have an entire team of Pokémon that are fresh and ready to fight, while it seems Night Slash just has the one."_

"..."

"..."

"...Hey, I've had a really shitty day, alright? I think I can get a pass on this one." Amber said as she began walking towards the fight, where Dawson had out a Manectric and a Slowking, the both of which were faring badly against Night Slash's Gothitelle. Amber watched it for a moment as it took a Dark Pulse to Slowing, knocking it down but not out.

"That thing's strong, but it's not as strong as Hazel was. I'm stronger than I was before. Even with this damned cursed, I refuse to lose!" Amber growled as she and Avis teleported into the fray, with Amber letting out a yell and throwing out a hand. Avis fired off a Dark Pulse at the Gothitelle, knocking it to the ground with a scream of pain.

"Damn it! No!" Night Slash yelled out, slashing his blade towards Dawson, who blocked the slash with a sickle that he had produced from out of nowhere. The man then swiftly knocked the blade aside and kicked Night Slash in the chest, sending him sprawling to the ground as Dawson aimed his hand-cannon at him and hissed in pain as he favored his right leg. Dawson glanced at Amber, who looked at him after a moment.

"Your worst fear was Hazel. A Gothitelle, right?" Dawson asked Amber, who nodded silently. "You told me you'd be terrified if you saw one and weren't completely dead inside. I get it. No worries." Dawson said quietly, gritting his teeth.

Amber looked ahead and saw that Night Slash had risen to his feet, with his Gothitelle slowly rising behind him. Dawson then asked, "Any particular reason you're not murdering him with your Umbral Rhyperior?"

"Well for one, that would make this far too easy."

"You've gotta be fucking kidding me..."

"And the second thing is that with all of these new emotions back inside of me...I want to conquer my fear. That damn god made me relieve all of my times being tortured by Hazel. I might not like that I have to do this, but I'll do it. With just me and Avis. Consider it an act of redeeming my failure for not stopping her over a decade ago and letting all those people die by her hand." Amber said as the exhausted Xatu nodded, flaring her wings and letting out a screech.

Night Slash scoffed and said, "Cute. Well, let's get back to it. I've got people to kill and a ghost that needs to be erased off of this plane of existence."

The Gothitelle's eyes suddenly burned dark blue, and Amber was blasted backwards by Psychic. Dawson leapt to the side to avoid the rush of energy, ripping out his hand-cannon and firing at Night Slash, who responded by ducking under the blast. He grabbed the arm of his accomplices and hurled her forward into Dawson's next shot, causing her face to explode in a shower of sparks before her body collapsed onto the ground. The Gothitelle retaliated with a Thunderbolt, striking Dawson directly and dropping the man to the ground.

Amber rolled to her feet and sprinted forward, throwing a knife at Night Slash and missing by a hair as the man growled in fury. The bandit barked out a command for Psychic, which struck Amber and made her grit her teeth in pain. It did not, however, stop Avis from tackling the Gothitelle and pecking her repeatedly. Night Slash looked at Amber and glared her down, even as she tightened her grip around the dagger in her hand. Avis teleported beside her, screeching at Night Slash and his Gothitelle, a cry of defiance to the two criminals.

"Shadow Ball!" Amber and Night Slash barked to their Pokémon, who both hurled a barrage of pulsating orbs of darkness at one another. Avis teleported above Gothitelle after the two Pokémon dodged the attacks, sending an Air Slash at the Astral Body Pokémon. The Gothitelle screeched in pain as the attack hit her directly, but retaliated by flinging her arms upward and sending a crackling bolt of lighting at Avis, dealing serious damage to the Psychic/Flying-type.

Amber dove forward, stabbing at Night Slash with inhuman speed and a cold expression of fury on her face. The bandit barely blocked the stab with his machete, staggering back in surprise at the amount of power the woman held. Amber disengaged her blade and sidestepped a slash from the bandit, quickly spinning around and kicking him in the side of his head and sending the man toppling to the ground.

Amber raised her blade to finish the man off, but froze.

"I...I can't. Not again. Not right now…" Amber realized, lowering her blade and taking a step back. "What did that Tapu do to me?"

 _"I've broken her psychic powers within her mind!"_ Avis suddenly screeched with triumph, flaring her wings as she threw up a Protect shield around Amber. The assassin looked over at the Gothitelle, which was currently clutching her head and looking incredibly disoriented.

"G-good...Just leave up the shield. I can't...bring myself to do this seriously right this moment. I have to wait for the curse to pass again." Amber hissed, with Avis looking at her with incredulity.

 _"Who knows how long that would take!? Just kill him! It's not that hard!"_ Avis proclaimed, with Amber giving her a cold look.

"Don't you tell me what's hard and what isn't! You don't fucking know!" Amber spat at a shocked Avis, fury in her voice. Amber then turned her head and saw the Gothitelle staggering towards her, hands outstretched as lightning crackled around her hands. Amber opened her mouth to issue a command, but her mind suddenly seared with pain.

"Agh! Not...not again!" Amber screamed, falling to her knees and surprising everyone. The others watched as her eyes suddenly burned with a black fire, making the woman clutch her face in agony. Avis' lowered the shield in surprise, allowing Night Slash a chance to have his Gothitelle hit the Xatu and her Trainer with a Thunderbolt. Avis shrieked in pain…

Amber slowly lifted her head as the lightning shocked her, grinning maniacally as her light blue eyes gleamed like gems in the moonlight. Night Slash took a step back in horror as the woman rose to her full height, ignoring the direct electrical attack like it was nothing.

"I haven't felt true fear like that in a very long time. You'll pay for that." Amber said gently before she took a step forward, her soulless smile vanishing. In its place was a scowl of annoyance as she trudged onwards, her body still being filled with deadly electricity.

"What...h-how in the world?" Night Slash hissed before he yelled out, "Stop the attack! Shadow Ball!"

Amber sighed with relief as the electrical attack ended and the Gothitelle fired off a ball of darkness at her, which the woman sidestepped with a bored expression as Avis floated overhead. The Gothitelle launched a wave of lightning at them both, but Avis cast Protect and shielded them from harm.

"You do realize I'm doing this right now out of sheer stubbornness now, right?" Amber remarked, gesturing to the four Poké Balls at her waist. "I could've killed you ages ago, even with the curse in effect. I only needed to use the rest of my team. This was a simple matter of facing my fears, really."

"Shut your goddamn mouth!" Night Slash hissed, pointing his blade at Amber. "I only wanted that damn ghost! You didn't have to interfere."

The Gothitelle growled in annoyance as she stared down Avis, throwing out her hands and launching a Dark Pulse at the flying bird, who teleported away and reappeared in front of her, launching a point-blank Air Slash at the Astral Body Pokémon. The Gothitelle was knocked away and hurled a Shadow Ball at Avis, knocking her away and onto the ground in a crumpled heap, though the Gothitelle collapsed onto the ground as well, panting heavily.

Amber glanced to her side, where the scared Litwick was currently floating. After a moment's thought, Amber glanced at Dawson, who was now standing, though he was clutching his hip with a pained expression and seemed to be holding himself upright with difficulty.

"Hey, do you have a Poké Ball?" Amber asked the man, who blinked twice before wordlessly pulling out one from his cloak and tossing it to Amber. Night Slash's eyes widened in fury as Amber said to the Litwick, "Stay in this Poké Ball if you want to live."

With that, she pressed the device against Aou's forehead, making the bandit opposite them scream in anger and rush at Amber, slashing down at her. The assassin easily sidestepped the slash as the Poké Ball dinged in her hand, notifying her of a successful capture of Demi's former Pokémon. Amber slammed a fist into Night Slash's stomach and tried to stab him with her other hand, only to be hit with another Thunderbolt. Night Slash staggered back, eyes bulging at the strength of the single punch to his gut, and pointed forward. The man's Gothitelle limped forward, increasing the amount of deadly lightning pouring into the assassin, who simply grinned at the creature, sending chills down the Psychic-type's spine.

Those chills were suddenly replaced with a searing, burning sensation of agony as a bright burst of energy suddenly tore through the Gothitelle's shoulder, making her release the attack and making Night Slash scream out in horror as they looked at the wounded mercenary holding onto a tree for support and lowering his weapon.

"Not on your life, bitch." Dawson spat as he fell to the ground, though he caught himself in time to land in a sitting position. The Gothitelle staggered back with a scream of pain clutching her shoulder with a pained gasp that was silenced when Amber pounced on the Astral Body Pokémon with a murderous grin, swinging her knife across the stomach of the creature before burying it in the Gothitelle's throat. The Pokémon staggered backwards with a surprised expression on its face, even as Amber kicked it in the chest and sent it tumbling backwards.

"NO!" Night Slash screamed as his Gothitelle toppled to the ground with a strangled cry, hitting the dirt with a thud as her fingers weakly fumbled with the dagger in her throat. She couldn't stop the flow of crimson that poured from the mortal blow, however, and soon the light in her eyes gave way to nothing but emptiness.

"No…" Night Slash whispered, falling to his knees. It was all over. Without his Gothitelle, he couldn't do anything…

"Yes."

Night Slash looked up just in time to get a boot to the face, which sent him rolling along the grass. When he stopped, he pushed himself upright and snarled at Amber as she walked towards him, her eyes flickering back and forth between pink and light-blue and neck twitching erratically. In her hands was a silver tomahawk, the one that Dawson had dropped during the earlier brawl.

Amber stalked towards the man with a maniacal smile on her face, making the bandit try and crawl away, still having trouble breathing after the blow to the gut the woman had given him. Suddenly Amber tensed and let out a yell of pain, her eyes suddenly burning with a bright pink fire as her body shook uncontrollably. The others watched in horror for a few moments before the flames subsided, leaving Amber staring at Night Slash with bright pink eyes. She looked exhausted now, but her eyes narrowed in anger and she continued walking towards the man.

"Today you made me feel true terror. I had to relive my worst nightmare today twice, and I can't communicate in words how that makes me feel. Especially now that, thanks to Tapu Lele's curse, I can do that now." Amber said quietly as Night Slash continued to try and flee. Amber shook her head, sighing softly as her fingers tightened around the weapon. "I haven't felt fear in so long. But I also haven't felt anger in just as long. Annoyance, yes. Irritation, also. But anger? True and genuine anger...that I haven't felt in far too long. And I'm angry now. It feels almost...Like an inferno. I want to tear you apart. I want to murder you and laugh the entire time. I want you to _suffer..._ But I can't do it. I won't kill you or anyone else. Not when I'm able to feel again."

"Ha! Even after all of that, you're too much of a coward to do the job?" Night Slash laughed as he quickly hopped to his feet, sprinting forward and reaching for the tomahawk in the assassin's hand. Amber felt a rush of agony tear through her body, a hand going to her head again as again the curse struck her. Night Slash slammed into her, trying to rip away the weapon from her grasp, but he was surprised when the weapon seemed to be stuck in an iron grip.

Amber's eyes snapped open, her light-blue eyes narrowed down to slits as she grabbed the man's outstretched arm and pulled it past her, kneeing the man in the stomach before swiftly spinning around and breaking the man's arm over her knee. Night Slash screamed in agony stumbled backwards, though Amber wasn't done, as she spun the man around and kicked down at his kneecap as hard as she could, breaking the man's leg for good measure. Night Slash howled as as he fell to the ground in a heap, writhing around as Amber stared down at him. This wasn't helped when Avis' eyes glowed bright blue, meaning moments later, Night Slash was lifted into the air, his entire body burning with pain as Avis applied her powers to his helpless form.

 _"I can't do this for long. I'm at my limit…"_ Avis hissed, her eyes flickering as her powers threatened to give out.

"I don't need long." Amber said lightly, her eyes gleaming with malice as she stalked the man, twirling the tomahawk in her hand.

"I thought you said...You w-wouldn't kill me!" Night Slash cried out as Avis began to manipulate his broken arm with a sinister expression of glee on her face, making the man scream. Dawson staggered to his feet, chuckling softly.

"Nah, ain't that simple man. You don't mess with two Cipher Admins like that and expect to tell the tale. Maybe that'll teach you to stop tormenting random Pokémon for no reason. Just ain't sporting, you know?" Dawson remarked as Amber looked down at the new Poké Ball at her waist and called out Aou. The Litwick moved over to Amber and made a soft cooing sound, looking confused.

"He hurt you, right?" Amber asked the Candle Pokémon. The Litwick nodded in reply, to which Amber turned her gaze back to the injured bandit. Night Slash saw the depths of true evil within those eyes. An awful, wonderful evil maelstrom burning with Amber's light-blue eyes. The eyes of a killer who showed no remorse to her enemies.

"For the first time in sixteen years...I _felt_. I had everything I ever wanted. But it was too late for me. With all of my emotions and feeling back, I can't handle what I've done and what I've seen. Who I've become. When I'm my old self again, like I was a few moments ago, I can't bring myself to kill. I have no idea what will happen to me in regards to my mental state because of this curse, but I know exactly what I feel now. I feel anger, even in my normal broken state. And I feel humiliation. And I feel _hatred_." Amber whispered as she stood above Night Slash, her words laced with the kind of toxic seething hate that sent chills down the man's spine. Dawson backed away from the woman as she towered above the man on the ground, who stared up at her in abject horror.

"Y-you...What are you?" the bandit asked as the woman, her expression twisting into a demented, horrifying grin. The man's blood turned to ice as Amber's eyes gleamed with something new then.

Acceptance.

"My name is Amber Fontaine. And I'm a monster." Amber replied softly in reply before she brought her tomahawk down on Night Slash's uninjured leg. Dawson looked away just in time, but he heard the sound of metal tearing through flesh and hitting bone, followed by the blood splattering the grass. The bandit screamed as Amber laughed softly, pressing the blade deeper into the man's leg as she felt the familiar rush of bloodlust and satisfaction rush through her.

"I'm not going to kill you, Night Slash. I am going to _destroy_ you. Just like Hazel destroyed me all those years ago. And just like how that god almost destroyed me back at that ruin. Because there is no justice in this world. There is no justice for me. Not after what Tapu Lele showed me. I won't be getting my happily ever after…And there's no possible chance for redemption." Amber whispered, closing her eyes for a moment.

There was no going back. Not now, not ever.

"My better tomorrow will never come. But neither will yours."

* * *

 _I have waited so long for this chapter. And you somehow made it to the end! Congrats!_

 _Special thanks go out to RC-DA for the idea of using Shadow Tag to keep Amanda/Amber in check during the earlier days. At first I dismissed the idea because I figured Hazel could use her powers to keep her prisoner under control, but the idea of Shadow Tag became interesting to me and I decided to go with it. So thanks for the awesome suggestion!_

Q & A

 _From: RC-DA_

Also how does one go about killing a ghost? Good luck with that Nightslash.

 _ **It's definitely possible, at least in my own little canon. We might even find out how soon enough.**_

 _From: trevhall19_

My apologies for not reviewing this when it was released. I was busy playing Kingdom Hearts III. On that note, I do have a few questions.

1\. How many subplots are there in your story? I ask this because they mentioned Zygarde cells. I understand they're part of the Sun and Moon games, but I do hope you do not have too many subplots in your story. They can get a bit confusing at times.

2\. We got an appearance from Shadow Lugia in this chapter. Is this a different Shadow Lugia than the one in Pokemon XD Gale of Darkness?

Last question:

3\. I did not expect Necrozma to appear right now. Why did you have it appear at this moment instead of later?

 _ **I'm well aware that's one of the many flaws in this story. In my attempt to create a complex story with intertwining arcs, character growth, and a original plotline that compliments the Sun and Moon plotline, I've made everything convoluted as hell. It'll calm down eventually, and most of the cards are on the table at this point so everything will only get more clear as time goes on. This chapter was honestly the biggest roadblock left for me to overcome with this story, and in a way I was dreading it because I know that it'll only mean as much as it does to me and not everyone else. But things will be picking up shortly after this, and we'll have a nice break from Cipher nonsense for a bit.**_

 _ **The over-complexity thing probably stems from my first main story being so basic in terms of plot and me wanting to correct that in future stories, now that I think about it. Even my Jak story was fairly straightforward in terms of plot.**_

 _ **2\. You mean Shadow Moltres, right? And this is a different Shadow Moltres than the one that appeared in XD, under the control of Greevil.**_

 _ **3\. SPOILERS for some really cool stuff in the future. Though I'll admit it was partly to introduce Kahili, explore Ten Carat Hill, have Penny evolve before the Tournament, and explore some backstory, as well as continue along with the Aether Foundation storyline.**_

 _From: trevhall19_

 _Finally, some insane action for Sun as he faces off against Necrozma with mid-level Pokemon, one of them having evolved during the battle. I do have a couple of questions._

 _1\. So Sun's father was a child of promise, but the hatred in his heart allowed him to sink into the darkness. This sounds familiar. Was Anakin Skywalker somewhat of an inspiration?_

 _2\. You stated the next chapter will be much darker. Will it be towards Sun or another character?_

 _3\. Wasn't Kahili one of the Alolan Elite Four?_

 _Final Question_

 _4\. Are we ever going to see development in Oliver and Penny's relationship?_

 _ **1\. Nope. At least not intentionally. Before I decided to make this story, I changed Borlath's backstory considerably. Most of the characters in the Cipher plotline were created years ago, except for Damien, Mask, and Dawson. Maybe some others. I'll admit the whole "you become the very thing you wished to destroy" thing is basically a quote from Revenge of the Sith, but that's just how it happens. Sometimes you can't help it if two characters walk the same road, at least on some level.**_

 _ **2\. Obviously this question has been answered.**_

 _ **3\. Yep. She'll have a bigger role in this story than she did in the games.**_

 _ **4\. We're already seeing some, actually. Penny beating Oliver in battle for the first time and her subsequent evolving did change their relationship somewhat. As I've said, some of the character arcs in this story are on a slow boil, though I'll happily say it pays off in the end. We will see more development on behalf of all of Sun's team, especially in regards to the first three, since Finn is still getting used to being there in the first place.**_

 _ **On an unrelated note, I think I have a ship lined up for at least four of them (out of the six) so far. Nothing yet for Finn and #5, but I'm working on it!**_

 _From: JDunks807_

 _Anyways, Tapu Koko was talking about Sun's dad. Does that mean that the Island Guardians tried to shape him during his Island Challenge? And could that tie into why he hates Alola with a burning passion?_

 _Although, given the fact he was kicked out of his home and forced to do the Island Challenge would probably be a big factor. Poor guy. Damien must have been the only good thing to happen to him..._

 _Which brings me to another question. Borlath started his journey with Damien, I know that. But what Pokemon did he sacrifice for the Umbral thingy?_

 _ **Spoilers, but it'll be explained relatively soon, along with a lot more backstory that will clear some things up. But let's just say that he has perfectly valid reasons for hating Alola. Amber's ordeal with Tapu Lele touched upon it though.**_

 _ **Borlath sacrificed his entire battling team except for Damien. Meaning that the five teammates he's had with him for over a two decades were subjected to a fate worse than death itself. That said, he has began to reconstruct a new team, which includes a Greninja.**_

 _That's all for this chapter! And now, a sidenote!_

 _My thoughts on the Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield reveal are...optimism. I liked what we saw from the reveal trailer and the region looks neat. Basing it on the UK/England is a great choice, and I'm looking forward to seeing what ideas they have in store. Personally I'm hoping for some influences from old history for this one, and a really good plot. So we'll see._

 _As for the starters, I like them. Scorbunny is a awful name, but I like the Pokémon design itself and will be using it in my first playthrough of the games, since I always start off with a Fire-type in the first run I have in a new Generation. Grooky looks great and I can only imagine how badass it'll look later. Sobble is...interesting, but kinda neat._

 _We should be back to regular weekly updates, now that this mammoth of a chapter is done and we're hitting the Tournament Mini-Arc! Next chapter will bring us back to normal, with adorable fluffiness and some lighter themes._

 _Please show your support with a review in the section below and tell me your thoughts on the massive chapter that I've poured a ton of effort into, writing almost 27,000 words this past week. And if you haven't already, please favorite and/or follow the story. Oh yeah, and if you have a question on something story-related (or not story-related), then feel free to drop a question in the review section and I'll answer it with the next update. This chapter was an absolute beast to complete, and I'd love to hear your thoughts on it._

 _Thank you for your continued patience and support. This story would never have reached this incredible point without you, and I'll continue working as hard as I can to entertain you all with my nonsense. I'll see you all next weekend!_

 _Take care and stay awesome!_

 _Until next time, FlygonNick out!_


	80. Advice Worth Taking

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

 _So, guess who got roped into competitive Smash Ultimate tournaments this weekend, and got this chapter out a day late as a result? This guy. No worries, I'll be busting my ass to get an update out this weekend on time. Plus chapter was just hard to write for some reason. Don't know why._

 _Speaking of Smash, however, I will say that I'm definitely trying to get back into a groove with it and do more competitive stuff with it. Especially with Joker (from Persona V) becoming a playable character in April. So much hype._

 _Anyway, last chapter got the exact reactions I wanted. For the most part. I'm glad most people stuck it out and overall the feedback has been wonderful. So thanks again for being patient and awesome while I sorted my stuff out._

 _Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes Defender31415, Technetium2, a Guest reviewer, JDunks809, Sai Og Sus, Cottonmouth25, SonicIKE, BraviaryScout, RC-DA, and 2 new reviewers known as OragonKing and Wan323. Thanks for the fantastic support!_

 _Also, I am aware Necrozma is NOT actually an Ultra Beast. However, the characters do not._

 _On that note…I could not for the life of me come up with a good chapter name for this one. Oh well._

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 _Chapter 80: Advice Worth Taking_

* * *

The trek back to Professor Kukui's lab was silent, with Sun in deep thought. Everything that had happened today seemed like a huge blur to them. The talk with Professor Kukui and Burnet. Their walk to Ten Carat Hill. Their meeting with Kahili. And then the battle against Necrozma.

"You kids are lucky." Ollie remarked as they made their way out of the tunnel and entered Route 1 again, with the Professor's lab being visible now, just a few minutes away. "After all this excitement, you get to go home and relax a bit. I'll be heading into work."

"Wait, what? I thought you didn't have to go back to work until tomorrow!" Sun exclaimed, looking up at Ollie with some alarm. The man smiled ruefully, patting the boy's head.

"Sadly, duty calls. We just witnessed a major temporal and/or spatial phenomena, or at least whatever you call an Ultra Wormhole. An Ultra Beast just came out of that portal and attacked us, and we barely managed to knock it back into the vortex. The others need to know about this. I can't just wait on this. What if the portal opens again and this thing actually kills someone? Or worse, if the one that's supposedly buried underground wakes up? No...This needs to be investigated." Ollie explained, his tone becoming more serious. Sun looked worried, but nodded.

"Okay...Just be careful. Please?" Sun said in a rather small voice. Ollie replied with a simple thumbs up without looking back at Sun. Lillie felt a pang of worry for the boy, but this conversation had merely distracted her from her worry over Nebby.

The Cosmog had yet to awaken from its slumber, though the Pokémon's color had slowed returned to him over the course of their walk back to the lab. Lillie hoped that Professor Burnet would know a way to help Nebby, but Lillie couldn't help but fear the worst.

" _Nebby...please be okay."_ Lillie thought to herself, feeling her eyes burn with tears. She brushed them away with her hands, taking a breath to calm herself. She had to be strong. The girl then felt a hand grip hers as she brought them down to her sides, and she glanced to her side to see Sun by her side. He offered her a kind smile, giving Lillie's hand a small squeeze. Lillie smiled weakly, mouthing a thank you to the boy before he let go of her hand.

"We need another break." Sun mused with a small smile, sticking his hands into his pockets, glad that he had changed back into his usual clothes. Lillie was about to remark on that when Penny swooped past him, looking absolutely giddy as she flapped her powerful new wings.

" _I wouldn't say no to it, but I really want to have another good battle! I want to test my new form out!"_ Penny practically sang, shivering with happiness before she shot ahead. Finn cried out something and then promptly tripped, making Sun stop beside his newest Pokémon and pick him up. Sun walked forward, holding Finn in his arms now. The Poliwag wasn't exactly amused, but didn't fight it either. Meanwhile, Brago and Oliver both sulked in silence behind them, with the canine in particular hanging his head. Rotom sat on Sun's shoulder, looking amused at all of this.

 _"Zzzt! This is probably a good time to mention that Penny learned two new moves upon evolving. Rock Blast and Beak Blast."_ Rotom explained to the boy, with Penny flying circles around the group.

"Rock Blast? But...she's a Flying-type. Well, and a Normal-type too. How can she use rock attacks?" Sun asked Rotom Dex, who giggled ethereally.

"Pokémon learn all sorts of odd attacks all the time. You'd be surprised at the odd things Pokémon find themselves able to do, especially upon evolving. Trained Pokémon can learn even more, thanks to Technical Machines." Ollie remarked, smiling at Penny as she flew by. "Still...Alola really can make some wonderful birds."

"Yep! And I saw Kahili use Beak Blast before and...wait, was that the fire-like move that Penny used when she protected Oliver?" Sun asked Rotom.

 _"Zzt! You betcha! Beak Blast is a Flying-type move that requires the user to charge for a short time before releasing a fiery blast of energy. It's Toucannon's signature move! Should Penny take a direct physical attack from an opponent while charging up, they'd likely be burned as a result."_ Rotom explained, with Sun remembering how Necrozma had reacted after striking Penny and the pain that it had been in.

"Cool. That'll definitely help in the Tournament, and my Grand Trial...Um, you'll be there, right?" Sun asked Ollie, who replied with a wide grin.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world. I'll make sure to take off that night so I can get a front row view." Ollie promised, with Sun giving him a wide smile at those words. Lillie couldn't help a small giggle, earning the boy's attention.

"You look so excited. I couldn't help it." Lillie apologized, smiling at the boy. Sun blushed slightly, but didn't respond to that comment. Instead, the group arrived at the Pokémon Lab, where Professor Kukui opened the door with a wide smile. That smile took a hit when he noticed that the group looked a bit roughed up.

"Everything okay?" the Professor asked, with Ollie smirking at that.

"It's a long story. You might want to grab your wife for this, because it's definitely her area of expertise." Ollie said to the man, earning a nod in response. In a matter of minutes, they were all sitting on cushions and drinking tea yet again, with Professor Burnet looked troubled at what she had been told about Necrozma's attack.

"This is worrying. A creature of such strength...I can only be thankful that none of you were seriously hurt." Burnet said quietly, looking down at the floor. Sun noticed that Brago was sulking off to the side of room, with Winter trying to cheer him up by nuzzling him. The Alolan Vulpix's efforts were in vain, as Brago simply sighed and trudged over to Sun, leaving the icy fox with a hurt expression on her face.

Kukui nodded at the word's of his wife, his usually cheerful face showing a concerned frown. "Yeah. Poor Kahili. I asked her to come back to Alola to help me out with my secret project and to drum up interest for the Tournament. She got hurt because of me…" Kukui shook his head, smiling ruefully. "I know that isn't quite true, but I can't help but feel guilty about it."

"She seemed like a pretty strong lady. I'm sure she'll be fine." Ollie said, leaning against the wall. "That said, we do have some pressing issues. Mainly, making sure that we don't encounter such a powerful creature again. We got lucky because we had three skilled Trainers there, plus a Guardian Deity. Next time we may not be so lucky. I want to launch additional investigations into the Ultra Beasts. Ancient texts, recent info, and anything else we can dig up."

"We have a bit of information at our disposal, though admittedly we don't have much. The Ultra Wormholes themselves are more my area of expertise, and I've already shown most of my findings with Miss Anabel." Burnet said to Ollie, earning a nod.

"Noted. I'll ensure Maiden and Looker share anything they've got as well. Maybe we've got something you don't that could help sort out this mystery. Though I'll be totally honest, the International Police have a very bad habit of keeping information hidden from each other. Secrets are secrets, after all. I have quite a few myself that I'll be taking to the grave." Ollie replied with a small shrug, though he caught Sun's curious gaze. The Captain grinned and said, "And no, convincing Laura to bake me red-velvet cupcakes to bribe me into blabbing away top secret info isn't going to work. Trust me...She's tried."

"Drat. Oh well, I'll come up with something else. If anything, Hau and Lillie might help me figure out a better plan." Sun said with a shrug, glancing over at Lillie, who gave him a wide grin and a nod.

"Oh boy...You crazy kids." Kukui remarked, shaking his head with mirth.

Ollie's smile faded after a moment."Alright...then I'll need to touch base with them and find out what all we know. That said, Sun's Rotom Dex managed to get a good bit of footage of the battle itself, along with pictures. Plus, I found some strange shards at the base of the Ultra Wormhole. I was wondering if you all could make sense of it." Ollie said to Burnet, holding up a plastic bag of glittering shards. Kukui and Burnet examined them with interest.

"It's like glass...But they thrum some strange sort of power." Burnet remarked, raising an eyebrow.

"We can run some tests and see what they are. It may take some time, however." Kukui said to Ollie, who nodded in response. Kukui turned to Sun and said, "You don't mind leaving Rotom Dex here overnight, do you? I know you can find your way around Melemele Island by now, but…"

"Yeah, absolutely. I'll be fine." Sun said, grabbing Rotom Dex gently as the device buzzed.

 _"Woo! Sleepover! BzzZzzt!"_ Rotom declared as Kukui chuckled softly.

"Alright then. I'll head downstairs and start sifting through the data Rotom picked up. Ollie, if you'd join me." Kukui said as he ambled down the hall. Ollie turned to Sun for a moment.

"Get home and explain what happened to your mother. I'll swing by and get my stuff before heading out. Be safe, alright?" Ollie said, putting a hand on Sun's head with a smile before the boy nodded. Ollie removed his hand and went after Kukui, a resolute expression on his face. Sun turned to Lillie, smiling at his best friend.

"Looks like I've got to go home. Keep me posted on how Nebby's doing, okay?" Sun said to Lillie.

"Okay." Lillie responded, and with that Sun stepped forward and hugged the girl. Lillie shut her eyes as her face burned pink, but she enjoyed the hug despite her embarrassment of Professor Burnet giggling behind them. The two children separated with both of their faces rather flushed.

"We'll be heading back to Akala Island tomorrow afternoon so we can prepare ourselves for the Tournament this weekend. It'll be a three-day long experience, so make sure to plan accordingly." Burnet said to Sun, smiling down at the boy.

"Got it. See you both tomorrow!" Sun said to the two women, walking down the path with his Pokémon in tow. Lillie saw Sun petting Brago as they walked, and smiled fondly as she watched her crush depart. After staring at his departing figure for a time, and girl sighed softly.

"You really have it bad for him, don't you?" Burnet asked suddenly, with Lillie jumping slightly.

"Um…" Lillie looked uncomfortable as she blushed scarlet, and Professor Burnet smirked knowingly. The woman placed a hand on Lillie's shoulder, squatting down slightly so that she was eye-level with the girl.

"We'll see him tomorrow. And I'm sure you'll have plenty of time to spend with him while at Royal Avenue. For now we have work to do, and the first thing we'll have to do is wake Nebby up." Burnet said to Lillie, who nodded after a moment.

"Are we going to be running the tests here?" Lillie asked.

"Yes. I'm worried about teleporting elsewhere with Cosmog in the state that he's in. However, based on the last time we had Nebby in this condition, I believe we'll be able to revive him in short order." Burnet said as she led Lillie back into the building. Winter ambled over to them and nuzzled Lillie's leg, sending a icy chill up her leg but also serving the purpose of making the girl smile. Lillie picked up the icy fox and hugged her.

"You certainly do love fuzzy Pokémon, don't you?" Burnet giggled, with Lillie grinning at that.

"I blame Father for that." Lillie said, her smile becoming a bit more somber as she removed her signature hat. "Every one of his Pokémon was super fuzzy and furry. I loved hugging all of them when I was little, and my favorite Pokémon he had was his Stoutland."

Burnet put a hand on Lillie's head, patting the girl on the head. She smiled warmly at the child and said, "I'm sure Mohn is very proud of how far you've come. Just like I am, Lillie."

The girl felt her throat constrict at the words and tears again began to sting at her eyes. So she chose to give Burnet a hug, which the woman responded in kind. Burnet held the girl for several moments before breaking the embrace, smiling down at Lillie with pride before they continued further into the building, determined to unravel the mysteries of Necrozma and Cosmog…

Though they would never imagine where those mysteries would lead them.

* * *

As the moon rose high into the sky, shining its radiant light down on Alola, a Growlithe stirred in his sleep before his eyes snapped open. He glanced around the bed he was currently resting on. Brago sighed and took stock of his position on Sun's bed, surrounded by his team.

His gaze fell onto the boy that he had sworn to follow loyally no matter what. Next, his eyes flicked to the mischievous Dartrix who preferred being clean and groomed above all else. And then the newly evolved Toucannon, who strove so hard to prove her worth. And then the newest addition to their pack, the Poliwag with the heart of a performer and a soul of a fighter. What an interesting band of characters...however, that alerted Brago to his situation.

 _"Sleep will elude me this night, it seems."_ Brago murmured, getting up off of the bed that they had all piled onto. Sun shifted slightly, but didn't wake up as Brago hopped to the floor. The canine moved silently as he made his way towards a spot in the room where the moon was visible through the window. And for a time, the stared out that window and thought about things. About the doubt that had nestled into his heart.

 _"Bad dream?"_ came a whisper from the dark. Brago looked over at Oliver with a bored expression, the Dartrix carefully extracting himself from Sun's bed and flapping over to the Growlithe.

 _"Not quite, my friend...I'm unsure of what's wrong with me. But I'm having doubts about many things, and it's darkening my mood."_ Brago said to the owl, who cocked his head.

 _"Explain."_ Oliver stated bluntly.

 _"Earlier today, we fought that monster. It's strength was something I had never encountered before. It was what I had always thought fighting a Legendary would be like. I could feel the anger and pain emanating from it. It was overwhelming...And for a time, I was absolutely terrified. I was so scared to act, even for a brief time. And that has shaken my confidence, Oliver. I don't know what to think anymore, because I've never felt fear before. I've always marched forward, not allowing anything to slow me down. No matter how strong the opponent, no matter how fearsome the foe, I have never backed down...Until today. And I'm ashamed."_ Brago explained softly, hanging his head.

 _"I see...So you're doubting your resolve and your abilities. Well, if it makes you feel any better, I can relate to that."_ Oliver said, drawing the dog's attention.

 _"Really? But you always fight and follow orders no matter what."_ Brago said, with Oliver shaking his head in reply.

 _"Not always. Before I evolved, I was quite a pain to deal with. Even now, I act out of line. I'm working on it, but some bad habits prove hard to curb. But that's not the point."_ Oliver said with a shrug.

 _"Have you...ever felt so scared that it shook you?"_ Brago asked before realizing how that sounded. _"I apologize. It's hard to express what I'm asking."_

 _"Of course I've been that scared. But Sun's safety was more important to me. And despite that...I'm scared too. But not because of that monster."_ Oliver admitted, shutting his eyes. " I'm scared of failure. I let Sun down against the Kahuna because I wasn't strong enough to overcome my instincts. I was weak. And because of that weakness, that boy suffered. I have to be better, Brago, and I'm scared I won't be able to improve. That I'll never get better and overcome my shortcomings."

 _"Bettering oneself is easier said than done. Fear, however...Is another thing entirely."_ Brago said quietly, gritting his teeth.

 _"Why is that such a big thing with you? Everyone gets scared."_ Oliver asked, raising an eyebrow.

 _"Not me. Not a Growlithe. Our kind are fearless. We are unshakable. We protect our Alpha without reservation. We obey without thought. Our loyalty is absolute."_ Brago explained softly, shutting his eyes and hanging his head.

 _"And for a few moments earlier today...I wasn't any of that. I was a terrified wretch cowering in the dirt against that...thing. You selflessly tried to protect our Alpha. Penny managed to evolve protecting you. Even Finn, despite how much weaker he is than us, fought as hard as he could until that beast knocked him out. And for a one, horrifying moment...I was a trembling little pup that couldn't move because he was so scared."_

 _"I'm absolutely disgusted in myself. After what Alpha has done for me, I thought I would always be able to follow him. A Trainer with a brave heart and a kind soul. He has treated me very well, and I've grown stronger thanks to his guidance. And how do I repay him? With cowardice. That monster we fought terrified me, and I'm ashamed of myself, Oliver. I'm not supposed to be afraid of anything. I'm supposed to brave...And I wasn't."_ Brago finished, lowering himself down the to the floor.

 _"I see...Well, I'll admit I don't really know what to say to that. If I'm scared, I'm scared. But I'll get over it."_ Oliver remarked uneasily, seeing the state the canine was in. He was glad for the distraction, however. It helped him from dwelling on his own problems.

 _"But I do know that fear doesn't have to last forever. You've done so much in the short time I've know you. Even when I first met you, you were trying to fight against one of the darkest humans I've ever seen. You're a warrior where it counts, Brago. Don't dwell on your fear. Just think about how you'll do better next time."_ Oliver said to the canine, who rose up after a few moments and stared at him.

 _"Why are you doing this? Why comfort me?"_ Brago asked the Dartrix, who replied with a little beaky smile.

 _"You're not the only one having doubts. And even if I'm not feeling my best, it's my job to make sure everything's going okay for Sun. And that means making sure you're okay too. Besides, what else are friends for?"_ Oliver said as he put a wing around Brago. The Growlithe stared at the moon, deep in thought for several moments, thinking about what Oliver said. Finally, the canine offered the owl a weak smile before Oliver removed his wing.

 _"Thank you. I'm very conflicted right now, but I feel a little better after talking about it."_ Brago said to the Dartrix, who waved a wing dismissively.

 _"Get some rest. We'll be fighting quite hard in the next few days. We'll need to be at our best."_ Oliver said with a smile as Brago trudged back to the boy's bed, hopping upon it and curling up beside Sun, who awoke for a moment. He saw Brago and sleepily hugged the canine close to him before falling asleep again, leaving Oliver to his thoughts. About what he told Brago.

"It's too bad I can't follow my own advice." Oliver thought as he shut his eyes, though he didn't let sleep claim him. He had to maintain his nightly vigil, after all.

* * *

Aria looked down at the Zygarde Cube as it sucked in another Cell, grinning in triumph. She set down the device as she set it on the floor, examining it from all sides before looking up at Sina and Dexio as they scribbled away on tablets. It was rather early in the morning for the young heroes, but despite this, they decided to meet up so that they could discuss things.

"Anything?" Aria asked, picking up the device and setting it on the table.

"Yes. It seems as though you've collected eight percent of Zygarde's missing Cells. Sun has slightly over ten percent, last time we checked. So we'll be able to utilize the Zygarde Cube in some way from this point forward." Dexio explained, nodding after a moment.

"And it'll actually be able to have a form and everything?" Vivian asked, smiling slightly.

"Yes. It seems that we're able to call forth Zygarde in a limited capacity. From what Professor Sycamore has deduced, and based on our own research, Zygarde can only form in three states. One of them at ten percent cell capacity. Another state will be when it is at half, or fifty, percent of it's cell capacity. And then when it's finally complete, it will be at its Complete Forme. Zygarde, at that point, will have its full power." Dexio explained as he turned around in his chair, looking back at his allies. The young man was acutely aware of his partner leaning against him, her arm on his shoulder, but ignored it for now.

"This is good. Really, really good. All we have to do is track down all of the Cells and Cores and we'll have an actual chance of standing up against Ghetsis and his Kyurem." Aria said with a grin, grabbing the Zygarde Cube and looking down at it with reverence.

"On top of that, Colress says he's making serious headway with the Purification Chamber at the Aether Paradise. He says he'll probably have it finished and ready for testing within a month or so. Purifying Celebi will be easy after that." Sina chimed in, moving from Dexio and grinning at the other Trainers.

"Well, we knew that. Colress has been keeping us updated weekly about how he's doing there. He's also keeping an eye on the Aether Foundation and their activities. He's almost certain that there's another lab on the island, but he's unsure where. He's also wary of digging further, because Faba seems to be onto him." Noah responded, crossing his arms and sighing. "And truthfully, that's just one piece of the puzzle. We still need to sort out how to divide Kyurem again, as well as sort out how we're going to deal with Ghetsis and his flying doom fortress."

"'Doom fortress?'" Dexio echoed, smirking. Noah grinned while Vivian laughed, smiling widely.

"It's only the most cliche thing ever. Seriously, what is it with those guys? First they bury a castle under the Pokémon League. Then they get a floating pirate ship. And then they just make a floating castle. Who funds this crap?" Vivian asked, giggling with mirth.

"Probably Borlath. Though Cipher didn't ally with Neo Team Plasma until after they tried to take over Unova a second time." Aria remarked, sighing with a shrug. "Who knows? It doesn't even matter anyway. Hell, if we found a way to knock it out of the sky we could probably just skip a lot of the work."

"How the hell would you even knock a floating castle out of the sky? Let alone one with an almighty dragon... _thing_ , on it?" Hugh asked, raising an eyebrow. None of the Trainers said anything, though the silence was broken by Olivia entering the room and putting a hand on her hip.

"So this is where you all were. Hmph." Olivia said, crossing her arms with a small smile. "I just figured I should let you know that security for the Tournament is well taken care of, since you showed some concern about it. On top of that, we'll be having a great deal of visiting Trainers and Gym Leaders, so should there be an incident it will be resolved quickly." Olivia said to the group.

"That's good. A Tournament will be fun. Plus there's that festival thing happening soon after, right?" Aria asked.

"The Festival of Celestial Lights...Sounds like a wonderful time." Noah said quietly, smiling as he leaned against Vivian. "We haven't had a date like that in a while."

"T-that's...true, I guess." Vivian sputtered as Noah wrapped an arm around her shoulder. Noah smirked slightly and kissed his girlfriend lightly on the cheek, making her blush bright pink.

"You really are terrible at handling affection." Aria teased, earning a scowl from Vivian.

"Says the girl who threw a fit and cried because Wes wouldn't go on a date with you, and then skipped town like a diva." Vivian shot back, with Aria wincing at the memory.

"Fair enough. But I was fifteen at the time and very inexperienced with love. Now I'm a bit more experienced, and much less bratty." Aria replies, making Olivia snort in amusement.

"You remind me of myself when I was a teenager. I was a _menace_." Olivia grinned, flashing her teeth as Sina and Dexio laughed. "It was tempered when I was chosen to become a Kahuna, but for many years I was a wild-child."

"Psh. I wasn't even wild." Aria pouted, crossing her arms.

Hugh shook his head in amusement and was about to make a snarky remark when Olivia suddenly screamed, clutching her head as she fell to her knees. Everyone stared at the Kahuna in worry and surprise, though before anyone could do anything her eyes shot open. The woman slowly got to her feet, an expression of absolute horror on her face as she tried to catch her breath.

"What's going on?" Vivian asked the Kahuna, tightening her grip on Noah's hand. The woman sighed shakily and looked down at her Z-Ring for a moment before scowling.

"Tapu Lele...Something has angered it. I have never felt it's anger so strongly before. It's almost sickening. A tidal wave of sheer malice and rage." Olivia whispered, clenching her fists. "Something terrible has happened. The Guardian Deity of Akala Island is furious about something. And I shudder to think what exactly has angered it so."

"Looks like old Scale Face missed out on that assassin lady it was torturing. I'm surprised that it took this long to get mad about it." came a casual reply from above. Everyone looked up to see a cloaked black-haired woman with red eyes watching them with amusement.

"Who are you?" Noah asked as Aria flexed her hand, a blade springing from the Snag Machine after a moment. The woman regarded them all with amusement, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

"You...I've seen you lurking around the Ruins of Life. Tapu Lele warned me about you. Zinnia, was it?" Olivia said as the woman dropped down the ground and landed in a crouch, smirking at them. Just then, the Zygarde Cube on the table began to glow much brighter, drawing everyone's attention for a few moments before they returned their attention to the Draconid.

"Yep. That's my name! Don't wear it out!" Zinnia said cheerily, looking at each of the Trainers in turn. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but hearing about Legendary Dragons always piques my interest. Especially dragons that _haven't_ ruined my life."

"Wait, who the hell are you?" High asked the woman, who grinned wider.

"My name is Sir Poppycock McBaddington III!" The woman declared before her expression fell. "It's Zinnia, dipshit. Pay attention next time."

"Why are you here?" Noah asked, earning a shrug from the Lorekeeper.

"Truthfully? Boredom. Trying to hunt down the Anomaly is annoying at times. Even if it is a horrifying abomination of nature. So when I saw the open window, I decided why not peak in? Wasn't disappointed! Even though most of you are really boring, what you're doing isn't. Especially since it concerns saving the world and dealing with a nigh-unstoppable dragon not seen for untold ages." Zinnia explained, flashing them a wide smile.

"How...do you know about all of that?" Vivian asked, tilting her head slightly.

"Yeah. Plus, you talk like you're an expert on dragons or something." Noah remarked, with Zinnia giggling.

"If you've got something to tell us about Kyurem, tell us." Hugh said as he crossed his arms.

"Oh, I know all about the nonsense you kids are trying to get sorted out. They don't call me the Lorekeeper for nothing. I could tell you all about the Eternity Locket and Perfect Kyurem. But the question you should really be asking is...Why on earth would I tell you all about that?"Zinnia asked before she turned on her heel and strolled out of the building, leaving all of them dumbfounded.

"I like her." Vivian stated with a grin, earning looks from everyone. "What? She's got spunk."

"Wait, what the hell just happened?" Aria asked, blinking several times.

"That lady just broke into the building, insulted just about everyone here, insinuated that she knew how to stop Kyurem back in Unova, and walked back out again." Sina summarized as everyone stared at the door Zinnia had walked out of.

"Get back here!" Hugh barked as he charged out of the lab. Aria wasn't too far behind, with Vivian and Noah following at a slower pace, though they stopped at the door when Aria burst back into the room and grabbed the Zygarde Cube and bolted back out.

"Sorry, you two, but can we wait until Sun gets back here before we attempt to call forth Zygarde? It might just be better to wait for him, at this point." Vivian asked the two Kalosians. Sina and Dexio nodded, grinning at them.

"By all means, give chase! That woman was quite interesting. If you find any information, please keep us in the loop." Dexio said to the couple, with Noah giving the young man a thumbs up before walking out. Olivia sighed and shook her head, looking at Sina and Dexio after a moment.

"You all can chase down that woman if you must. She'll likely have answers for you. I will attempt to converse with our Guardian Deity. I only worry that it's anger will be insatiable with words alone. If our Guardian Deity has chosen to end someone's life and that person escapes from Tapu Lele's grasp, then it will be truly furious indeed. And making an enemy of a creature as cruel as Tapu Lele is a good way to ensure you meet a painful end." Olivia said quietly before she nodded to the two remaining Trainers before she walked out of the room, leaving Sina and Dexio alone.

"I'm so glad we came here. Everyone's so much more interesting in Alola than they are back home!" Sina chirped as she sat down beside Dexio, who grabbed her hand after a moment. Sina blushed at the contact, though she leaned her head against the young man's shoulder. Her comrade in arms and her best friend.

"It's funny...We've been getting so overworked these past few weeks that we haven't had much time to ourselves, huh?" Dexio mused, wrapping an arm around Sina's waist.

" _Oui_. But we have done a lot of good, you and I. Those Trainers have so much potential. As do our younger friends as well. Little Lillie and Sun." Sina remarked, grinning with excitement. "Following the potential of wonderful Trainers. It fills me with a sense of nostalgia, no?"

"Sina, the crisis in Kalos wasn't that long ago." Dexio chuckled, with Sina giggling in response. After a time, the two shared a comfortable silence before Sina nuzzled Dexio's neck.

"I'm happy, Dexio. That we can do this now...You know, have all of our feelings out in the open like this." Sina murmured, smiling with happiness.

"I'm happy that you're happy, _chéri_. And I'm even more happy that you're happy here with me. And that our bond is stronger than ever." Dexio said cheekily, making Sina beam and kiss him on the lips.

"Come. Let's pack everything up! Olivia told me about this lovely little diner nearby that serves traditional Alolan food! I demand a breakfast date!" Sina declared, hopping out of her new boyfriend's arms and pointing to the ceiling. Dexio laughed and hopped to his feet, striking a pose alongside his partner as they suddenly put on their masks.

"TO BREAKFAST!"

* * *

Gladion woke up to the feeling of something licking his face. His eyes slowly opened, and he heard an excited yip before a fox appeared in his field of view.

"Ugh...Ow, my everything." Gladion hissed as he slowly sat up, wincing as every single one of his injuries flared up at once. Zorua yipped again, happily nuzzling Gladion's bare chest while Golbat fluttered onto the bed, wrapping Gladion in a hug with his wings. Type: Null sighed from the corner with relief.

"Hey you guys...Were you waiting for long?" Gladion asked quietly, hugging the kit in his arms as Golbat fluttered to the ground. Zorua yipped adorably in response, licking the boy's face before squirming in the boy's arms. Gladion smiled down at each of his Pokémon before saying, "Thank you."

 _"We were wondering how long you would be out...I was worried."_ Type: Null said quietly, eyeing Gladion's injuries with worry. Gladion's expression softened as he looked at his Partner, though he smiled faintly at the beast.

"It'll take more than that to put me down. Next time, we'll teach those clowns a lesson." Gladion replied, with each of his Pokémon watching him as he painfully got out of bed. He was only wearing his pants, allowing him to see the collection of bruises and scrapes that the Bone Brothers had given him. And then a thought occurred to him.

"How did I get here?" Gladion asked, looking around and seeing that he was in his hotel room. He then realized that all of his injuries had been treated to some extent, and that there were bandages wrapped around his ribs.

 _"That woman came by. The friend from before."_ Type: Null answered, lowering its head onto the cushion it slept on. Gladion blinked twice before frowning, though he slipped on a long-sleeved shirt before replying.

"That doesn't answer-" Gladion began to say before the hotel door opened and a woman with magenta-colored hair and wearing a white dress entered, carrying what looked like several rolls of bandages. Her eyes widened in surprise at seeing Gladion awake before she rushed forward.

"Master Gladion, I'm glad to see you awake." Miss Wicke said with relief visible on her face. Gladion relaxed slightly and sighed, allowing some of the always present tension within him to fade as the woman closed the door behind her. Wicke set the medical supplies on the boy's bed before taking a moment to look at him with a warm smile.

"Miss Wicke. I'm guessing you're the one who treated my injuries." Gladion said quietly to the woman, who nodded.

"I had been planning on coming by to check in on you when I had a moment. I was able to finally slip away from the Paradise thanks to some commotion Faba's come up with. Something about a monster from another dimension that isn't an Ultra Beast." Miss Wicke explained to the teen, his expression becoming one of confusion.

"Something that isn't an Ultra Beast? Do you know anything else about it?" Gladion asked.

Miss Wicke shook her head. "No, sadly. I left shortly after your mother called an emergency meeting in the labs. I was given the day off and came straight here. I came inside using the spare key you gave me and found you lying on your bed, covered in half-treated bruises and scrapes and just...what happened to you?"

"The Bone Brothers are what happened." Gladion remarked, scowling at the memory. "They wouldn't stop bugging me about battling them. I'm good, and getting better, but I'm no match for them. They're the best Trainers in Team Skull and have over a decade of experience on me. But they kept goading me and eventually pissed me off so much that I had to fight. They beat me."

"And then…?" Miss Wicke asked, feeling a small sense of horror.

"What do you think happened?" Gladion said darkly, gritting his teeth. "They just wouldn't stop hurting my Pokémon, even though they were beaten. I stepped in, and they started beating me down. Even when some of the other Team Skull members stepped in they wouldn't stop. I don't get what their problem is. Not even Team Skull deserves to get treated like that by some of their own."

"Mmm...From what I understand, the Bone Brothers are the first true members of Team Skull. The original founding members that Guzma recruited. I'd imagine that over the years, as their strength and influence grew, that they came to be a bit full of themselves." Miss Wicke mused, putting a finger to her chin in thought. She looked down at the boy ahead of her again before saying, "That doesn't excuse this, however. I can't imagine how this makes you feel, Master Gladion."

"It pisses me off." Gladion growled, surprising Miss Wicke. "I couldn't protect my Pokémon. I couldn't protect Demi, either. I have to get stronger. I have to. It's the only way."

"You're pushing yourself too hard." Wicke said quietly, walking over to Gladion. The boy scoffed, but stiffened when Miss Wicke put a comforting hand on the boy's head. Wicke smiled kindly and bent down to hug Gladion, who seemed to crumple inward at the display of affection. After a moment, he slowly returned the embrace.

"You and your sister are so much stronger than you know. And I wholeheartedly believe that you will find a way to save Madam Lusamine from herself before it's too late." Wicke said sincerely before she broke the hug, much to Gladion's dismay. Wicke was almost taken aback by how thrown off the teen seemed at such a simple gesture, but then she realized that she was probably the only positive human contact the boy had received since he had run away from home two and a half years ago.

Gladion had always been the kind of child who shut himself off from others to protect himself. Of course, he was a very sweet child at heart and was a loving older brother to his sister, Lillie. But he was a reserved person despite this. Wicke had learned, much to her dismay, that Gladion had remained almost completely alone during his isolation from his family, save for Type: Null. He had not made a single friend or ally during his time away from home save for his team.

"Thank you…" Gladion said quietly, looking away. "I sometimes wonder if I'm really going to be able to pull this off. It's just me against all of the Aether Paradise. Mother controls all of them now. I bet the moment I stepped foot on that island, every single one of them would turn hostile and attack me."

Wicke sighed and shook her head. "I apologize for that, young master. I was only able to catch on at the last moment. I only managed to stop an aide and Faba from becoming enthralled like the others."

"It's a shame too. That said, you can't really make Faba any less brainless." Gladion muttering, earning a smirk from Wicke.

"Now, now, be nice...It's not nice to make fun of people too much. As much of an absolute piece of work he is, that man is making some positive impact on the world. I'm glad that his work on the Purification Chamber is keeping him distracted from his work on the Ultra Space. It gives us more time to figure something out-" Wicke began to say before someone began knocking on the door.

"Yo, Gladion! Open up!" came a familiar voice from outside. Gladion looked to Miss Wicke with some alarm.

"They can't know you're here. Hide!" Gladion whispered to Wicke, who quickly dashed into the bathroom and locked the door. Gladion was privately glad that he had cleaned his room a few days ago, or that would have been a bit awkward.

With that done, Gladion walked over to the door and opened it to reveal Bone Unit 71 standing in front of him. Kayla and Kevin looked a bit worse for wear, but were thankfully okay. Given that they had taken a bit of damage from the Bone Brothers, he realized that they were probably feeling rather beat up like he was.

"If you all have something for me to do, you'll have to do without me today. I'm not going anywhere for at least a few days." Gladion said quietly, leaning against the door-frame.

"Understandable. Uh...How are you?" Kayla asked quietly, sounding genuinely worried. Gladion almost gave a sarcastic response, but realized that the girl actually meant that question sincerely.

"I only woke up a little while ago. I can barely move...How about you guys?" Gladion asked, with Kevin shrugging in response.

"Sore. But it's nothing we're not used too. Team Skull takes some licks, but keeps gettin' back up, dig?" Kevin replied, crossing his arms. Gladion shook his head in mock distress, though he was privately glad that the thugs were alright. After all, they had been hurt trying to stick up for him and Demi. He appreciated the support, even if he didn't need it.

"Was it you guys who dropped me off here?" Gladion asked, with Axen nodding.

"Yep. Guzma ordered us to bring you back here, yo. And Kayla had fun taking your clothes off-" Kevin explained before the girl in question decked him, blushing furiously under her bandanna.

"That was done under duress and you know it, asswipe!" Kayla barked as Kevin slowly got to his feet, rubbing his bruise jaw.

"Ow...meanie." Kevin muttered darkly, with Axen and Tim snickering behind them.

"So yeah, Guzma made sure you got some basic care. We're not exactly doctors, so we did what we did. Consider it thanks for trying to help Demi, even though you were in no condition to actually fight anymore." Kayla said to Gladion, still blushing bright pink.

"H-how is Demi?" Gladion asked, his voice shaking slightly as he remembered what exactly happened to her. The girl fainting from the rain, looking as if her very soul were leaving her body. Gladion was scared for her, as much as he didn't want to admit it.

Axen grinned, and Gladion knew he made a mistake in asking about Demi. "Oh? Why so interested, Glady? You making sure Dems is okay? How adorable."

"Can you not be an insufferable dick for like, two seconds?" Kayla testily asked Axen, who cackled with glee. Gladion facepalmed, sighing tiredly before he looked directly at Axen.

"Axen, I've come to realize that you remind me of a clouds." Gladion said to the teen, who blinked twice.

"Uh...Why?"

"Because when you go away, the day gets brighter." Gladion said calmly, making Kevin chuckle while the teen in question narrowed his eyes. Kayla shook her head, though she was wearing a hidden smile despite herself.

"Screw you." Axen muttered, trying not to let Gladion get the satisfaction of burning him pretty good. "Anyways, we've got some news. Orders from Guzma himself."

Axen stopped speaking, and for several long moments a silence filled the air. Gladion scowled after a short time and said, "And?"

"You have to promise not to be mad." Axen stated, with the boy staring at him.

"Team Skull in general makes me...You know what? Whatever. I'm not going to get mad. So what are these orders?" Gladion asked the group, with Tim chuckling softly behind them.

"You're sure you're not going fly off the handle and get pissy?" Kayla asked the black-clad teen, who scowled at them.

"I'm getting annoyed now. But I'm not going to get mad, alright? Just tell me Guzma's orders." Gladion said to the group, who collectively shrugged.

"Cool. Meet your new roommate." Axen said, stepping aside and revealing a rather downcast Demi standing rather awkwardly apart from the others and holding her Quilava in her arms, not meeting Gladion's eyes. The teen stared at each of them in turn before his mind registered Axen's words.

"I'm sorry...MY WHAT!?"

* * *

 _You'd be surprised how long I've held onto some of these Team Skull jokes. And with this chapter, the Tournament Mini-Arc has begun!_

Q & A

 _From: Defender31415_

That was amazing. Tapu Lele giving Amber her emotions back was quite the fitting punishment. I do have one question though. Who was Hazel's original trainer?

 **Hazel's original Trainer was a renowned neurologist from Unova, who will be expanded on to some small extent later. He's honestly not all that important, but I do plan on giving him a name and some background.**

 _From: Technetium2_

With that out of the way, I do have a couple questions. First off, I know we've seen some of him already, but when he comes back, do you plan on keeping Red as the serious yet snarky silent protagonist, probably-strongest-trainer-in-the-world that I'm sure most people imagine him as, or is he more stoic?

Second, are you planning on having more psychotic Pokemon around, or was Hazel kinda the extent?

Third, and this one's more of a request, could you please, when you get to Borlath's backstory, just have not this much told at once? I like not knowing, honestly, and this chapter was a little much at times.

Lastly, I know you're going to do stuff with Team Rocket, so are you planning on adding any of the other evil teams? Seeing Flare and Galactic again would be neat.

Alright, well, sorry for the long review, but I had to get all that stuff out. Keep going, and keep improving, man!

 **Not gonna lie, as much as I love the praise this story gets, genuine feedback that helps the story improve is just as important to me...I've mentioned that before, I think. Eh. So thanks for the constructive criticism!**

 **1\. Red's personality is genuinely stoic and he won't say a single word, but he'll also have a sense of humor. That's about as far as it goes. The exchange between him and Blue a while back still makes me smile, and I'd like to have a few more moments between the two and some others. I'll be doing my best to keep him in character though, since he's such an iconic and beloved character.**

 **2\. Hazel is definitely the craziest Pokemon we'll see in the story, no worries. This entire chapter will definitely be the darkest and most gruesome thing to offer in RS, and that's only because of the importance of the characters to me personally.**

 **3\. No worries. Amber is the only character getting this treatment, and I've got plenty of story left to slowly explore backstory, especially with Borlath. I only did this with Amber because, again, I went a bit overboard and it was a long time coming for this chapter. Plus, I made everyone wait a month and a half and didn't want to skimp out on the content. This chapter was intended to be like this, and there was a reason I was debating splitting it in half.**

 **4\. Maybe. Team Galactic is completely gone by now, thanks to Wes' efforts in Sinnoh several years prior to the story. Team Magma and Aqua may be touched on later, and I have no plans for Team Flare. Not because I don't have anything for them. It's just that I absolutely despise Team Flare. I'll mull it over though, if the interest is there.**

 _From: JDunks809_

 _Wow... I've pitied antagonists before, but Amber is the icing on the cake. Right, questions..._

 _1: How's Hau gonna react when he sees Amber with Demi's Litwick?_

 _2: If Amber was killing Rockets to protect Sun (Nice, Amber!), why was she trying to kill him on Melemele Island?_

 _3: ...can I have Tapu Lele?_

 **1\. Truthfully, he might not even recognize the Litwick, seeing as it's been a few months and it being with Amber is literally the last place he'd expect it to be.**

 **2\. She was doing it to protect Laura and Ashton, but she did protect Sun indirectly by fighting off Team Rocket.**

 **And that's simply because she didn't recognize him. Borlath has mentioned that he tried his damnedest to keep his personal life and his criminal life separate. That includes everything with Amber, who became Borlath's secret weapon. At least for a while. I'll be explaining this more in depth shortly.**

 **I will say though...Laura might not know that Amanda and Amber are the one and the same.**

 **3\. Sure. Become the Champion in Sun/Moon or US/UM and then go to the Ruins of Hope. It'll be waiting right there for you. Just make sure to save before you battle it.**

 _From: Sai Og Sus_

You have done what I thought is impossible. Making me to like Amber Fontaine.

Seriously, not many people can write a good backstory for their OC. And in one single chapter too! Like, how did you do it, man!?

So, is Amanda going to surface again someday? I just like the idea of a bipolar character.

Now I can finally appreciate Amber's badassery. Good job, man.

Well, off towards the 2000 reviews!

 **I actually answered a question like this recently. It boils down to experience. As great as this story has been, I've also learned a lot through my previous stories and my many failures. So over time, I've learned how to make characters people care about, in one way or another, and how to spin a story. Also, the backstory with Amber is one that I've slowly crafted over the course of ten years. That's why last chapter was so long. And that's just the backstory. Her character arc is far from over.**

 **And absolutely. Remember, Tapu Koko has cursed her for the remainder of her life. Her emotions will return and fade away randomly, which might make for some interesting scenes down the road.**

 _From: OragonKing_

It seems that Deoxys's tweaking his mind has failed. Sun's hart must have overpowered it and he remembers Nova's death and Damian's and his Father's betrayal. He didn't tell his Mother because he doesn't want them to divorce, right?

 _Basically. Despite what happened, Sun still loves his father. He also suffered some series mental scars from the event and his mind tried to repress the memory as a coping mechanism._

From: BraviaryScout

I know you said this would likely be your last story before you hang up the cleats? But would you consider a Sword and Shield novelization after it gets released?

Now onto the story.

This provides that MASSIVE backstory onto Amber Fontaine, which clearly shows she wasn't always that heartless assassin...more like the complete opposite, which is definitely stunning given how Hazel was introduced. Now I understand why she fears her so much.

Something like that would've broken anyone for sure and I'd argue that Amber is among the more mentally strong of your cast for having to cope with that. It all boils down to where she happens to come across Ashton and he ends up rescuing her with the help of Avis. Talk about loyalty...

Then we find out that Amber protected them from Team Rocket while Laura gave birth to Sun. Who would've guessed he may not be here today if it weren't for her. This kind of runs inconsistent with the part where she first meets them on Melemele Island and tries to kill all three. Sun's name is mentioned multiple times in that chapter and yet she doesn't put two and two together? I'm sure Borlath has told her to keep on the lookout for his missing son.

I dunno, maybe it was just so much going on, that there wasn't a lot of time to think. Maybe she would've reacted differently.

 **I'm lazy and didn't feel like posting the whole review. So the two questions.**

 **1\. A Sword and Shield Novelization...Hmm. Considering RS will take a few years to finish, and we'll likely be in another Gen by then, probably not, since the interest will be dying down by then. I still genuinely don't know if I'll continue writing past this story even now to be totally honest.**

 **I'll likely be 28 or 29 years old by the time I'm finished with this story. I'll have no idea where I'll be at in my military career by then. If I'm going to do a story, I am going to commit to it, and I want it to be a story I can dedicate myself wholly to until it's finished. But I also want it to be a story that succeeds.**

 **RS is a story that benefits from a few things. Timing, uniqueness, a consistent and frequent update schedule (barring any unforeseen crap coming up), as well as a dedicated group of readers and more than a few fantastic reviewers who constantly give me feedback to improve the story. I also had a story I wanted to tell with RS, which is another reason why I write. I only do stories for things I want to expand on or if I have a story that I want to tell. I did RS because, while Sun/Moon were fantastic games, I felt there was more there to explore, and the ending of the game left me unsatisfied.**

 **So, we will see. If I ever did do another story, I'd consider doing a DELTARUNE Novelization once Toby Fox finishes the series, or maybe an Skyrim fic. That said, I do have plans to incorporate ideas from the latter story into an actual novel someday, so probably not the latter.**

 **God, I really do ramble on, don't I?**

 **2\. This'll be explained later. It's definitely not because Amber's stupid or anything, trust me.**

 _That's all for now. I'm off to work on the next chapter so I can meet my damn deadlines for once. If you're feeling awesome, please drop a review in the section below and tell me your thoughts. And if you haven't already, favorite and/or follow the story! Join in the madness!_

 _Take care and stay awesome!_

 _Until next time, FlygonNick out!_


	81. A Prelude

_Pokémon Radiant Sun_

* * *

 _I'll keep this short, because I'm sick, in pain, and I don't have much to chat about this week. Though I'll admit, Persona VR: The Royal was announced this weekend, which made me very excited. More into to come next month, but hey, I'll take what I can get._

 _Shoutout to OragonKing, BraviaryScout, and Sai Og Sus, who were the only ones to review last chapter. Thanks for the feedback and support, folks._

 _I'll admit, the lack of feedback from last chapter was genuinely shocking. As in, last chapter was the lowest review count a chapter has ever gotten since I started this thing. Made it kinda hard for me to get motivated this week, but I still managed it. Pretty happy how this one turned out, despite how rough I'm feeling right now. So...boosh! Perseverance and shit._

 _Special thanks go out to Epicocity, who inspired me to include LaserbladeShipping into my story. Thank you for introducing me to that ship. You rock._

 _On that note…_

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 _Chapter 81: A Prelude_

* * *

"No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No-

"Gladion, please calm down."

"NO!" Gladion yelled, stepping forward and glaring at them. "What the hell is Guzma thinking? Is he experimenting with drugs again?"

"No, not after he woke up naked in a pasture spooning a Sharpedo." Axen said dismissively, waving a hand.

"Then what the hell?" Gladion demanded, making Demi sigh heavily. Gladion turned to the girl and said, "And what about you? Surely you don't want this!"

"I don't, because I knew you wouldn't react well to having your personal space being violated like this. I don't have much of a choice though. Guzma's orders." Demi said morosely, with Gladion gritting his teeth.

"Why? I don't understand how this is even a thing!" Gladion barked as Type: Null poked its head through the door frame, growling.

"After shit hit the fan yesterday, Guzma had a long talk with the Bone Brothers. Now they're re-assigned to Royal Avenue to start scoping things out for this thingy happening there. Alola Grand Royal Tournament Spectacular or some crap." Axen explained with a shrug. "We figure we can cause some trouble, steal some Pokémon, and get some free press coverage."

"There was also discussion about what happened with you. Obviously you're not a part of Team Skull, but a few of us got hurt trying to help you and Demi. So Guzma's ordered you to stay out of Po Town for a while. While he could keep the Bone Brothers on a leash, he'd rather not, since they're the strongest members of Team Skull." Kayla explained, sighing despite this. "Total assholes though. I can't believe they actually attacked us."

"I'm not. They've always been scumbags. Even by Team Skull standards." Gladion muttered, earning annoyed looks from all of them. "What? You're criminals. Accept that."

"Anyway, the biggest point here is what the Boss said about Demi. Turns out that there's a reason she's so freaked out by rain. Something's messed up in her head." Kevin said as he crossed his arms with a small sigh. Demi shifted uncomfortably.

"I noticed. The way you passed out...What happened?" Gladion asked Demi, who tightened her hold on the Quilava in her arms.

"When I ran out into the rain, I only half-experienced what was going on. My body was in Po Town, but my mind was back at Brooklet Hill, doing my Water Trial." Demi said in a whisper, shutting her eyes. "I could see Aou's fear. I felt the horror in my heart as the Ride Lapras rocked on the waves, threatening to send me into the water. I saw Torch fighting back against the Totem with everything he had. I remember Lana trying to get to me...And then Feya…"

Demi's voice broke then, a single tear sliding down her face as Gladion's expression softened. He began to move forward, but Kayla beat him to it, wrapping an arm around the girl's shoulder.

"She remembered her best friend dying." Kayla tried to finish, but Demi wasn't done, though her composure crumpled, since all of the wounds that had been healing were ripped open once more.

"I could hear her neck breaking over the sound of the rain. She was trying to save me, and she _died_...Her eyes were like glass. I...All I could do was watch. I couldn't save her. I was too weak…" Demi said in between sobs, with Tim and Kevin hugging the girl as well. Axen looked concerned, but looked to Gladion.

"So yeah. She's all kinds of traumatized from what happened with her Trial. Whenever she's in the rain, she passes out after reliving one of the worst experiences of her life. So...That kinda makes living in a place that rains nine or ten months out of the year kinda hard. And no one in Team Skull has their own place away from Po Town except you. So Guzma made a decision. For what it's worth, we tried to see if there was another solution." Axen said to Gladion, who pursed his lips.

"My room isn't exactly big. And I can barely afford to keep myself here." Gladion said, but Kayla spoke up.

"She can contribute to the room cost. If anything, she can battle people for spare cash. Come on dude, don't be an asshole." Kayla said to Gladion, who scowled and ran a hand through his hair, his arm and ribs aching at the movement.

"You don't have a choice either way. Guzma told me if she doesn't stay with you, he'll come deal with you himself." Axen said with a small sigh. Gladion grit his teeth, clenching his fists before sighing heavily, feeling his chest sear with pain.

"Fine. Get in here." Gladion muttered, opening the door further behind him. Demi broke away from the other grunts and walked over to Gladion.

"So...You said you were going to take it easy for a few days. Think you'll be ready for the weekend?" Kevin asked the teen, who gave him a look.

"Why?"

Kayla answered by saying, "Because of that Tournament thing. Guzma's going to be there himself, since that damn Professor dude is running this thing. And that means Team Skull needs to be there. Plumeria's already entered the Tournament and we've already signed you up for it too."

"Thanks for asking my permission." Gladion said sarcastically, shaking his head. He was getting a migraine and wanted to end this quickly. "When does the thing start?"

"Noon on Friday. It's a three-day event. Looks like a good place to start some trouble, since a lot of the Captains and Kahunas are gonna be there." Axen chuckled darkly.

"Right...Well, if that's the case then I'll need the rest of the week to rest up. I'll meet you all around then sometime, I guess." Gladion said as he stepped back. "But me and my team need to rest. We're still really battered."

"No worries, dude. We get it. Just take care of Demi, alright?" Kevin said to Gladion, who stared at him for a few moments before he nodded once.

"If he gives you any trouble, call me. I'll sort him out." Kayla said to Demi, with Tim cracking his knuckles loudly behind them to emphasize the point. Gladion stepped back and shut the door in their faces before he pressed his head against the door.

"Why is my life nothing but suffering?" Gladion sighed, shutting his eyes.

"Join the club." Demi muttered, glancing around the room. Save for the large cushion on the floor that she presumed was for Type: Null, the place itself didn't seem out of the ordinary. Then Demi had to remind herself that this was a motel room Gladion paid to use in advance, and wasn't a room he was renting.

Gladion scowled and moved away from the door, limping over to his bed where he flopped down on it. Demi set down Torch, who began sniffing the room. Zorua ambled over to the Quilava and yipped a greeting, with Golbat watching the girl warily. Type: Null decided to return to its cushion. A very awkward silence ensued then, and after five minutes of nothing Demi finally had to speak.

"So...what's the plan?" Demi asked awkwardly,

"I hate everything right now. That's the goddamn plan." Gladion seethed, clenching and unclenching his fists.

"I know. I'm sorry. If I was stronger I'd-" Gladion cut her off with a hand gesture, still lying down on his bed without looking up..

"Don't say another word. I'm too pissed for that and I've already got enough to deal with right now. I'll handle you later. Miss Wicke, feel free to come out!" Gladion said tersely, with the Aether Foundation employee walking out of the bathroom with an expression of concern. Demi yelped in surprise.

"W-what the heck? Gladion, she's with the Aether Foundation, isn't she? What's she doing in your bathroom?" the girl asked, with the woman smiling at her in response.

"I see you've made an ally since the last time we spoke, Gladion." Wicke said quietly, though she was wearing a proud smile. "Good morning. My name is Julia Wicke. And yes, while I do work for the Aether Foundation, my loyalties lie with Master Gladion and Miss Lillie."

"W-what? But...Why?" Demi asked the woman, who sighed softly.

"I have watched a loving family fall apart, bit by bit. I was unable to stop a good friend from falling into madness. I've seen a little girl withdraw so deeply within herself that she essentially became someone else entirely. And I saw a kindhearted boy surround his heart in jagged ice to protect himself from the hurts others would surely inflict on him." Wicke said softly, sorrow laced within her words. "I've seen many terrible things during my employ at the Aether Paradise. And I refuse to stand by any longer. I helped Master Gladion flee at the risk of my life. And gladly did the same with Miss Lillie, because I believe that they can set things right. I believe that they can save Madam Lusamine before it's too late. And for that, I am and will always be loyal to them." Wicke finished, looking over at Gladion as he stared at the two women.

"Like I said...We're up against a lot. And I have no idea what Lillie is up to, but it's best we stay apart for as long as possible. It's not safe." Gladion said, but Demi cut him off.

"Ignoring the fact that she misses you like crazy from what I remember and I know you feel the same." Demi said dryly, a bit of her old self coming back. Gladion settled at giving her an even look. Instead, he looked at Miss Wicke.

"It looks like we can have a meeting here, and figure out where to go from this point on." Gladion said to the two women, who both nodded.

"Madam Lusamine is currently deep in talks with the research team and Faba. Apparently something odd happened at Ten Carat Hill and they couldn't test their Ultra Sphere, due to an attack from some strange entity." Wicke said to the two teens, though Wicke added, "I didn't get much out of the rest of the conversation. Faba definitely seemed spooked though. Seemed to think there was another group of people trying to muscle in on the Aether Foundation's research."

"Interesting...Can you or Colress dig around some?" Gladion asked Wicke, who nodded.

"He's already looking into it. However, work with purifying Shadow Celebi is nearing a conclusion, so he's focused on that. Celebi could prove to be the tipping point in ending a global conflict. It's only natural he's focusing on that more than our problems." Wicke said with a small sigh.

"I thought this guy is supposed to be a genius." Gladion grumbled, with Miss Wicke giving him a sad smile.

"Master Gladion, what you fail to realize even now is that we are only human. You can only achieve so much on your own, despite your drive and determination. Just like Colress can only accomplish a finite amount of things at one time, despite his skill." Wicke said quietly, smiling at the two children.

"But despite that, we must continue to do our best. Otherwise, those with darkness in their hearts will prevail."

* * *

Lillie hummed as she stirred the ice in her lemonade, though her eyes were on Sun as walked back with their sandwiches, sitting down on the table with a small sigh.

"That took a while. Long line?" Lillie asked the boy, who grimaced.

"Yeah. With the Tournament happening tomorrow, everywhere is packed." Sun replied as he handed Lillie her grilled cheese and spinach sandwich. Sun hungrily sank his teeth into his ham sandwich with melted cheese. The boy shuddered at first, some of the spices used on the sandwich being unusual to him, but he got over the oddness and continued eating what was otherwise a very tasty sandwich. Sun looked up saw Lillie enjoying her sandwich quite a bit, and remembered that her favorite food was grilled cheese. He'd have to try his hand at making one for her sometime.

It had been several days since the battle against Necrozma, and was now the Thursday afternoon before the Alola Grand Royal Tournament. Sun had went ahead to Akala Island while his mother worked back at the school, though she would use her weekend off to participate in the Tournament, having signed both herself and Sun up in it earlier that week. Kahuna Hala had questioned such a decision, saying it would draw Cipher's attention to them, but Laura was firm.

"They're already here. I won't cower and hide from them anymore. If they come, we'll deal with them." Laura had said, her eyes becoming hard as steel.

In the that time, Sun spent most of his time training up Finn and spending time with Lillie. The girl had been rather downcast lately, since Nebby had yet to reawaken from his slumber. Lillie had been worried sick about the Cosmog, so Sun had taken it upon himself to spend as much time with his friend in order to cheer her up.

"It'll be interesting to see the Trainers from other regions." Lillie said, smiling a little. "Professor Kukui mentioned that he was expecting some to come over to the lab today."

"Really? Anything special about them?" Sun asked.

"Apparently one of them is an expert on Mega Evolution. Professor Kukui wants to see how moves with a Mega Evolved Pokémon work, since they receive a massive boost in strength from the change. Professor Sycamore couldn't make it, so he's sending someone just as experienced in his place." Lillie explained to Sun, taking a sip of her lemonade before she returned to her sandwich.

"Couldn't they just ask Mom? She can use Mega Evolution." Sun asked, with Lillie shrugging as she finished off her food.

"Perhaps he just wanted a professional opinion? Miss Laura may be able to use Mega Evolution, but I don't think she could call herself an expert." Lillie remarked, with Sun nodding after a moment. That made sense to him, at least. "Though, pardon the change of subject, weren't we supposed to meet Hau soon?"

"We were supposed to meet him for lunch, actually. He's late-" Sun began to say, only for the boy in question to suddenly burst out from around the corner, sprinting at them. Hau hunched over, panting heavily and drenched in sweat, before offering his friends a tired smile. His hair was disheveled and he looked exhausted, even if he hadn't been running around in the intense Alolan heat.

"H-hey...guys...how's it...How's it hanging?" Hau wheezed, with Lillie digging around her bag as Sun giggled at him.

"Dude, you look horrible. What happened?" Sun asked.

"I've been up since the crack of dawn, got like no sleep last night, and I got roped into exercising with Mallow and Lana this morning. And I just ran for another mile trying to get here. Of course I look like crap." Hau whined as he collapsed into a chair.

"They work out?" Sun asked, surprised. Lillie nodded smartly as she handed Hau a bottle of water, which the boy excepted without a word and chugged.

"Hau, drink slower. You're going to-" Lillie stopped as Hau began to choke on the water, pounding his chest repeatedly as he sputtered and gagged, nearly dousing Lillie in spit-water. As soon as he recovered, he smiled sheepishly before drinking the water at a more sedate pace. Lillie turned to Sun and said, "And yes, they do. Or at least Mallow does. Lana usually just swims laps at Brooklet Hill instead, but they've been wanting to start going to a gym for a while now, from what I understand."

"Hmm...Good for them." Sun said with a small smile. He then looked at Hau, who was still breathing heavily. "So how'd you get roped into that?"

"Apparently I have a hard time saying no to pretty girls." Hau admitted with a weak chuckle, making Sun smirk while Lillie rolled her eyes.

"So are you going to order something, Hau?" Lillie asked.

"Nah. I'll have malasadas later. Too tired to eat right now."

"What's the point of working out if you're just going to...You know what? Never mind. I forgot who I'm talking to."Lillie remarked with a small smile as Hau shot her a wide grin. Sun meanwhile was cracking up in his chair, threatening to fall out of it. When the boy had finally calmed down, they trio got up and began walking down the sidewalk, enjoying the beautiful day around them. Though Hau was understandably making the group walk slowly, but they were fine with it.

"So, have we decided on a plan for the Tournament?" Hau asked his friends, with Lillie looking at him.

"You signed up, didn't you?"

"Yeah."

"Then the plan is for us to stay at the Pokémon Center. Professor Kukui got us a room there for the weekend, which is the only way we would've managed to get it in the first place. All of the nearby hotels are booked full and the Pokémon Center will be at maximum capacity for the entire week." Lillie explained, opening her bag slightly and reaching inside. She gently patted the still-sleeping Cosmog, and felt the familiar pang of worry in her heart.

 _"Nebby, wake up soon. Please."_ Lillie thought to herself before a shout snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Come on, Clemont! You're so slow!"

"I'm running...as fast as...I can, Bonnie!"

The group turned around in time for a little girl to collide into Sun, nearly knocking her to the ground, though Sun managed to grab the girl's hand before she fell.

"Ouch! Guess I should watch where I'm going. Thanks, mister!" the girl said happily at Sun, looking up at the older boy with a wide smile. The girl was about seven or eight years old, with golden blonde hair tied in a side ponytail and with curious bright blue eyes. She wore a brown shirt, a white skirt and black shorts, along with pink shoes and a yellow shoulder bag. The girl definitely stuck out, so Sun assumed she was a tourist of some kind.

"No problem. Just watch where you're going next time, okay?" Sun said to the little girl as he let go of her hand. The girl nodded in response.

"Alola!" Hau said to the girl, spreading his hands through the air. Sun and Lillie did the gesture as well a moment later. The little girl blinked, cocking her head in confusion before grinning at him.

"I don't know what that means. But hi anyway!" the girl said happily, waving her arms erratically through the air in an attempt to copy them. Hau noticed that the girl had a definite accent, similar to the one that Sina and Dexio had, though not as thick as theirs. Sun and Lillie chuckled at the adorable display, with Lillie crouching down slightly to be eye-level with the girl.

"Alola. Are you lost?" Lillie asked kindly, with the girl shaking her head.

"Nope! I'm right where I need to be!" the girl replied, grinning again. Sun was about to ask about that when he caught sight of a someone slowly jogging down the street, panting heavily with a bright red face and drenched in sweat. The girl sighed, shaking her head in mock distress.

"Seriously, my brother is such a Slowpoke." The girl lamented with a shrug, suddenly sounding ten years more mature. "What can you do?"

"Bonnie! What have I...said about...not talking...to strangers?" the boy wheezed as he approached the group, only to topple towards the ground. Sun caught the boy before he faceplanted, earning a grateful smile from the overheated boy.

"T-thanks. Bonnie knows I...erk, can't r-run that fast. Especially in this heat. You Alolans are really tough if you can deal with this every day." The teen remarked as he tried to remember how to breathe.

"Will you be okay?" Hau asked as Lillie handed the boy a bottled water from her bag. The teen accepted it wordlessly, drinking it slower than Hau did, and Sun took in the boy's appearance as he did so.

The boy seemed to be several years their senior, probably around sixteen years old. He was a little bit taller than them, with bright yellow hair (including a lightning bolt-shaped tuft of hair sticking out of the center of his head. He wore a mostly blue jumpsuit with a yellow collar and stripes, along with a white pack of sorts on his back and yellow glasses. Like the girl, he had bright blue eyes. Around his waist were six Ultra Balls, which told Sun that this teen was a Pokémon Trainer.

"I'll be okay...thank you." The teen panted as he took several breaths of air. "I don't do well with physical activity. Adding insane heat doesn't help."

"Amen to that, brother." Hau said, wincing in sympathy. "Mallow ran me into the ground today. My legs feel like I got worked over by a Machoke."

"We're getting a bit off topic here." Sun remarked, with the little girl giggling at the silliness going on.

"Anyways, my name is Bonnie! And this slow guy is my big brother, Clemont!" the girl cheerfully said to the two of them. Lillie offered the girl her hand, which she shook with a grin.

"A pleasure to meet you both! Are you from Kalos?" Lillie asked as she shook Clemont's hand as well, with Bonnie nodding.

"Big brother mentioned that people can tell where we come from thanks to our accent. I don't see what he's talking about." Bonnie remarked with a shrug as Clemont finished chugging his water, panting slightly.

"Sorry about that. And it's great to meet you all." Clemont said to them all, sounding considerably more composed now that he had caught his breath.

"No problem, dude. Where were you two off to in such a hurry, anyway?" Hau asked, with Clemont blushing bright red.

"Um...To m-meet with m-my...m-my…" the word's died in the Kalosian's throat, with Hau frowning at that.

"Did you want to buy a vowel?" Hau asked, smirking somewhat..

"My... _girlfriend_." Clemont finished in a whisper, his face resembling a miniature sun. Bonnie sighed, patting her brother's side.

"He's really bad when it comes to women. Luckily, said girlfriend is coming this way. And she's a keeper!" Bonnie said happily, pointing down the street. Coming their way on a pair of roller-skates was a girl a few years older than Lillie, wearing a red and white skater outfit, complete with a helmet. She had long, cream-colored hair formed in a thick, fluffy ponytail. Her grey eyes shined with excitement as she barreled towards them, with a Lucario sprinting alongside her.

"Whoa. She's _really_ cute!" Hau remarked, earning a small glare from Lillie.

" _That's_ your girlfriend?" Sun asked, raising an eyebrow. He considered that very surprising, considering how awkward and nerdy Clemont seemed and how _pretty_ the girl approaching them was. Every movement she had was of confidence, grace, and-

" _No! Bad Sun! Stop it!"_ Sun thought to himself, shaking his head. Besides, the girl approaching them seemed much older than him anyway.

"Y-yeah, that's my girlfriend." Clemont confirmed as the blonde-haired girl sped their way.

"No fucking way." Hau stated in a dead voice, earning a punch in the stomach from Sun and a slap in the back of the head from Lillie. Meanwhile, the blonde-haired girl beamed when she spotted them, pile-driving Clemont into a hug and knocking him to the ground. Her Lucario snickered at the display, hefting the luggage over its shoulder, though it did pick the two teens up.

"You found me! Or, I guess I found you? I was wondering when you two would make it!" the girl chirped, kissing Clemont on the cheek before she skated around and hugged Bonnie, making the little girl giggle.

"I made some new friends! They said that they can take us to Professor Kukui!" Bonnie proclaimed as Korrina ruffled the girl's hair.

"Nice! Good job, Bonnie!" Korrina said to the girl, who nodded happily in response. Korrina moved to the side and said, "Hi there! I'm Korrina! And this is my best friend, Lucario!"

The Pokémon in question simply nodded, though Rotom took that point to introduce itself. " _Zzzt! New Pokémon detected! That's my cue!"_ Rotom proclaimed as it flew around the group before landing on Sun's hat.

" _Lucario. The Aura Pokémon and the evolved form of Riolu._ _It concentrates its mental energy and fires off mysterious waves called auras, which can crush boulders of large size to can detect the species of a living being—and its emotions—from over half a mile away. They control auras and hunt their prey in packs."_ Rotom explained to the group, with the Kalosians watching Rotom Dex with awe.

"Aria has a Lucario as well. I wonder which one is stronger." Sun mused before Clemont hopped forward and grabbed Rotom Dex, making the boy yelp in surprise.

"Astounding! I've heard all about the Rotom Dex model of Pokédex for months! I've always wanted to see one up close!" Clemont said excitedly as Rotom Dex struggled in his grasp. The device suddenly let out a massive blast of electricity into Clemont, sending him to ground as everyone yelled out in surprise.

" _Swiper no swiping! Swiper no swiping! Swiper no swiping!"_ Rotom cried out as it floated around a semi-conscious Clemont.

"Oh man…" Clemont wheezed as Korrina slowly helped him up, laughing sheepishly.

"Sorry about that. Clemont's a huge nerd, but he's also an awesome inventor. I guess he couldn't help himself when he saw such a cool piece of technology." Korrina said as Rotom landed on Sun's shoulder.

"It's all good. Rotom, do you have anything to say to them?" Sun asked the device.

" _Zzzzt...Not really."_

"Dude, you just shocked the crap out of him? Just apologize."

" _Nope! He didn't respect my personal space."_

"...Alright, I'll give you that one." Sun remarked as Bonnie and Hau giggled at the discussion while Korrina tried to reawaken Clemont, succeeding after a moment.

"Wow...Fascinating! So it seems to have some range of combat abilities despite having made a permanent home out of the Pokédex itself!" Clemont said excitedly, adjusting his glasses. "I'll have to ask Professor Sycamore if I can get a spare Pokédex or two to mess around with."

"You know the Kalos Regional Professor?" Lillie asked, with Clemont nodding.

"Naturally. I am the Lumiose City Gym Leader. And Korrina here is the Shalour City Gym Leader." Clemont explained, with Korrina flashing them a wide grin.

"And Mega Evolution expert!" the teen chirped, doing a fist pump with her left hand. Sun spotted the Key Stone shimmering within the glove and his eyes widened.

"Wow...Wait, Lillie. Didn't you mention the Professor was waiting for some Mega Evolution expert to show up?" Sun asked the girl, who nodded.

"Yes, though he neglected to tell me the details. You know how he gets. It's fortunate we ran into them beforehand." Lillie said to Sun before turning to the trio from Kalos.

"So you're the assistant Professor Kukui talked to me about." Korrina noted, leaning back on her skates. "My Grandpa is the actual Guru on Mega Evolution, with me being his Successor. However, he had some medical complications and I had to take his place on this trip. And Professor Sycamore has a regional conference to attend, so he couldn't come here himself, even though his specific field is Mega Evolution research and Pokémon change. And while I'm learning everything there is to learn about it, I still have a long ways to go before I'm a true master." Korrina ended that with a bit a frown on her face, but Clemont hopped forward, offering her an encouraging smile.

"But you'll be one someday! Look how far you've come since we started dating." Clemont pointed out, with Bonnie giggling from the side as Korrina wrapped an arm around the other blond's shoulder.

"That'll forever be my greatest accomplishment." Bonnie said, clapping her hands and doing a little hop that Lillie found really cute.

"I feel like we're getting sidetracked again. Do you three want an escort to the Dimensional Research Lab? That's where Professor Kukui and his wife, Professor Burnet are working right now." Sun asked the trio, who all nodded. With that, they began to made their way to the lab, which was thankfully nearby.

"So, you two are Gym Leaders, right? Does that mean you've got Gym Badges and all that?" Hau asked, earning odd looks from the new arrivals.

"Of course they do. Don't you all have them?" Bonnie asked, making Clemont chuckle as he put a hand on her head.

"Nope. Alola is special, Bonnie. They have something called the Island Challenge, a rite of passage for Pokémon Trainers in Alola. It's quite an ordeal, or so I'm told. I don't know the details myself, but I do know that Trainers going through the Island Challenge have to take on powerful Pokémon in special trials before taking on a leader on their island called a Kahuna." Clemont explained to the two other blondes walking alongside him.

"Sounds really interesting!" Korrina said with a grin, looking at her Lucario. "Doesn't that give you the traveling itch?"

The wolf grunted in response, smirking as he nodded. Korrina skated forward and said, "Tell me more about it."

"Hau, I think this is a job for you. You're the grandson of a Kahuna, after all." Sun said playfully to his friend, who chuckled. With that, Hau began to explain what he could of the Island Challenge to the Kalosians, who were fascinated by the uniqueness of the culture. Both Hau and Sun showed off their Z-Rings, which Bonnie thought looked really cool. The group was in good spirits when they arrived at the Dimensional Research Lab and went up the elevator, where they found Professor Kukui deep in talks with Colress and Professor Burnet.

"The way he was talking, it was nothing short of a _god_. It temporarily stopped time around them, Madeline. We haven't accounted for whatever this thing is at all." Colress said to the woman, who pinched the bridge of her nose.

"We can't discount the possibility of it being an Ultra Beast. But there's nothing in any of our data that talk about a shape-shifting monster capable of ripping apart reality. What's more important is this Necrozma thing." Burnet said to the man, who sighed.

"I really don't have time to handle anything else. Between Celebi, the Purify Chamber, dealing with Faba's nonsense, and trying to determine what the Aether Foundation is up to, I can't handle some unpredictable monster that can do whatever it wants." Colress said, with Burnet's eyes suddenly widening.

"Wait a moment...That woman on the beach. She talked about something _just like this_. A Heliolisk that can defy reality. She called it the Anomaly. What she talked about sounds a lot like what Faba seemed to be describing." Burnet said quietly, sounding worried.

"What woman?" Kukui asked.

"A strange woman with black hair and a cloak. Red eyes. Went by the name of Zinnia." Burnet said after thinking about it.

"What about her?" Lillie asked, announcing herself. Burnet and Kukui smiled, while Colress hummed thoughtfully, not paying attention. The man blinked when he saw Clemont and Korrina and stepped forward.

"Ah. I remember you. Clemont, was it? I remember seeing footage of your win at the Inventor's World Expo last year." Colress said to the teen, shaking his hand.

"W-wow. It's good to see you again, sir! I heard rumors about you doing stuff in Alola now. I guess they were true." Clemont said with a wide and eager smile.

"Hi! I'm Korrina! I have no idea who you are, but it's nice to meet you!" the Fighting-type Gym Leader said happily, making the scientist chuckle. Meanwhile, Kukui and Burnet walked over to the group they knew better, with Burnet looking relieved to see them.

"Good to see you're back, Lillie. And see you've found our friends from Kalos. Well, more friends from Kalos." Kukui chuckled as the group began to make themselves comfortable on the couches.

"Wow...this place is so cool!" Bonnie proclaimed as she bounded around the lab, hugging a nearby Magnemite. The Pokémon buzzed happily as it floated around, carrying a giggling Bonnie through the air.

"How embarrassing…" Clemont muttered, sighing as he walked over to his sister and snatched her off of the floating Pokémon. Bonnie crossed her arms and pouted, with Clemont sitting her down back on the ground.

"Back to the topic of this Zinnia person, didn't Aria and the others deal with someone with that very name a few days ago?" Colress asked Burnet, who nodded.

"She gave them the slip, and they haven't see her since. Apparently she knows about some of the stuff back in Unova. We don't know much about her, though. Olivia mentioned that the woman is friend's with Tapu Lele, though with how angry the Guardian Deity is right now, I'm not even remotely interested in bugging it with questions." Burnet said to the scientist, who sighed.

"Then we'll have to track her down the old fashioned way. Or rather, our friends will. I'm juggling enough stuff as it is. Maybe we can get some information out of her somehow." Colress said before he turned his attention to Sun and his friends.

"Ah, Sun, Lillie, and Hau. Good to see you all again. My apologies for not greeting you sooner. Things have become more complicated in our recent ventures since we last met." Colress said with a small sigh. "That's part of the reason why I haven't been able to help much with Kukui's joint Mega Evolution research, though I have lent what notes I have on it to him."

"It's more than enough, Colress. Seriously, thanks for everything." Kukui said to the man, who smiled faintly. Sun noticed that the man seemed rather exhausted.

"You're welcome, my friend. Which does remind me…" Colress turned to Sun and said, "I heard you caught another Pokémon."

"Yeah, a Poliwag." Sun said to the man, who nodded and reached into his coat. He pulled out a black collar, which Sun recognized as the TACV. Sun called out Finn, and held him still while Colress fit the device around the neck(?) of the Tadpole Pokémon.

"So, Finn? Can you talk?" Sun asked the Pokémon, who swished his tail through the air.

" _Feels kinda funny."_ Finn remarked, though he flinched at the sound of his own voice.

"I bet. It's probably because you don't really have a neck for the collar to fit on." Sun remarked, shrugging.

" _I...Whoa! You can understand me?"_ Finn asked, a note of awe in his voice.

"Yep. Hopefully this will-" Sun began to say before Finn began to hop around the room.

" _Yes! Wow, this is awesome! I'm just like the others now! I was wondering what it would take for me to get one of these things! Yes!"_ Finn said excitedly as he bounded around the lab.

"Ah, I'm guessing that's one of your TACV's?" Clemont asked, smiling as the Poliwag bounced and flipped around the room with Sun desperately trying to catch the creature. Colress was spared from answering by a low cooing sound coming from Lillie's bag. The girl let out a gasp and unzipped the bag, pulling out a yawning Cosmog.

"Nebby! Are you okay?" Lillie asked worriedly as the Cosmog opened its eyes. The Pokémon blinked a few times before wriggling its arms, beaming up at Lillie.

"Pew!" Nebby cried out, flying up into Lillie's chest and nuzzling her as Lillie hugged the Cosmog tearfully.

"Thank goodness...I was so worried." Lillie whispered, holding the Pokémon tightly. Sun used the distraction of Nebby's awakening to return the hyperactive Finn to his Poké Ball. Sun sat down next to Lillie and pet the sleepy Cosmog, who happily flew to Sun and nuzzled him while a relieved Kukui and Burnet watched the children happily play with Cosmog.

"Aw, I wanna play with it!" Bonnie pouted, adding, "It looks so cute Clemont."

"Ask later, Bonnie. We don't want to impose at such an emotional time. We came to the lab for a reason, after all." Clemont said to his little sister.

"Oh yeah!" Korrina said, hopping to her feet. "So how did you want to do this, Professor? Studying the Key Stone? A practice battle? Come on, we're ready to go!"

"Hold up a sec." Hau said, catching everyone's attention. "So what's with Mega Evolution? Like, I've seen it before with Doctor Colress, but how does it work?" Hau asked Korrina. Before she spoke, Lillie chimed in.

"Try to explain it like you're talking to Bonnie. Otherwise, it'll go through one ear and out the other." Lillie said to the older girl, making Korrina crack a grin while Hau pouted. Bonnie was fighting a fit of giggles.

"You'd be surprised. Bonnie's the smartest kid her age I've ever met. Simply put, Mega Evolution is a temporary evolution some species of Pokémon can undergo, allowing them access to their greatest strengths and tapping into their true potential. The effects of Mega Evolution can have both negative and positive short and long-term effects, so it's not something done lightly. Trainers entrusted with a Key Stone and a Mega Stone have to understand the risks involved." Korrina explained, crossing her arms.

"Mega Evolution also requires four things to work. One, a Pokémon that is capable of Mega Evolution. Not all Pokémon can do it. Two, a Pokémon that holds the proper Mega Stone so it can Mega Evolve. Three, a Key Stone." Korrina held up her glove, with the Key Stone shimmering in the light. "This resonates with the Mega Stone a Pokémon holds, allowing the strength of their bond to manifest in power. And that brings us to the fourth and most important component in Mega Evolution...a powerful bond."

"Why is that so important?" Hau asked.

"It is the bond we share with Pokémon that allows them to perform better in battle than their wild counterparts. It is with our cooperation that human and Pokémon merge their strength and excel in ways neither could before. Mega Evolution is that bond incarnate. The stronger the bond, the more smooth the connection and the transition is during Mega Evolution." Korrina explained, sounding much older as she explained the information. Colress took that moment to chime in.

"Which is evidenced by myself and the bond I share with Dusk. Despite my problems, I do share a positive bond with my Absol, and she cares for me greatly. Thus, thanks to our bond of trust, we were able to achieve Mega Evolution." Colress explained to the others. "It's difficult for me though. I imagine those without a strong bond with their Pokémon would never be able to do it."

"Wow...that's way more complicated than I thought it'd be." Hau muttered, crossing his arms. Sun chuckled softly while Lillie shook her head, though she was more focused on Nebby being awake again.

"It's not that much to take in. It gets a lot more simple if you just have strong bonds with all of your Pokémon and don't throw around Mega Evolution like an idiot. After all, doesn't Z-Power have the same drawbacks?" Korrina asked Professor Kukui.

"Yes, though more on the Trainer than the Pokémon. Trying to use a Z-Move without a strong bond with your Pokémon will cause the Z-Move to fail or make it weaker than usual. Those without any kind of emotional connection to their Pokémon will simply be unable to use Z-Moves." Kukui explained, his expression becoming more serious. Kukui looked to Colress, adding, "If I recall, you're completely unable to use Z-Power, right?"

"Yes. I have a bond with my Pokémon, but it's not nearly enough to use Z-Moves. The emotional connection for me just isn't there." Colress explained, shrugging. "People who are generally apathetic might just have problems using them. Who knows? It's just one of the many mysteries I plan on uncovering someday."

"Another point to note is that Z-Moves are physically draining. That's why there's a rule that a Trainer can only use a Z-Move once per battle. Doing two in such a short time span could put a Trainer's body through an intense amount of strain. It could possibly even kill someone, if they're not careful." Kukui went on, making Sun and Hau pale. "Just know your limits. I imagine the only people in Alola who could pull off multiple Z-Moves in the same battle is me and maybe the Kahunas."

"You're that strong?" Clemont asked, surprised.

"Heh. Maybe." Kukui said with a small laugh. "Sun, Lillie, Hau, would you perhaps like to go check out Royal Avenue? I'll be there myself in a few hours. Professor Burnet needs to coordinate with our Unova friends on a way to track down Zinnia and I have some work with Korrina and Clemont I need get started on." Kukui said as he hopped up, looking to the children.

"I wouldn't mind some time to see the sights." Lillie mused as Sun got to his feet, with the boy holding out a hand to help the girl to her feet. Hau yawned and chose to kick his sandals off and lay down on the couch.

"Nope. Is it cool if I crash here? I think I'm done for the day." Hau asked Kukui, who chuckled while Bonnie and Korrina snickered.

"Sure thing. Though might I recommend using the shower we have in the other room? You're a bit sweaty." Burnet said to the boy, who sat up and sniffed himself and flinched. With that, Hau walked to the other room with his backpack while Sun and Lillie shook their heads.

"Looks like I'll catch you two sometime tomorrow. Maybe we'll face off in the tournament." Korrina said as she extended a hand to Sun, who shook it. She had a surprisingly strong grip.

"Yep. May the best Trainer win." Sun said with a smile before looking at Clemont and shaking his hand as well while Lillie shook Korrina's hand. "I'm really looking forward to seeing you guys in action."

"And we're looking forward to seeing just what you Trial-goers are all about. After hearing so much from Sina and Dexio, I expect nothing but an excellent showcase of skill." Clemont said with a smile, adjusting his glasses.

"And I'll guess we'll be there to cheer our friends on, right Bonnie?" Lillie said to the little girl, who nodded smartly and shook the girl's outstretched hand.

"Absolutely! Someone has to support my big brother. He's hopeless without me, after all." Bonnie said with a small sigh, making Clemont facepalm and everyone else laugh.

* * *

"Wow...this place looks totally different." Sun stated as he and Lillie flew over Royal Avenue on his Ride Charizard. The place had undergone a transformation in the days leading up to the Alola Grand Royal Tournament, which was all the more visible with an aerial view. Whereas before the place was a colorful, exciting place where fun battles awaited those who entered the main arena, it was now completely transformed.

Around them, signs of a massive event were evident. Banners showcasing powerful and unique Alolan Pokémon engaging in combat were shown, with statues and lights surrounding them. Carnival rides and tents were being erected wherever they could be, and there were thick crowds of people below looking around at the place that would showcase some of the greatest Pokémon battles that Alola had seen in ages. A chance for Alola to finally take center stage and show its worth to the world. Promo videos were playing on massive monitors set up around the avenue, showcasing some of the participants past battles in order to drum up more hype.

"Wow...Professor Kukui went all out." Lillie muttered into Sun's ear, making him shiver. The boy nodded and decided to land the Ride Charizard nearby. After thanking the Flame Pokémon and giving it a pat on the head, the beast took off, leaving Sun and Lillie to traverse the crowds of people.

The duo took in the sights and sounds of the pre-tournament festivities. Music filled the air and the area was abuzz with excited chatter in different languages and laughter. Sun and Lillie kept up a quiet conversation about people and things that stood out.

Lillie spotted Crasher Wake battling three Trainers at once in a parking lot. The Sinnoh Gym Leader was laughing loudly with excitement the entire time. The two children had to skirt around the battle to avoid getting wet from a wayward water attack, though they did watch the battle through to the end, which saw Wake's Floatzel knock out all three Pokémon at once with a massive Surf attack.

"Incredible...Those Gym Leaders sure are something." Lillie commented, leaning slightly against Sun. The boy looked at the girl for a moment, and the moment she caught his gaze she blushed heavily, though she didn't move.

"Yeah, they are. I wish Erika was here…She'd be taking a nap in the park, surrounded by all of the pink flowers there. After that she'd be ready for a good battle." Sun said quietly, watching the crowds with a somber expression. The boy was surprised when he was whirled around and pulled into a tight hug.

"I know it isn't much, but this is all I can do." Lillie murmured, holding onto the boy. Sun returned the hug, sighing shakily. It had been quite a while since he had thought about Erika. She had been a close friend of Laura and had protected her city to the bitter end. The memory of how she was cut down by Amber on live television during the Celadon City attack made Sun sick to his stomach, so he tried to avoid thinking about her. But…

She had been one of the few people Sun could have probably called a friend, back in Kanto. Granted, Lillie had been Sun's first true friend, but Sun could have figured people like Erika, Dawson, and Ollie would have been good friends of his as well if he had known what friends _were_ back then.

Sun released Lillie, who looked at him sadly. Sun offered her a weak smile before taking the girl by the hand and guiding her through the crowd, with Nebby cooing softly from within her bag. With that, the duo continued to take in the sights of the area, even getting lunch from an muscular man they happened to be walking by. Sun learned that it was a man named Chuck, who happened to be a Gym Leader from Johto. Despite being a large and intimidating man, he made a rather mean bowl of ramen and wished the two children a good afternoon with a heart laugh.

A sight Sun wasn't happy to see came into view about two hours after they had arrived. Team Skull, lurking around the outskirts of the area. Whenever the boy saw the thugs, he would move a bit closer to Lillie until they got far enough away.

The final thing that caught Sun's eyes was a white-haired girl playing on an electric guitar while surrounded by several enamored tourists. What caught his attention was the obvious skill the girl had in the instrument, her hands dancing around the length of the guitar with obvious ease.

"Wow...she's really good." Lillie said, smiling faintly. "Reminds me of my brother."

"Your brother?" Sun asked, looking at his best friend. Lillie nodded, her smile widening.

"Big brother was very proud of his skill on the guitar. Father bought him an electric guitar shortly before he...vanished." Lillie said, her smile fading somewhat. The girl shook her head before smiling at Sun, who was looking at her worriedly. "I'm fine. Just lost in thought for a moment."

Sun nodded and then looked back to the girl, who at that point had noticed them. The white-haired girl stuck her tongue out him before offering a grin to the boy. Sun waved at the girl along with Lillie, and the two continued their walk.

"Any idea who that was?" Sun asked.

"Not at all. Though I do spot someone we do know." Lillie said as she pointed forward, where Sun saw Olivia speaking to Adrian Battlestorm, in what seemed like an interview.

"It'll definitely be a hard match. After all, Cynthia has only lost one battle in her time as a Champion. But I'm determined to give it my best shot no matter what." Olivia said with a smile, making Adrian chuckle.

"And there we have folks, from our very own Kahuna! Next up, we'll have your weekend weather forecast!" Adrian proclaimed, giving the camera a wide grin while Olivia gave a small wave behind him.

"And you're clear." the camerawoman said as Olivia sighed with relief.

"I never get used to that." Olivia muttered, making Adrian chuckle.

"You should work on that. After all, you'll be in the main event of the final day. We'll be kicking off the semifinals with your exhibition match with Cynthia before we get to the nitty gritty." Adrian said merrily before he spotted Sun and Lillie. "Hey there you two!" Adrian boomed, sauntering over to the two children. After a moment, the camerawoman and Olivia followed behind them.

"Hey there, Mister Battlestorm. Hey Miss Olivia. How's everything going?" Sun asked the media mogul, who cracked a wide grin.

"Couldn't be better! We've just finalized the tournament bracket and we're all set for tomorrow. The Tournament begins at high noon, so don't be late! I made sure all of Kukui's friends got great seats for the action." Adrian said with a small chuckle, making Lillie bow after a moment.

"Thank you. Even if I'm not much of a fan of battling, it'll be nice to get a good view of the event. Especially when Sun wins." Lillie said, giving Sun a shy smile. The boy blushed slightly, with Adrian and Olivia chuckling at that.

"Looks like you've got little Lillie in your corner, Sun. You'll do fine. This Tournament is mostly to show off the strength of Alola's Trainers and get the world to focus on us for a time. For fun, you know? It's more of a chance for people from all walks of life to enjoy the Alolan culture and see what our region has to offer." Olivia said to the two children, putting a hand on her hip.

"And it also gets us plenty of global media attention. More attention means more publicity, and that's key. Plus the massive influx of tourists is really helping local businesses as well, which is what I was worried about for a bit." Adrian said as his smile faded slightly. "This has to go well. Especially if we're wanting Kukui's big project to take off. Alola has to be taken seriously, and the best way to do that is for us to show off the high caliber of Trainers we have. That's mostly why I made sure we had Miss Kahili come back home."

"How's she doing?" Sun asked the man, who smiled.

"Better. Still having trouble walking, but she'll recover in time. After what she told me, I think we're looking at another Island Challenge Champion. It takes a lot to get praise from someone like her, you know. I'm looking forward to seeing your skills myself, Sun." Adrian said with a smile, with Sun grinning back at the man. After a moment, Adrian looked back at Olivia.

"We've already settled away everyone from Sinnoh, Hoenn, and Kanto. How much time do we have before meeting with the embassy from Galar?" Adrian asked Olivia, though it was his assistant who answered.

"Two hours, sir." The blonde replied, adjusting her glasses.

"Thanks Kelly." Adrian said to the woman, receiving a nod in response. "If that's the case, then we have time to find Professor Oak. I swear, that man goes missing every time i want to chat with him."

"I think he was catching up with his cousin." Kelly said to the man, who sighed and shook his head.

"Whatever. We'll catch up later. Until then, we've got more details to iron out. Olivia, you mind dealing with my nonsense a bit more until everything is good to go?" Adrian asked the Kahuna, who smirked and crossed her arms.

"Of course. Lead the way." OIivia said before turning to the children. "Have fun you two. And be safe, okay?"

"Way to jinx it." Sun said, with Olivia giggling and walking away.

"I'm sure we won't have that bad of luck. Oh! I have an idea!" Lillie said excitedly, looking at Sun. "I believe Kiawe is at work right now. Let's go say hi!"

"That sounds good. Maybe I can get some extra supplies, just in case. Ugh...I bet the Thrifty Megamart is packed right now and working with all those people probably sucks." Lillie admitted with a nervous laugh.

"Yeah, dealing with tons of people like that...I hope this Trainer thing really pans out in the long run. I don't want a real job." Sun said with a shudder, though he was wearing a smile.

"Me either. Though I will say, working in the field with Professor Kukui after spending an entire childhood being waited on hand and foot in opulence is...jarring. But humbling, in a way. It makes me appreciate everything more in life." Lillie said as they began walking down the sidewalk.

"Same. Though my Mom did get a ton of money in the divorce from Dad. Technically we'll never have to work a day in our lives. But Mom doesn't want to ever stay idle and neither do I." Sun said to his friend, who beamed at him.

"Yes...Sun, what do you see yourself in the future?" Lillie asked the boy, who frowned. Where was this coming from?

"Why do you ask?" Sun asked the girl, who flushed bright pink.

"Just curious. All this talk about the past. But the future? Think about it. Maybe once this Cipher business is taken care of and I can get Nebby home...Where do you see yourself in a few years?" Lillie asked, making Sun think hard on that.

"Well...I definitely want to beat the Island Challenge and become the Island Challenge Champion. After, I'll want to explore Alola as much as I can. After that...I don't know." Sun admitted quietly, looking up into the cloudless sky above them.

"I've had the past always hanging over my head ever since I got here. My father. Cipher. Nova. All of it...Getting free of everything and being able to focus on myself is something I've never thought much of. I guess in the end, I...I want to be _happy,_ Lillie. I want a future where I'm happy with the family I've come to make here in Alola." Sun said firmly, looking to Lillie for approval. She seemed very happy with what the boy said, as she was beaming at him.

"I like that. You deserve to be happy." Lillie said fondly, with Nebby pewing softly from his bag in agreement.

"How about you?" Sun asked his friend, who's smile faltered. She looked down at the ground, and Sun felt a stab of worry that maybe putting her on the spot had been a bad idea. She was the one who brought it up, after all.

"I'd like to...I'd...I don't know." Lillie whispered, shaking her head. "I have no idea where my future will take me. Between Nebby and the problems with my family, I don't know what my life will be like in a few years from now. I could become a researcher like Professor Kukui or Professor Burnet. I could become a musician, sort of like what Vivian does. I could even be a Pokémon Trainer for all I know!" Lillie exclaimed, sounding frustrated. "I just... _don't know_."

Sun put a hand on the girl's shoulder. "And that's fine. You don't have to worry about the future. Worry about the now. And right now, it's just the two of us heading to the local store to bug a friend at work." Lillie smiled wanly at that, but nodded. After a moment, Lillie took stock of their surroundings and frowned.

"Sun...Where is everyone?" Lillie suddenly asked. Sun looked around and realized that the entire street was deserted. Sun tensed and gripped Lillie's hand, though he suddenly heard the sound of laughter that made his spine tingle.+

"Looks like you all didn't catch the memo...This street is Team Skull territory." came a rough voice from a nearby ally. To their horror, three men wearing modified Team Skull uniforms walked out of the alleyway. Each of them were a good two feet taller than Sun, and sporting ugly tattoos.

"Sun! It's the Bone Brothers!" Lillie hissed, pulling Sun backwards. Sun had no idea who they were, but he stood his ground, pulling out a Poké Ball. Sun spotted a few more members of Team Skull lurking around, waiting in the shadows., though his attention was on the three massive men standing in front of them.

" _Where's the extra security this place is supposed to have? Team Skull shouldn't be able to be here in these numbers!"_ Sun thought worriedly, though he scowled and drew himself up as much as he could. "I'm not scared of you creeps. Back off!" Sun said to the men, who chuckled darkly.

"Kid, I've taken shits bigger than you." One of them remarked, crossing his arm.

"Kinda rude though...Everyone kinda left when they heard we were around. Makes me wonder if they're scared or something." Another one remarked, cracking his knuckles. The last one stared at Lillie, his eyes narrowed.

"Hey there Princess...Why don't you leave the hero and get with the zeroes?" the man chuckled, cracking his knuckles while the lead Bone Brother called out his Drapion. "You got away last time. Not happening again. Guzma wants to have a very long _discussion_ with you. Now come with us. Or we start breaking bones."

Sun took a step back as the Ogre Scorpion hissed darkly, flexing its pincers as the brothers spread apart, trying to surround him. Sun could tell at glance this Drapion was strong enough to knock out his entire team. That said…They clearly wanted Lillie. It was possible they wanted her for Nebby, or for some other purpose. Either way, Sun wouldn't let them anywhere near her.

"Lillie, run!" Sun barked, drawing two Poké Balls and preparing himself to battle. Lillie shook her head, her body shaking with fear, but then she looked behind her and her mouth dropped.

"S-Sun!" the girl tried to warn the boy, but he was distracted by the thugs ahead of them.

"Just run Lillie!" Sun said to his friend, calling out Penny and Oliver. The Bone Brothers grinned as they approached Sun, though they slowed their advance as they spotted who Lillie was talking about.

"It's always something, dammit. Yo, asshole. You wanna back off? We're just gonna knock out this brat, steal his Pokémon, and take this little girlie back to Po Town." The center Bone Brother remarked, looking at somewhere just above Sun's shoulder. In response, Sun heard a familiar chuckle chuckle and then a click behind him, followed by a firm hand on his shoulder.

"Not a chance. Borlath would be pretty pissed if you hurt his son." Sun froze at those words, and slowly looked behind him to see a familiar face grinning at him.

"Hey there, kiddo. Long time no see." Dawson said cheerfully as he stepped in front of Sun, raising his glowing hand-cannon at the trio of gangsters. "Now...Back off. I believe these kids are coming with me."

* * *

 _Cliffhanger!_

 _How will this turn out? Stay tuned and find out next week._

 _Now, for something else._

 _ **I will be formally taking requests for cameos, appearances and ideas for battles you'd want to see in the Alolan Grand Royal Tournament. I've got quite a bit of stuff already planned, but I'm only one guy and you all have fantastic suggestions that could possibly work better than anything I have planned. So, feel free to drop suggestions! (Naturally, if your ideas are used, you get a shoutout in the chapter they appear in and full credit.)**_

 ** _I'll stop taking suggestions after Chapter 85 is posted, so feel free to leave some suggestions if there's some characters you want to see throw down in the Tournament or just pop up for some shenanigans._**

 _I will state that the confirmed people who will be there in some capacity are as follows:_

 _Crasher Wake (who cameo'd twice, I believe), Korrina, Clemont, Hala, Olivia, Chuck, Roxie (two points to anyone who recognized her) Cynthia, Professor Oak, Kahili, Gladion, Plumeria and Team Skull in general, Lana, Mallow, and Kiawe. Many more will follow, but again, I know people love seeing some characters more than others, so I'm willing to add or substitute characters if they work better._

 _In the meantime, please show your support by dropping a review and giving me some feedback on the chapter, and favorite and/or follow the story if you haven't already. These next few chapters will be off the chain and include some of the most badass scenes in the story, so you won't want to miss an update._

 _Take care and stay awesome._

 _Until next time, FlygonNick out!_


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